Chapter 418
Chapter 418. A Grasp and a Gambling Den
It’s hard not to say that Bennett, a.k.a. Virosa, going into hiding was a sensible decision. If he continued to be associated with the trading company while the hunt for the dark ones began, he wouldn’t know when his identity would be uncovered during a holy inspection.
Since he’s working as a company member and paying taxes to the city, he surely must be listed among the citizens. It would be foolish to keep working under these circumstances.
“Embezzling company funds…?”
I pretended to be shocked by the bodyguard’s words.
“J-just how much…?”
“Well… it’s not a huge amount. Just some pocket money swindled by manipulating the books…”
The bodyguard spoke knowingly and shrugged.
I see. That’s a clever idea. Keeping the embezzled company funds to a low amount that wouldn’t raise much suspicion if an average human makes a run for it, while not being worth a frantic search by the company.
Now, that leaves us with Bennett going on the run — but let’s think from the perspective of the Night Elf. If one is to disappear, where exactly should they flee to?
The hunt for the dark ones isn’t limited to just the city of Saveria. It’s spreading like a wildfire across the entire alliance. The intelligence network is in disarray, and there’s no cohesion on the ground, plus stepping into unfamiliar territory would only draw attention.
Then again, hiding in the forest or mountains isn’t easy either. If captured by Beastmen or Forest Elves, an average Night Elf wouldn’t stand a chance to escape.
Aulitos Lake might offer a chance to hide on a deserted island, but that’s not exactly realistic.
An operative with decent judgment and confidence in blending into human society…
And considering the location, with a good knowledge of the area, connections, and a constant flow of people, this city of Saveria…
—There should be an option to sever ties with the trading company while still remaining in the city, lurking in the underworld… Perhaps like a mafia…
If the Ark Deacon Trading Company is involved in various shady dealings, they’d have plenty of connections to thugs to spare. While they wouldn’t be able to hide him if the organization has direct ties to the trading company, still…
“Oh no, this is a real dilemma. I was asked by Bennett’s uncle…”
I put on a truly distressed and pathetic expression and scratched my head.
Then, as if I had just realized something…
“Ah, bodyguard-san, you have something on your shoulder.”
I quickly brushed the dirt off his leather armor’s shoulder pad—and as it flowed down his arm, I slipped some silver coins into his palm.
“…………”
The bodyguard rolled the coin in his palm, feeling its texture.
“Well, what do you think we should do?”
When I asked with a serious face, the bodyguard grinned and patted my shoulder, as if to say, “You get it.”
“Who knows? If it were that easy to find someone who’s run off, we wouldn’t have much trouble, right?”
The bodyguard, speaking louder on purpose, said,
“…Head to the back of a tavern called ‘Daydreaming Bird Inn’. It’s on Boltak Street, number 13. If you ask a guy named Stefan, ‘The White-Eyed’ there, you might find some connections.”
He whispered softly and lightly poked my shoulder.
Got it.
Since the trading company uses thugs for dirty jobs, the quality of this bodyguard is predictable. They’re somewhat of a well-behaved thug rather than true criminals. They lack the same loyalty to the company, making them just the right type of personnel for Bennett to leave as a ‘link’.
There must be someone who knows “something”. If this bodyguard turned out to be either a juvenile delinquent or a stiff soldier type, it wouldn’t have worked out so smoothly.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave… Excuse me.”
I bobbed my head repeatedly as I left. …Boltak Street, number 13, the back of a tavern, that means it’s likely a gambling den.
For a while, I walked, asking passersby for directions. I found myself stepping into a district that buzzed with a certain kind of vitality, distinct from the other entertainment districts.
…Ah, isn’t that a crew member from the NeedAlun? Looking all glum, he was downing drinks at a standing bar. Then there were others walking around with euphoric expressions on their faces.
Yep, this is definitely “that kind of place”, no doubt.
And within this district, stood the shabby tavern “Daydreaming Bird Inn”. Even with the sun still high, there were plenty of drunks around. And true to form, there was indeed a gambling den in the back.
After paying a small entrance fee, I stepped inside where card games and roulette were in full swing. There was also a slightly upscale bar… Ah, that old man.
“His right eye seems to be clouded.”
