I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 458 Devil's Follower
The strange man left, and Dorok stared blankly at the note he had left behind, wondering who the man was.

"Don't just stand there, open it and take a look!"

An impatient player nearby urged him on, and when he saw that Dorok didn't react, he snatched it away, opened it, and began reading the contents.

"...Around 11 PM to midnight tonight, Duke Lapol is currently hiding in Noble District C. He will leave through the East Gate of Treasure Island. During this process, he will likely be accompanied by a dozen or so foot knights and twenty-five swordsmen and shieldmen as guards..."

"Holy crap, a duke and a foot knight, this mission is top-notch!"

Another player whistled.

"Brothers, we need to bring the Tiger Crouching Cannon to take down this target!"

"Don't interrupt!"

The player who read the note continued reading, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"There are more, more than one!"

He cleared his throat, his voice filled with disbelief:
"Target two, Earl Hawke, is currently hiding in the underground vault of the Golden Anchor Merchant Guild, located in Warehouse No. 3 in the dock area, with the entrance disguised."

He is expected to depart from the canal around 6:00 to 7:00 AM tomorrow aboard the Sea Fox, a fast sailing ship disguised as a cargo ship.

His personal guard consisted of eight hired Iron Ridge crossbowmen and ten elite guards from his family; the vault may have been equipped with traps.

"Target three, Viscount Leonard, who is extremely cautious and has not acted with other nobles."

Currently lurking in the old town is the lamprey tavern. The tavern appears dilapidated, but it is actually his secret hideout, and the owner is his henchman.

He planned to use the old city's complex sewer system to sneak out of the city at noon the next day. He was always accompanied by four Dark Raven assassins skilled in poison and assassination, and two sentries disguised as beggars would keep watch outside the tavern.

"Target four, Baron Mario."

This man is greedy and fears death, and has not strayed far from the center of power. He is currently hiding in his mistress's mansion in the aristocratic district, number five Tulip Street, which has high walls and iron gates. Twenty guards are stationed inside the mansion, and a company of private soldiers guards the perimeter.

He seems to be observing the political climate and has no concrete plans to evacuate the island for the time being.

After the reading was finished, a brief silence fell over the small, abandoned shop, with only the crackling of the burning oil lamp and the faint commotion in the distance.

The players looked at each other, their faces all showing the same shock.

This intelligence... is incredibly detailed!
Not only the name and approximate location, but also the specific hiding place, the planned time and method of departure, the detailed number of guards, their types, and even their specialties, as well as possible traps and surrounding sentries, are all clearly marked!
It's like slapping the BOSS's strategy guide right in their faces!

"I...I'm so damn good..."

"One player murmured."

"Who the hell is this? Did the game GM give us cheats?"

"What cheating? This is definitely the reward we get for killing noble soldiers and stirring up trouble on the island during the main quest!"

Another player rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Duke Lapol, Earl Hawke, Viscount Leonard, Baron Mario... Damn, they're all big shots! This mission reward is really awesome and substantial!"
"If we could take them down, the reputation and military merit at the end of the main quest... I can't even imagine!"

"Foot knights, Iron Ridge crossbowmen, Dark Raven assassins... Damn, these guards' names sound like elites, this is exciting!"

Dorok also snapped out of his initial daze, took the seemingly heavy note, and read it carefully again.

The handwriting was neat and cold, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, like a military report.

The person who provided the intelligence not only possessed immense power, enabling them to grasp the precise movements of so many nobles so quickly, but their purpose was also extremely clear... to use them to eliminate these noble leaders in the fastest and most ruthless way!
This is definitely not something an ordinary nobleman or guard officer could accomplish.

This is more like a pre-woven intelligence network that has revealed its sharp fangs at a crucial moment.

Dorok was surprised, but he didn't think much of it, because he felt that what the other player had said made sense; this must be a stage reward for the main quest.

Judging from the details of this reward, the things I led the team to do must have been too perfect, hence this reward.

