Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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It had changed.
Leric's family had vanished.
The quest investigating the bandits' identity and the reason for Leric's family being kidnapped had been altered.
[Those Covering Their Tracks]
📍 Rank: ?
📍 Description: A group responsible for various crimes. Their leader, Drauder, has finally issued a withdrawal order. If they remain, not only the group's identity but the whereabouts of the remaining map fragment will vanish into oblivion. The remaining time is at most a few days. You must rescue Leric's family beforehand and learn the truth of this incident from them.
📍 Conditions: Rescue Leric's wife and daughter 0/1, Truth of the incident 0/1
⏰ Time Limit: 10 days
Quest name.
Quest description.
Quest conditions.
And now, even a quest time limit had been added.
His head was already throbbing from all angles.
'The quest content changes depending on the situation, but I didn't expect the conditions to shift like this.'
There was already a time limit on the quest, and now the completion conditions involved rescuing kidnapped NPCs, of all things.
That meant Leric's family was connected to the secret map somehow.
Otherwise, the quest conditions wouldn't have swung so drastically.
'That wife and daughter kept dodging the questions, too.'
The bandit's mutterings came to mind.
Leric's kidnapped wife and daughter.
The bandits had probably interrogated them for information on the map.
But they'd gotten nothing so far.
In the end, Drauder had judged it too risky to stay and chosen to retreat to their main base.
Taking the captives with them, no less.
'Those fools are barking up the completely wrong tree.'
The half of the secret map they were after?
He had it right here.
'So there's no need to follow the quest conditions to the letter.'
That's right.
Rescue was just a side objective.
What truly mattered to Luke wasn't the life or death of the kidnapped.
No, the key was the whereabouts of the remaining map fragment.
And the bandits in disguise were the most likely to have it.
'Why else would they abandon their base and come all the way here?'
He didn't know how it started.
Nor how they'd tracked down the map's location.
All he knew was that they'd found Leric, who had the other half of the map.
And to seize it, they'd sneaked into Jermi and attempted murder.
'Anyway, the priority is tying down their feet, rescue or not.'
That would open the door to infiltration or whatever else.
'The quest rank is a question mark, so it's clearly not standard-issue.'
Secret map.
Question mark quest.
He couldn't afford to miss either.
So he needed a plan.
Storming the bandit lair with level 100 sentries was suicide.
He'd seen over a hundred of them with his own eyes.
Who knew what other variables lurked inside.
He needed something to divert their attention.
Something that would pin them down.
And create an opening for him to slip in.
Luke pondered the method as he slowly exited the street.
Then he noticed the residents huddled against the wall, a bit late.
"It's grown again."
"Who knows how many this makes. Posting wanted posters is pointless if they can't catch the culprits."
"Exactly. They're ramping up search teams and tightening security, but how can we trust that?"
"They still haven't found the missing residents from before..."
They were all chatting about the wanted posters on the wall.
Wanted notices.
With sketches of suspected criminals.
The territory had apparently taken some measures amid the recent string of incidents.
But the residents' reactions were ice-cold.
'Public sentiment is scraping the bottom.'
Well, could you blame them?
The territory was helplessly exposed to outsiders.
They'd doubled the soldier count under the banner of improved security, but level 100+ foes wouldn't fall easily.
'Still, the sketches are decently accurate.'
A couple or three of them, at least.
Faces he'd seen while scouting the bandits.
'If this keeps up, Viscount Chainver will let the culprits slip away entirely.'
Up until now, they'd just been helplessly played...
"Th-this is bad!"
That's when it happened.
A resident came rushing in, panting, and delivered fresh news.
"The guards got hit!"
Soldiers had died.
Their methods were crude.
Murder in the viscounty.
Kidnapping an entire family on a whim.
And even after, they kept coming and going from the city without giving up.
As a result, with retreat looming, some of them finally stirred up major trouble.
"Collins, snap out of it!"
"More wounded here—get the priests quick...!"
In Viscount Chainver's domain.
They'd gone and attacked Jermi's soldiers.
"I didn't think they'd hit the guards too."
"Who'll feel safe walking the streets now?"
"The city's security crumbling like this? Surely the lord won't stand for it?"
"With all these recent crimes... this isn't ordinary."
