"Before I begin, I should preface this by saying that it's mostly an open secret to those that have high authority in any kingdom or empire. Anyways, there are actually only a few information brokers that exist throughout the continent." Julian decided to begin his explanation with this statement, prompting Valyr to nod in response as he let the man continue.
"These information brokers are similar to how class guilds work, having a main branch located in a certain place, while their influence spreads throughout the entire continent by putting up other branches," said the man.
"Of course, that's only if we're talking about the large-scale organizations that specialize in obtaining information. If we include the medium-scale and small-scale organizations, then there are a lot more."
"However, rather than invest your money into a small or medium-scale organization, I'd suggest you choose one of the large-scale organizations instead." At these words, Julian looked at Valyr, instantly noticing the curiosity written all over the latter's expression.
With that, he answered the obvious question in the young man's head before the latter could even voice it out. "For one, though small-scale and medium-scale organizations could generally be trusted, the methods in which they obtain their information tends to enter gray territory."
"In fact, there was one incident in the past where a medium-scale organization was wiped off from the face of Veldanyr after it was found out that the organization was just a facade for a large criminal syndicate," Julian told Valyr, making the latter slightly shudder, imagining the destruction it would have caused.
"Of course, I'm not saying that all small and medium-scale organizations are like that, though. I'm just saying that it's a more frequent occurrence in those organizations."
"Does that mean you'll only be recommending me large-scale organizations, then?" Pondering over Julian's words for a bit, Valyr eventually asked him a question that seemed to follow the man's train of thought.
"In a way, kind of." Julian faintly nodded.
"After all, if you think about it, large-scale organizations could only reach such a size due to their work ethic and the reputation they have accumulated over hundreds, if not thousand of years."
"If anything, you're guaranteed to get more than your money's worth when employing the help of a large-scale organization, especially when it comes to information gathering."
"But of course, I'm also going to recommend you some medium-scale and small-scale organizations that I myself obtain information from," he added.
"If there's one thing small and medium-scale organizations are better at compared to large-scale organizations, it's the fact that they could obtain local information at greater speeds and greater detail."
"Though, if what you want information on is an event that everyone in the continent wants to know, your best bet would be a large-scale organization." Julian let out a faint chuckle, feeling that the gears in Valyr's mind were madly turning at this moment.
"How about individual people? Do you know any individual information brokers as well?" Taking a bit of time to wrap his head around the way Julian used information brokers to his advantage, Valyr eventually asked another question.
"A few." Julian nodded. "However, I only contact them when I need incredibly specific information on a certain event or a certain person."
"A great example of something like that would be the man that won the Nascent Rebirth Pill from earlier." Hearing these words from Julian, Valyr perked up his ears in curiosity. After all, he had wondered earlier if the man would be able to return to their clan safely.
"Utilizing these individual information brokers, a lot of people, including myself, were able to obtain a great amount of information about him within minutes," said the man, sighing not long after.
"In fact, I've just received a report earlier that the man had been ganged up on by multiple masked individuals about a hundred meters away from his estate. Of course, any traces of the Nascent Rebirth Pill after that were nowhere to be found."
"Is that so…" Though he felt a bit of pity for the man, Valyr swiftly discarded all his thoughts regarding the incident. After all, the two of them were just strangers in passing. "Anyways, which information brokers would you recommend to me?"
"For organizations, I'll recommend you a few," replied Julian. "As for individuals… hmm… I guess only one of them would really be of use to you at the moment."
"I am all ears." Thanking the man before him for sharing information on what would normally be something he had to obtain on his own, Valyr made sure to commit every word Julian would say to memory.
"The first organization I'd recommend you to check out is the Red Tide," Julian told Valyr.
"They're a large-scale organization situated in the Meltierre Empire, with their branch being around the kingdom's outskirts. Though they're great at information gathering, they're also known to have the best assassins and mercenaries in the continent if you're in need of those."
"I'll keep that in mind." Valyr nodded, allowing Julian to move onto the second one.
"The next organization I'll be recommending is the Nine Stars Pavilion," continued Julian.
"It was originally a small group of nine talented information brokers, with each achieving feats many couldn't believe. However, they were able to expand their influence to cover the entire continent within a couple hundred of years, becoming the go-to large-scale organization for many people when it comes to general information."
"If I remember correctly, you could also request them to obtain information on a specific item or event and they'll give it to you within a few days." At these words, Valyr nodded once more, thinking to himself that he might use the Nine Stars Pavilion more than the Red Tide.
"As for the last organization, that would be none other than the Algerie Kingdom's very own Alzahar Information Alliance." As Julian said these words, Valyr's eyes faintly widened in surprise.
"Unlike the two previous organizations, the Alzahar Information Alliance is only a medium-scale organization. However, it's pretty close to becoming a large-scale organization thanks to a recent partnership, so you could expect the same quality of information from them."
"Then, for the person I'd recommend you to look for…" By the time Julian had approached this topic, he could not help but let out a slight chuckle, prompting Valyr to look at him with faint confusion.
Though, once the man had continued his explanation, Valyr quickly understood why.
"Have you heard of the name Braum Gladios before?"
