After a long and uneventful journey, we were almost at our destination. Danger is something I may find anywhere but hiding is not possible in this unpredictable world.
Before we arrive, it's important to know about an event from five years ago. At that time, three countries shared borders with each other. There were no wars, so no large armies were needed. The nobles in that region were of low rank, and therefore their armies were also weak.
Everything was peaceful—until one day, demons attacked.
And you might assume they killed everyone. But no, that wasn't what happened. Instead, the demons wiped out the small armies, destroyed the crops, contaminated the water, and either killed or disabled healthy men—along with some women.
You might wonder: what's the point? Human life is the most valuable thing, so yes, there were losses, but the situation wasn't completely hopeless. At least, that's what someone with a "hero complex" might think. Reality doesn't work like that.
There was no food, no clean water, no workforce—only liabilities remained. The region no longer had anyone who could produce value, only the sick, the elderly, and orphaned children.
This massive burden was something none of the three kingdoms wanted. The result was a vast stretch of land, abandoned by all three, where only sorrow remained. Some tried to help, but their efforts were like drops in an ocean.
This forsaken land came to be known as The Land of Sorrow.
Since the kingdoms ignored it, the region became a hub for illegal activities—slave traders capturing anyone they could, human trafficking, and mages performing inhuman experiments on both the dead and the living.
Eventually, I reached the outskirts of this land. At first glance, it didn't look special, but on closer inspection, I saw ruined human settlements, broken structures, and malnourished people barely surviving.
I left it behind and traveled outside the region, soon arriving at a city. This city was once deep within the kingdom's territory, but now, with the shifting borders, it was almost considered a border town. Despite that, it was well-developed.
I entered and headed straight for the main market. I am not going to find Nature Force here. I am here for information.I was looking for a symbol. Soon, on one shop, I spotted it: a wall with ears. Anyone who saw it might cringe, but this was a novel world. The meaning was simple: even walls have ears. This was the mark of the Information Guild.
The shop was a garment store. I approached the owner and said,
"The wind reaches far and wide."
That was the password.
The owner replied, pointing at an employee:
"Please have your size measured by this man, sir."
I followed the man through a door. Only clients were allowed inside—no escorts, no guards. But that was fine. In here, I was safe. Only information exchanges happened inside; if anyone tried otherwise, the Guild would retaliate.
We went down the stairs into an underground space with ten doors. The employee pointed me to one and left.
I entered a pitch-black room. Thanks to my sixth sense, I could tell the man inside was bored and gesturing for me to sit not physically but he had intentions and I sensed through the sixth sense.I sat quickly.
Then his voice, altered by magic or some device, spoke:
"Please specify what information you need. The more details you provide, the more accurate our results."
I nodded, though he likely couldn't see it in the dark. After thinking for a moment, I answered:
"I need a list of all orphanages in the outermost region of the Land of Sorrow, along with their locations."
He forwarded my request through a communication device.
You see, the Information Guild doesn't just buy intelligence—they also gather it themselves. For example, if they think many clients would be interested in a new lord, they'll send an agent to investigate. That agent won't only report about the lord, but also everything else he observes: a river along the way, traces of a struggle nearby, signs of trade, and so on. Over time, they accumulate vast amounts of knowledge.
When someone requests information, their archives are searched, and reports are compiled. A judge within the Guild decides the price based on the difficulty of gathering the data, its current relevance, and possible consequences. The information and fee are then relayed to the man in front of me, who serves as the interface between clients and the Guild.
So I sat silently, waiting. After fifteen minutes, the man said,
"The price is fifty silver coins."
I paid, and he handed me the information.
I left immediately. Now, I could have asked for a list of orphans in each orphanage too. But let me tell you—clients of the Guild are also information for the Guild. After twelve hours, anyone with enough money could learn what I had asked. Of course the duke will after 12 hours therefore know I am here and also what I asked through guild. I too could have inquired about him but that would reveal I know he is pulling the strings.
Many shady individuals might request orphanage lists. But asking for names of orphans would stand out, possibly revealing that I was searching for someone specific. The last thing I wanted was for others to predict my movements.
Now, let's talk about what I was really after.
I was searching for a boy—ten years old now—who, in three years, would find a Nature Force. That same year, he would also die.
His Nature Force was Teleportation.
Captured and imprisoned in a heavily secured facility with barriers that blocked magic and detection, he could have easily escaped alone. But instead, he smuggled the main cast inside and then teleported prisoners out. His selfless act saved many lives—at the cost of his own.
And why am I looking for him?
Because a few thousand years ago, there was a kingdom that discovered a Nature Force. Instead of using it, they built a treasury around it, safeguarding it for the future. Fate, however, was cruel. The kingdom perished, but the treasury remained. To open it, the blood of the royal line is required.
This boy—Roy—is the last living descendant.
I need his blood.
The Land of Sorrow was vast, but due to limited aid, only fourteen orphanages existed. I bribed a worker in each, narrowing my search until finally, I found the one I needed.
I entered and was taken to the caretaker's office. He greeted me, confused.
"Hello, I was told you wished to meet me. I am Hector, responsible for this orphanage."
"Hello. I am Adrian Lewin, head of the Lewin Merchant Family."
"So, how can I help you?"
"My family is researching the aftereffects on survivors of demon attacks. We require blood samples from them. If any reside here, I hope you can assist us."
He fell silent. I could almost see his thoughts—my family must be interested in making potions to cure lingering effects, and of course, selling them for profit. After all, in this world, truly good people usually end up in graveyards meaning those roaming outside are those who don't care or have bad intentions.
So I sweetened the deal.
"Of course, as a reward, I'll invest one hundred gold coins into the orphanage, and each child who donates blood will receive one gold coin."
My offer was generous. But here, generosity was more frightening than death. In the Land of Sorrow, death is often the best end one could hope for.
Yet avoiding rewards wouldn't help anyone. Without sponsors, orphans here will starve slowly. Everyone knew that survival here was mostly luck.
The caretaker sighed, his expression bitter. Then he forced a smile.
"Thank you for helping the orphanage. We have five orphans who closely survived demon encounters. But please, only take blood from those who agree willingly."
I smiled back and replied,
"Of course. In fact, I'll first provide food for everyone here, then return in three days for the blood. Here—twenty-five gold coins in advance."
It didn't matter whether they ate or not—I would get what I wanted. But if anyone investigated later, I couldn't afford to reveal my true motive.
And I knew one thing for certain: Roy had once given his life to save others. There was no way he would refuse to donate his blood if I made it sound like the fate of the world depended on it.
Here's the cleaned-up version of your passage with grammar, punctuation, and clarity fixes. I also adjusted a few sentences that didn't quite make sense so the flow feels natural while keeping your original tone:
I still went to the orphanage every day and spoke with Roy. He doesn't know what he's going to lose—but my life is important, so forgive me. Well, he's destined to die anyway, so he might as well consider it as saving my life.
One thing, however, confused me: even after two days, there had been no attacks on me. Well, whatever—it's not like I want to be attacked.
On the third day, I had a meal with Claw and then went to visit the professionals who would collect the blood. After that, I boarded a carriage with them and headed to the orphanage, since the Sky Dogs couldn't carry them.