"Brothers."

"Dorok raised his head, his eyes gleaming with the same excited and greedy light as his companions.

"Did you all hear that? Big fish, they're all super-sized fish!"

He waved the note in his hand.

"The four objectives, the time, the location, and the troop deployment are all clearly defined... However, we must not forget that we are not the only ones working on the main quest. Of these four fish, we can only keep one at most. The other three must be distributed to the other surviving players."

Otherwise, even setting aside whether we can keep it all to ourselves, if we don't share anything, those players who are dead and those who aren't will definitely try to kill us afterwards.

"Can't we not separate?"

Someone asked.

Dorok gave a cold laugh and did not answer.

That definitely won't work. If he says he won't split the spoils, the people present will definitely tell the other players when they log off, betraying him as the mastermind.

Dorok understands others too well; if he were in their shoes, he would definitely do the same.

His cold laugh was like a bucket of cold water, slightly extinguishing the crowd's excessive greed, but also making them quickly calm down and realize the reality.

That's right, the players in this game are not some united and friendly family.

To hoard all the main quest rewards?
Unless they want to be seen as public enemy number one by all other players, and could be sent back to respawn point by countless "righteous backstabs" the next time they log in, the red name system can't stop them from doing so.

"Old Duo is right..."

The owl was the first to react.

"Of the four goals, we can only take on one at most, and that one has to be the toughest one. That way, we can show that we've put in the most effort, and it's only right that we take the lion's share. The rest must be distributed among others."

Which one should we choose?

"A burly male player asked in a deep, muffled voice."

Dorok slapped the note on the map and pointed to four names.

“Let’s analyze it. Duke Lapol’s guards are the strongest, consisting entirely of heavy infantry and foot knights. A head-on confrontation would be the most difficult, requiring heavy firepower and a sturdy front line. It’s suitable for small to medium-sized teams to attack, but his time is the most pressing, only three or four hours away.”

"The Earl of Hawke's warehouse at the docks is a complex environment with possible traps. His guards include skilled crossbowmen with long-range abilities, making it suitable for teams that excel in stealth, demolition, and precise small-scale assaults."

"As for Viscount Leonard, he's in the sewers of the old town. It's a narrow, dark place with lots of assassins, so it's suitable for teams that like close-quarters combat, have quick reflexes, and can counter-submarine and burst into action quickly."

"The last Baron Mario is hiding in his mansion in the noble district. It's heavily guarded and has a private army patrolling the perimeter. It's perfect for... perfect for a massive siege or a surprise attack, but we don't have that many people. A direct confrontation would result in heavy losses."

After finishing his analysis, Dorokh looked around at everyone.

"At most, we can put together two small teams, twenty people, if we can contact them immediately, trust them, and they are technically competent."

Which one do you think we should fight for the greatest benefit, and which one will allow us to show off our strength the most?

After a brief silence, the owl pointed at Duke Laporte.

"We have the earliest start time and the strongest guards to fight this, but if we succeed, our reputation will be the greatest! No one can steal our credit, because we're fighting the most difficult one!"

"agree!"

The burly man slammed his fist in his hand.

“If we’re going to do something, we’ll do the toughest thing. Don’t we already have a Tiger Crouching Cannon?”

Even though we only have three armor-piercing shotgun shells left, a damn good start is definitely going to be powerful!

The other players echoed this sentiment, their inner thirst for excitement and challenge ignited.

"it is good!"

Dorok made the decision immediately.

"Then let's deal with Duke Lapol, and the remaining three targets..."

He paused, a gleam in his eyes.

"We can't just give it away for free. We have to get other players to buy it!"

"purchase?"

"Correct!"

Dorok grinned.

"Make a few copies of the intelligence, including that of Earl Hawke, and sell it to the Shadow Chapter, who love stealth and technology. They're into that kind of stuff."

