Chapter 55 – Damage Control

Fuck!

I had hope; a slim one, but I still held out and hoped those two dimwit paladins were unable to add two and two together. There may not have been much hope to begin with, but it wasn’t completely unreasonable to think the pair didn’t make the connection. If they know, then I have to assume the Dark Pegasus guild already knows who I am as well. This is going to make things a shit-ton more difficult for me, but the situation is not necessarily unsalvageable. I really need to do some damage control here.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: What do you two want? I told you, I’m not interested in teaming up with you.]

I do my best to feign ignorance, making damn sure those two stay away from me. The reply ticks in only a few seconds later.

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: That’s not what I was going to ask… We have a problem and we need all hands on deck. There’s fifty gold in it for you. So how about it?]

Oooh? At least they know what type of bait to use.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: What do you need me to do?]

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: I’d prefer to talk about this face to face. Can we meet somewhere?]

Well, that’s a poorly concealed trap. Who do they take me for? An idiot?

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Really? What are we, twelve years old? Quit wasting my time. I’m busy here.]

I huff in resignation. I bet the next thing they do is make up some fairly mundane and easy problem that miraculously only I can solve; something not any of the thousand other members of their guild can. Dumb problem coming in five… four… three…

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: Fine. We need your help to find a level eleven Thief Lord hiding in the sewers somewhere beneath the Harbour District.]

Uhm… Okay, I didn’t really expect that one.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Why do you need my help with that? Aren’t you members of the Dark Pegasus guild? One word from you and the entire city can be purged in only a few hours.]

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: Trust me, we would have already done that hours ago if we could. We are kind of caught between a rock and a hard place. We’re on thin ice with the guild, and if we tell them now, we might get kicked out of the clan for our efforts.]

… Okay, I lost it.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: What do you mean? How the hell could revealing that information be a bad thing?]

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: The information isn’t the bad thing. The problem lies with our proof. Let’s just say that the recording of our encounter with the Thief Lord is… Less than flattering on our side.]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: Pfft. What did you do? Try to hump a zombie or something?]

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: No, wise ass. What happened is not important. What IS important though, is locating the Thief Lord as quickly as possible so that we can get some better footage to send to our guild leader. We don’t need to actually kill the guy, just find him.]

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: … You do realise how ridiculous this sounds, right?]

[Gregorious Ironguard writes: Yeah, yeah. We know. So what do you say? Are you in or not?]

I snort. This is interesting. Are these two fucking with me? That story sounds so ridiculous it might actually be plausible. You can’t really make up this kind of shit, can you? You’d have to be a pretty amazing author to come up with this crap. Thinking back, I can actually remember how that entire scenario played out. I recall how that human Paladin, was it Kevin?, screamed like a little girl and ran as soon as he saw me. I can buy it that the entire encounter wasn’t very flattering, but is it enough for them to fear their places in the guild? I also remember my first encounter with them as a Thief Lord back in the Noob District, and I distinctly recall the encounter transpired in a very similar fashion. Knowing Aria, I find it hard to believe she finds that sort of behaviour acceptable for anyone under her employ.

If what they’re saying is true, then I might just have found a way to prolong my secret identity for another while. I need to get on top of it though. My main challenge is to make sure Greg and Kevin don’t tell their guild about the Thief Lord’s existence for a while longer, preferably not at all. If they need my help to locate… myself, then it would be a smart thing for me to be part of the search group. The easiest way to hide is to team up with your own pursuers, isn’t it?

Wow. I can’t even believe I’m actually considering this, but I think this opportunity is too good to pass on.

[Rynorn Stabberton writes: I’m in. Tell me when and where.]

----------

Greg told me to meet them at a small tavern in the southern part of the Harbour District. The place isn’t actually that far from my hideout so it doesn’t take long for me to find it. Greg told me to meet them in half an hour, but I easily make it in less than five minutes. This gives me ample opportunity to scout out the nearby area and set up as many precautions as humanly possible within my time frame. I’m still not entirely convinced this isn’t a trap after all.

This is why I’ve placed all four of my ranged units on rooftops surrounding the inn, with both my Prowlers keeping an eye on the main entrance. They will immediately notify me if any high-level players approach from any direction while also being in a position to rain down hell on any pursuers if it becomes necessary. I’ve deigned to let them use the two last paralyzing poisons I have at their own discretion as my survival is paramount to my success. Having lookouts prepared this well in advance should also give me a good warning if any enemy players are lying in ambush, as they are bound to spot anyone coming from a mile away; unless they are really high-level assassins.

