99: Mission for Old Hasse

“My Lord,” Old Hather said as he pushed open the door, the firelight from the hearth dancing behind him, and the copper keys on his waist jingled as he bowed.

“Sit,” I said, pointing to a chair in the room.

The old man, however, first wiped the armrest, which was carved with a mermaid pattern, with his handkerchief before cautiously perching on half of the chair's seat.

“I heard there are many bandits on Wan'an Highway to the north, robbing many merchant caravans, and their methods are cruel, with some caravans leaving no survivors. Many late-arriving caravans don't dare to come over anymore,” Old Hather said. “There are also many bandits to the south, but the situation seems a bit better.”

My reflection in the mirror was using the Qiankun Ring to separate a wisp, changing it into various colors and shapes.

Of course, I hid the Ring and a fine thread; Old Hather saw a constantly shifting ball of colorful mist in my hand.

“There are many rumors in the tavern. Some say Baldur's Gate is behind it, and others say Amn is directing it from behind the scenes. But reliable news is that Gorebest officially issued a bounty, and whoever can solve the bandit problem nearby will receive a large sum of money,” Old Hather continued to report. “The bounty amount has remained unclaimed, and in two months, the reward has tripled.”

“What do you think?” I asked.

The pine wood in the fireplace crackled, sending out sparks, and Old Hather's counterweight spun three times in his palm.

He crushed dry mud on the carpet with the sole of his boot, and the rumbling in his throat finally turned into a sigh: “If it really involves Baldur's Gate or Amn, no matter who it is, it’s unfavorable for us. But…” The firelight from the hearth illuminated his profile, flickering between bright and dark.

I pressed the colorful mist to the top of my head, trying to envelop every strand of hair with this magical mist, then changed it to gold.

My reflection in the mirror became a golden-haired youth, and then my eyebrows, eyelashes, and pupils all changed color.

Afterward, I tried again to change my appearance as well.

The mist condensed into a translucent film on my cheekbones, and my reflection in the mirror began to distort. “Continue,” I said.

“But if we have the ability to solve this matter,” Old Hather looked curiously at the “magic” in my hand, “the bounty is secondary; we should be able to gain the favor and friendship of Gorebest nobles and even the City Lord, which will also be very helpful for our subsequent plans.”

The magical mist suddenly paused at my brow bone, and the energy flow formed false bones and false flesh.

My nose bridge became more prominent, my nostrils widened, my lips thickened, my chin lengthened, my jaw broadened, my brow bone was raised a bit, and finally, some freckles were added.

The person in the mirror had completely changed.

I pulled at the corners of my mouth to test my facial muscles; the lagging energy flow made my smile appear in a strange wave-like motion.

Although this energy didn't follow the movement of my face in real-time, I believed that, just like when I used it to cast “Invisibility,” after long-term practice, the disguise effect would become more and more perfect.

With a hood to conceal it now, my half-baked disguise was barely enough, as long as no one stared at me.

“Regarding the bounty, who issued the task, and the local nobles' and City Lord's true opinions on this matter, you can inquire about all the detailed inside information,” I said, turning to Old Hather.

Old Hather's amber pupils reflected my gradually golden hair, “Ah!!!” My disguised face startled Old Hather even more.

“Clang…” The oak door of the suite was slammed open, and Randall, John, George, and several Flame Fist Soldiers rushed in one after another.

When I saw Randall, I removed my facial disguise. “It's nothing, tell them to leave.”

Randall had now changed into a worn chainmail, and he closed the door before returning to my room.

“Just now, I let Old Hather see my disguise magic, and he was startled,” I said, changing my disguise again.

“Alright, Old Hather, unless there's a special situation, don't shout loudly,” Randall said before backing out.

I had tried this little trick in front of Randall before, and he almost mistook me for a shapeshifter. If my technique hadn't been so immature, he would have believed I was still the same Lord when he saw my flaws.

“I have a few more things for you to do,” I said, turning around and continuing to adjust in front of the mirror. “Find a wizard skilled in protection magic as soon as possible. Our commercial building will be completed in a few days, and we need to set up a lot of protective magic.”

“A wizard skilled in protection magic,” Old Hather said after thinking for a moment. “I'll try my best to find one. The hiring fee for a wizard is hard to determine now; it depends on his spellcasting level and rank.”

“Don't worry about the money. Here are 2000 gold coins; use them first. It's not convenient for you to carry more,” I said, handing him a large bag of gold coins. “The long-term cooperation with Flame Fist also needs to be implemented as soon as possible.”

“The highest commander of the local Flame Fist Legion is Commander Kovenreid,” Old Hather stood up, took the money bag, carefully put it into his bosom, and at the same time took out a small ledger and made a note. “I will arrange your meeting as soon as possible.”

“I remember Tyrantier the wizard mentioned that Gorebest currently has quite a few troubles. Find out what those troubles are as soon as possible,” I continued. “Also, get a clear list of local nobles and high-ranking government officials, and quickly figure out their backgrounds, personalities, and preferences.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Old Hather stood ramrod straight.

“You also need to manage the merchant caravans and the recruitment of personnel. Continue to engage with local merchants and market merchants. Everyone's tasks are heavy. If there are suitable talents, recruit them as soon as possible. People from the caravans can also be selected and used first,” I said, returning to my original appearance and looking at him.

“Yes, My Lord,” Old Hather replied.

“You go busy yourself. I estimate I won't be back until midnight. Report any progress to me first thing tomorrow morning,” I said, waving him off.

Old Hather bowed to me and then exited.

I noticed his attitude towards me had become increasingly respectful lately.

After a while, Randall, John, George, Bore, and Ever also changed into inconspicuous old armor and old clothes.

“John and George, take half a day off today and go home to see your families,” I said, taking out two money bags from behind me. “This is half of your assets that you stored with me. It’s perfect for buying some things at the market to bring to your families. Also, take these two bags of salt back with you.”

“This, this is too expensive, My Lord!” George frantically waved his hand.

“We really can't accept this, My Lord!” John also said.

“It's not for you. Take it to your families for me. You can even give a little to your loved ones, haha!” I said with a laugh, throwing the money bags and salt bags into their arms.

“Since it's a gift from the Lord, just accept it!” Randall spoke up.

“Thank, thank you, My Lord!” The two bowed to me.

“Let's go!” I said.

We used a secret passage provided by the innkeeper, exiting through a hidden door on the west side into a small grove.

To be honest, Gorebest is not large in area, and its population is not high, but the city's greening is very well done.

There were flowers and plants everywhere, with lush trees providing shade, especially in the areas where nobles and wealthy people lived.

The six of us split into three groups, scattered, and walked towards the South Gate market.