Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 303 Test
"As for how to mislead investigators through various networks of relationships, we have built a huge and complex network of relationships."

This network encompassed people from all walks of life, from street vendors and gangs of thieves to servants in noble mansions and apprentices in the magicians' guild.

We can use these characters to spread different messages. For example, when we learn that investigators have started following a lead, we can have small vendors casually discuss topics in the market that seem related to the event but are actually misleading.

Rumors like, "I heard a group of mysterious people went east, apparently in search of an ancient magical artifact, but they look more like bandits from the north," spread quickly among the population, and investigators can easily be misled by these conflicting accounts when gathering intelligence.

Robin nodded thoughtfully. The tricks of the Ghost General were like children playing house in front of Essin.

"We also use gangs of thieves to create false clues. The thieves can deliberately leave behind items or markings in specific locations that look like the symbols of some mysterious organization, but are actually traps we have set."

As for the servants in the noble mansions, they could inadvertently reveal to visiting investigators some seemingly confidential but actually fabricated information.

For example, a servant might tell the investigator that he overheard his master talking about a group of suspicious people operating in an abandoned castle outside the city, when in reality that the abandoned castle was just bait to distract the investigator.

"As for creating illusions to divert attention, we will carefully plan some events. For example, we can stage a fake magical ritual going out of control in a remote area of ​​the city."

This ritual looks like a dangerous activity, such as summoning demons, carried out by some evil organization. We'll set up some magical props to create powerful magical fluctuations and an evil aura, and have some of our hired people pretend to be driven mad by evil forces.

Such an event would inevitably attract the attention of local authorities and investigators, who would assume it was the real reason for the anomalies in the Central Plains, thus diverting their attention from our actual actions.

"At the same time, we can also create multiple such illusions in different locations simultaneously."

For example, on the other side of the city, we could stage what appears to be an illegal biological experiment going out of control, releasing some specially treated, seemingly dangerous magical creatures to throw people into panic.

By employing this multi-pronged approach, investigators become confused by these illusions, making it difficult to distinguish which clues are truly relevant to their investigative objectives.

"I've learned a lot," Robin had just said.

Essien revealed a sly smile. His eyes showed a calculated smugness, like a cunning fox that had just successfully set a trap.

"You'd better get out of here quickly! The gatekeepers have already spotted this place." Essien's voice sounded somewhat urgent, but Robin sensed something amiss.

Robin was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Feng Ling's expression changed; she instantly understood the trickery involved.

Without saying a word, she grabbed Robin's hand and left.

“We’ve been used by Essien. He’s using us to distract the gatekeeper,” Wind Chime said angrily as she pulled Robin through the tavern.

She was filled with frustration. She had thought she could get help from Essien, but instead she had fallen into his trap.

Robin's eyes turned cold. He knew this was not the time to assign blame; he had to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

They walked through the tavern's kitchen, where the air was thick with the smells of cooking oil and food, but neither of them paid any attention.

The streets outside the tavern were still bustling, but Robin and Wind Chime could feel an invisible pressure approaching.

They blended into the crowd, trying to make themselves less conspicuous. "We can't take the main roads; we have to find some alleys to go through," Robin whispered to Wind Chime.

Wind Chime nodded, and she led Robin into a narrow alley.

The alley was dark and damp, filled with all sorts of clutter, but it was their best escape route at the moment.

However, they hadn't gone far when they heard footsteps behind them.

The footsteps were steady and rhythmic, as if each step was treading on their hearts.

"They're catching up," Wind Chime said nervously.

Robin looked around, trying to find a place to hide or escape.

Suddenly, he noticed a dilapidated courtyard on one side of the alley, with the gate half-closed.

“Let’s hide there.” Robin pulled the wind chimes and ran towards the yard.

They rushed into the yard and found it was an abandoned warehouse filled with old boxes and some rusty tools.

Robin and Wind Chime hid behind a pile of boxes, holding their breath and listening to the sounds outside.

The footsteps grew closer, and Robin gripped the weapon at her waist tightly, ready to deal with any potential danger.

Wind Chime gripped her staff tightly, her eyes fixed on the doorway, filled with vigilance.

Just as the footsteps were about to reach the courtyard gate, a sudden commotion arose, as if a group of people were having a conflict in the street.

The footsteps paused for a moment, then turned and walked towards the direction of the conflict.

Robin and Wind Chime breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew the danger was not truly over.

They must seize this opportunity to leave Axley as soon as possible and escape the gatekeepers' pursuit.

“We need to find a way to leave this city. That must have been Essien’s men. He’s using us, but he doesn’t want us to get caught,” Robin whispered to Wind Chime.

Wind Chime nodded, and she began to think of feasible solutions. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, as if she had come up with an idea. "I know a place to leave the city, but it's dangerous; it's a route frequently used by smugglers."

Fengling said helplessly, "As for Essien's behavior, it was probably a test or probe for us! No wonder I felt something was off when I first saw him. If it were that easy to see him, he would have died long ago."

"We can't worry about that now, as long as we can get out of the city," Robin said decisively.

So the two of them carefully left the courtyard and quietly made their way towards the dangerous passage that Fengling had mentioned.

However, halfway there, the two changed into ordinary civilian clothes.

(End of this chapter)