Episode 271
“A salt mine?”
When Zeke repeated the words, Ankel snapped back to reality, immediately regretting his decision to answer. But it was too late to take it back.
With a sigh, Ankel nodded. “Yes, between the lawless zone and Tahuan, there used to be a region with salt mines. They’re closed now, and only a few people live in the small village there… but those bastards are sending the children they’ve taken to that place.”
Zeke listened intently, then remarked, “You’ve been keeping an eye on their movements even before I asked, haven’t you?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I just wanted to see if they were a threat to the black market.”
Zeke nodded. “Alright, since you’ve accepted my request, it’s only fair I pay you.”
He pulled out a potion from his coat. Ankel eyed it skeptically. “You’re paying with a potion?”
No matter how rare, a single potion couldn’t cover the fee for the Thieves’ Guild.
Zeke met Ankel’s gaze. “Aren’t you curious about what kind of potion it is?”
“A potion’s a potion. What’s so special about it?”
Zeke uncorked the bottle, took a sip, and swallowed. Then he handed the rest to Ankel. “It’s not poisoned. Try it and see for yourself.”
Ankel hesitated, wary of the desert’s infamous poison expert, Shadia, who stood nearby. He looked at Zeke. “Can you swear on your title as the Knight of the Sea?”
“I swear on my title. There’s no poison in this potion, nor anything else that could harm you.”
Finally, Ankel took a cautious sip. Instantly, he was taken aback. “I feel… lighter?”
The potion Zeke had given him was the ‘Wings of the Sky,’ an ancient concoction that enhanced agility without consuming karma points, made purely from ingredients.
Ankel drank the rest, feeling his body become lighter and his reflexes sharpen. “If it works this well on me, it’ll be even more effective for my subordinates.”
For a thief, agility was life itself. Escaping quickly was more crucial than the precision of the heist. Ankel had bought potions from many alchemists, but he’d never encountered one with such effects.
With a newfound expression, Ankel asked Zeke, “How long does this effect last?”
“It varies, but around 30 minutes.”
Thirty minutes was more than enough time to make a clean getaway.
Then, Zeke pulled out a chest from his inventory and placed it on the table, opening it to reveal it was filled with the Wings of the Sky potions.
“A hundred of those potions. Is that enough for the job?”
Ankel’s jaw dropped. It was more than enough. Such a unique potion was priceless, and offering a hundred meant Zeke wanted to maintain a long-term relationship.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ankel bowed to Zeke. “Sir Zeke Draker, please forgive my earlier rudeness. I’m impressed by your trust.”
Zeke smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I hope we can continue to work well together.”
“Of course. Our guild will be your best ally, so feel free to rely on us.”
Ankel’s demeanor had completely changed. While maintaining neutrality was important, the Thieves’ Guild was ultimately a gathering of thieves. They were quick to shift allegiances if it meant profit.
And Ankel sensed a golden opportunity with Zeke.
Zeke left the guild building, having received a token of friendship from the Thieves’ King. He tossed it to Shadia. “Shadia, you should hold onto this. You’ll probably find more use for it than I will.”
“Is there more to investigate?”
“No, not for now. Let’s take a look at that salt mine.”
Zeke spoke of the suspected hideout of the abyss as if it were a casual outing. The two left the black market city, heading towards Tahuan.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
In the afternoon, the bell of the old monastery in the village center rang out. Villagers gathered, smiling, towards the monastery.
Robed figures were cooking something in a large cauldron. The villagers lined up, received bowls of soup, and entered the monastery to sit down.
The tables were set with white bread, unwatered wine, and a variety of fruits rare in the region.
Once everyone was seated, an elderly man in a robe stepped forward, smiling at the villagers. “Before we eat, let’s all have a good laugh! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Following his lead, the villagers laughed, clapped, and recited prayers they didn’t understand before they could eat.
As long as they participated, they were provided with three warm, delicious meals a day, so they complied without complaint.
The robed people had arrived a year ago. The village had once thrived thanks to the salt mines, but after their closure, most young people left, leaving mainly the elderly behind.
The village, already barren, struggled with only the elderly remaining. But with the newcomers, life returned to the village.
Where they came from or who they were didn’t matter. The villagers didn’t care why children were brought in or why they were periodically replaced. They only cared about their full bellies.
