After finishing their meal, Vlad left the restaurant and made his way toward the heart of the Third Ring, soon arriving at the headquarters of the Information Ring.
The headquarters was a six-story tower constructed from dark stone, sprawling across several hundred meters. Tens of glass windows on each side were adorned with intricate crystal artwork depicting legends and myths from countless cultures.
Above all of its four entrances, a dark eye symbol loomed, silent and watchful.
Dozens of people moved in and out of the building, a steady stream of activity. Among them were ordinary folk, wealthy merchants, and even hardened mercenaries, each drawn here to sell or buy a piece of knowledge they deemed valuable.
The Information Ring was a private entity that dealt with all forms of knowledge, whether trivial or profound.
It bought and sold everything from simple details, like the location of rare herbs, to the darkest, most well-guarded secrets buried deep within history.
Nothing was beyond their reach, and for the right price, nothing was off-limits.
The price was not just gold coins, as barter was their preferred trade method, exchanging knowledge for knowledge, favors, rare items, or services of equal value.
The Information Ring offered knowledge in two distinct forms: common and exclusive.
Anyone could buy common information; exclusive information, however, was sold only once. Once purchased, it was removed from their records entirely and never offered to another soul again.
They were trusted because, while a private entity, everyone knew the Information Ring had the backing of the Human Emperor.
Vlad stepped through the entrance and was greeted by a puzzling sight for any normal individual; hundreds of small private chambers lined both sides of the hall, their sheer number seemingly impossible for the building's size.
Flanking all entrances were two sets of magical elevators on each side, softly humming with arcane energy as wealthy individuals stepped in and out.
The elevators were the only way to reach higher floors, with the price doubling in gold coins with each floor, a system designed to ensure that only those who could afford the high-grade services made it that far.
"The building is larger on the inside... How?" Vel murmured softly under her breath, her small head peeking out from behind Vlad's shoulder, eyes wide with wonder.
"They are using space-expansion arrays," Vlad explained. "Expensive to set up, but still cheaper than buying out land in a place like this."
Vlad went to the second elevator line, which had fewer people, and it took a few minutes before his turn came.
He took out a gold coin and inserted it into the side of the elevator before stepping inside. A few breaths later, he reached the first floor, and without looking around, he joined the elevator line to his left.
The first floor was similarly filled to the brim with crowed, and rightfully so since while the ground floor was for buying normal information, the first floor was for selling information.
There were always more sellers than buyers, as people were trying to make a quick coin out of the information they believed was valuable, even though attempting to sell fake or commonly known information three times would have one banned.
Vlad used two more gold coins to reach the second floor, which was just as vast as the first floor but held far fewer chambers. Everyone present radiated a different air, from wealthy merchants draped in fine robes to hardened adventurers with weathered gear and sharp eyes.
But, once more, he joined the small elevator line, and after paying a fee of four gold coins, he reached the third floor and repeated the process once more.
Vad reached the fourth floor, much more refined than the last. It had polished stone floors lined with soft carpets, rows of private rooms on both sides and a reception counter to the left where entry tokens could be acquired.
Unlike the previously crowded floors, aside from him, there were only two individuals, both of whom had just arrived.
Like the others, they were surprised to see Vel, but without interrupting or engaging, they proceeded directly to the counter to acquire their entry tokens.
Vlad also collected his token and found an unoccupied chamber, roughly two by two meters, with cushioned flooring for comfort, natural light, and cooling crystals hanging from the ceiling.
At its center stood an ornate table carved from dark stone, paired with a high-backed chair that exuded quiet luxury.
Vlad settled into the chair and placed the entry token into the circular slot at the edge of the table. A faint, dark glow pulsed along the table's edge before slowly fading.
"Welcome, dear customer. How may we assist you today?" A sweet, melodic voice echoed from all directions, startling Vel, who had been curiously checking the table's edge.
"I would like to review all available information on any mysteries, strange occurrences, or related events that have taken place within the capital's vicinity over the past year," Vlad said without hesitation.
Vlad knew that the Deceiver had come to the city of Thalmaris and spread the Verdant Blight of False Immortality using his incredible potions.
But that was all he knew.
He did not know the alchemist's true name, what he had done before opening his shop in Thalmaris, or even his true appearance.
So, Vlad had come to the information Ring hoping to find the alchemist and kill him before he started the final phase of his plan because then he would be too powerful and influential to easily stop.
There was a brief pause before the woman's calm and professional voice returned. "Sir, when you say 'vicinity,' are you referring to just the capital's immediate boundaries… or the entire region extending to the boundaries of the neighboring major cities?" she politely asked.
'I can't be certain if the alchemist prepared the elixer within the bounds of the city of Thalmaris or at some place hidden, but the chances are high that he perfected it within the city bounds,'
'Because there is no way someone could just come and create the biggest alchemy shop, create a legendary potion, and sell it for cheap, and not get closely monitored,'
'He must have secretly built connections with the nobles, and it is possible that the cult of Anarchy was helping him,' Vlad reasoned, 'But, I would not surprised if they were not involved, knowing how the alchemist died,'
"The entire region," Vlad said calmly. "Please give me a moment to calculate the price for the information you have requested," the woman replied promptly.
"Sir, there are 217 records pertaining to unsolved mysteries, strange occurrences, and anomalous sightings within the past year," the voice responded after a brief pause.
"Access to all related data, including our tier-three findings and verified insights, will cost you 11,300 gold coins."
"However, if you are only interested in the surface-level reports and descriptions of the events without our investigative conclusions, the price would be 2200 gold coins, as some of that material is exclusive."
"Once you have made your choice, place the payment on the table," she said courteously. "If you have any questions or wish to narrow down your selection, I'll gladly assist."
Vlad opened his inventory, selected the exact amount, and withdrew it. "I will take everything," he said calmly. The space beneath his palm rippled, and when it turned normal, a cube made of gold coins rested neatly on the table.
"Sir, I hope you find what you are looking for," She said cheerfully.
The space on the table twisted and shimmered for a moment, and then, in a blink, the gold vanished. When the distortion faded, it left behind several stacks of paper, each nearly a foot high, arranged neatly before him.
'Time to see if I can find the trail of that bastard,' Vlad muttered to himself, pulling the first stack of papers closer.