Chapter 242 Passing By, Attribute Panel

The main hall of the Resting Dragon Lair Tavern.

From a corner table with a wide field of view, one could see both the inn's front door and the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Creak."

As if struggling to bear the weight of metal plate armor, the chair's four legs trembled slightly against the floor, letting out a mournful groan.

Terry William leaned back, resting lightly against his chair.

A natural, friendly smile still lingered on his handsome face.

Behind him, the table where Xia Nan's group had been sitting was empty save for a few plates. A tavern waiter was swiftly clearing it.

On the other side, the faint sound of fading footsteps echoed from the stairwell leading to the second floor.

"Captain, how was it?" a subordinate asked, leaning in and lowering his voice.

"It shouldn't be them," Terry William said, his smile slowly fading as he tapped his fingers against the table, replaced by a deeper look of contemplation. He shook his head imperceptibly. "Perhaps they were just passing by."

"Is it really such a coincidence?" a knight sitting across the table asked in surprise. He wore standard-issue gear, though its quality was a step below Terry William's. "At this exact time, the second son of the city lord from distant Nym suddenly appears in Molten Scale Town?"

"Captain, I don't think it's that simple."

Terry William didn't reply. He merely poured himself a glass of ice water.

He downed it in one gulp and wiped the moisture from his lips.

His eyes, which had never lost their friendly warmth when facing Hai’an's group, were now filled with a coldness that matched the icy water sliding down his throat.

As the youngest knight commander in the Duke Morton Domain, he had raised his Class Level to Level 5 before the age of thirty and was a [Silver-Plated Knight] seeking a class advancement.

Among his five accompanying knights, all of whom were Class Holders, Terry William held absolute authority as the squad's captain.

Naturally, the reason they had crossed the mountain range from Sticky-Tree Territory to Molten Scale Town was neither a sightseeing trip nor a simple errand to deliver a letter.

His earlier excuse for refusing to escort Hai’an back to the territory hadn't been a random lie.

He truly had an important mission that required him to remain in town.

Terry William knew the Hound Fang Squad and recognized its captain, Lawson.

He also knew exactly what those audacious adventurers had been plotting.

Breaking into the lair of an adult red dragon and safely retrieving a treasure from within was something even Duke Morton himself would find difficult to accomplish.

The Hound Fang Squad had been planning this operation for nearly two years. As his former colleague—even though Lawson had already left his post by the time Terry William became a Class Holder—Lawson's squad's unusual behavior had been discovered by the duke's spies a year ago.

Mass purchasing items for detecting and disarming magic traps, hoarding Resistance Potions, and even bidding on a Dragonbane Dagger at an auction...

As long as one paid attention, it wasn't hard to guess the Hound Fang Squad's plan.

Given that their captain, Lawson, had once served as a guard at the duke's manor, likely knew some of its secrets, and was even a survivor of the red dragon attack, their target could only be one thing.

In all likelihood, there was only one possibility—

Duke Morton's Lost Family Heirloom.

To be honest, regarding the Hound Fang Squad's fantastical plan, neither he nor the duke believed that an adventurer squad without a single Transcendent Tier Class Holder stood any chance of success.

However, because it involved the Morton Family's ancestral heirloom, no matter how small the chance—even if it was a mere 0.001 percent—it was necessary to confirm.

That was the reason Terry William and his men were staying in Molten Scale Town.

Stationed at the only human settlement near the red dragon's lair, regardless of whether the Hound Fang Squad succeeded or failed, as long as someone survived, they would have to come here to rest and resupply.

Failure was the expected outcome, but if Lawson and the others truly received the favor of the Goddess of Luck...

Then the Morton Family's treasure should naturally be personally escorted back to the territory by the duke's most loyal and brave knights.

The moment Lawson returned to town, the spies they had intentionally left at the town's entrance immediately reported the situation to Terry William's group, allowing them to wait ahead of time at the Resting Dragon Lair Inn based on his route.

But unexpectedly, before Lawson even appeared, Terry William first spotted a rather eye-catching half-elf with silver hair, silver eyes, and a longbow slung across his back at the tavern entrance.