The mood turned grim.
Anxiety.
Worry.
Fear, and more.
The residents' emotions thickened the air.
They'd been trembling in fear daily from overlapping crimes.
Now even the soldiers protecting the territory had fallen.
No one could trust security anymore.
'No need to overthink it—this is their mistake.'
Luke, watching from afar, grasped it instantly.
'Their methods were rough, but their past actions show they didn't want to escalate like this.'
Even their crimes targeted only civilians.
The lord's soldiers were off-limits.
This was viscount territory, after all.
No matter how weak the soldiers, nobles would mobilize if provoked, blowing things up.
Drauder must have factored that in when deploying his underlings.
'That's probably why they're retreating to base now—cleanup from their own messes.'
But right as they were about to leave, things blew up bigger.
Thanks to their brilliant subordinates' blunder.
The territory's residents.
And now its soldiers.
This was no longer a personal crime to brush off.
'Any further, and the city mood, plus noble pride, becomes an issue.'
His own soldiers slaughtered by unknowns.
'The problem is...'
The group's identity.
Goals.
Scale.
Base.
Nothing was clear.
Mobilizing without intel was dicey.
Even if he called troops, they'd underestimate the foe and waste time searching nearby, ending in futility.
'Need kindling to spark the fire.'
Luke glanced at the quest window again.
Ten days until their retreat.
He needed a safe way into their temporary lair before then.
A shield.
Time-buying bait.
A card to draw their eyes.
And maybe that card was closer than he thought.
'In that case...'
The kindling to ignite the blaze.
He'd supply as much as needed.
BAM!
The desk in the office shook.
A fist trembling with rage.
"You call that a report?!"
Balrag Chainver, the viscount.
He couldn't contain his fury at his subordinate's report.
Security was already leaking like a sieve, drawing endless complaints.
Now soldiers had fallen to mystery assailants.
Without even mounting a proper counterattack.
How could his teeth not grind?
Such humiliation.
To be toyed with by unknowns of unknown purpose.
Other nobles would scoff if they heard.
"Days have passed, and you can't even identify them? You think I stationed all those soldiers for this?!"
"We have no excuses, my lord."
"Forgive us!"
"..."
Retainers.
Even unit commanders.
All bowed their heads in shame.
No progress in the investigation.
They hadn't even captured a single member.
If anything, they'd been one-sidedly mocked by faceless foes.
They were tracking via witness statements, searching suspect areas repeatedly.
But no good news for the lord.
'Of all times.'
'The lord's wrath pierces the heavens.'
'Thought they were just petty bandits at first... how did it come to this?'
No face to show.
No, helplessness sank into their bones first.
But Viscount Chainver ignored such excuses.
"Find them."
"Pardon?"
"Find them however you must!"
"B-but..."
"You don't expect me to sit idle while my territory's mocked, do you?"
"We're deploying full force, but..."
"Enough words—bring results!"
Crash!
Viscount Chainver fumed.
An innocent plate shattered in his grip.
Uncomfortable silence.
But it didn't last.
A man knocked urgently and entered.
"Sorry I'm late!"
Search squad leader Wayne.
He dropped to one knee and reported immediately.
"We've received a tip about suspicious individuals and just returned after confirming with my team."
"...What?"
Viscount Chainver whipped his head around at the unexpected news.
Wayne nodded subtly and detailed the findings.
The witness was a local adventurer.
Location: Bilbar Mountain's rock wall.
Wayne had searched the area personally with his men after hearing of suspicious figures passing through.
After prolonged stakeout and investigation.
They discovered a hidden passage inside the wall, with people coming and going.
"Trap potential?"
"We vetted the adventurer witness—no red flags."
"Proof they're the soldier killers?"
"We've spotted someone matching the wanted sketches entering the passage multiple times. Still investigating the rest."
"..."
Wayne.
The veteran scout wouldn't be wrong.
The adventurer witness checked out too.
Of course, traps weren't impossible.
But who knew when they'd strike the territory again.
Perhaps that's why.
Viscount Chainver closed his eyes, pondering calmly.
"..."
Silent deliberation.
Then he opened his eyes, steely resolve gleaming.
He declared.
"Issue the mobilization order."