Chapter 70: The True Skills Of A Scout

I cut the tendons of the man confidently holding a chisel to Gina with my knife. The chisel fell to the ground, but the knife still pressed against his chest. The foolish man stared wide-eyed, unable to react.

"No way I'd fall for such a transparent act."

Zeigt wasn't trusting them from the moment he refused to guide me inside. Well, a 20-to-5 ratio favored the grave robbers. Besides Zeigt, it was just women, a kid, and an unimpressive middle-aged man. Yet, fate was sealed when the oblivious man moved without realizing the man behind him was vigilantly watching.

"Heh, you can't even ambush properly. You think you can beat four times your number?"

The man held his wrist with his other hand.

"Surprising you can keep up that arrogance. Don't you realize your life is hanging by a thread? And..."

I gestured toward the door. The man hesitated as he looked in that direction. Another man froze in place.

"Even if you wanted to show loyalty, it's useless when the intended recipient isn't around."

I handed the restrained man to Comba and approached the door. Peeking inside from beside the bewildered man, I saw the others collapsed like a stack of cards. Dishes were scattered on the table.

"What's going on?"

The man near the doorway had a face on the verge of tears.

I pushed past him, approached the table, and looked down at the cups.

"Well, that sleep herb is something else. It's not easy to come by. Just crushing the dried powder and adding it to the food had this effect. And it's tasteless and odorless, so there's no trace. It worked out well during mealtime."

I smirked at the man.

"How about you? Have sweet dreams. I'm a generous person, but I'm not kind enough to be friendly to those who repay kindness with betrayal."

The man tried to turn and run but froze when facing Zeigt.

He fell to the ground, tearfully apologizing.

"I'm sorry! It was a momentary lapse! The temptation of magic got the better of me! Please, forgive me...."

Ignoring the man, Zeigt peered inside.

"How long does the effect of this drug last?"

"I don't know. It depends on the amount consumed, and it's hard to say. Since it's taken with alcohol, it should work well. I think it'll be fine for a while longer."

"For now, let's disarm and bind them."

Zeigt, Comba, and I entered and restrained the men. About halfway through, a loud sound echoed. Going outside, I found the man who had bowed earlier pinned to the ground by Eilia, twisting his arm behind his back. His face showed a mix of sadness.

His cheek was bright red, likely from a strong slap. I squatted down and peered into his face.

"Hey, I gave you a chance. Why waste it? Didn't you think leaving only women behind would be a problem?"

I shook my head.

"Well, I can't blame you. It's hard to judge the strength of the person in front of you."

I turned to Eilia.

"I'll take over. You probably don't want to touch this indiscriminate guy's arms."

I tied the man's hands behind his back. I did the same to the other one, and we kicked them into the room together.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. There's a dying captive in there."

Hastening Eilia, we retraced our steps and went down the other passage at the first fork.

Unlocking the cell with iron bars, I guided Eiria inside. Robert, barely holding on to life, hadn't departed to the afterlife yet. Eiria started chanting immediately. Since I was in the cramped space, I went outside and waited. Sensing someone's presence, I tensed, and a group of warriors, all wearing similar leather armor, approached.

"Sir Harris?"

"Hmm? Who are you?"

"We're companions of Sir Zeigt. Where is he?"

"Oh, you're with him. Zeigt is further down the other fork from the last split."

"Then why is Sir Harris here?"

"Oh, you know Robert, right? He was captured, weakened, and is being treated by a priest inside."

Just then, Robert, now standing with Eilia's support, appeared. Though he had seemed half-dead earlier, his face had relaxed. Well, even if he's happy to be carried by a beautiful woman, I couldn't imagine him making such a face. That's what I thought, but if I were in his position, I couldn't guarantee I'd maintain a stern expression. The men rushed over and took over from Eiria.

Returning to the group, I searched for the man I was after and collected a silver coin from his pocket.

"Sorry, but I'll be taking this back. Things are about to get tough."

Heading back to the others.

"I feel like I didn't do much."

"Same here. But infiltrating and putting everyone to sleep with sleeping powder is too ruthless. I'm really glad you're not an enemy."

Gina's expression was a mix of admiration and amazement.