Buying time alone

Felix immediately signaled for Joseph to stop talking.

The two held their current positions without moving, while the sounds in the distance drew closer, louder, and clearer-the sound of leather armor brushing against branches and leaves in the dense woods.

There were also some humans talking in low voices.

"Porter, do you think they're around here? This doesn't look like somewhere anyone has camped. There aren't any large patches of flattened grass or any signs of fires."

"If they're not here, they're a few kilometers ahead," another person said. "Teyen, those robbers couldn't possibly head to Stormwind City, Northshire, or Goldshire anyway. That would be walking straight into a trap. Besides, the others haven't found any masked people carrying large quantities of coins around Crystal Lake or elsewhere."

"I really didn't expect those robbers to actually let them go." The voice was full of contempt, though it was unclear whom that contempt was directed at. "That boy from the Franken family and that young master from Stratholme said they just fed them a couple of casual lies, and those robbers actually believed them. To think there are robbers that stupid in this world."

"These days, real paupers and peasants barely have time to work obediently on farms for their masters and lords. How could they come out here to be adventurers?"

"Who goes adventuring without money?"

Those words sent several of them roaring with laughter, and the woods were immediately filled with merriment.

"Enough, stop talking!" A low, commanding voice reached Felix's ears indistinctly. "Those robbers probably only just got into the business. I just didn't expect them to have the nerve to lay their hands on His Majesty's tax money! We must deal with them severely!"

"If their hideout isn't in desolate places like Crystal Lake or Stone Cairn Lake, then it must be in Westfall. They're certainly stupid now, but if we don't wipe them out quickly, they'll get smarter. We can't count on them staying stupid forever!"

"Yes, boss!"

Felix sucked in a sharp breath.

He should have known! Trusting those shameless adventurers had been an utterly wrong decision.

Theramore was the city the Horde would "never attack," yet countless Horde adventurers still charged into it, taking pleasure in bringing down the oh-so-filial daughter;

Countless Horde adventurers swore they would always be "loyal Kor'kron guards" and never open fire on their own Warchief, yet for the gear drops, they still eagerly went off to the Siege of Orgrimmar in the end;

Countless Alliance adventurers first swore, "If Blizzard makes Jaina a raid boss, we'll quit forever," then switched to Horde characters to fight for a flashy water elemental mount.

Felix thought, I was an adventurer for ten years. Don't I know exactly what adventurers are like?

"Joseph," he whispered, "get back right now and tell Vladimir, Bazil, and the others to stop fucking sleeping, pack up, and get ready to run. Don't go west. We'll never shake them if we go west. Go east. If we can slip through the gaps between these scouts, we'll be safe!"

"What about you?"

"SI:7 is right on top of us. I have to stay here and buy some time, or none of us will get away!"

"All right, Felix. Take care!" Joseph clearly knew this was no time for needless talk. He decisively accepted the order and left.

Felix immediately sprang into action as well.

First, he ran north, deliberately making a commotion along the way and producing quite a bit of noise.

Even alone, he had to run with the force of an entire army.

Although there was no audience nearby to applaud his acting, he shouted as he ran, "Boss, the 'cops' have caught up!"

Sure enough, the SI:7 scouts immediately changed the direction of their search and chased after him.

Next, Felix jumped behind a small pit, felt around for a few stones, pulled up some slightly drier grass, and then climbed the large tree beside him.

Thanks to the Holy Light, thanks to Sargeras, thanks to Elune, thanks to the Jailer... VanCleef had taught him how to climb trees back in Westfall.

Felix lay on the tree in terror, watching the SI:7 assassins walk beneath him.

"Damn it, where did those bandits go? They were just here."

"Everyone, stay calm," the mature, resonant voice said. "According to those adventurers, there are at least fifteen of these bandits. They can't all disappear at once! As long as we search this place carefully, we'll definitely root them out!"

Felix held his breath and began fumbling as he tried to turn the dry grass in his hands into loops of cord that could serve as fuses. Perhaps because he was so nervous, he failed twice at first, but he succeeded in the end.

Once the footsteps beneath the tree had moved away for the moment, Felix immediately struck the stones to start a fire. This time, he succeeded on his first try. The fuse made of dry grass ignited instantly, giving off a hissing sound.

The fuse beneath the tree immediately flared into a flame.

"Who's there? Who is it?" Amid several angry shouts, the SI:7 agents immediately ran back from elsewhere.

Felix immediately climbed into another tree and, after waiting a moment, repeated the same trick. Just like that, he led Mathias Shaw and his men back and forth, round and round through the nearby woods.

He was alone, but the SI:7 spies thought all the bandits were there.

"Stop! Don't chase them yet!"

Earlier, because of the adventurers' report, Shaw had thought these thieves were extremely stupid, so he had never even considered the possibility that they were toying with him and his men. But now, the leader of the intelligence organization finally included that possibility in his considerations.

He stooped down and picked up the fuse from the ground. By the faint moonlight, relying on his excellent eyesight, he carefully analyzed and compared the charred cords.

A moment later, he cursed, "Damn it, we've been played! All these fuses were made by the same person!"

At that point, the SI:7 scouts finally recalled that although someone had shouted, "Boss, we've been spotted," no one had answered him at all. Who the hell knew whether this "boss" he was talking about was real or made up?

"Robbers carrying silver and copper coins couldn't possibly shake us so easily," Shaw analyzed calmly. "The fact that this fellow is so nimble means all the money is with his accomplices! Forget him. Let's hurry and keep searching west. I'm certain this crafty fellow's companions are all hiding over there!"