In recent days, there was no one in Bayam who did not know about the Shadow Specter; the subject was even discussed in certain newspapers, and even the Sonia Morning Post, one of Bayam's most famous newspapers, had covered the story. There were all kinds of theories, and authors had even written stories about the Shadow Specter, taking advantage of its growing popularity.
The most famous of these stories was written by an unknown author; the novel was titled The Shadows That Envelop Us, and it was about the Shadow Specter becoming obsessed with a certain young woman, enveloping itself in a passionate love story with some touches of horror; it had become something of a trend among young women.
Lewis would be lying if he said he hadn't felt a little curious, so he bought a copy of the novel, and all he can say is that he couldn't get past the first 10 pages because of how embarrassed he felt.
"Women really do have a talent for writing very... passionate stories."
Deep down, he refused to accept the idea that the author was a man; it was best for his mental state and to avoid losing control instantly.
But back to the subject at hand, the Shadow Specter had become something of a local legend, especially among pirates, who, as the days passed, developed an increasingly deep fear of this mysterious entity, even creating a set of "rules" to avoid encountering the Shadow Specter.
Some of these rules, as far as Lewis knew, were things like not boarding ships or going out too late at night, not causing too much trouble or provoking fights when in Bayam, and most importantly, under no circumstances should anyone try to leave Bayam at night. Strange as it seemed, the pirates followed these rules very strictly and excluded anyone who broke them, seeing them as nothing more than a walking corpse. After all, there was no one more superstitious than a pirate.
Lewis had to admit that the popularity of the Shadow Specter would not be as great now if he had not gotten involved in some night patrols as a way to practice his powers. Sometimes he roamed the streets of Bayam acting as a kind of vigilante, stopping criminals or pirates who were conducting some kind of illegal business or acts, and he was surprised by the number of cases like these. One would think that the location of the main church of the Lord of Storms would be quite safe, but the truth is that the church only cared about matters involving supernatural things; they did not get involved in the mundane affairs of ordinary people.
This caused the locals to begin to see the Shadow Specter as a kind of protective entity, viewing him as a terrifying but kind guardian, because when Lewis saved someone, he usually said nothing, fearing that his voice distorted by the Waver Mask would scare people, so when he verified that the person he had saved was safe, he simply left to seek more action.
'According to my recent investigations, the popularity that the Shadow Specter has gained is not at all to the liking of the high-ranking members of the Resistance; they see it as a threat to the spread of their faith to Kalvetua, whom they regard as the true protector of Bayam. Is that woman a member of the Resistance trying to gather information?'
None of the people at the meeting said a word, as it was known that the Shadow Specter had already wiped out a total of three pirate crews, which showed its great strength and dangerousness; none of the members wanted to risk being targeted by such an existence. Besides, to begin with, no one really knew much about this mysterious specter, only that it had a terrifying appearance and carried a strange single-edged sword.
Seeing that no one at the meeting wanted to speak, the woman who had made the request did not give up and instead offered a price.
"I will pay £300 for any information you have."
This left the members of the meeting stunned; someone capable of paying such a large sum without apparent difficulty most likely had some kind of powerful backing. The room fell silent again until a man responded in a hesitant tone.
"No one really knows much about that specter, miss; the only consistent information that exists is that it has a demonic appearance, three twisted horns on its head, long white hair, and wears armor that does not appear to have been made by human hands, as well as a strange curved single-edged sword. The rest are just rumors or theories created by the locals."
The woman listened attentively to the man's words and, without seeming disappointed at all, took out three £100 bills.
"Thank you for the information; here is the payment."
One of the assistants approached the woman and took the money; after checking the authenticity of the bills, he walked over to the man who had answered her and handed them to him. The man, perhaps feeling a little guilty, hesitated to take the money.
"It's really not necessary to pay, miss. What I said is simply what everyone knows."
However, the woman who had made the request spoke without any emotional fluctuation in her voice, sounding completely confident.
"I said I would pay for any information provided; I am not one to break my word."
Hearing the woman's confident and firm tone, the man felt more at ease and, with a light heart, accepted the money. Seeing this, the other members of the meeting couldn't help but feel envious; if only they had dared to speak up, they could have earned money practically for free.
Seeing the man accept the money, the woman spoke again, this time so that everyone in the room could hear.
"If anyone has information about the Shadow Specter in the future, don't hesitate to tell me. I will pay the appropriate price."
This created a silent ripple in the hearts of the members; they began to reconsider whether it was a good idea to do some research.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the room, Lewis watched the entire transaction with an analytical eye and couldn't help but look at the woman as she smiled slightly.
'How clever, or rather, how clever the Resistance is.'
She had set a high price and deliberately paid for information that everyone knew to show that she was someone who kept her word but, above all, was capable of spending large sums without concern. This would make the members of the meeting bolder in gathering information about the Shadow Specter, confident of a lucrative exchange.
'Should I be concerned about this?'
He believed that as long as he was careful with his abilities, it would be very difficult for anyone to catch him, although he could never be 100% sure; after all, there were all kinds of powers and magical objects in this world, and with all the commotion the Shadow Specter had been causing, it was very likely that the churches had already begun to investigate. He would have to act more cautiously from now on.
After the transaction between the woman and the man that caused a great but secret commotion among the other members of the meeting ended, the exchanges continued; some asked for special ingredients, others sought to sell potions or concoctions they had created themselves, while others sought artifacts or mystical objects; some were successfully closed, while many others were not. After observing for a few minutes, Lewis finally placed his order.
"I would like to know if any of you have a book that details topics on mysticism; it's a little embarrassing to admit, but I'm not very well versed in this side of the world."
Lewis was prepared not to receive a response; after all, something like a book on mysticism was a rather special object in this world; churches would not allow such things to circulate freely, at the risk of them ending up in the hands of an ordinary person, quite possibly unleashing a tragedy.
However, to his pleasant surprise, someone actually responded. From their voice and tone, they seemed to be someone experienced, someone who had had their fair share of experiences in life. He said bluntly.
"£1,500"
Lewis didn't respond immediately; 1,500 pounds was by no means a small sum, but he had managed to save some money from his work as an informant and from the generous "donation" from the pirates he had taken care of. After thinking for a while, he finally replied.
"I can raise the money."
He believed that if he lived frugally for a few days, he would be able to come up with that amount.
The man who had responded to his request nodded slightly and said.
"I'll have it for you at the next meeting."
After that, there were a few more exchanges until the meeting finally ended and people began to leave. They left one at a time, and there was a three-minute window before the next person left, plus there were multiple exits.
'Quite cautious, although for this type of meeting there is no other option.'
After handing in his mask and leaving the building, Lewis let his mind wander as he thought about ways to raise the money.
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A/N: I'm thinking of writing a chapter recounting one of those night patrols. I think it will help visualize how the people of Bayam see the Shadow Specter as a guardian.