Chapter 98

After wandering around the town for a while, Butcher came to a damp and dark alley. A beggar sat on a tattered mat by the roadside, a bowl in front of him, his ragged clothes emitting a nauseating smell, but his bright eyes showed no sign of begging. These were the Brotherhood's spies, more accurately, the gatekeepers of the Thieves' Guild. They could accurately distinguish between their own, customers, and enemies.

Butcher glanced at him and was about to step past. Suddenly, the beggar's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he pulled out a short knife from under the mat, lunging at the big man. Butcher made no sound, kicked the beggar in the stomach, sending him flying. Then he quickly followed up with an elbow to the back of the beggar's head.

The beggar lay motionless on the ground, and Butcher walked on without looking back. More figures emerged from the shadows of the alley, each holding a weapon, surrounding him from all sides. Butcher spat on the ground and said, "So eager to come and die?"

"Alright, all of you, back off. Don't you know this is a guest?" A hidden door opened in the alley, and a tall man with long hair and a loose floral shirt stepped out. His face was gaunt and pale, his body thin, like a habitual criminal who had been imprisoned in a dungeon for a long time. "Look who it is, the Butcher of Kaelmanga, what a rare guest."

"I don't like that name," Butcher said. "Are you going to talk here, or let me come in and sit down?"

"Of course, please come in, I wouldn't dare stop you."

The room was a warehouse, filled with large and small wooden crates. Many crates were already open, filled with soft hay, and crossbows were disassembled and hidden among the hay. The crates were piled precariously, and in the middle of them was a hidden door leading underground. The two men entered, passed through a dim corridor, and arrived at an underground bar.

"Make some room for my friend, go play somewhere else." The thin man waved his hand, and soon the place was empty, leaving a long bar and many fragrant wines. Butcher sniffed the air, the mixed scents made it hard for him to identify the brands, so he picked up a bottle from the table and took a big gulp.

"It's been a long time since I've had such a good drink." Butcher wiped his mouth and said to the owner, "Dumbbird, you owe me two favors, give me a chance to repay one."

"Hey, first, I don't owe you two favors, at most one. Second, my name isn't Dumbbird, it's Cuckoo, there's a big difference."

"Whatever." Butcher waved his hand and looked around. "Do you have anything to eat here? I'm starving!"

"No." The thin man looked at Butcher with interest. "Even if I did, the food here is covered in other people's saliva. Would you eat it? By the way, how did you end up so down on your luck, not even able to eat? Want to come work for me? I'm very generous and I really admire you."

"Admire my ass! If I came to work for you, you'd be trying to get rid of me all day." Butcher's scar twitched. "I came to see you because of your old trade. Do you know if there's a powerful druid nearby?"

"Oh, you're here for that too? A week ago, the guild in Nipo Town inquired about this. But they were too stingy, so I only gave them some surface information." Cuckoo licked his lips and leaned forward. "There is a powerful druid, and it's a worthwhile job. Want to do it together? Two hundred gold coins, no matter if it succeeds or not."

By "worthwhile job," it meant robbery, theft, or extortion, all illegal activities. Most jobs only required the thief to act alone, but now the thin man was valuing Butcher's combat skills, indicating that the job was tricky and might require brute force. Two hundred gold coins would be enough for Butcher to live well for a while, but he clearly didn't want to have too deep a connection with the Thieves' Guild.

"Tell me about this powerful druid first, and don't try to fool me."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I don't want the whole guild to turn into a bloodbath. The tragedy in Kaelmanga was enough." Cuckoo said.

From Vato Town to the coastal city of Magnima, it was all under goblin control. This was a dangerous swamp with no known safe passage, except for a river that flowed year-round. The Yuda River connected the two places and provided the swamp with ample water. Vato Town and the goblin city of Magnima were constantly fighting over the river, trying to push the front line into the other's territory. However, without controlling the swamp, one river was not enough to eliminate the other.

"The powerful druid lives in the swamp and has some connection with the goblins, so the goblins never attack him." Cuckoo said. "There were two or three times when the goblins captured some traders, and this druid negotiated to free them."

"So, he's a good person?" Butcher was a bit surprised.

"Maybe, who knows." Cuckoo said. "This druid is a bit crazy. The people I sent were beaten up and thrown to the goblins. Fortunately, the person was smart and escaped from the goblins, or I would have thought he was killed by the swamp."

"Maybe the person you sent wasn't a good person." Butcher chuckled. "I think he got what he deserved."

"Hmph, do you think you would be treated better? Are you a good person or a bad person?" Cuckoo tapped his fingers on the table. "My men told me that the druid's place is filled with goblin offerings, including jewels and artworks, all found in Magnima. You know, there are many valuable things left in Magnima, worth the risk."

"Tell me where the druid lives and how to get there safely, and I'll consider it one favor repaid."

"Hey, we're good friends, do you have to be so eager to leave me behind?" Although the thin man said this, his hands were busy, quickly drawing a map. Butcher glanced at it and saw that it was very detailed, marking the river, hills, and easily recognizable landmarks.

"Butcher, you saved my life in Kaelmanga, and I will never forget it. Honestly, I've never been afraid in my life, but when I saw you walk out of the blood and fire, I was truly scared, thinking I was going to die. Half the city was dead, what right did I have to survive? I've always wondered why you let me go and even helped me escape."

Butcher's index finger twitched slightly, as if the brutal battle and疯狂的杀戮再次浮现在眼前。他不想谈论这件事，于是拿起黑啤猛灌了几口，然后一把抓起地图，塞进口袋。Butcher站起身来，高大的身影完全笼罩了这个地下酒吧。他对Cuckoo说：“给你个建议，别去招惹那个德鲁伊，因为一帮圣骑士盯上了他。不管这个德鲁伊是善是恶，你都没有插手的余地了。”

“你和圣骑士混在一起不会有好结果的，他们随时可能发现你的身份，然后迎接你的就是审判。”瘦子劝说道：“你和他们不是一路人，谁也不会给你公平和庇护。”

Butcher回头看了看Cuckoo，嘴角微微上扬：“不，我发现了一个很有意思的人，也许这个人能给我我想要的。审判，我已经不怎么担心这个问题了。”

...

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