Viscount Leonard's intelligence was sold to those PK-loving, all-out brawlers from Zhongshan Wolf. As for Baron Mario... tsk, that guy's holed up in his shell, who's he going to sell intelligence to... there aren't many players left alive on Taiwan these days.

Dorok pondered. "Sell it to Little Erlang's backpacking group!"

One player suggested.

"They have the most men now, more than fifty of them are still alive. They might be just right for this kind of tough battle. Even if the losses are heavy, at least they didn't die... Last night, they were firing flares right over our heads."

"Wonderful!"

Dorokh's eyes lit up.

"That's settled then, Owl. You write fast, so quickly make three copies of the intelligence. Make the details a little less clear, but make sure they're correct."

"Ah Tie, go contact the people in Shadow and Wolf Warriors. Tell them we've got some major intelligence, we're selling it cheap, just asking for some money and gunpowder... the key is the gunpowder, we're running low on propellant. I'll go talk to the Little Lang Backpackers!"

At the command, the small outpost immediately sprang into action.

The players were incredibly efficient; soon, three guides were copied and sent out.

Just as Dorok had predicted, the guild leader who received the intelligence was initially skeptical, but after seeing the level of detail in the intelligence and the value of the target, he agreed to the terms almost without hesitation... Trading game currency and stored gunpowder for a huge opportunity and time advantage was a very worthwhile deal.

Soon after, undercurrents began to stir in the player channels of Taiwan. Several battle groups began to secretly mobilize their troops and recruit casual players. Dozens of small teams quietly headed towards their respective target areas.

Meanwhile, Dorok led his group of over twenty elite players, carrying the incredibly precious Tiger Crouching Cannon that had been transported all the way from Bagnia, along with a mere three arrow-shaped shotgun shells, and took advantage of the darkness to ambush the only route from Noble District C to the East Gate.

As night deepened and eleven o'clock approached, the player patiently waited until after midnight...

At the end of the street, heavy and orderly footsteps could be heard, the clanging of metal armor plates clashing together was particularly clear in the quiet night.

The torchlight illuminated a squad of elite swordsmen and shieldmen who were protecting several foot knights in the center, dressed in more ornate plate armor, their faces hidden beneath barrel helmets.

Heavily protected at the center was a small, agile, and very ornate two-wheeled carriage, inside which the duke was clearly present.

Dorok lay on the roof, licking his dry lips, his eyes gleaming with a predator's light. He turned and gestured to the players below, signaling that a big fish was coming.

Then, he continued to wait patiently for his prey to fall into the trap.

Perhaps the player's disguise was excellent, or perhaps the Duke was truly in a hurry to leave the city, but the group of people ran forward without noticing anything and quickly crossed the trap tags that the player had set in advance.

Seeing this, Dorok slowly raised his hand, then suddenly swung it down!
"Tiger Crouching Cannon, blast that bastard to pieces!!!"

boom……

A deafening explosion shattered the brief tranquility of the night on the island, officially kicking off the player group's assassination feast targeting the noble leader.

……

The innermost secret chamber of the Miniscia Royal Palace.

The candlelight still flickered, but the despair and stagnation in the air had been replaced by a restless excitement.

King Charles paced back and forth in the cramped secret room like a hungry wolf that had been trapped for a long time and finally smelled blood, his hands nervously twisting together.

The gray figure reappeared silently, like a real shadow, kneeling on one knee, its voice still steady, but speaking a little faster.

"Your Majesty, a huge explosion came from the direction of the East Gate. Judging from the echo, it sounded very much like a light field gun. Then a fierce battle broke out. The shouts of battle lasted for about fifteen minutes before quickly subsiding."

Charles stopped abruptly, his breathing quickening.

"And what happened? Lapol..."

"Our men were unable to approach the battlefield, but observed that after the battle, no large-scale forces continued to move towards the city gate. Based on our observations of the battle traces, we deduced..."

The gray figure paused slightly, as if confirming the most accurate statement.

"Duke Rapol's convoy was ambushed and the Duke himself is highly likely dead."

silence.

