Chapter 88
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 088
Chapter Title: The Con Artist and the Staff (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"This is the place."
The spot the Village Chief had guided me to was a house made of wood for its body, topped with a massive thatched roof shaped like the Korean letter ㅅ. The roof was so large its ends nearly touched the ground—a common style for homes in the north.
"I'll call for you if I need anything, so you can head back now."
I sent the Village Chief off for the time being.
Now it was just me and the three burly guys left.
The squires, soldiers, and mercenaries had unpacked in a few of the empty houses we'd spotted on the way here, per my orders.
Knock knock.
I rapped lightly on the door.
This mage struck me as highly suspicious, but his guilt hadn't been proven yet.
So I had to show proper courtesy.
Creeeak!
A moment later, the wooden door swung wide open.
And out stepped a man in his late thirties or early forties.
A W-shaped mustache sat between his nose and upper lip.
It immediately caught my eye.
"I've been waiting for you, young mage. My name is Alistair. I work as an Earth Mage."
The middle-aged man introduced himself as Alistair.
He glanced over the three burly men behind me before fixing his gaze back on me.
"And a Necromancer too, right?"
When I pressed him on it, Alistair flashed a smile.
He nodded toward Gilbert before turning the question back on me.
"Doesn't the same apply to you?"
"Fair enough."
I nodded readily.
Alistair's smile deepened.
"Come on in."
Alistair welcomed us inside.
The interior was cramped and sparse.
A hearth sat in the center, next to a faded blanket. That was it.
"Wandering around like this, I've gotten into the habit of traveling light. Nothing much to see here. Still, I can at least offer my guests a cup of water."
Alistair plopped down by the hearth.
He pulled a clay pot off the coals and poured its contents into a wooden cup, handing it to me.
Plain water.
"One cup is plenty."
Alistair tried to offer some to the three burly guys too.
I stopped him.
None of us had any intention of drinking it.
More precisely, we had no plans to drink anything he offered.
"The ten Barghests that attacked us outside the village—you were controlling them, weren't you?"
I cut straight to the chase.
He nodded.
"Why target us?"
"It wasn't you specifically. Do I look crazy enough to attack a group with three knights first? I just ordered my familiars in advance to block anyone approaching the village or trying to leave. You happened to arrive at Stonehill in the midst of that."
"You ordered them to block? They came at us pretty aggressively for just that."
"I told them to fight back if attacked."
"I see."
Alistair answered without missing a beat.
That only made him seem more suspicious.
So I asked the question burning in my mind.
"Then why use the Barghests to isolate Stonehill? It felt like you'd been preparing for two months."
Alistair answered right away this time too.
"Two months ago, I ran out of travel funds while on my journey. That's when I found this village. A way to make money popped into my head, so I put it into action immediately."
"A way to make travel funds?"
"A mysterious monster appears, putting the people in fear. Then a mage shows up to help them. Problem solved! I get money and fame, the villagers rejoice. Nice and heartwarming, right?"
"So you create the problem yourself, solve it yourself, and get rewarded by the villagers yourself? You're maker, solver, and beneficiary all in one?"
For a second, I wondered if I'd misheard.
It was that absurd.
But Alistair's expression was utterly serious.
"You summed it up perfectly."
"That's a scam."
"When you're on the verge of starving, you do what you have to. Even saints steal food when hunger strikes."
Doubtful.
Alistair's clothes were all worn, but neatly maintained.
His appearance was tidy too.
Especially that W mustache.
He'd clearly put effort into shaping it—it hadn't budged from the start.
A man like that claiming he was about to starve?
Not buying it.
"Anyway, you're putting my plan at risk of falling apart. So I'd appreciate it if you stayed quiet and left soon. Oh, this is just a request, mind you."
"Hmm..."
I pondered.
I wasn't sure if Alistair was with Eremus.
There were plenty of suspicious signs, but not enough to label him a warlock outright.
"We mages have to help each other out."
With no response from me, Alistair said that.
But I still couldn't come up with a good reply.
As silence stretched on, he suddenly let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Fine, I won't just ask empty-handed. There's a site of mystery around this village. Tonight, I'll guide you there. What do you say?"
