"Lake Fairy?"
The Bloodkin frowned slightly and slowly nodded.
"This is a local folk legend. I heard similar stories when I was still a child. A warrior seeks power, undergoes trials, and draws the sacred sword. A wise man seeks wisdom, undergoes trials, and receives an ancient tome. These stories are vague and contradictory, yet they have endured locally for a very long time."
He paused.
"Before I left this area in early autumn, news spread through the black market that someone had truly encountered the Goddess in the Lake. If you need more detailed information, I can help gather it. Tomorrow—tomorrow, I'll give you all the intelligence I can collect so far."
"That would be a great help."
Shade raised his glass and lightly clinked it against Mr. Bernhardt's.
"Also, since I've come to a new city, could you introduce me to the local black market? I'd very much like to see what local specialties are available."
"No problem. There are no fewer Ring Arcanists in Huntington than in Middlesburg."
"Then aside from the Orthodox Church, are there any Ring Arcanist organizations here that I should be wary of?"
Shade asked. Mr. Bernhardt considered it.
"Not within the city itself. To the east lie vast vineyards and farms, with relatively few permanent residents. But to the west, in the Pantanal Great Swamp, there is the 'Pantanal Voodoo Society,' formed by the swamp's native inhabitants. Those people are rather strange. They excel at Thaumaturgy involving poisons and diseases, and their beliefs are not unified. Some even worship the Pantanar Area itself. Years ago, they polluted the groundwater near Huntington and were placed on the Nature Church's wanted list. Of course, quite a few of them are decent people, but when dealing with that sort, never casually eat or drink anything