Difficult Circumstances

After reaching an agreement to cooperate, Raymond quickly left the Thieves' Guild hideout, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

He could always sense pairs of eyes watching him from dark corners or hidden compartments behind the walls.

Coupled with the labyrinthine layout, mechanisms, and traps, the fact that he had been willing to risk entering at all was already a considerable show of respect.

After Raymond returned to the inn under the guidance of a Rogue, Aipuke finally stroked his fleshy chin and asked, "Iron cages and rats? Kulang, what do you think Lord Soros is planning to do?"

"Sorry, Chief, I don't know.

But I once heard that Skaven possessed the ability to control rats and communicate with them.

Perhaps Lord Soros intends to use that to poison people.

Just as he previously used refined Castor Toxin to silently take down more than two hundred vicious pirates."

The middle-aged Wizard carefully voiced his guess.

Because other than poisoning, he truly could not think of any use for catching so many rats.

"Hmm, that makes some sense.

It seems Lord Soros is not only a powerful Undead Mage, but also an expert at using poison.

I just wonder what poison he will use this time.

Perhaps...

We could spend some money to buy some and coat our crossbow bolts with it for greater killing power."

Aipuke was clearly tempted.

Using poison was as commonplace to the Thieves' Guild as eating and drinking.

The problem was that refining and producing poison required considerable specialized knowledge. It was not something just anyone could do.

Moreover, many poisons extracted from animals and plants were extremely difficult to preserve.

They often spoiled and became useless after sitting for a while, before they could even be used.

Thus, a vial of the finest poison capable of killing someone within seconds could sell for one thousand to two thousand gold coins on the black market.

Even ordinary nonlethal poison cost at least two to three hundred gold coins per small vial.

Kulang nodded in agreement. "Good idea.

With the Amn steel crossbows we obtained this time, along with those armor-piercing arrows with astonishing penetration.

If we coat them with poison as well, no one should be able to stand against us in a frontal battle.

But the Skaven in the sewers remain a considerable threat. We need to deal with them before the fighting begins."

"As for that, let's wait until Bernice returns.

I'm very curious.

Why did those normally cautious and timid Skaven make such a huge commotion this time?"

As he said this, a profound gleam flickered in Aipuke's eyes, completely unlike his usual smiling expression.

Meanwhile, Raymond had just arrived near the Happy Time Inn when he spotted those Werewolf children still gathered at the entrance, confronting the waiters and owner, who were armed with clubs and kitchen knives.

Though no physical conflict had broken out, the tense atmosphere could be felt from far away.

"Do none of you need sleep in the middle of the night?"

Raymond broke the pointless standoff and mutual suspicion with a half-joking tone.

"Thank the gods, you've finally returned."

The innkeeper visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He waved for the employees to put away their weapons, then hurried over in a few quick strides, complaining with a mournful face, "Lord Soros, please hurry and drive these little wolf pups away. How am I supposed to do business with them here?"

"Are you sure you really want to drive them away? Chief Aipuke gave them a reward of six hundred gold coins." As he spoke, Raymond shook the slightly heavy leather coin purse in his hand.

In an instant!

A crisp clattering sound rang in everyone's ears.

"Six... six hundred gold coins?!"

The innkeeper's eyes immediately lit up. He put on a masterful face-changing act, instantly forcing out a hypocritical smile. "For your sake and Chief Aipuke's, I'll reluctantly let these little ones stay for a while. After all, they've just lost their homes and families. They're quite pitiful to look at."

"Are you sure? They are all Werewolves. On nights of the full moon, they transform and become beasts without any reason. If it's too difficult for you, forget it. I'll find another inn." Raymond deliberately put on a hesitant expression.

"No! No! No! It isn't difficult at all."

The owner hurriedly waved his hands frantically.

"You know, I'm the most compassionate person. I love children most of all.

If they stay at my inn, no one will dare bully them.

As for the issue of them losing their minds on full-moon nights.

I'll have the blacksmith make several large iron cages. When the time comes, we can lock them all in the cellar."

"Then let them stay at your inn."

With that, Raymond directly tossed the purse full of gold coins to him.

The latter immediately spread his arms and caught it securely, taking two or three steps backward before steadying himself.

On Faerun, most standard gold coins generally weighed around 9.1 grams.

Six hundred of them weighed just over five kilograms.

If someone stronger swung around a bag of that many gold coins, they could smash someone's head open.

Yet the innkeeper did not find it heavy at all. He raced back into the inn and threw it onto the first-floor counter, then began counting the coins one by one.

Raymond ignored him and walked straight toward the Wolf Pups. He said to the leading girl, "Six hundred gold coins should be enough for you to stay here for quite some time. If you need anything, just tell the people at the inn. They'll meet your requests."

"Can we give up this money in exchange for one condition?" The girl raised her head and asked with her two large black eyes fixed on him.

"Oh? Why?"

Raymond became interested in the clearly precocious girl before him.

After all, six hundred gold coins was already an incredibly tempting sum for most people.

Not just anyone could refuse such a huge amount of money.

Fangus turned around and glanced at the remaining members of her clan, then explained in a helpless tone, "Money is useless to Outcasts like us.

Because Outcasts are not protected by the law.

So legitimate merchants are unwilling to sell us any goods.

As for those profit-driven black market merchants, they decide whether to trade with us or simply rob us based on the situation.

Given our numbers and ages, we are basically lambs awaiting slaughter in the eyes of black market merchants.

Forget black market merchants—even this innkeeper would immediately swallow the gold and drive us away without your help."

After hearing this, Raymond immediately understood just how terrible and harsh the living conditions of beastkin in Calimport were. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "If money is useless, what condition do you want instead?"

"As the current leader of the entire clan, I hope to become your slave or servant and receive your protection." As she spoke, the girl solemnly knelt down.

Not only her, but the Werewolf children behind her all followed suit and knelt.

The sudden bizarre scene and the incomprehensible request left Raymond completely bewildered.

He had seen slaves desperately struggle to resist their masters and regain their freedom, but this was the first time he had encountered someone voluntarily seeking to become a servant.

Most importantly, why choose him?

Was there some other conspiracy behind this?

Raymond, whose thinking was somewhat overly conspiratorial, would immediately fall into the instinctive reaction of there are always troublemakers plotting against me whenever he discovered something good actively coming his way.