After learning the name Ederiko from the innkeeper,
Conrad paid without hesitation.
One million Jenny slid across the counter in a clean transfer.
"That's all I know," she said. "From here on, it's your problem."
Conrad left the Broke Man Inn calmly, pushing the door open and stepping into the street.
He crossed the street without looking back.
Then, in one smooth motion, he jumped.
His body moved lightly as he landed on the edge of a nearby roof.
The moment his feet touched the surface, his aura disappeared completely.
He entered "Zetsu."
From above, he watched the entrance of the inn through the angle of the roof tiles, using only his eyes and patience.
He did not want to follow the hunters.
At this point, he did not need them or give them a reason to look for him and start creating problems.
He wanted to know something more important.
Would they follow him?
If they did, that meant they considered him a threat.
Minutes passed.
Five.
Seven.
Ten.
People came and went from the inn.
They weren't following him.
Conrad stayed still for a few seconds longer, just to be sure.
Then he released Zetsu slowly, letting a thin layer of Ten wrap around him again.
"So that's that," he murmured.
He left the rooftop the same way he arrived—quietly.
Ederiko.
That name carried weight, even without an aura attached to it.
According to the innkeeper, Ederiko was a retired Kakin official.
Formerly employed by the Justice Bureau,
More importantly, the man had connections that could prove useful to him.
The innkeeper had been clear.
"If anyone knows about old artifacts, especially ones that don't officially exist, it's him."
She had also been honest about the price.
Two to five million, Jenny.
For a man like Conrad, that wasn't a problem.
Conrad moved through the city.
From what he gathered, Ederiko lived in a quiet residential district.
A small apartment building.
Conrad stopped across the street and observed.
Either Ederiko was truly retired, or he was confident enough not to protect himself openly.
"Maybe, he does not have enemies, or what he knows is not that important for people to come to get him."
"Who knows?"
Conrad adjusted his posture, made himself look like just another passerby, and then entered the building.
A single elevator stood at the end, but Conrad chose the stairs.
Third door on the right on the second floor.
He knocked once.
Then waited.
The door opened halfway.
A man in his late fifties looked out.
Short gray hair.
Deep lines around the eyes.
"Yes?" the man asked.
Conrad spoke plainly.
"My name is Conrad. I'm looking for information about an artifact known as the Staff of Germanis."
The door didn't close.
Ederiko studied Conrad's face for a long moment.
"You shouldn't say that name so lightly," Ederiko said.
"I paid to hear it," Conrad replied calmly. "And I'm willing to pay for information."
That did it.
Ederiko opened the door fully.
"Come in."
The apartment was simple.
Ederiko gestured to a chair.
"Sit."
Conrad did.
Ederiko poured himself tea and poured another for Conrad, which Conrad did not decline but had already decided not to drink.
If he were to drink, that would be the stupidest move.
"You're not military," Ederiko said. "And you're not a journalist."
"I saw many military people as well as journalists and politicians. At this age, I can smell those kinds of people with ease."
"I don't work for the state," Conrad said. "And I'm not here to expose anything."
Ederiko nodded slowly.
"Good. Then I'll speak freely."
He sat down across from Conrad.
"The Staff of Germanis is not a myth," Ederiko said. "But it's also not what people think."
Conrad listened without interrupting.
"Germanis was an advisor to the First King of Kakin," Ederiko continued.
"Official records say he was a philosopher and strategist. Unofficial records say something else."
"Nen," Conrad said.
Ederiko's eyes flickered.
"Yes," he admitted.
"Though they didn't call it that back then. He influenced the king using abilities no ordinary man could possess."
"Truth be told, I have encountered nen users but don't know much about them."
"Most of the people within government don't know much about it, as it was too much work for many people to learn." Ederiko added.
He then went back to the subject at hand.
"The staff was not a weapon. It was a remnant of a Nen user; I am not sure what they call it..."
Conrad leaned forward slightly.
He thought for a moment.
"Remnants of a Nen user—the first thing that comes to mind is 'Nen that becomes strong after death.' If while dying Germanis wished his will to keep on the staff, the staff may have kept its power."
"It could be a conjured object but kept its presence because of the nen and power of emotions from Germanis."
Ederiko then added as he took a sip from his tea.
"Germanis placed his will, his conditions, and part of his identity into it. After his death, the staff remained active."
"Where is it now?" Conrad asked.
Ederiko smiled thinly.
"That," he said, "is worth more than two million Jenny."
Conrad nodded once.
"I expected that."
By the time Conrad left the apartment, the sun had begun to set.
He had spent five million yen in total.
And it was worth every unit.
He now knew three things for certain.
First, the staff of Germanis still existed.
Second, it was currently tied to a chain of custody involving underground collectors.
The collectors were the Blood Fang Group, a small group of elite mercenaries and thieves that operate in the Kakin Empire.
Edoriko added that they have at least two Nen users and forty people in their small group.
He also gave the general location and some of their hideouts.
"I got what I needed."
"From this point on, I know where the staff is, and I need to get to it before that hunter group gets it."
Conrad prefers to fight with two Nen users and forty soldiers instead of fighting against four Nen users and hunters.
Compared to normal nen users that found nen from different sources, hunters needed to be taught by other hunters.
Which made their training and knowledge better.