Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

”An informant?!” Rowan was greatly taken aback, wondering if the young man standing before him was actually an official from the city’s law enforcement agency.

”Yes.” Adam nodded with a mysterious smile. ”So, are you up for the task?”

Rowan couldn’t help but nervously gulp. ”My lord, if you don’t mind my asking, are you a city official or perhaps from the—”

Adam cut him off with a mischievous smirk, ”Hush-hush, it’s a secret mission. I’m one of the good guys.”

”G-Good guys?” Rowan asked in a daze, wondering if he’d made the right decision to even approach this young magus tonight.

A moment later, he asked with slight anxiousness, ”As your… informant, what would I have to do?” He paused for a second as fear flashed in his brown eyes. ”It won’t be anything dangerous, right, my lord?”

”No, nothing like that,” Adam assured him.

”So then what would I have to do?”

”It’s simple,” Adam began. ”You have to do two things - gather intelligence and report them to me. That’s all.”

”What kind of intelligence?” Rowan asked, his tone laced with concern.

”Just go about your day as usual,” Adam stated with a solemn expression. ”But keep an eye out for any criminal activities happening around you.”

Look out for criminal activities?! Rowan thought in alarm, He really is from the law enforcement agency!

Seeing such a bizarre expression on the man’s face, Adam patted his shoulder. ”Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to proactively involve yourself in dangerous situations. Like I said, just go about your usual day and report anything suspicious to me.”

”T-That’s it?” Rowan asked, still unable to believe what he had gotten himself into.

”Hmm, that’s about it,” said Adam as he stroked his chin. ”I do, however, require you to report to me on a weekly basis.”

Rowan was silent for a long time, thinking of whether he should really involve himself in such a dangerous thing.

If Adam was asking him to report on any suspicious and criminal activities, it was no small matter that he would be getting involved in.

He wondered if the gains outweighed the risks.

Thinking of this, he looked at the raven-haired youth and asked softly, ”My lord, what would the remuneration be like?”

”Hmm, how about twenty silvers?” Adam showed him two fingers.

All hopes seemed to have been instantly stubbed in Rowan’s heart as he heard the youth’s answer. Twenty silvers was way less compared to what he was being paid at his last job.

It wasn’t until he heard Adam’s following words that his hopes reignited.

”A week,” Adam added.

Rowan’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was almost a gold piece!

Adam frowned. ”Too little?”

He didn’t exactly know how much a family in this part of the neighborhood would require to get by. But he figured eighty silvers a month shouldn’t be that low.

Just when he was about to round up the man’s salary to a gold a month, Rowan excitedly replied, ”My lord! I am willing to work for that amount! I am more than willing.”

”H-Haha, good, good!” Adam laughed awkwardly as he patted the man’s shoulder.

Phew! I almost gave him an extra 20 silvers for nothing. Thank goodness! Adam thought to himself in relief.

”When do I start?” Rowan’s eyes seemed to be shining with the brightest stars.

”You can start from tomorrow, I guess.” Adam shrugged. ”Just make sure to report to me at the end of every week. Got it?”

”Yes, yes, got it!”

”Hmm, here take this.” Adam handed him the loaf of bread that he’d just bought from the bakery. ”Consider this an advance of sort.”

Rowan’s eyes involuntarily teared up as he reached out for the bread with trembling hands. ”Thank you, my lord, I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

He had gambled with his life and blocked the way of a mighty magus, all in hopes of finding a job that would ensure his family lived well.

It had paid off.

He was deeply happy and couldn’t wait to go back home and tell this good news to his wife and kids.

”Alright then, Rowan, I will see you here in a week.” With that said, Adam turned around and walked away at a leisurely pace.

Rowan glanced at the youth’s departing back with deep gratitude and bowed. ”Thank you, my lord! I won’t let you down!”

…

Rowan walked the dimly lit streets of Bosky neighborhood, on his way home. His eyes were alert, constantly scanning for any danger as he firmly hugged the bag of food that he was hiding inside his clothes.

Finally, he arrived at a worn and weathered building, a couple of stories in height. Its exterior walls were stained with years of grime and the paint peeled off in large patches.

He entered the narrow doorway that was blocked by a group of poor people huddled around each other and sleeping on the ground.

The smell of garbage and cooking from multiple households mingled in the air, resulting in a pungent odor.

Rowan walked through the dimly lit hallway, climbed a couple of stairways, and finally arrived before a room. With bated breaths, he knocked on the door in a particular sequence.

A few seconds passed by and the door slowly creaked open. The head of a middle-aged lady peeked out from behind the door. When she saw who it was, she hurriedly opened it and jumped into Rowan’s arms.

”My dear, where were you? I was so worried!”

”Forgive me for worrying you, Carla, I was caught up in some work.” Rowan gently patted his wife’s back.

”Daddy, is that you?”

”Did you bring food? I’m hungry!”

Two little children came out of the small room and glanced at Rowan with hopeful eyes. They wore tattered clothes and looked very emaciated.

Rowan crouched on the ground and hugged his children warmly. He whispered in their ears, ”Daddy has brought delicious bread for you.”

”Really?!”

”Yay!”

Seeing them get so excited, Rowan’s eyes teared up, and so did Carla’s. They couldn’t remember the last time their kids had been this happy.

”And guess what?” Rowan added, dotingly gazing at his children. ”Daddy’s also brought dessert!”

”Heehee, it’s a feast!”

”Papa, come, let’s all eat together.”

The children grabbed Rowan and Carla’s hands and dragged them inside the room. After the door shut, the hallway returned to silence.

A figure slowly materialized, standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall.

Hearing the happy voices of the children coming from within the room, Adam’s lips curled up into a warm smile.

”You didn’t lie to me, after all.”