Casting the Net (Part 2)

"You're worried about retaliation?" Ian understood what he meant.

"Yes, of course we're worried. The people you want captured include Sellsword Knights. If it's a straightforward battle, there's no problem with mercenaries attacking knights. But what you want us to do—if we catch the right person, it's an arrest. If we catch the wrong one, it's kidnapping!

"Kidnapping a knight without cause is a provocation against the entire noble class. If we catch the wrong person and you let him go, he might not dare retaliate against you, but we won't be able to escape it. Once he reports what happened to a great lord, even if I avoid disaster because I've become your retainer, these mercenaries under me will face utter ruin."

"So you want to silence everyone you capture by mistake?" Ian's eyelid twitched. He read that answer in Denzel's eyes.

"You truly understand people, Ser Lucian." Denzel hurriedly lowered his head.

"No, no." Ian instinctively shook his head.

"Of course, of course, Ser. You are a knight anointed with holy oil, an apostle of the Father Above¹ on earth. Such sinful acts as slaughtering innocents naturally have nothing to do with you. This is all our own decision—"

"Enough!" Ian cut Denzel off. This was not the outcome he wanted.

If he were only hunting players, he naturally would not feel any psychological burden.

But those ordinary passersby...

Ian could imagine how many people the Mercenary Company would seize by mistake once he cast this net.

Kill them all? He shook his head. That was not what he wanted.

Perhaps there was still room to improve the plan?

The next moment, he dismissed the thought.

Because he realized that what Denzel had said was an unavoidable problem.

Without question, if he did not permit the mercenaries to silence those they captured by mistake, no mercenaries would work for him.

Mercenaries would fight for money, but they would not die for it.

Therefore, silencing everyone who was captured was a necessary, indispensable condition of this plan.

"I'll only take away the people I want to capture." Ian shook his head and let out a breath. "If you catch the wrong person, that's your business. How you deal with it has nothing to do with me."

Ian could not think of a good solution for the moment. He did not want to kill innocents by mistake, but neither could he abandon his hunting plan out of fear of doing so.

Whenever possible, he would do his best to avoid innocent casualties. But if it could not be avoided, he had no intention of pretending to be noble.

By the later stages, players would launch wars that caused casualties in the tens of thousands. Compared to that, what did these few losses matter?

"Yes, Ser." Denzel nodded hurriedly. He knew Ser Lucian had tacitly approved his request.

"Then there's the second group." Ian turned to Eric the "Dirty Joke." "You and the rest of Spike's men will be under my command and stationed at the inn.

"After our targets enter the inn, they may begin probing others' identities. Those are the people you need to watch closely. Of course, I'll also remain in the hall most of the time to identify the targets myself. Besides..." Ian suddenly thought of another good idea.

"Pick someone decent-looking from your men. We'll equip him with a set of gear identical to that of the Sellsword Knight I intend to capture, then have him sit alone at a table in the hall and drink.

"If anyone probes him, have someone report it to Martha in the kitchen, and have Martha slip a knockout drug into that person's drink."

"What kind of thing is that?" Martha looked bewildered.

"A sedative."

"What?"

"A drug that can knock someone unconscious."

"Seven Hells! How would I have something like that?" Martha shrieked.

Had I read too many wuxia novels? Ian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then you must at least have something that gives people diarrhea, right?"

"I don't have that either. But I know there's a kind of mushroom in the woods behind the hill. Eating it makes people weak and can even cause hallucinations."

Red caps, white stems—eat them and lie in a coffin?

"Then use that. In any case, make him lose his strength so the others can take him away without drawing attention. And if someone chooses to attack our bait directly, the other mercenaries can use the excuse of subduing him to bring him to me without arousing the other guests' suspicions."

"Then we all have assignments. Who will help you compete for the Blackfyre treasure? Will you ask your family for aid?" Denzel sounded somewhat disappointed. If that happened, they would have no share in the treasure.

"Have you seen even a shadow of the Blackfyre treasure? Is there any evidence that it exists? What am I supposed to use to ask my family for aid?" Ian demanded domineeringly, concealing the flaw that he could not seek help from his family.

"I'm interested in this so-called Blackfyre treasure, but compared to my own mission, it isn't worth mentioning. Do you understand?"

"My apologies, Ser. I did not mean to question your decision." Denzel always kept a low profile. The moment he noticed Ian's displeasure, he immediately apologized.

This made Ian wonder just how badly this young Dornishman had been beaten down by society. After all, the proud Dornishmen had never bowed their heads even before Aegon the Conqueror's dragons. They had even shot down Aegon's sister Rhaenys's dragon, Meraxes, from the sky with a scorpion bolt.

"Next, Gransen and Denzel, each of you choose one subordinate and go with Keith to the nearest castle to purchase the supplies needed to rearm the two Mercenary Companies, including armor, weapons, and horses." Ian had originally wanted Keith to buy him a suit of plate armor as well, but remembering that it would be best custom-made, he temporarily abandoned the idea.

"Until they return, we won't set up control along the Kingsroad. We only need to monitor this inn for now." After all, this was where the real prize was. "Denzel, you and Dirty Joke should make the arrangements now. Oh, and help Martha while you're at it. Get the hall cleaned up as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Ser." Denzel accepted the order and left.

"Now then, the matter of the Blackfyre treasure. Ser Glason, tell me everything you know."

"To be honest, I know very little, because I did not act together with Boss Mogen. He stationed me at Crossroads Inn and had me pretend not to belong to the Black Falcon Mercenary Group, so that outsiders interested in the Blackfyre treasure would hire me. That way, I could serve as his eyes," Ser Glason explained.

"Did Black Falcon ever tell you why he came to this inn yesterday?"

"He never told me. We had no apparent connection, so we deliberately kept our distance. I think his Adopted Son, Dorian, should know something. But Dorian is probably completely focused on avenging Black Falcon right now. He likely won't accept your employment."

"Then why would I need to hire him? If we want him to talk, we clearly have a better method, don't we?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"If we investigate the Death of the Black Falcon and help him take revenge, wouldn't he naturally share all his intelligence with us?"

¹The Father Above, one of the Seven Gods of Westeros, represents judgment and is depicted as a bearded man holding scales.