An elderly bartender, he had a large knife scar near his right eye where the vision was hazy. If he wasn’t “The White-Eyed” Stefan, then who else could it be? It’s good that it saved me the trouble of searching.
“Can I get a drink? I don’t want to get too drunk, just something light.”
Leaning on the bar counter, I ordered, and promptly got a small mug of ale poured for me. I paid right there, and the price was surprisingly reasonable. I decided to tip a little extra.
“Is Stefan the one in charge here?”
“I’m not someone important enough to be honored with that title.”
He laughed with a raspy voice.
“What do you want?”
“I was asked to deliver a letter to a guy named Bennett, but it seems he’s gone missing, and I’m troubled.”
I pulled out the envelope from my chest and shrugged, taking a swig of ale.
Disgusting!! That so-called “reasonable price” was nothing but a rip-off! Why did I tip extra…?!
“Hahaha. Which Bennett are you talking about?”
Stefan smiled like a mischievous child as he asked, noticing my grimace at the horrible ale.
“The Bennett who skimmed some cash from the trading company.”
“I see?”
He nodded and started polishing a metal mug.
I flicked a coin with my finger, and it flew right to his face, effortlessly caught by him. Cheh, no surprise at all.
“I won’t guarantee that it’ll reach him safely, you know?”
“Better than just ending up in a trash can.”
“And I’ll need your name, or the sender’s.”
“It’s Lord Theodore. I’m sure it’ll get across like that.”
—That was the alias Virosa used while operating in the alliance.
“Theodore, huh… Got it, I’ll take care of that letter.”
He received the envelope, taking pleasure in examining the robust packaging before tucking it under the counter.
“Very secure.”
“Lord Theodore is quite the worrywart…”
With all those layers of wrapping, there’s no way anyone could open it without being noticed…
“Now, let’s see if it activates safely, shall we?”
…Ah.
This letter. It’s not just an ordinary sheet of paper like before.
—Inside, there’s a small human bone embedded.
A vessel picked up from the spirit world, mostly devoid of self-awareness, serving as a focus for the undead’s “true form”.
Currently, there’s a ghost waiting in our inn room. To ensure it doesn’t vanish, it’s receiving a supply of my dark magic from Barbara…
And once the seal is broken, the seal placed on the vessel will lift, allowing the ghost in the room to slowly return to its true form.
In other words, this letter’s—revealing the position of the opener.
If anyone other than Bennett opens it, it would become a disaster, which is why the packaging is so secure. However, if Bennett himself opens it—well, necromancy sure has its merits.
“Convenient, but a tad frightening too.”
You’re right about that—if I can do it, so can Enma, and he can craft even more intricate setups!
“Here, it’s on me.”
Swallowing a mix of emotions, I looked away from the shelf where the envelope had been stored, and Stefan poured me another drink.
“Drink this as a palate cleanser.”
“Thanks a lot!”
I downed it in one go.
Blech!!
“That’s awful!! Hey, old man!!”
With a cackling laugh reminiscent of a mischievous child, Stefan chuckled. Damn! If there was any drink left, I’d splash it all over him!!
I’m never coming to a place like this again! I stormed out, just waiting for the activation of the setup back at the inn!!
“Whoa!”
“Now that’s impressive, bro!”
“Heroic indeed!!”
As I stole a glance while leaving, the table where the card game was played was in a frenzy.
“Ugh… Here’s my chance for a comeback…!!”
Looks like one of the players had gone all in with their chips. A relatively young guy with blonde hair—wearing suspicious black glasses in this dim gambling den… Is that a pair of glasses from that brand? Even in summer, he was covering his mouth with a scarf… way too suspicious…
“Ugh… I’ve got this, I can do this, I can do this! Oh! Here we go!”
With determination, the blonde youth slapped down a card on the table.
“Sorry, bro.”
The man next to him grinned wickedly.
“That’s my win.”
With a flourish, he revealed his hand, making the crowd exclaim, “Whoa!!” Though I didn’t understand the rules, it was clear the blonde youth had messed up somehow.
“Ah… No way! That’s impossible! Waahhh!!”
Crying out, the blonde youth tumbled off his chair.
In the process, his glasses fell off, revealing his mysteriously handsome features.
It was Arthur.
