C9: Baiting A Bloodworm

Looking up at the tall walls of Shamrock City, Ken felt impressed. The wall hadn't been here the last time he had visited the city, which was more than five decades ago. Building a wall within that time was not a difficult task, but keeping it so well-maintained and imposing for so long was admirable. The view from the top must be incredible in a flat region like this.

The Goblin Race had had a huge boost in terms of technological progression in the last thirty years, he had learned from Simm. This was a result of constant skirmishes in the borders, especially against High Races like the Elves and the Dwarves, both of whom relied on technology far beyond the rest of the plane. Even now, he could see dozens of tube-like structures being operated at various parts of the walls. Ken could recognize the influence of Dwarven weaponry very well. Each of those tubes could probably vaporize a Mutant-rank Creature in a matter of seconds.

The heart of Shamrock City had many entrances, each of them covering a massive gap between the city walls. But not everyone could go in and out as they pleased. The rich businessmen, the aristocratic families, and the officials of high ranks operated within the core city, free from having their peace disturbed by the common people. Of course, creatures who have managed to rise beyond the Ordinary Rank were generally welcome to enter as well, with the sole exception being the local Goblin clans who had roots both inside and outside the core city.

The strict rules had forced many settlers to expand the city's borders outside the walls throughout the years. As of now, about one-tenth of Shamrock City was hidden behind the walls, and the difference in population ratio was even bigger. Ken spent a long time simply visiting each gate and listening to the conversations taking place nearby, gathering as much information as he could.

He had no intention of barging inside the core city. After he was done collecting data, he asked around the outer layers of the settlements for the location of the best midwife money could hire. Then he screened the list of names one by one, singling out the most powerful expert among them as his choice.

This was a Healer vampiress, one of the many victims of the recent civil war in the Redheart Continent. The descriptions he heard of her capabilities made him put her around the middle of the Mutant Rank in his mind. She did charge an astronomical fee, though, not that Ken cared. The hideout he and Simm were occupying contained enough money to hire her for an entire month if needed.

It took him a while to track her down. She had apparently gone to visit an influential Goblin Noblewoman inside the core city. With four more people, Ken was forced to sit outside her vast property, waiting for her carriage to return.

Her carriage returned half an hour later, only to completely ignore their existence at the gateway. They barely caught a glimpse of the famed healer before she disappeared behind the gate.

Just as Ken was considering whether to sneak in, a thin, handsome young man, probably a human, hurried out of the mansion.

"How many of you are waiting today? Five? Is there anyone else?" he enquired in a mechanical tone. He had a stack of thick documents in his arms, which he laid out in front of them.

"I have the forms, here. Take them and fill in the relevant information. The lady will decide who and how many she will treat. And take this advice from me...she doesn't like delay."

The young man handed each of them a large card and a quill. Ken read the contents of the card and found himself in a dilemma.

The healer wanted him to tell her upfront about the sickness for which he wanted to hire her, including even the smallest details. If there was a gap in his information, or if the sickness wasn't serious enough, she apparently ignored the hiring offers, from what he had heard. Looking at the size of her property, he doubted money would sway her.

So should he tell her about the condition Simm was in? That would implicate too many secrets. The information about his Talent Transformation Spell must not be leaked until his objective is achieved.

Wait, why was he so fearful of a Mutant Rank Vampire? Even the patient, his concubine, could kill the healer in a heartbeat if the situation demanded it. Willful, powerful creatures could always sense their own kind. He could just write what he wanted from her in a tone that his old self would have used.

"Would a Mutant Bloodworm be interested in delivering children born with the most unique bloodline in this realm?"

Ken was very satisfied with that line. It truly reeked of his old, arrogant self. That question was the only thing he wrote on the card.

While everyone was scribbling furiously on their cards, he handed his to the young man, surprising him.

"What the hell does your patient have? Running nose?" He muttered to himself while taking a cursory look at the card.

"...."

The young man's gaze shifted between the card and Ken, who was staring back at him impassively. Being called a bloodworm was one of the most common, crass insults a vampire could receive in her lifetime. Both of them knew that, and that was what unnerved the attendant. If this was a prank, Ken wouldn't have dared to remain a second longer after handing the card over.

The young attendant whispered a word of caution into the ears of the guards on the gateway and rushed back into the building. He returned a minute later, accompanied by a short, pale woman whose appearance suggested an age between 40 to 50.

"Still here, I see," she said in a tone of appraisal, bloodshot eyes roaming up and down Ken's body. "Baiting a bloodworm is rarely a good idea. But you don't seem to be a proper bait. I'll entertain this just to see what your aim is. Come, lead the way."