In the corner of the inn.
Actually, every establishment should have spots like this. Some people who prefer quiet would sit in such corridor corners, but in reality, these places aren't quiet at all.
Because sounds always come from all directions. Sometimes you don't want to listen, but you always hear them anyway. So Sean felt that those who sat in such spots weren't necessarily people seeking peace and quiet—they could also be people who wanted to know what everyone was talking about!
The light was dim, barely revealing a single person sitting alone in that spot. Bowls and cups were placed around them, but no one else was there—they had probably all run to the center to listen to the returning man's story. The talk of the mist had indeed stirred up a huge commotion in the inn.
Many were speculating about what this thing really was.
Some even said that nothing like this had ever happened in the Basharan Empire, or in other countries, or even in regions Sean had never heard of.
The biggest advantage of having so many mercenaries gathered in an inn like this was that they could all "brainstorm" together. Though their ideas differed, their back-and-forth chatter often brought up things many wouldn't think of alone.
Don't underestimate it—mercenaries usually prioritize personal gain, but when survival was at stake, they still huddled tightly together.
Though in Sean's view, this huddling wasn't all that tight...
Still, veterans like Jonathan, Raster, and Feng, who spent years on the road, loved this atmosphere. They could pick up a lot of information and broaden their horizons.
Sean watched the person in the corner eating alone, occasionally pausing.
Clearly, they were listening...
And listening very intently.
They hadn't touched the plates around them, focusing only on the small dish in front of them. Obviously, they weren't with the others at the same table.
When had he gained someone with a [Cold] favorability?
If it were any lower, it would be [Hostility]. As far as he could recall, the only people with truly negative favorability were Ignia's senior disciple and those in hostile relationships, like the ones he'd fought against in Koga City, such as Wiseman and his group.
But those were clearly hostile relationships, not this [Cold] description...
His favorability only appeared when someone had interacted with him. For example, after meeting, the word [Neutral] would show up, meaning they'd at least glanced at him and knew he existed. As for those who had never met him, no favorability was displayed at all.
The other party was [Cold], meaning they had definitely seen him before.
He looked more closely at their attributes:
[4200/4200]
That meant they were a Level 4 Orderer. There were probably a dozen or so such people present—nothing special.
It was a bit strange, but since Jonathan kept asking about what to bring, Sean didn't focus entirely on this person with [Cold] favorability.
The discussions in the inn lasted late into the night. Eventually, Sean couldn't take it anymore and went upstairs to rest, but the noise below was still buzzing. In this small wooden house, he could hear people shouting downstairs even while lying in bed.
Maybe mercenaries were used to it. For those away from home, having a place to rest was already a blessing. If it weren't for gathering information, Jonathan might not have wanted to come to a place like this—it was too expensive, a luxury for those who lived off missions and meager bounties.
Of course, Sean didn't relate to this at all. A local noble living on state subsidies had no idea that spending money required frugality. In his memory, as long as he didn't waste it, he wouldn't use up even a few thousand gold coins in a year.
He lay in bed, unable to sleep...
His mind kept drifting back to the person downstairs. Had they met him before? Did they have some grudge against him?
And then there was the mist—that was the most critical part. The man said the mist had caused him to lose his teammates, and none of the others had returned yet, presumably dead.
Of course, Sean didn't believe everything the man said. There was a clear [Unease!] in his tone when he spoke. Sometimes, what people saw and what they later recalled weren't the same thing. For some purpose, he might even exaggerate or emphasize certain details.
He wasn't lying, but he wasn't sure of the facts either, yet he deliberately stressed his words... to create an inexplicable sense of pressure in those around him.
Sometimes, the way he talked was baffling. He wanted help but deliberately pushed people away, only looking out for himself. The best outcome for him would be something for nothing.
So Sean didn't take everything the man said at face value. After all, Freya and the others had gone ahead earlier. Though they might not have taken the same path, they were certainly among the first troops closest to Takoma City.
That was a crack squad of three to four thousand elites. If they could vanish without a trace, then this country was probably not far from destruction!
But the mist issue was still a tough nut to crack...
………………
The next morning, the mercenary小队 didn't set off immediately. Instead, at Sean's request, they worked with the alchemist Alphonse to brew several potions.
Antidotes, clarity potions, a series of concoctions, plus some recovery potions to prepare.
It was Sean's first time witnessing an alchemist making potions firsthand. It looked simple—just boiling or distilling purchased herbs over a fire and mixing them together. He even took a look at the herbs in Alphonse's hand.
For example, something like "[XX Flower]," but without any effects listed. Yet after brewing, the potion showed its effects. [Recovery Potion: Stops bleeding and restores 50–100 HP]...
It was the most basic kind of potion.
"Did you memorize all these brewing methods?" Sean asked.
"Of course. How could an alchemist get by without remembering these?" Alphonse replied jokingly.
It made sense for someone specializing in potions to remember the brewing methods. But what puzzled Sean was that the plants' attributes showed no effects before brewing, yet they gained effects afterward. Why was that?
Was his level too low to see these subtle natural attributes? Or was there another reason? It was hard to explain.
"If I get the chance, could I study your alchemy notes sometime?"
"That's no problem." Alphonse didn't refuse.
In fact, alchemists' notes weren't off-limits. Some people could even pay to read them and learn the methods. But the real difficulty lay in mastering the heat and techniques—proficiency wasn't something you could gain by just flipping through a few books. It required years of trial and error.
With these potions prepared, the team decided to wait another day before setting off, to play it safe.
They wanted to see if those rushing into the misty area would run into danger...
However, over these two days, Sean never saw that person with the [Cold] relationship again.