Trouble with the Wolf Gang

Renato walked through the streets and alleys in his newly made gambeson.

He had to admit that the halfling's craftsmanship was superb. Not only was it comfortable, it looked good, too.

The gambeson was dark gray all over, covered in a diamond pattern stitched with silver thread.

Perly had gone to the Grand Library again to borrow books. Lately, she had been engrossed in learning new spells, often staying there all day. Renato only hoped her purse could hold out.

A commotion broke out ahead. Members of the City Guard roughly kicked over a peddler's stall and seized an entire sack of goods, ignoring his pleas. Then an iron boot came down with a crunch, crushing the pecans in a wooden basket beside it.

They were collecting the so-called "winter tax." Fried City had never imposed such a tax; it was merely an excuse for the Guard Station to line its pockets. But how would illiterate peasants know that?

Watching the peddler sprawled on the ground, wailing after a guard knocked him down with a punch, Renato inwardly shook his head.

No, even if they knew, they would probably still have to pay this "winter tax."

He approached and paid three copper coins for a small bag of nuts from the peddler, who was trembling all over with pain. Renato took out a handful of almonds, tossed them into his mouth, and chewed slowly.

The man behind him was following far too closely, and far too clumsily. Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the gang member fidgeting behind him, Renato deliberately turned into a quiet alley.

He drew his longsword with a backhand motion and rested it lightly on his shoulder. The movement startled his pursuer.

"Wait, I-I'm with the Iron Fist Gang! The boss wants to see you!" The thug hurriedly raised both hands and backed away two steps, signaling that he meant no harm.

Malik wanted to see him? Renato had no desire to get involved in gang affairs, but Malik had paid generously last time. It would not hurt to hear him out.

"What does Malik want with me?"

The man hastily shook his head.

"How would I know? The boss is waiting for you at Iron Wheat. It's urgent. Come with me."

"Lead the way."

Inside the Iron Wheat tavern, the atmosphere was entirely different from usual.

For once, Malik wore a full suit of plate armor. He looked less like a gang boss and more like a mercenary.

The thugs around him were also fully geared up, their expressions tense.

When Renato entered, Malik skipped the pleasantries and spoke in a low voice.

"We're in serious trouble. Benjamin already knows you did it. The Wolf Gang won't let you off."

"The Iron Fist Gang can protect you, Renato. With your skills, why keep working as an adventurer? Join me, and let's do something big."

There was a mole. Otherwise, how could the Wolf Gang have found out so quickly?

That was the first thought that flashed through Renato's mind. He believed he had covered his tracks well. Even the driver he had deliberately spared had never seen his face.

Besides, he was virtually unknown in the city. The Wolf Gang was a bunch of criminals, not some detective agency. How could they have identified him so quickly?

Ignoring Malik's olive branch, Renato asked directly:

"Did one of your men leak it?"

"There's no point dwelling on that now. We've already got a knife at our throats." Malik set a wooden box on the table. "This is the 'gift' the Wolf Gang just sent us-two of our brothers' ears, along with a note declaring war."

"Benjamin's a madman. He has no respect for the rules. Sooner or later, he'll be the ruin of us all."

Malik stepped closer and gave Renato's shoulder several heavy pats.

"He won't let you go. We're in the same boat now. Believe me, after coming for my men, he'll come for you next. Those animals will do the cruelest things imaginable to you and make you regret getting involved."

"Join me, my friend. Let's do something big. You're the fastest swordsman I've ever seen, yet I'd never heard your name before. Adventuring has buried your talent. Stop being a nobody. Follow me, join the Iron Fist Gang, and I'll make your name known everywhere."

Malik's gaze burned with intensity, his voice utterly sincere.

"Become my brother, and you'll never lack money or women. You'll get everything a man of your abilities deserves."

Join the Iron Fist Gang? A bunch of paupers wallowing in the mud, willing to risk their lives over protection money from a few streets?

Renato had never considered joining any gang. As for Malik's words, he regarded them as so much hot air.

The Wolf Gang's fury was clearly directed at the Iron Fist Gang-at Malik's turf and authority.

Renato was merely an adventurer paid to do a job, a blade used to kill. However crazed the Wolf Gang might be, they were not fools. They would surely concentrate their efforts on destroying the Iron Fist Gang first. Why waste their energy on a nobody?

Even if they did try to settle the score later, Renato would still have the whole world open to him once he left this city. How far could a local gang's reach extend?

What a joke. He had escaped three months of pursuit by a Harpers spy. Was he supposed to fear some thug ruling over a slum?

He had sorted out the risks in his mind, but with all those thugs watching him like predators, Renato could not openly refuse. He feigned hesitation as he replied:

"Malik, my friend, this is a big decision, after all. I can't make it alone. I need to discuss it with the mage in my party..."

Malik's smile began to stiffen. Renato added at just the right moment:

"Of course, if you have a job that needs more hands, you can come to me anytime. I'll always help a friend..."

"You're saying the Wolf Gang is hunting us down?!"

"Calm down, Perly. They're not hunting us down. At most... they might come looking for trouble."

Renato tried to smooth her tangled black hair, but Perly shook him off and demanded anxiously:

"How can you be sure what those thugs are thinking? If Malik can send someone to find you, the Wolf Gang certainly can!"

She bit her finger and complained:

"You spend all day wandering around outside and refuse to come to the Grand Library with me. Now look what's happened! Someone must have spotted you while you were out... Damn it, they might already have hired a mage from the School of Divination. This place isn't safe anymore. We have to move, right now..."

Renato pressed his hands onto her shoulders, forcibly cutting off her increasingly far-fetched imaginings.

"Use your head, Perly. This isn't a duel between mages. It's just a turf war between two low-level gangs!"

"But..."

"No buts!"

Renato tightened his grip slightly, forcing the girl to lift her face and meet his eyes.

"Tell me, where did that fearless girl who dared set a dragon's backside on fire go?"

Perly looked away, her breathing settling a little. Only then did Renato soften his tone and calmly explain:

"The Wolf Gang's target is the Iron Fist Gang. We're just adventurers who took a paid job. Even if they want to settle the score, we won't be first in line."

"That's just your guess. What if they want to start with the weaker ones?"

"Listen, Perly. People pursue their own interests, and gangs are no exception." Renato drew her closer. "To a gang, adventurers are just tools, not enemies they urgently need to eliminate. As long as we stop getting in their way, their first priority will be crushing Malik completely, not wasting manpower searching the whole city for us."

He stroked the top of her head, as though petting a black cat with its fur bristling.

"Besides, not everything Malik said is necessarily true. What if the Wolf Gang hasn't figured out who did it at all and is just using this as an excuse to declare war on the Iron Fist Gang? The Iron Fist Gang might simply want two more helpers and be trying to drag us into their fight."

As Renato laid out his reasoning methodically, Perly gradually calmed down. She raised her head, though doubt still lingered in her eyes.

"Then what should we do next?"

"Carry on as usual. Try to stay in the Inner District, and prepare some spells for self-defense. I'll meet you at the city gate every evening at dusk."

"What about you?"

"I'll ask around in the nearby neighborhoods. The Wolf Gang probably won't come after us, but we can't completely rule out them doing something crazy. If anything seems wrong, we'll leave the city immediately."

"No!" Perly shook her head firmly. "No matter how good you are, you're still only one man with one sword. It's too dangerous! I'm coming with you. I have spells. I won't hold you back."

"You stand out too much, Perly. You're a mage." Renato smiled reassuringly. "Of course you won't hold me back, but you'll scare those poor people too much for them to open their mouths. How am I supposed to get anything out of them then?"