Chapter 58 The Other side of the Board (2/2)

But never did he expect Marleen to actually express disdain! Her reason was simple. Firstly, she was a middle circle mage and possessed a plethora of life-saving spells. And secondly, she felt that Shadow Mist wasn't as exceptional as Rhode described it to be. In the battle, when Necromancer utilized the exact same skill to conceal itself, Rhode still found him easily with his sword. She believed that it was best to not bet her life on something that was untrustworthy. Thus, Rhode took the ring.

...Really?

He did not know what to say about the players who were willing to spend astronomical amounts of money to purchase this rare accessory that had been deemed 'untrustworthy' by an NPC.

He wondered what kind of expression they would make.

”Thanks for your help, Mr. Rhode.”

Shauna's countenance was apparently much better than before. Although the Necromancer's attack was lethal, since this red-haired female swordsman was a veteran, she managed to dodge the attack in the nick of time, and ended up with an injured shoulder. With Lize's healing and proper rest, fully recovering wouldn't be a problem.

However, as a whole, the Red Hawk mercenary group received heavy losses when compared to Rhode's group. They turned the Pavel Cemetery upside down, but they were still unable to find the sword they were searching for. This made Shauna extremely depressed. However, it was just as Rhode expected since he could remember clearly that the drops from Pavel Cemetery were all related to the magic classes and never heard of a hidden quest involving a sword.

Previously, when he heard the mission description from Shauna, he assumed that it was an NPC exclusive quest, and players were not eligible to participate. But judging from the situation right now, it seemed that something was indeed fishy...

”Miss Shauna, are you sure that your client is looking for a sword?”

”Yes.”

She sighed and shook her head helplessly.

”He said that it was their family's heirloom and that Pavel stole it. Thus, he requested me to find it. Based on the agreement, he paid us 150 gold coins as a deposit, so I doubt that it'll be a fake mission. But now, since I can't find the sword, I don't know what to do...”

It was no wonder Shauna didn't doubt the credibility of the mission, because according to the rules, the deposit received when undertaking the commision would not be returned. In other words, regardless of success or failure, the money would still be taken away. In many cases, clients paying a small deposit could be considered as a symbolic meaning. Nevertheless, they would still pay the remaining sum after the mission completion. Since her client offered her 150 gold coins as a deposit, it was almost equivalent to finishing a three Star-Ranked mission. It was such a huge boon, no wonder Shauna didn't doubt the legitimacy of her client. After all, who would throw that amount of money just for fun?

But lamenting over it right now was pointless. The sword that Shauna had to find was an ancient sword. It was a sword that also existed in the game, but these swords were primarily used for decorations. Since she couldn't find it, her mission was a failure, and she lost many comrades in the process. Thus, she was in quite a foul mood, so she promptly bade farewell to Rhode and the others, and she trudged towards the Mercenary Association with whats left of her group following behind her. Only Barney, that idiot, was being carried by the Shield Warrior. That poor little guy had not yet woken from his coma. But if Rhode didn't guess wrong, he wouldn't wake up anymore.

When Shauna and the others finally disappeared around the corner, Rhode's eyes turned cold.

”They were deceived,” Rhode said.

”Eh?”

Hearing those words, Lize widened her eyes in surprise. Even Old Walker frowned.

”What is it, boy? You said they were being deceived? Why is that?”

”Simple.”

Rhode shrugged.

”If it was just as the client said,” Rhode's eyes narrowed as he spoke, ”then why would he entrust everything to a mercenary on something as significant as his family heirloom? Furthermore, he didn't even appear once.”

Rhode said as he deduced the situation calmly.

”Yes.”

Marlene nodded and agreed.

”For us nobles, family heirlooms are the spirit of the family. It can be said that it is the measurement of the family's honor and glory. If the heirloom is lost, then as a member of the family, it is their responsibility to find it as soon as possible. If the Senia's family heirloom was misplaced or stolen by someone, not only would I ask a mercenary for help, but I will also follow them. Only the family's bloodline should regain the glory by personally retrieving the heirloom. If someone else, for instance, a mercenary, retrieves the heirloom, then it would stain the honor of any prestigious family. I don't believe someone who has a family heirloom to be a nouveau riche. As what Mr. Rhode had said, there must be a problem.”

”W-what problem?”

Hearing this detailed explanation by Marleen, Lize expression immediately tensed up. After all, Shauna was her good friend, and now she discovered that she might be in danger, so of course she could not calm down.

”I don't know.”

Rhode shook his head, then he looked up, staring at the Deep Stone City before him.

”...but I may have a clue.”