—Hai’an Wycliffe.

The second son of the Nym city lord.

Due to the relationship between the duke and City Lord Wycliffe, Terry William and Hai’an were somewhat acquainted.

Given Hai’an's personality, he had probably already considered Terry William a good friend.

Terry William naturally wouldn't reject an extra connection that fell into his lap. But if this relationship affected his status within the Morton Family or delayed his current opportunity to obtain resources for a class advancement...

He knew his priorities.

At present, considering the recent high-level shifts in Nym that he had heard about.

It made sense for Hai’an to cross such a distance to seek refuge in Abyssal Veil Province.

But just as his subordinate had said earlier, it was simply too coincidental.

Right at the moment Lawson finished his operation and returned to the tavern, Hai’an's group just happened to appear.

Even if he believed their claim that they were just passing through Molten Scale Town, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

According to what Hai’an had said, Wood, the seasoned and experienced guard who never left his side, was also in town.

Perhaps, just like him, Hai’an hadn't lied but had merely concealed some key information.

For example, fleeing Nym was a fact, but passing through Molten Scale Town right now was intentional.

And their goal was the very ancestral heirloom the duke had lost.

After all, if the rumors were true and the Morton Family's rise to power relied on this item, then if the half-elf got his hands on it, the Wycliffe Family's current predicament would easily be resolved.

Whether it was securing their position as the Nym city lord once again or choosing a new place to rebuild, both would be excellent options.

Furthermore, the two adventurers he had glimpsed beside Hai’an didn't look like normal guards at all.

First of all, there was no need to elaborate on the woman named Verol.

Without a doubt, she was definitely a Spellcaster, and one who genuinely possessed a Class Level, not an ordinary Mage Apprentice.

To hire her as an escort, the Wycliffe Family had clearly paid a substantial sum.

Then there was the quiet, black-haired young man with an imposing aura.

He was undoubtedly a Class Holder, though his exact level was unknown.

But Terry William was certain that the man was by no means weak.

That condensed aura forged from long periods of disciplined training and vast amounts of real combat experience...

Compared to those bottom-tier adventurers in the tavern who were stuck doing garbage commissions, living day to day, and wasting all their gold coins at gambling tables and on prostitutes...

The difference could be seen at a glance.

Even if the man was rather young and hadn't participated much in his conversation with Hai’an, Terry William was completely certain that this black-haired young man was far more difficult to deal with than he appeared.

"Don't cause any unnecessary complications before they actually make a move that affects our plan," Terry William instructed his subordinates at the table.

"We're short on manpower, so keep your focus mainly on the target."

"But don't drop your guard either. If we confirm they're taking explicit action against us... make sure to deal with the Spellcaster first, and clean up thoroughly afterward. The second son of a falling Nym city lord won't cause much of a ripple."

Terry William naturally didn't want a direct conflict with Hai’an's group. Their unknown strength was one reason, but he also didn't want to lose this relatively decent connection.

However, if it involved his mission objective and the temptation of a class advancement, then it would naturally be a different story.

Right now, the most crucial thing was to confirm whether the Hound Fang Squad's plan had succeeded, and if they had brought Duke Morton's treasure back from the dragon lair.

Judging solely from Lawson's behavior after entering the inn just now, his squad's progress didn't seem to be going smoothly.

But factoring in the red dragon that had flown over Molten Scale Town a few days ago—its very wingbeats radiating towering rage—and the fact that Lawson had appeared at the tavern alone without a single teammate...

Terry William guessed that perhaps Lawson's plan had only been half successful.

That family heirloom might have already been stolen from the dragon lair by his squad through some method.

But due to infighting, the appearance of a third party, or some other factor, Lawson had failed to secure the item for himself.

Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that Lawson had discovered their presence and was intentionally faking it to mislead them.

"Keep a close eye on everything for the next two days!"

What was originally a highly improbable event had taken a sharp turn in less than half a day.

If he could deliver that ancestral heirloom back into the duke's hands, not only would he break through his current bottleneck, but with the full weight of the Morton Family's resources behind him, even the Transcendent Tier—a realm he had previously never dared to dream of—wouldn't seem so far out of reach.