I need to be prepared for that possibility as well though. That’s why I’ve placed both my Cutthroats near either of the adjacent alleyways, which should be the likely spot for the enemy assassins to approach from. I sincerely doubt their stealth capabilities are powerful enough to slip past my own underlings even at their low levels. The alleyways are far too narrow for that. I still don’t know what’s waiting for me on the inside of the building, but I’ve decided to bring my Swindler alongside me to function as a human shield while my Beggar awaits on the outside, ready to swap places with me using Doppelganger at a moment’s notice. If by some miracle the assassins are still able to pursue me, my Thugs are standing at the ready to sacrifice their lives to buy me more time.

I don’t think there is anything more I can do to prepare. I’ve got most of my bases covered, and the only thing I can do now is to wait for the two Paladins to arrive.

I spend another ten minutes waiting to see if any ambushers approach. None arrive, or at least none that I can see, so I decide to take the initiative and head inside. Being the first to arrive, I have the advantage of choosing where we all sit. That’s why I head inside and find the most secluded corner booth inside the tavern, hugged up against a back wall where I can easily be within range of my Beggar in case I need to make a quick getaway.

The last fifteen minutes goes by excruciatingly slowly, but the two Paladins eventually make their appearance without anyone trying to kill me. I suppose that’s a good sign. The two scan the nearly empty tavern before their eyes land upon me. Greg gives me a short nod of acknowledgement before he gestures for Kevin to follow him.

“Thank you for coming.” Greg says while taking a seat. I don’t sense any anger in his voice and he seems tense, but still somewhat relaxed. That’s a good sign for me at least. I don’t get a malicious vibe from the guy. He doesn’t look like the antsy type who is about to spring an ambush. I give him a silent nod in response. Kevin gives me a half-interested, half-annoyed glance before he looks away, crossing his arms and drops into a seat next to Greg. Geez, I wonder who crapped in his cereal.

“Do you want a beer or anything?” Greg offers, clearly trying a bit hard to get into my good graces. I know I’m sort of acting like an asshole to the guy, and the Rynorn they know must certainly look the part. They don’t appear to know I have good reason to be a little pissed off at them though and I don’t feel like putting in much effort to hide the fact. The shit they stirred last night is still making my blood boil.

“No, I’m good. Let’s just cut to the chase. What exactly do you need my help with?”

Kevin shoots a mean glare at the shorter dwarf. “Seriously, cous. We don’t need this shitbag. We should just tell Aria and get it over with. Dealing with this asshole isn’t worth it.”

“Shut your fucking mouth Kevin, or I’ll swear to god...” Greg snaps back, causing Kevin to flinch. He takes a few seconds to glare at his younger cousin, daring him to say another word. Kevin eventually snorts and looks away.

“Right, sorry about that.” Greg eventually says, returning his gaze towards me. “As I said earlier, we need some help locating a level eleven Thief Lord that should be hanging around in the sewers around this area. Luckily, there aren’t many alternative leveling opportunities in this city, so he will eventually need to make an appearance if he intends to ever level up.”

“And what do I do if I find him? Fighting that guy would be suicide for a lone crafter like me, and I don’t intend on losing a level after the latest patch.” I say.

Greg raises his hands defensively. “No, no. You don’t need to fight him. If you see him, then just shoot me a message and we’ll hurry over. We only need to get a glimpse of him ourselves as proof of his existence to show our guild master.”

“So, you want me to sit on my ass for hours on end and wait for some random Villain to appear and most likely kill me? I gotta say, this sounds like a waste of time.”

Greg sighs. “We don’t expect you to search for him actively. Just keep an eye out if you run into anyone suspicious.”

“Hmm... “ I rub my chin. “Sounds easy enough. I need to get a description of who I’m looking for though. Can you forward me the video you took earlier?”

“Absolutely not!” Kevin nearly shouts, shooting me a venomous glare. I just raise an eyebrow in return.

“Kevin! I thought I told you to-”

“No, fuck that!” Kevin interrupts. “If you send him the video, who is to say he won’t just blackmail us for more money by threatening to forward it to that ice-cold bitch of a guild master?”

“Because, you fucking moron, that would force him to break his Oath-Binding. He’ll be in more shit than we will.” Greg snaps back.

“He won’t if he saves it until after the sewers become common knowledge. We all know it’s only a matter of time until the secret is out anyway.”

What sort of asshole does he think I am? Blackmail? I may be a Villain, but I would never perform an actual real-life crime. Hell, I never even considered blackmailing them. But now that he mentions it, forwarding Aria the video would be a pretty spiteful revenge… I like it.

