Chapter 83: Rumor Chase

Cayton left the warehouse and headed straight to the adventurers’ guild.

“Hey, Cayton. Over here!”

His fellow adventurers waved at Cayton. 

When he approached, they asked.

“Where were you yesterday? We looked everywhere, but couldn’t find you.”

“I had some business to take care of.”

“Business? Yeah right, you probably passed out from drinking.”

“Hey, is Cayton like you?”

“What about me?”

“Anyway, Cayton. Haven’t you heard anything?”

“About what?”

“The herb shop. It’s been closed since yesterday. You’re the promotional model, so you must have heard something.”

“Look at this guy? Why are you suddenly acting like you’ve got honey in your mouth and can’t speak? Is the rumor true? That someone got addicted because of the vitality drink.”

“That’s exactly why I have a favor to ask you guys.”

His fellow adventurers blinked in surprise.

“A favor?”

“I need to find the person who started the rumor.”

“Huh? What are you going to do once you find them?”

“I’ll explain the details after we find them. You’ll help, right?”

“Well, it’s not that hard.”

His fellow adventurers readily agreed to Cayton’s request.

Cayton began tracking down the source of the rumor with his fellow adventurers.

“Everyone, split up and gather information.”

***

Alburton was a small city.

And Cayton had suddenly become a star adventurer in Alburton, drawing everyone’s attention.

Mobilizing quick-footed adventurers here to inquire around was as easy as drinking cold soup.

After several close adventurer friends repeatedly conducted inquiries all over Alburton, they reached a few common points.

“A guy with prominent cheekbones popped up.”

“Same here. They said a man with prominent cheekbones approached them and casually mentioned it.”

A small, skinny man with long hair and notably prominent cheekbones.

It seemed certain that this man had spread the rumor.

“He apparently comes to that shop often to buy cigarettes. If we wait, he’ll show up.”

Cayton and his fellow adventurers staked out in front of the cigarette shop, waiting for the man.

And an hour later.

The man with prominent cheekbones sauntered into the cigarette shop with a carefree gait.

“Hey, you there.”

“Hm?”

The man looked Cayton up and down.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

The man’s brow furrowed.

“Ah, shit!”

Whoosh—

He suddenly turned and started running away.

Cayton immediately chased after the man.

“Get that bastard!”

“Huh? What?”

Cayton’s companions, clueless about the situation, chased after the man. 

A sudden chase unfolded in broad daylight.

“Don’t let him get away!”

“Hey! Stop right there!”

The man was surprisingly agile. 

He darted through alleys like someone experienced in fleeing.

“Why are you so persistent!”

But the adventurers were just as tenacious, if not more.

As the man tried to turn into a side alley to escape them.

Thud!

“Aaaargh!”

Crash!

The man was suddenly kicked in the stomach and fell to the ground.

Cayton had anticipated the man’s path and gotten ahead to wait for him.

Cayton grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.

“I just want to talk for a minute, why are you running?”

“Urgh.”

Cayton and his companions dragged the man into a back alley. 

The dragged man’s eyes were shaking wildly.

Whisper whisper.

“Hey, Cayton, we’re doing what you asked, but shouldn’t you tell us the reason by now?”

“Yeah, threatening an innocent citizen could get you disciplined.”

“You guys step back for a bit. I’ll handle this from here.”

Leaving his companions’ concerns behind, Cayton approached the man.

“You’re the one who spread the rumor about the herb shop, right?”

“…”

“No answer!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve already investigated that you went around the neighborhood spreading the rumor, so don’t even think about making excuses.”

“…”

“How did you find out about the herb shop incident?”

The man seemed to have no intention of answering, smirking mockingly, which made Cayton’s brow furrow.

“You bastard!”

As Cayton raised his fist, one of his companions quickly grabbed him and quietly dissuaded him.

“Cayton. Use words. If you use violence on a civilian, you’re really in trouble.”

Hearing this, the man’s eyes gleamed.

“Can’t even handle one civilian. Adventurers aren’t all that.”

“What?”

“All those regulations and rules. Must be tough living like that.”

Provoked by the man, Cayton tried to swing his fist again, but his fellow adventurers clung to him to stop him.

“Cayton. Being an adventurer is your dream! You need to get promoted! You can’t make a mistake! Hold it in! Hold it!”

Contrary to their worries, Cayton was angry but his mind was sharper than ever.

Cayton decided to provoke the man to make him confess.

“Kiss of the Reaper.”

Flinch.

The man reacted. 

He had taken the bait.

Cayton didn’t miss the opportunity and pressed on.

“I already know where you’ve been pulling this off. We’re rooting out everyone involved, one by one. Are you the one who sneaked into the herb shop and poisoned it? Or just part of the gang?”

At that moment.

“Whaaaat?”

