One-Eyed Monster

Aliusan limped out of the Guru Bar, his heart pounding with excitement.

The sudden and inexplicable death of Mayor Babasha was something nobody had anticipated.

This event could prove disastrous for Elder Rostellum and his Gaga County, but for Aliusan and his Black Mountain, it was a rare opportunity.

Aliusan held Elder Rostellum in high esteem. Although there were times when Rostellum seemed only interested in his own gain and appeared to lack real ability, he always managed to surprise everyone with astonishing decisions in crucial moments.

For example, this time, were anyone else in his shoes, they would be in complete disarray. But Elder Rostellum had things under control, meticulously planning everything, managing what should and should not be done. Unlike a rookie, he didn’t panic or seem lost.

Although the tasks laid out by Rostellum might seem simple and straightforward, the simpler the task, the harder it was to implement during a crisis.

Not everyone can stay calm in the face of unexpected events. Some people would be thrown into utter panic and confusion, often unable to handle even the simplest of tasks.

However, Elder Rostellum, firm and composed, gave no signs of bewilderment. His plans might have appeared simple, but they always conveyed his sense of control. It might have been an illusion, yet this illusion often inadvertently reached people, instilling in them a firm belief.

This must be the charm of an excellent politician, Aliusan thought to himself.

As someone who dealt with information, Aliusan was well aware of the difficulty of the current situation. The mysterious death of the head of the City Administrative Office was enough to cause a major upheaval in Guru Mountain, let alone the questions it raised about security at the Guru Bar itself.

To say nothing of a mayor, in the past, if even a dog from Gaga County died in Guru Mountain, Elder Rostellum would launch an exhaustive investigation to find out who dared to commit such an act. And now, the disappearance of a mere housekeeper from the Gaga County Administrative Office had led Rostellum to deploy all the resources of his Black Mountain for the search. The cost under the current circumstances was unimaginable.

For Aliusan, this was a golden opportunity. He believed that he and his Black Mountain were poised to emerge from Guru Mountain because of this situation. Perhaps through Elder Rostellum, who was a politician, he and his Black Mountain could even become an organization like the Hounds or Black Crow.

Aliusan saw Elder Rostellum as a sharp sword, unsheathed and ready. This sword was not only sharp but also swift, always able to deal with matters promptly. More precisely, it wasn’t about resolving issues but about taking a clear stance. His overall approach felt like drawing his sword at the first sign of trouble. Regardless of whether the problem was as hard as a rock or as tangled as a knotted rope, Rostellum would swiftly draw his blade and cut it down.

This life-or-death attitude was also a kind of gamble.

So, how could Aliusan’s heart not pound with anticipation?

Having lain low in Guru Mountain for so long, he had finally chanced upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There were people from Luona here. As long as he made a big splash with this, he wouldn’t have to worry about future business. This world had always been like this: seize the right opportunity at the right time, and anything could happen.

Although Aliusan’s intelligence agency was not yet renowned on the Yowein Continent, it was already preeminent in Guru Mountain; even Elder Rostellum from the Gaga County Administrative Office had to consult him for information.

It was precisely because he understood information that Lame Aliusan was able to become a local hegemon in the diverse and complex Guru Mountain, even if this hegemon didn’t seem to possess much actual strength.

This hegemon’s sole advantage was his access to sufficient information.

Information was Aliusan’s secret weapon. His Black Mountain’s Crows and Spiders, while not as professional as those in other large Dark Organizations, were nonetheless capable of gathering considerable information. As a former Spider, Aliusan possessed a unique set of skills for filtering information. This unique skill set allowed him to quickly extract key elements from a pile of information, and these key elements were the foundation of his standing.

At appropriate times, he would intentionally or unintentionally leak some of this information, stirring up the otherwise uninformed populace. Information held sway over the ignorant. From the price of a bottle of wine to the location of a treasure map, such news could always send people scurrying.

Aliusan knew that Guru Mountain was far from peaceful these days.

The Alchemy Workshop and the Wizard Alliance had both converged here; this couldn’t be a mere coincidence. Another faction, a dark force researching Dark Arts, had also gathered, evidently for some hidden secret.

Aliusan’s Crows had gleaned much information from the idle Treasure Hunters. While this information might be worthless to others, dismissed as drunken chatter, Aliusan could always extract what he needed from these seemingly useless tidbits.

For instance, he learned that the individuals studying Dark Arts hailed from Black Crow, an organization he both revered and dreaded. Furthermore, through the drunken boasts of Treasure Hunters, he also discovered that among the many taverns in Guru Mountain, there was a unique one whose proprietor was a very knowledgeable old man.

Often, breakthroughs came from such seemingly insignificant pieces of information.

Although Aliusan had been ordered by Elder Rostellum to find Bunan—that unlucky young master from Luona—even if he had to dig three feet into the ground, he still had his own agenda.

While the aim of his agenda was merely to curry favor with Elder Rostellum, hoping to leverage the influence of the Gaga County Administrative Office to expand his Black Mountain Organization, he was nonetheless tirelessly scheming.

From Elder Rostellum, Aliusan hadn’t learned much else, but he had thoroughly mastered the art of taking a decisive stance, like a swift knife cutting through tangled hemp.

Upon returning to his stronghold, Aliusan quickly assigned tasks.

All Earth Wolves and Crows were dispatched to guard the various crossroads in Guru Mountain. The Spiders were tasked with maintaining contact with the outside world. If Bunan’s whereabouts were discovered, they were to report it immediately via Mail Bird. Simultaneously, the Crows were to keep a close eye on Musa in Guru Mountain! If any message arrived from Musa, they were to notify him at once. Regrettably, no Mail Bird had come from Musa for quite a while.

At this point, Aliusan himself headed to another location he considered very important.

There was no shortage of taverns at the foot of Guru Mountain.

And the place Aliusan was going to was, naturally, also a tavern. The proprietor of this tavern was a hunchbacked old man.

It was said that this old man was a scholar of great learning.

Why would a scholar of great learning choose to live at the foot of this mountain? Clearly, there had to be some secrets hidden there.

Now, he, Aliusan, was going to slowly uncover this mystery...