Chapter 201 - Break in (1/2)
He continued to ask other NPC merchants in the vicinity and came to know that the guard did enter the market. He needed to make a couple of purchases or give a few silvers to loosen their mouths. The temple was situated at the centre of the market. So, it was very hard for Shadow to not suspect the temple, when the man had already entered the market. But none of the NPC closer to the temple could remembers seeing a coastal guard. A coastal guard would be dressed in his uniform, so he would attract the attention of the passersby and also the merchants, who would try and sell their wares to him.
This was all very confusing. It looked like the guard had disappeared somewhere in the middle of the market. He first thought about someone kidnapping him, but that felt stupid as such a thing would cause a scuffle and NPCs would talk about it unless it was an entity that they didn't want to offend. Apart from the temple, he couldn't think of anyone else. He also understood that the coastal guard's investigations would be similar and there was a high chance the found out the same.
The only other thing he could think of was that the guard had decided to get away with the goods of his own will. Either way, he was stuck. He could only go to the deacon, talk with him to explain his findings.
As he entered the temple, he was taken to the deacon by a friar. The evening mass had just finished, and the temple was clearing of its devotees. Shadow immediately explained the situation to the deacon and informed that the lieutenant had requested for another week's time to deliver the supplies. He then proceeded to inform the deacon of his own investigation and he was informed that the coastal guard would have probably come to know of this already.
”No wonder, they are a bit hostile,” said the deacon. ”The market is considered by the majority of the community to be under the protection and the order of the temple. If the coastal guards have learned of this, they are sure to suspect us. We must know of the situation as early as possible. Else, the good name of the temple would soon be in tatters.”
”Adventurer Shadow, please accompany in finding out the issue. There is a chance that someone in the market might not be willing to divulge the information to you. So, I will accompany you,” said the deacon as he got up to make a few arrangements and the pair of them got out of the temple.
Balthazar was now sure that he did the right thing in the quest by talking to the deacon. The fact that the deacon had joined him to find out about the missing guard implied that the quest is moving forward irrespective of whether the deacon was a friend or an enemy. So, Balthazar was sure that it would help to bring the quest to a conclusion faster. Moreover, three is a high chance of him getting coastal guard reputation if he managed to either help the missing guard or find out about a corrupted guard based on the situation.
He took the deacon to the last NPC who informed him of the missing guard. The deacon went to the NPC merchant and a few seconds later returned with a confused look. ”He says that the coastal guard was arrested by the town guards and was taken there along with the supplies. He was warned to keep it a secret from everyone else by the town guards,” said the deacon.
”So, what should we do next?” asked Shadow with the hope that he could go ahead and inform the coastal guard, or the temple will handle it on its own. The town guard were a force as strong as the temple in the town and he didn't want to meddle in it. He might get kicked off from the town. The quest was going in the worst direction possible in his eyes.
”No. We can't completely take action on the town guards based on the words of a merchant. We need proper proof. The coastal guard will be kept in the prison. You need to infiltrate it,” said the deacon.
”You want me to break out a prisoner?” asked Balthazar surprised. ”That would definitely put me out of the town,” he thought. ”Isn't the prison supposed to be something that couldn't be broken into in an NPC managed town. If that was the case, there would have been guilds which would have definitely attempted it.”
He had heard of large guilds attack an entire town and try to take over the town in an attempt to break out someone important to the guild, but he never heard of them focusing on the prison. He only heard of them taking over the entire town and he thought that it was the only way to get someone out of prison in the game.
”Break out? That is beyond your capabilities young man and beyond mine too. I need you to get into the prison and gather intel. Find the coastal guard. These military men are not like the local forces like the town guard. They will have a token to signify their identity. You need to make a recording of the person while taking the token,” said the deacon as he handed him a small device with a lens and a red crystal on it. It looked like a scope, but Balthazar recognized it as primitive video recorder in the game.
”That can be used to record the words of the coastal guard. You need to take his token and recording to the lieutenant. He can mobilize his men and set the matter straight,” said the deacon.
Quest Modified: Missing Supplies.
Quest Description: Break into the prison to gather evidence of the foul play from the coastal guard who is imprisoned.
”How do I break into the prison,” asked Shadow. That was the thing that had him stumped the most. He only had seen the prisons of the guild owned town and was sure that any player who came close to the prison regions in NPC owned towns would be thrown into the prison by the system.
”The prison is at the rear of the town heads mansion. It is a desolate building with a few guards. You need to be careful. He will probably be in the lower regions of the prison. Neither I nor the lieutenant can protect you if you are caught. They will have legitimate reason to keep you in the prison and if required even execute you. As for the actual breaking in and finding out about the reason for his capture that I am leaving to you,” said the deacon.
”Clearly the worst scenario that I could end up in,” thought Shadow. ”How could a mission which had a peaceful heading like finding missing supplies end up being one that would pit me against the town?!” he cursed the system as he went in the direction specified by the deacon.
He went and found the mansion to be almost similar to the one he saw in Jarko Town. It had stone walls about 9 feet high bordering it, with guards patrolling the area and a pair of guards near the gate. The difference was that the mansion was smaller than that of the Jarko Town and there were more guards making it much more difficult. He decided to first notice the patterns of the guards and their words to get an idea of the place.
”Did you know one of the coastal guards was taken captive by the young master,” said one of the guards at a gate to a patrolling guard who passed by him.
”The young master is back in town?” said the patrolman. ”He is the worst possible heir for this town. He just mucks around everything he finds. What was the reason for arresting the coastal guard?”
”Nothing. He found the guard carrying something in a case. Looking at the guard he thought it might be something valuable and asked him to part it for a price. You know how greedy and stupid he can be, right? You remember the number of idiotic things he did before,” said the guard at the gate..
”So, he arrested a coastal guard for that? This is a bit stupid even for him,” said the patrolman shaking his head. ”I wonder how many people the head will have to bribe and pacify for him this time. The coastal guards are not trifling matter. We might even need to take some other jobs soon.”