Only Charles's heavy breathing and the soft crackling of the candle wick remained in the secret room.

A few seconds later…

"Ha...hahaha...hahahaha!"

Charles suddenly burst into a sharp, twisted, almost breathless laugh.

He laughed so hard he was doubled over, tears welling up in his sunken eyes, his face contorted and terrifying with extreme ecstasy.

“He’s dead, he’s dead, my good uncle, my dear Duke Laporte, who always thought of sharing my burdens, he’s dead!.”
Good riddance! A wonderful death! Hahaha…

Charles, laughing wildly, waved his thin arms as if embracing this wonderful news.

In the midst of ecstasy, long-suppressed resentment and malice were finally released.

He knew perfectly well that among the nobles who were trying to carve up his kingdom, his blood uncle Rapol was one of the main masterminds and instigators!

The rumor that the king was dead may very well have spread so quickly because of this good uncle!

Now that he heard that he had died first, how could Charles not be overjoyed?
He laughed for a long time before he could barely stop, wiping away the tears of laughter with his sleeve, his chest still heaving violently.

"Artillery fire? Dead without a trace? Excellent, that's exactly what he deserved. It saves me the trouble of dealing with him myself in the future and dirtying my hands!"

At this moment, Gray Shadow's calm voice rang out again, like ice water poured on hot coals.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for reminding you, but the light field artillery used by the assassins was most likely the Tiger Crouching Cannon. Furthermore, the sardines also found leftover arrow-shaped shotgun shells at the scene. These are standard equipment of the Kingdom of Bagnia, and are currently products that our country cannot replicate."

Those assassins who could use such weapons must have extraordinary origins; there's a strong possibility they're connected to Bagnia.

The gray figure raised his head, his gaze complex beneath the hood.

"We may be cooperating with the forces of an enemy nation, which is tantamount to..."

However, the ecstasy and ferocity on Charles's face did not fade; instead, he became even more paranoid and insane.

He abruptly waved his hand, interrupting the gray shadow's warning.

"So what? So what if they're Bagnians!?"

He was panting heavily, his eyes wide open.

Is now the time to worry about this?

My good uncles, my loyal subjects are out there carving up my kingdom! They want to tear me to pieces and devour me alive. If someone can help me kill them, I'll use them—not just any Bagnians, but even devils crawling out of hell!

He approached the gray figure, his lowered voice filled with hysteria.

"The important thing is the result. The result is that Lapol is dead. He died at the hands of those troublemakers, which proves that they were useful, very useful!"

As for the future?

Charles scoffed, with a ruthless, "what's the use of trying" attitude.

"Once I've purged all the traitors in the country and regained control of the Guards, then we can discuss whether to thank our Bagnian friends or eliminate them as well!"

He was now completely immersed in the thrill of using someone else to do his dirty work, and any rational thought about the consequences had been burned away by the flames of revenge.

For him, the immediate crisis far outweighs any potential future threats.

"go with!"

Charles commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Keep in touch with them! Tell them, well done! I want Hawke, Leonard, and Mario's heads, the sooner the better, double the reward!"
"I still have treasured jewels and titles of nobility in my storeroom; I can give them all. I only want the results!"

The gray figure silently lowered its head.

"...Yes, Your Majesty."

He did not attempt to offer further advice.

He knew that King Charles was no longer listening to any warnings at this point.

The king was walking on an extremely dangerous tightrope, with a bottomless abyss below, and his only support was a group of assassins with unclear motives, who were most likely from an enemy country.

The gray figure silently disappeared from the room once again to carry out the king's mad and dangerous orders.

In the secret room, only King Charles remained.

His maniacal laughter gradually subsided, but the flames burning in his eyes grew even more intense and twisted. He walked to the wall and pressed his ear against the cold stone, as if that would allow him to hear more clearly the dying cries of the nobles outside the city.

"Kill...kill...kill all my enemies..."

He muttered to himself, like the most vicious curse.

(End of this chapter)