Chapter 920

Anton needed to wait for Paul and Eric to complete their mission and determine whether the so-called rebirth process would affect his Diablo System before he could apply to become a member of Traveler's Haven. It would take at least three more days before they completed their mission.

In the meantime, Anton decided to use the opportunity to explore the area surrounding Traveler's Haven.

He mostly focused on the taverns, where people from all walks of life gathered to relax and unwind after work.

By occasionally buying drinks for some of the patrons, Anton found that they were more than willing to share what they knew about the members of the nearby magical organization.

What surprised Anton was that even though many of the men were intoxicated and therefore far less inhibited than they normally would have been, they had almost nothing negative to say about the members of Traveler's Haven.

There were a few complaints, of course, but most were directed toward the organization's more arrogant members. To Anton, that was hardly surprising. Powerful spellcasters often developed a certain degree of pride, and he considered such behavior understandable.

What people did wonder about was the work performed by the members of Traveler's Haven.

Unlike organizations such as the Adventurer Guild or the other magical organizations in Izmorta, the members of Traveler's Haven apparently didn't undertake missions involving local matters.

What was even stranger was that no one had heard of them undertaking missions outside Izmorta either.

This left many people wondering how the organization's members earned their money.

Eventually, a low-level wizard who was already well into his cups leaned toward the others and revealed the supposed secret.

"The members of Traveler's Haven go on missions outside our world!"

He delivered the statement in what he apparently believed was a conspiratorial whisper.

Unfortunately, the man was drunk.

He was practically shouting.

Most of the people around him simply rolled their eyes.

Anton soon learned that the information wasn't a secret at all. Apparently, everyone already knew that the members of Traveler's Haven traveled to other worlds.

That revelation filled Anton with excitement.

It confirmed that the organization truly possessed the ability to travel between different worlds.

Anton could hardly wait to join.

He only hoped that learning the techniques necessary for dimensional travel wouldn't take him too long.

The people in the tavern also mentioned that the members of Traveler's Haven they encountered outside the organization generally kept to themselves.

They often behaved as though they couldn't wait to return to the organization's territory.

It was almost as if they considered spending time in the city an inconvenience.

What surprised Anton even more was the apparent rank of the members they encountered.

According to the people he spoke with, every member of Traveler's Haven they had seen outside the organization was a Supreme-rank mage or possibly even stronger.

No one below that rank openly identified themselves as a member, even when it was obvious that they had come from within the organization's territory.

Anton found that curious.

Was it possible that anyone below a certain rank wasn't considered a full member of Traveler's Haven?

After several hours, Anton felt that he had gathered enough information.

Continuing to question outsiders would probably only lead to rumors and misinformation.

He left the tavern and decided to explore the immediate vicinity of Traveler's Haven.

Before continuing, he cast the Cleaning spell on himself to remove the smell of alcohol that had clung to his clothes.

The surrounding area was much like any other part of a large city.

It had shops, restaurants, theaters, entertainment venues, and everything else one would normally expect to find in a prosperous urban district.

The biggest difference between this area and places like Ormunda or New Drennor was the diversity of its architecture.

Because people from different continents lived and worked here, the appearance of each establishment often reflected the owner's homeland.

One example was a seafood restaurant called Fish from the East.

According to several pedestrians Anton spoke with, the restaurant was owned by a family from the continent of Huoxi.

Its architecture and interior design reminded Anton of an upscale Chinese restaurant from Earth.

Another seafood restaurant owned by people from the same continent had an aesthetic that reminded him of a Japanese restaurant.

Yet another establishment had a design that strongly resembled the Middle Eastern architecture he remembered from Earth.

Anton couldn't help wondering why the cultures of this world seemed so similar to the ancient cultures of Earth.

Was it simply because people in similar environments naturally developed similar customs and architectural styles?

Or was there another reason?

He didn't have an answer.

Later, Anton discovered a theater that was supposedly owned by a man from Indirio, a kingdom on the continent of Ordura.

The building immediately reminded him of ancient Indian architecture.

Curious, Anton purchased a ticket and watched the performance currently being shown.

He was highly amused when he realized that the play resembled the musical films he had once watched from Bollywood.

After the performance ended, Anton resumed wandering through the city.

Eventually, he discovered a large plaza filled with entertainers.

Bards, minstrels, dancers, acrobats, and other performers occupied different areas of the square.

Anton stayed for a while and watched several of their performances.

He also tossed a few gold coins toward each act he enjoyed.

The sheer diversity of the performers impressed him.

Because people from different continents had brought their own traditions and styles to Remuth, the entertainment here was far more varied than anything Anton had encountered before.

As the sun began to set, magical streetlights illuminated the plaza.

The sudden transformation made the entire area feel more vibrant.

Anton found himself wanting to participate.

He approached one of the minstrels who was resting between performances and asked how someone could reserve a place in the plaza.

"You just need to pay one gold coin to the man in that booth," the minstrel explained. "Then you can choose any available spot as long as you stay out of the main street."

Anton approached the booth and asked about the available spaces.

Fortunately, there were still a few left.

Apparently, the plaza had a limit on the number of entertainers who could perform at any given time, and under normal circumstances, all the spots would already have been occupied by that hour.

Anton was also pleased to learn that he didn't need to become a member of any organization to perform.

He didn't even need to show identification.

The fee of one gold coin allowed him to perform for three hours.

Anton thought the price was somewhat expensive, but he soon discovered that the other entertainers were paying the same amount.

At least he hadn't been scammed.

Considering how many performers were willing to pay the fee, Anton assumed that they could easily earn back the cost and still make a decent profit.

The plaza was packed with people.

Most passersby stopped for at least a few minutes to watch the performers, and many of those who stayed tossed one or two coins toward the acts they enjoyed.

Anton found an empty space between a dancer and an acrobat.

He retrieved a carpet and a stool from his inventory and arranged them on the ground.

He then copied the other performers and placed a hat nearby where members of the audience could toss coins if they enjoyed his performance.

The dancer and acrobat immediately noticed him.

They watched Anton cautiously, probably hoping that he wasn't about to perform the same type of act they did.

When Anton retrieved a guitar from his inventory, both of them visibly relaxed.

At least he was a musician.

His act would be different from theirs.

Anton almost laughed.

He wondered why they had been so worried in the first place.

There were already plenty of singers, acrobats, and dancers performing throughout the plaza.

If they were confident in their abilities, the presence of one more performer shouldn't have mattered.

With that thought, Anton sat down on his stool, adjusted his guitar, and prepared to perform.