96: To do for others

Chapter 96: Doing Others' Bidding

Jonah waved his subordinates away, returning to his room alone, intending to enjoy the tender veal steak.

But as soon as he entered, he found that his dinner had already been claimed.

The man, exuding a chilling aura, sat brazenly in his seat.

He was enjoying the steak that should have been Jonah’s.

“Good beef,” the man said without looking up, a hint of playfulness in his voice. “To eat such a good steak in this godforsaken place—

“Brother, the grain delivery business must have made you a lot of money.”

The Captain pulled out a chair and sat down, ordering his subordinates to have the cook prepare another dinner.

“Eli, I’m annoyed enough today; I don’t have time for your games.”

The man called Eli put down his knife and fork, picked up a wine goblet nearby, and took a shallow sip.

“Fern wine, truly excellent,” he remarked again. “The Little Finger Merchant Guild is generous indeed, even their subordinates’ meals are so refined.”

“What the hell do you want?!” Jonah slammed his fist on the table, making the candlelight flicker.

Eli raised a finger. “Be clear about who you’re talking to.”

The Captain, however, seemed unconcerned, laughing, “You’re just a dog of the Falcon Family.

“We’re no different; don’t try that with me.”

“Is that so? Then what if I expose your embezzlement to the Merchant Guild?

“What do you think those money-grubbing lords will do to you? Hmm?

“They would never tolerate anyone touching their money.”

The Captain fell silent, staring intently at the other man in the flickering candlelight.

Eli chuckled softly. “You think I’m posturing.

“Then you underestimate us Shadow Thieves.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he rattled off a series of numbers, dates, and cargo manifests, so precisely that it sent a chill down one’s spine.

The Captain’s expression finally changed, and his tone softened: “This time—what do you want again?”

“It’s simple.” Eli meticulously wiped the corners of his mouth. “The new Baron of Qingfeng Valley seems to have gotten involved with our rivals.

“Speaking of which, we have you to thank, Captain; your arrogance and foolishness brought all of this about.”

The Captain suppressed his anger, arguing, “I didn’t do anything!

“They wanted to trade for a batch of artifacts, but their origin clearly wasn’t legitimate.

“And what they truly wanted was information about Qingfeng Valley.

“You know very well we can’t discuss that place, or our lives would be in danger.”

“Oh, come on, Jonah, you and I both know the head of Qingfeng Valley is no longer around.

“If we want to take Qingfeng Valley, now is the best opportunity.”

Jonah suddenly burst into laughter: “So your master, with his sky-high ambitions, wants to use this opportunity to swallow Qingfeng Valley?

“Eli, Eli, even a lapdog like you wouldn’t be foolish enough to believe such nonsense, would you?”

“Why would we take that risk?” Eli countered. “Qingfeng Valley has already been approved by the Supreme Council for Arthur Glamorgan.

“He will expand the territory for Amn, but just as he is about to succeed, he will suddenly die.

“By then, Qingfeng Valley will naturally become unclaimed land again.” Seeing the Captain remain silent, Eli added, “You’re a merchant; you should understand this business better than I do.

“We originally planned to invest in this new Baron, and then reap the benefits at the last moment, but now—pfft!”

“I’d rather throw my money into a dung pile than give it to that kid in Qingfeng Valley.

“How many people have succeeded there over the years?

“How many people have succeeded there over the years?

“Even if that lord is gone, that kid won’t achieve anything.

“He will ultimately become a stray dog, toyed with to death by those monsters.”

“I’m too lazy to argue with you.” Eli stood up and adjusted his clothes. “But you need to understand, since they’ve already colluded with the Zhentarim, you should know what to do.”

“It’s rare that I agree with you, so what should we do?”

The Shadow Thief revealed a cunning smile.

When Arthur woke up, the window was already bright with daylight.

He walked to the window and saw that the temple’s magic circle had been properly set up.

He could feel the surging life energy flowing through the manor; it was so powerful.

Resting in such a place naturally brought great benefits.

Arthur had never slept so soundly; now he felt refreshed and full of strength.

He opened the intelligence system to check.

After finding three white intelligence reports, he merged them into one green intelligence report.

Then, he began to read today’s intelligence:

[Blue Intelligence (Follow-up)] Due to your clearing of Hearthfire Village, the frequency of undead creature harassment will significantly decrease. It is recommended to continue clearing the following areas to curb the spread of negative energy:

1. Diggory’s Farm.

2. Maple Leaf Forest.

3. Horsetail Village.

[Green Intelligence (Enhancement)] The seeds of the Great Oak can be accelerated in growth through magical nourishment. The priests of Lookout Fort possess relevant plant growth spells.

[Green Intelligence (Synthesis/Follow-up)] The Black Goat Caravan is actively inquiring about the Pioneer Group. Suitable personnel can be assigned to handle this.

After reading the intelligence, Arthur couldn’t help but sigh softly.

After reading the intelligence, Arthur couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Evidently, Catherine’s transaction with the Black Goat Caravan was not going smoothly.

He had to return to Lookout Fort immediately to find out what had gone wrong.

Having made up his mind, Arthur immediately gathered his subordinates and set off after breakfast.

The team arrived at Lookout Fort before noon.

Arthur didn’t rest, immediately summoning Catherine and others to inquire about the situation.

After listening to everyone’s reports, he pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on Paul: “So, we are now considered to be cooperating with the Zhentarim?”

“Zalan doesn’t know we’ve already seen through his identity,” Paul quickly replied.

“Then how did you get involved with the Zhentarim?”

As soon as Arthur spoke, Drax’s hand quietly rested on his axe handle, his eyes vigilantly fixed on Paul.

The young man calmly replied, “At that time, my mother was very ill and desperately needed medicine, but I had no money, so I had to beg everywhere.

“I had previously helped a merchant organize his accounts. Seeing my plight, he introduced me to the Warthog Caravan.

“It was then that Zalan approached me, saying there was a large sum of money I could earn, if I had the guts.

“I had no choice but to agree to him at the time.”

He paused, his voice lowering: “We plundered a Black Goat Caravan, and I helped them optimize some operational plans. From then on, Zalan often asked for my help.

“After a few times, I chose to withdraw, and he didn’t make it too difficult for me, probably thinking that a small fry like me couldn’t stir up any trouble.

“Later, I secretly investigated and found out they were Zhentarim members.”

Arthur listened, then turned to Godwin, who nodded slightly.

He understood that, given Godwin’s usual cautious nature, he must have thoroughly questioned Paul.

Since he thought it was fine, Arthur chose to believe him.

“So you joined me to find a backer, to avoid being silenced by the Zhentarim?” Arthur pressed.

Paul shook his head: “The medicine I bought ultimately couldn’t save my mother.

“Now I’m all alone; what is there to fear in death? I joined you wholeheartedly.”