185. Augmentation - 27

185. Augmentation - 27

"Do you have anything to drink?" I asked even as I sat down, while Zolast let the flying cart start floating. He threw a bottle at me. "Just what I needed," I said as I chugged. "So, have you been attacked?" I asked.

"Twice," Zolast said. "Once by a team of archers hidden in my path, once by a trio of flying carts, two of them I captured successfully," he said.

"An unexpected profit," I said. The flying carts weren't prohibitively expensive, but the problem was to find someone who was willing to sell them to us.

"I'm glad you insisted that I drive the cart. You weren't exaggerating when you said they were determined to take you down."

"Naturally. They had committed too many resources to my demise already."

"Three assassins," Zolast said with a sigh. "Even for a kingdom, it must have hurt. But why are they forcing it so much? Those assassins are already lost."

"A combination of pride and sunk cost fallacy. The Marquis is too used to winning, and he doesn't want to lose. He doesn't want all of it to go to waste."

"A terrible way to make decisions," Zolast said.

I chuckled as I took another swig. "Actually, from his perspective, it's not a bad decision. He thinks that once I return back to Town Maell, I won't put myself in a vulnerable position, making the walk the last chance for him to properly take me down. They wanted to take the cart down, giving them a chance to put together a secondary team."

"Obsession is a dangerous thing," Zolast said.

I shrugged. "Nobles are too used to their little games, where everyone plays with open hands. They are too predictable."Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

Zolast shook his head. "I'm not sure I blame them. When you make plans, you don't usually consider whether the enemy is a hidden hero with more than ten awakened stats. It's difficult to plan around."

"Well, he has his advantages, I have mine," I said. "Any developments from the princess' side? Is she willing to accept the deal?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure I can change her mind after the latest changes," Zolast said. "Is everything in place on your end?"

I pointed at the four interlocked crates that were in place. "I just need to put these crates in place," I said.

"Are you sure it will work?" Zolast asked. "Even if they discover the manifests and ability stones, is it really believable?"

"Doesn't really matter," I answered. "Even if they decide that it's a ploy, it'll still show that we were focused on the sea smuggling. It'll be their primary focus."

I skirted around the crowd, pausing only to steal an identity plate from one of the sailors that allowed me to pass through the main port wards once I faked a mana flare.

Once that was done, I did two things. First, I found a cart that carried the mark of the Royal Chamber of Commerce, already lined at the gates, and sneaked one of the crates on top, but deliberately broke the seal. The remaining crate, I mixed with a large ore shipment.

With that, the ploy was seeded. I found a corner before I suppressed my Concealment, and covered my face with dirt, turning into a messy sailor.

The next step was easier, but harder at the same time. As I walked idly, mixing with the sailor crowd, I examined every guard, trying to see which one had the highest Perception. Not exactly an easy thing to measure. It took almost ten minutes, longer than the rest of the operation, but patience was an important skill for any heist.

After a while, I discovered a good candidate. High perception, young, and with a certain enthusiasm that suggested he was still new; new enough to announce his discoveries loudly without considering the risk of the scandal.

I got near him enough to make sure he could hear me but made sure that there was a barrier between us. Then, I carefully stretched my Charisma, creating a sense of boredom to make his attention shift away from the flames.

"Have you managed to put the goods in place," I said, changing my voice into a throaty one. "Stop the operation if you haven't. The fire will bring too much attention, and we can't afford the weapons to be discovered."

The moment I noticed the guard shift his attention, I changed the effect of the Charisma, pushing a sense of urgency. I wanted him to blow things open and be a star of the guards.

"There's only a few left, captain," I added, changing my voice. "Two of them are still on the ship, but one of them is still mixed with the ores. I'm not sure we can take it without alerting the guards."

"Try it," I said in my captain's voice. "And, destroy the communication ward. I don't want anyone to trace it to our lady." I implied that we were working for the princess, but I didn't say it directly. It would be more believable that way.

I left my spot, and the guard followed from a distance, watching me as I went back to the ore pile, though he waited until I removed the same crate I had pulled. "Stop," he said as he started walking closer.

"How can I help you, sir knight," I said, my voice deliberately smarmy, but I made sure the hint of panic was noticeable. It made the guard feel even more confident.

"I'm not a knight. Put that crate down," he said.

"Of course, sir knight," I said as I took a step forward then threw the whole thing at him, and hit him with my Charisma at the same time, making him react in a more exaggerated manner. Rather than easily dodging the crate, he pulled his sword. His attack destroyed the crate, and thirty mana-forged spearheads, each expensive enough to cost a small fortune, spread onto the floor.

"Smuggler alert," the guard shouted, but not before I dashed right into the sailor crowd, and hit them with a blast of Charisma to make them panic. They dispersed despite the guard shouting at them to stand still, the mess enough to allow me to use my Concealment once more.

I slipped into the water before the guards could even quell the initial panic. As I swam away, more and more guards were reacting to the unexpected discovery of a serious smuggling operation.

Giving us the excuse we needed to sell our weapons.