His fellow adventurers were shocked.

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

“Who sneaked into the herb shop?”

“And poisoned it?”

“Was it you who got poisoned, Cayton?”

The fellow adventurers who had been holding Cayton back gradually got excited, their eyes turning more menacing.

Cayton ignored them and continued pressuring the culprit.

“I won’t let the one who sneaked into the herb shop and poisoned it get away, no matter who in your gang it is!”

Cayton pressured the man to find out which underworld group was behind this incident.

The frightened man might cut ties and rat out the others to save himself.

The man was rolling his eyes, seemingly agonizing over what to do, glancing around nervously.

Fortunately, the fellow adventurers who had turned menacing were helping to stoke his fear.

“Did you poison our herb shop drinks?”

“N-no, it wasn’t me.”

“You bastard! Speak properly!”

“Aaah! Don’t hit me! It really wasn’t me.”

“Then who ordered you? It’ll be better for you if you tell us everything you know.”

The man was surrounded and harassed by the fellow adventurers.

Somehow, Cayton ended up just watching with his arms crossed.

After being harassed by the companions for a while, the man tearfully rolled up his sleeve.

The pattern on his wrist. A skull with a wriggling snake.

“I-I’m a member of the ‘Petty Thieves’ Den.’ I had no choice but to do it because the higher-ups ordered me. I really didn’t poison anything. I just spread the rumor.”

“Petty Thieves’ Den? So it was the underworld after all.”

Cayton furrowed his brow.

If an underworld group was involved, catching this one guy wouldn’t end it.

But rushing into the underworld with just his companions was too dangerous.

They needed reinforcements.

“Let’s head back to the adventurers’ guild for now.”

“Urk.”

***

Cayton and his fellow adventurers brought the man to the adventurers’ guild.

“Who’s that guy?”

“Everyone, listen up!”

One of the fellow adventurers shouted the full story of what happened at the herb shop so the entire guild could hear.

“Poison? Is that true?”

“So that’s why the herb shop has been closed all this time?”

“We could have all been in danger if things went wrong?”

“We can’t just let this slide! For the herb shop and for the adventurers, we need to make an example of them properly!”

“Let’s storm the underworld!”

“Yeah! Right!”

The adventurers united as one, firm in their resolve.

They looked ready to charge into the underworld at any moment.

At that time.

“Have you all forgotten the adventurer regulations?”

Someone interjected calmly, throwing cold water on the fire.

“Unauthorized group actions are a violation of the rules.”

It was Vitus.

With his single remark, the burning fighting spirit cooled down in an instant.

The adventurers’ guild had set rules. 

Parties were limited to a maximum of five members, and forming large groups required guild approval.

Cayton glared at Vitus.

“Don’t interfere unnecessarily and just move along.”

“I’m not interfering, just advising. From what I see, it seems like you’ll need me for this matter.”

Murmur murmur.

“Yeah, that’s right! If a high-rank adventurer leads, there won’t be any issues!”

However, high-rank adventurers and above could temporarily form large parties as leaders.

“Will you join us, Vitus?”

“Didn’t I just say I would?”

Vitus, receiving the gazes of all the adventurers.

“Given the gravity of the situation, I can’t pretend I don’t know. I’ll participate.”

“Wooooah!”

The extinguished fighting spirit flared up again.

“…No choice, then.”

Cayton wasn’t pleased with Vitus’s participation, but he was necessary due to the regulations.

“With high-rank adventurer Vitus joining, we’re solid!”

“Whoever it is, the day they get caught will be their funeral!”

Thus, unusually, an operation involving all of Alburton’s adventurers unfolded.

It was the moment the largest adventurer party in Alburton’s history was formed.

Step step step.

***

When the group of adventurers stormed into the underworld, the quiet, gloomy back alleys stirred.

Everyone hid like dead mice, watching the adventurers’ movements.

“Why are there so many adventurers?”

“Looks like all of Alburton’s adventurers are here?”

“I’ve never seen this many adventurers move together in my life.”

“Could they be here for a raid?”

“No way. Would they send this many adventurers just to catch one of us petty thieves?”

“Then what is it?”

“I don’t know, probably pissed someone off?”

“Who did they piss off to send such a large force?”

“Who knows, must be someone important… Gasp!”

“Why the sudden reaction? Like you saw something you shouldn’t?”

“Th-there….”

“There what?”

“Th-there’s Vitus!”

“Vitus? The high-rank adventurer Vitus?!”

“He’s coming this way! Damn! Hide quick!”

“What the hell is going on!”

“Whoever it is, someone in the underworld is disappearing today.”

Whoosh.

The petty thieves and criminals who sensed the crisis hid and crouched down tightly.

Step step.

In the underworld, only the resolute footsteps of the adventurers echoed.