"Sounds good. See you tonight then."
I stood up as I said it.
Before leaving, I wanted to check something, so I reached into my pocket.
I pulled out the item I'd prepared.
And showed it to Alistair.
"Do you recognize this necklace?"
The thing in my hand was a necklace with a sickle-shaped pendant.
Eremus insignia, taken from a warlock before.
"Hmm..."
Alistair examined it closely.
Then he looked up at me and shrugged.
"No idea. Yours?"
"Yes."
"Nice necklace."
"Got it."
No change in Alistair's expression.
He gave nothing away about being an Eremus warlock.
Tricky guy.
"Take care."
Alistair stood to see us off.
I bowed silently to him and stepped out.
"What do you think?"
Once outside, I asked Bear and Conal.
"Hard to say. No emotional fluctuations at all. His heartbeat stayed steady no matter what you asked. Either he only spoke truth, or he's skilled at lying. One or the other."
Bear answered first.
Conal chimed in with his take.
"When he smiled, only his mouth moved—barely any facial muscles. No crow's feet around his eyes. He's used to fake smiles. High chance he's two-faced."
Bear and Conal.
Standing behind me, they'd observed Alistair.
And reached similar conclusions.
Matching my own thoughts.
'Alistair's not trustworthy. That's the consensus.'
The moment I formed that judgment, my eyes met someone in the distance by chance.
'Huh?'
A frail-looking young man staring right at me.
He reminded me of Stirling, the one who'd commanded the Nahzers.
'A mage.'
I sensed mana in his body.
Focusing a bit more, I vaguely made out the type of magic he'd learned.
'Water Mage. And some unknown energy. Probably an external art?'
Eleven mages in the village.
The only non-Necromancer among them.
It confused me.
If Alistair was Eremus as suspected, what was this youth—presumably his companion?
He seemed too timid, barely able to meet eyes.
Hard to picture as a warlock.
'Ah, maybe like Stirling—captured by warlocks and dragged around?'
That would explain things.
Otherwise, the kid had Oscar-worthy acting skills.
'Looks like he has something to say.'
As I mulled over the youth, he slowly mouthed words.
I tried to read his lips.
'Run away?'
The message was a single word: "Run."
He mouthed it, turned, and vanished.
What the...
Might've misread, so I replayed the memory.
Still the same.
"He just said 'run,' right?"
I asked Bear and Conal.
They nodded.
If those two—with far better eyesight—saw it too, I hadn't messed up.
'Talk about leaving a bad taste.'
I thought that and turned toward the inn.
Bear asked quietly.
"Waiting until evening?"
Referring to Alistair's nighttime offer.
"Nah. We're moving now."
Alistair was blatantly luring me.
Follow him, and an ambush or trap might wait.
No thanks to dancing to his tune.
"Got a plan in mind?"
Conal's eyes lit up at my answer.
I nodded.
"Yeah. Already set it in motion."
I'd flip Alistair's board over and invite him to mine.
First step: lure the opponent out.
"The village outskirts are probably in chaos by now."
Conal paused thoughtfully, then let out a short exclamation.
"You moved the undead knights?"
"Bingo."
The six undead knights I'd left outside the village.
They were gleefully carving up Barghests right now.
I'd pinpointed the beasts with mana detection and sent the knights in.
'Doesn't matter if he's a warlock or not.'
If Alistair was a warlock?
Enemy from the start—no issue.
If not?
Still fine.
He's scamming innocent villagers.
This much payback was fair.
'Oh, he's moving.'
How long since the attack on the Barghests?
The village Necromancers stirred.
Alistair included, naturally.
"Hey!"
A voice calling us.
Looking back, the thatched house was in view again.
Alistair stood out front.
"What is it?"
I asked.
Alistair strode over, questioning me.
"Are you the one attacking the Barghests right now?"
"Me? No way. I'm right here—how could I?"
I answered flatly.
Alistair eyed me suspiciously, sighed deeply, and brushed past.
Heading out of the village.
I watched his retreating back and spoke to Bear and Conal.
"With the troublemakers chased outside, time to meet someone who'll tell us the truth."
The youth who'd mouthed "run" to me.
I planned to see him.