Terry William suddenly grew excited, an indescribable thrill washing over his handsome face.

"What about the inn's back door? Are Jiri and his men guarding it?"

"They just changed shifts. Grove has already taken over."

"Good. Spend some money later to ask the front desk about Lawson's room. Book a few rooms next to his so we can monitor him more easily."

"Yes, I'll handle it right away!"

"Don't rush, wait..."

The group sat in the corner, discussing their next steps using hushed voices and coded language that only they could hear.

Suddenly, one of the knights tasked with watching the tavern doors spoke up.

"'Rotten Toe'? Why does this guy have the time to come here in broad daylight? The Resting Dragon Lair isn't his turf, is it?"

Terry William followed his gaze.

Coming into view was a fierce-looking, balding man walking with a limp, followed by several thug-like lackeys.

Having been stationed in the town for many days, they had long since scoped out Molten Scale Town's notable figures.

"Rotten Toe" was one of them.

In truth, he needed no introduction; his far from elegant nickname alone was enough to showcase his infamy in town.

A former adventurer, he wasn't just the owner of the only casino in town, but was also secretly involved in the slave trade.

Though he was certainly leagues below Terry William and his knights, he was still a formidable figure in a remote place like Molten Scale Town.

At least for the ordinary townsfolk, crossing him left absolutely no room for resistance.

But strangely enough, this underworld boss who usually only emerged at night and operated in the shadows...

Was currently sweating profusely, rushing into the Resting Dragon Lair Inn—a place outside his territory—with a tense expression on his face.

This caused the inn's receptionist, who mistakenly thought he was here to trash the place, to flinch violently, looking as though he wanted to dive straight under the counter.

Terry William signaled his men not to make any rash moves.

They simply sat at their table, quietly watching as Rotten Toe, surrounded by his lackeys, hurried over to the front desk.

After exchanging a few quick words, he slapped down two silver coins and charged up to the second floor with his men.

Barely a few dozen seconds later, another flurry of footsteps came from the stairs.

But this time, coming down the stairs alongside Rotten Toe and his crew was an additional, gloomy figure.

"Lawson!"

Terry William's pupils shrank drastically, his mind racing.

He immediately guessed that this reaction might be related to the treasure the Hound Fang Squad had stolen from the dragon lair.

With just a few glances, he silently communicated with the knights at his table.

Right on Lawson and Rotten Toe's heels as they rushed out of the inn, Terry William led his men and followed.

"Why's everyone in such a hurry?"

Luca, standing at the tavern entrance carrying a large bag of supplies, made way for the two groups with a confused look on his face.

He had never been one to cause trouble, so even as a Class Holder, he didn't have much of a temper.

He brushed past the rushing crowd.

Watching the middle-aged men and knights disappear into the throng, he scratched his head in confusion.

Without thinking too much about it, he used his free left hand to lightly brush his chest, feeling the cold, hard, round object tucked securely against his body.

Only then did he tighten his grip on the supply bag, walk into the inn to ask the front desk for his room number, and head up to the second floor.

...

...

"So you found this thing on two slave traders?"

Hai’an asked in surprise, gazing at the oval metallic object in his hand. The faintly shifting characters on its surface were reflected in his silver-gray eyes.

"Hehe." Luca gave a simple, honest smile, acting as if he had performed a great deed. "I found it on the dwarf they had tied up. It was just sticking out of his clothes, so I saw it."

"What about them? Did you chase them off?"

"The dwarf had already breathed his last by the time I got there. The two slave traders were pretty fierce though, and I didn't control my strength in time, so I ended up snapping their necks."

"But that alley was pretty remote. I didn't see anyone when I went over, so I dragged their bodies deeper into the alley. People might not even find them before we leave town."

"You were a bit reckless this time. Good thing those two slave traders were just ordinary people. If..."

"Can I take a look at that?"

An abrupt voice from the other side of the room cut Hai’an off.

"Of course!"

Without any hesitation, he handed over the oval metallic object of unknown use.

Xia Nan reached out and took it.

In his line of sight, the translucent text representing his Attribute Panel had already been hovering in the empty air for a long time.