Chapter 53: The Bristle-Wolf Outpost, The Man Behind the Scenes

Deep within the forest, a small, rain-fed lake nestled against the towering cliffs of the Red Dragon Mountains.

It was a natural habitat.

By all logic, this place should have been infested with birds, beasts, and magic beasts late at night.

Yet at this moment, within a radius of dozens of meters, more than a dozen tents were pitched closely together. The rainflies on the tents were thoroughly weathered, the anchor pegs and tangled ropes on the ground were rusted, and they formed a semicircle surrounding a few small wooden cabins. Dense torches were planted all over the camp, illuminating the area brightly. The grass on the ground had been trampled down to bare, yellowish-brown soil, faintly visible beneath the firelight.

Humans had driven away the birds, beasts, and magic beasts, usurping this habitat.

More than thirty figures stood amidst the bonfires, silently gazing at the thin, frail man sitting alone before them.

Beneath his foot lay a heavily bearded, massive brute—a man whose bulk was nearly twice that of the delicate-looking man. Yet the frail man had driven his head straight down into the mud with his foot, and the brute appeared to have already passed out.

"How many times do I have to tell you... gathering you all here isn't just about simple highway robbery; it's for that thousand-gold-coin bounty! Why is there always someone secretly stirring up trouble behind my back? Sneaking off to the north to dabble in human trafficking? Is this what Boss Night Lion instructed you to do?"

The thin man's expression was somewhat delicate and brooding. He narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze around. The surroundings were filled with bandit faces, yet not a single person dared to meet his eyes.

After a long silence, everyone present simultaneously looked toward the bald man standing closest to the thin man. Seeing this, the latter took a deep breath, weighed his words, and spoke.

"Boss Spotted Leopard... The boys feel that this fellow named Alan must have run away long ago... Hunkering down here indefinitely is no solution. At this rate, the thousand gold coins won't materialize, and everyone is running low on funds... We dropped our usual work and were suddenly summoned here, and it's been how long without even catching a glimpse of a shadow? Who knows if Boss Night Lion's source of information is even..."

*Bang!*

Blood and brains splattered everywhere. The bald man looked down in shock, only to realize that the head of the bulky man beneath Spotted Leopard's foot had been crushed into pulp...

Spotted Leopard narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze around the circle once more.

"Did you think I was discussing this with you?"

Everyone stared in astonishment at the corpse on the ground, and then heard Spotted Leopard continue, his words carrying unmistakable anger.

"First of all, I can guarantee that the source of the information is authentic. As for your doubts regarding Boss Night Lion, that is unacceptable. There must not be a next time."

At this, Spotted Leopard looked at the terrified thieves around him, sighed softly, and his voice reverted to its usual gentle and effeminate tone.

"...You are all people that Boss Night Lion pulled out of the slave markets and brought up with his own hands. You should know very well that he is not the kind of man to disregard the lives of his brothers. How could you doubt him? The reason behind Boss Night Lion's decision involves deeper hidden complications... Let me spell it out for you. He... is also under immense pressure, pressure that may well concern the survival of the bandit syndicate..."

Upon hearing this, the members of the bandit group exchanged astonished glances and began whispering among themselves. The atmosphere threatened to grow chaotic, but it was instantly checked by the sound of a blade being drawn.

Spotted Leopard drove his blade straight into the ground, the pommel emitting a rapid, continuous hum.

"The pressure comes from the highest echelons of power in the Royal Capital... Patience is necessary for now. Most of you are generally intermediate-level swordsmen or above, and there are even several advanced swordsmen among you. If this were truly just about gathering intel, why would you suddenly be summoned here from all across the Asura Kingdom?"

"Are you telling me that the majority of the bandit syndicate's elite were gathered here just to let you play at some damn highway robbery? Think about it..."

As he spoke, Spotted Leopard swept his gaze across the bewildered and suspicious faces of the men, sighed once more, and said,

"Alright, back to what you were doing. Do not slack off on the perimeter patrols."

The crowd remained silent for a fraction of a second before scattering in twos and threes. Before long, only the bald man remained beside Spotted Leopard, who cast a sideways glance at him and beckoned him close.

"...Have those three—Black Wolf and the others—still not been found?"

The panic had vanished entirely from the bald man's face. He leaned in close to Spotted Leopard's ear and whispered with a grave expression.

"Still not found... These intimidation tactics can only... pacify them temporarily... When they go out on patrol, they're likely slacking off and heading into Riget City to blow off some steam. Everyone's pretty strong, and usually, they lord over their respective bandit territories—how could they ever be willing to sit quietly here? Ultimately, we need to solve the root problem: that brat, Alan..."

Hearing this, Spotted Leopard turned his head and stared at him expressionlessly.

"Gray Hawk, do you not believe me? Or do you think I was merely trying to intimidate them with empty words?"

Gray Hawk choked, a helpless look crossing his face.

"I believe you! ...But the major powers in the Royal Capital... aren't we talking about James? He's a junior minister who hasn't even officially taken over from Sauros; what kind of pull does he have to pressure Boss Night Lion..."

"It's not James. Is he even worthy?"

Gray Hawk's expression shifted at those words.

"This... could there still be..."

Spotted Leopard's voice was so soft it seemed weightless, yet the weight of the information it carried made Gray Hawk's expression alter drastically.

"It's not James... It's Darius..."

"Darius?!"

Gray Hawk raised his head, glanced left and right, and seeing that no one was eavesdropping, hurriedly leaned back into Spotted Leopard's ear.

"Senior Minister Darius, the favorite under the First Prince... How could it possibly be him? Could it be that he's no longer fond of noble young maidens and has instead taken a fancy to this brat Alan? Isn't he afraid of getting his throat slit while sharing a pillow with him?!"

Spotted Leopard pinched the bridge of his nose, casting a rather dissatisfied glance at Gray Hawk.

"What on earth is going on inside that head of yours... The specific reason certainly isn't that, but it is a fact that he is putting pressure on Boss Night Lion... Otherwise, why do you think Boss Night Lion would muddy these waters? James doesn't carry that kind of weight."

"Then this... does that mean if the intel is real... the boy, Alan Boreas Greyrat, is really hiding in the southern foothills of the Red Dragon Mountains nearby? Shouldn't we be expanding our search radius then? Why keep camping out here? The forest is so huge—relying solely on highway interrogations, how are we supposed to find the kid anytime soon?"

Spotted Leopard frowned deeply.

"...That is precisely what puzzles me as well. But the orders sent down simply tell us to stay put and wait..."

"Intruders!!"

Right at that moment, a cry of alarm rang out from the front. Spotted Leopard and Gray Hawk raised their heads simultaneously.

From the shadows beyond the firelight at the edge of the tent, a short figure broke through the darkness and stepped forward.

It was a bespectacled man—no, it looked like a child.

He smiled faintly as he took off his blood-stained glasses, tucking them into the pocket of his swordsman tunic which was caked with congealed blood, and gazed at the crowd before the camp.

"Who goes there?"

Guided along the path by the scar-faced man who was now a corpse, Alan raised both hands and spread them apart at his sides, as though displaying a piece of merchandise.

"Why, the person you've been looking for, of course."