115: Set up

"You arrange for someone to quietly bring Mara over, don't let anyone discover his whereabouts," I said to Randall. "Also, arrange for people to recruit adventurers in the city, but don't draw attention. Have them go in separate groups to different locations, then screen them and gather them. Anyone who can pass your Honesty Domain test, recruit them all."

After giving Randall his instructions, the Holy Knight went downstairs to arrange for John, George, and two Iron Hands to recruit adventurers in different parts of the city.

He also arranged for a Flame Fist to change into plain clothes and quietly go find the Baron's butler.

He himself rode his horse towards the southern forest, claiming that he hadn't found me in the city and was going to try his luck in the outskirts.

Shortly after, Lord Kedas and Flame Covenant Red arrived.

I had someone lead them to one of the private rooms.

When I appeared at the doorway, Flame Covenant Red excitedly stood up, "Lord Ryan, it's so good you're back! What do you mean by 'clues for the serial murder case' in your note?"

Lord Kedas interjected, "Lord Ryan, your note to me said that the mastermind behind the bandits is in the city, and you also told me not to disclose any news about you..."

"I was kidnapped yesterday," I said.

"I apologize. For such a heinous incident to occur within my security perimeter is a dereliction of duty for Flame Fist. Those ten Flame Fist officers are yours to punish as you see fit. I will also apply to headquarters for a sum of compensation for you."

"We'll talk about compensation later. How many mercenaries do you have left? Hire them all to me," I said.

"I apologize, Lord Ryan, I did not wish for such a thing to happen to you in Gorebest. I should compensate you," Lord Kedas bowed in apology to me.

"Lord Kedas, considering I almost lost my life, how much compensation do you think is appropriate?" I tapped the armrest of the chair, pulled up my sleeve, and revealed the still visible ligature marks on my wrist.

"This... who kidnapped you?" Kedas's body, which had been slumped in the chair, suddenly straightened.

Next to him, Kovenreid's shoulder armor clanked dully.

My gaze swept across Kedas and Kovenreid's faces, then I said, "Baron Han Ting hired the Porcupine Thieves Guild to kidnap me, intending to force me to reveal the secret of refined salt."

"The Baron?" Kedas was somewhat shocked.

"His butler has already fallen under my Charm spell and has spilled everything," I said.

"Where is he? I want to hear it from him directly," Kedas said.

Kovenreid also nodded seriously.

I clapped my hands and called out to the guard at the door, "Bring him in."

I turned to the two of them and said, "Baron Han Ting and the Porcupine Guild dared to do this to me; they will surely face my wrath. You two wouldn't stand idly by, would you?"

"If all this is true, eradicating the Porcupine Thieves Guild is our undeniable duty as Flame Fist," Kovenreid said. "As for the Baron..." He looked at Kedas.

"With conclusive evidence, I will arrest Baron Han Ting and hand him over to the Council to determine his guilt and punishment. I will certainly give Lord Ryan a satisfactory explanation."

"The Council? There are councilors colluding with bandits, trying to unseat you as Lord, and incidentally annex the properties of many small nobles in the city. Tonight, they even sent new assassins to kidnap me. You want to hand him over to them?"

"What?"

"Such a thing happened?"

The two were once again dumbfounded.

At this moment, Mara had been brought in.

"Mara, now, in front of Lord Kedas and Lord Fuel Flame, repeat what you told me in the carriage," I said to Mara.

"Yes," Mara began to recount.

"...In Baron Han Ting's study, there are three secret letters in a hidden compartment. The wax seal is the mark of the Black Claw Mercenary Guild.

The letters were intercepted from the bandits. They stated that accidentally harming Gray Scale's merchant convoy was unavoidable, but the Black Claw Mercenary Guild would try to be more careful in the future. They also said they had dispatched their strongest assassin to kidnap Lord Ryan tonight...

The other two letters were carried by the bandits for the Baal Believers and Bane's Believers in the city, both handwritten by Gray Scale.

Gray Scale praised the Baal Believers for the good results of the serial murders they orchestrated and urged them to speed up to cooperate with the bandit incidents outside the city, thereby weakening the Lord's prestige.

He instructed Bane's Believers to quickly incite rioters within the city and launch an urban riot before the Midwinter Festival, so the rioters would tie down Flame Fist, and he would personally lead people to attack the Lord's Mansion...

The night before last, Gray Scale's carriage stopped at our Baron's mansion for a while. He said that once Lord Ryan's refined salt was sold, our Baron's salt business would surely be unsustainable. He told the Baron to package and cheaply sell his salt import and sales channels to him while they still had some value...

After Gray Scale left, the Baron flew into a rage and told me to contact the Porcupine Thieves Guild to act early and kidnap Lord Ryan, to force out the origin of the refined salt. Then he would take the letters and report Gray Scale to Lord Kedas..."

After Mara finished speaking, I motioned for him to step back.

Kedas and Kovenreid clenched their fists after hearing Mara's narration.

"Gray Scale did indeed try to sound me out some time ago," Kovenreid said, frowning. "At the time, I only said that I was loyal to my employer, the Lord's orders, and the Council's resolutions."

Kedas looked at Kovenreid and slowly said, "At least it shows he hasn't convinced the other two councilors yet."

"I can only control Mara until dusk; after that, he will regain consciousness," I said. "Time is short, please make your decision quickly."

"I need to see those three letters," Kedas said.

"Indeed, Mara's testimony is only one-sided, and besides, he is already under your spell," the Flame Fist commander said.

I nodded. "Soon it will be the opening ribbon-cutting ceremony for the shopping mall. As the ribbon-cutting guests, please invite Baron Han Ting to attend with us."

"What do you intend to do?" Kedas asked.

"I have already sent people to hire adventurers in the city. If there are stealth experts, I will send them to the Baron's study to steal those three letters while Baron Han Ting is out. If not, then we will have to ask Flame Fist to send people to forcibly search the Baron's mansion." After saying this, I looked at Kedas and Kovenreid.

"First, send people to try and steal them. Don't resort to a forced search unless absolutely necessary." Kedas turned to the Flame Fist commander, "Kovenreid, I remember you have a high-level stealth expert under you who can use invisibility."

"I will arrange for him to go in and look for the letters as soon as Baron Han Ting leaves," Kovenreid said. "But it's also possible there are no letters, or he can't find them, or what if he's carrying such important letters on him? According to the butler, he was planning to report Gray Scale in the next day or two."

"That's easy then. If he comes and we still haven't found the letters, I'll just Charm him directly. If it truly wasn't him who orchestrated my kidnapping, I will apologize to him afterward until he is satisfied."