After dinner, the villagers gathered in the hall to smoke the tobacco provided by the robed people, which left them feeling pleasantly dazed and helped them sleep.
As usual, the villagers lay down, smoking and staring blankly at the ceiling, while the robed figures busied themselves.
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
A carriage rolled into the village under the cover of darkness, stopping behind the monastery.
The driver jumped down and spoke to a waiting robed figure. “This week’s shipment.”
The robed figure unlocked the carriage, revealing children shackled and trembling inside.
Counting the children, the robed figure frowned. “There’s one more than recorded.”
The driver waved it off. “An extra is a bonus. Probably a counting error.”
The robed figure, accustomed to such discrepancies, nodded. “Alright. When’s the next delivery?”
The driver checked a parchment. “Not next week, but the week after.”
“No delivery next week? We have a big contract then. What’s going on?”
The driver stepped back, hands up. “I’m just the messenger. I don’t know.”
The robed figure gritted his teeth but waved him off. The driver quickly unloaded the children and drove away.
Once the carriage was gone, the robed figure led the children into the monastery, down to the basement.
“Hurry up!”
The children, treated like prisoners, followed, terrified and silent, careful not to trip over each other.
The basement was vast. The robed figure unlocked their shackles, and the children rubbed their raw wrists and ankles.
He brought over two baskets. “Listen carefully. Put your clothes in this one and change into the clothes from this one.”
The children, frightened, obeyed, changing into the tattered clothes marked with numbers.
Once dressed, the robed figure counted them again. “Huh? The numbers match now.”
He shrugged, assuming he’d miscounted earlier, and re-shackled the children, leading them to a cold, stone-floored prison.
He locked them in groups of four, warning them, “Cry, whine, or make noise, and you’ll regret it.”
The children, terrified, held their breath.
The day’s work done, the robed figure whistled as he left the prison.
As the man left, the prison was swallowed by darkness.
The cold seeped up from the floor, and the children huddled together, trying to warm themselves with each other’s body heat.
Then, something slowly emerged from the shadows.
“Lower than beasts, those scoundrels.”
It was none other than Zeke.
He had been tailing the carriage that entered the village, disguising himself to see what would happen to the children.
“First, I need to figure out what this place is.”
Zeke activated his minimap to survey the structure.
It seemed like a repurposed storage area beneath a monastery, but surprisingly, there was a deeper path leading underground.
Zeke left the prison and explored the other areas connected to the underground.
Using his stealth skills, he moved around undetected and discovered a passage leading elsewhere.
“What is this place?”
Venturing further, he found a path that connected to a mine.
“So, the monastery’s basement is linked to an abandoned mine.”
Zeke recalled the conversation between the robed man and the one driving the carriage.
“They mentioned a big deal next week. If that deal involves a pact with the demons…”
Zeke’s eyes sharpened.
“This could very well be the place where they conduct their demonic rituals.”
If his hunch was correct, he had finally found a lead on the cult.
The cult’s sorcerers possessed eyes that could see through stealth, so before delving deeper, Zeke summoned his spirit, “Will of Silver,” to completely conceal his presence.
As he ventured deeper into the mine, he sensed something ahead.
He hid himself in the shadows.
Footsteps echoed in the darkness.
A group of figures emerged.
Zeke immediately recognized them.
“Demons and the cult’s sorcerers.”
Clad in black armor, the demons and the sorcerers in black robes were heading somewhere.
Zeke carefully followed them, ensuring the sorcerers wouldn’t detect him.
The mine was a labyrinth of tangled paths.
The sorcerers navigated through the maze and reached an inner chamber.
At the entrance, demons stood guard with spears.
As the sorcerers approached, the demons moved aside and opened the door.
Rumble!
The door opened, and the sorcerers led the demons inside.
The door began to close.
Watching this, Zeke hesitated for a moment before gripping his sword’s hilt and activating his spirit form skill.
Whoosh!
Standing at the boundary between the spirit and physical realms, Zeke passed effortlessly through the closed door, as well as the demons.
Once inside, he resumed his pursuit of the sorcerers and demons.
After passing through another door, the sorcerers finally stopped.
Zeke released his spirit form and, with his presence concealed, surveyed the area.
“Where is this?”
He had arrived at none other than the site of the cult’s dark baptism ritual.