“Oh, for the love of God.” I sigh loudly, interrupting the bickering pair. “First of all: Fuck you for assuming I’m an asshole, Kevin. Second: I don’t give a crap about your petty ass problems. Tell me or not, I don’t give a fuck as long as I get paid. Third, and last: If I wanted to blackmail you, I would just use a recording of this conversation where you just called your guild master an ice-cold bitch. I’m sure that would piss her off way more than you pissing your pants during combat.”

I can figuratively see the color draining from Kevin’s face. He looks so comical, I have to restrain myself from breaking out into laughter. Serves him right. Kevin’s lips seem glued together, and I assume he won’t have anything to say for the rest of the conversation. Now all I need to do is wrap this thing up so I can-

“Uhm, how did you know what happened?” Greg asks me curiously.

My heart threatens to leap up my throat, and I do my utmost to keep my face even. Oh, shit! He never told me what was in that video, did he? Crap, crap, crap! Think fast, Ryan!

I snort, trying to buy myself some time to think. “Isn’t it obvious?” I say, raising my eyebrow. Greg frowns but doesn’t say anything.

“There really aren’t that many possible ways for you to fuck up. You know, besides doing something sexual to the mobs down there, but even Kevin isn’t that sick of a fuck, is he?” I snort. Taking a moment to wait for an answer that probably won’t come. “That means you probably fucked up in some manner, and seeing how you seem to hold a grudge against Kevin, then it’s safe to assume he made a fool of himself while looking the part. Considering how you find yourself sitting across from some random guy trying to make a shady deal, it would have to have looked really freaking bad. Shitting your pants bad.”

Greg’s frown deepens, and he appears to attempt to stare a hole in me for several moments. Eventually, he shakes his head with a sigh. “That makes sense I suppose.”

“Oy! Way to stick up for me there, cous!” Kevin snaps at his cousin.

“He’s not wrong though.” Greg says, glaring back. Kevin clenches his jaw but says nothing. His face is lighting up like Santa’s sleigh though.

“Right. Before you two start bickering again like an old married couple, I would like to suggest a few improvements to your plan.” I say. This immediately catches both of the paladins’ attention.

“What do you have in mind?” Greg asks, tugging his beard.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but apart from the Thief Lord, only the three of us should have any knowledge about the sewers, yes?” I ask. The two nods in unison.

“Perfect. That makes this a whole lot easier. As you may know, my profession is a Trap Maker. This means I have access to several convenient contraptions that can be fully utilized for an endeavor like this. My skill level is just high enough to start making alarm traps. I can make a couple for you, for a fee of course, that you can attach to every sewer exit in the vicinity. This will alert you whenever someone triggers it, making it easier for you to cover more ground. I can show you how to place the traps, and if one of the traps is triggered, then that means the Thief Lord should be nearby. You can then just camp around that general area and wait for him to reappear.”

“I see… How long would it take you to make a dozen of those traps?” Greg asks.

“Oh, probably a couple of hours. I’ll sell you a batch for fifteen gold. Sounds good?” Greg grimaces for a second but quickly agrees. Their personal economy should be strained enough as it is already. I almost feel bad about charging them for this. Almost.

“Great. Now, to maximize our efficiency, I would like for you to show me the map of all the sewer entrances in the city. It should increase our odds of running into the guy sooner rather than later.” I hold my breath, waiting for their answer. I can figuratively see them biting onto my fishing hook here. Greg looks like he is about to pop a blood vein on his forehead and Kevin is gaping in outrage.

“I don’t think we can do that… If the guild found out we showed anyone else…” Greg says weakly.

“Oh, please. I’m still under the Oath-Binding, remember? Who am I gonna tell? My cat? Just spit it out already so we can get this over with.” I lean back in my seat, crossing my arms. Did I just push them too far? Greg looks like he is about to shit bricks.

“Okay, fine…” He eventually says, forwarding me a screenshot of a roughly drawn map of the city. “But don’t tell anyone you have this, ok?”

My heart is slamming against my chest. Holy shit! I can’t believe that worked! Damn good job mister silver tongue! I’m so excited about getting access to this map, I have to fake a cough just to keep my face from splitting in half with a winning grin. This map is amazing! It shows all the sewer entrances in the entire city! There are almost a hundred of them! There are even several entrances I didn’t even know existed back in the Shanty Town. This map is insanely valuable to me! Oh, god. If Aria knew a Thief Lord got his hands on this map…

“Excellent. This will make things much easier for all of us.” I say in an even tone. “The only thing left should be for you two to tell me when and where you farm in the sewers to help coordinate our efforts. It’s easier to cover more ground this way.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just keep that map to yourself, okay?” Greg says.

I give him a blank stare, raising an eyebrow. “Of course.”