Chapter 87 Investigation

Esdras and Daylen didn't gain much from Dash and the mayor. All they did was tell them to check the recent ambush to find any clues.

This was not the kind of help they expected, it was too little.

Esdras didn't want to just follow their lead, instead, he decided to ask the rest of the townspeople and see what they had to say.

After all, this was a well-known problem that plagued the town for over a year. Even these commoners might have some information.

As for convincing them? A few coppers were more than enough to motivate them.

Indeed after an afternoon of investigation, he was able to gather more details about the goblins, the state of the town, and the recent surge of goblin activity.

The Redpeal goblins have conducted complex ambushes against large shipments of equipment, textile, and coin.

Moreover, the goblins seemed to always know which trade wagon contained the best goods.

Another unusual fact was that the goblins weren't interested in bloodshed or women. They only cared about coins and goods. This contrasted with their savage nature.

It was because of this reason that Baron Fornhart refused to send an armed squad to deal with the goblins. Despite the mayor's repeated requests, the baron couldn't justify sending armed men over theft.

Usually, there were almost no casualties in their ambushes. This was also true, Esdras experienced it firsthand.

He also learned something about the elusive goblin leader, turns out he wasn't so 'unknown' as the mayor and Dash claimed.

The leader was apparently a red goblin called Redthorn, although he didn't show himself in the past few months, people still remembered him.

He was a goblin that could talk in the common tongue and often made compelling arguments for merchants and wagon drivers to stand down rather than fight.

There was one more person that he found out about, it was a scout and tracker hired by the Tigerclaw mercenaries to seek the goblin's lair.

But the people mostly had complaints about him, he spends most of his time around the village and hasn't found much of anything.

At nightfall Esdras and Daylen met with him in the inn. He was a handsome man with a relaxed posture and an easygoing atmosphere, he had a book of some kind in hand.

Esdras and Daylen sat down at the same table, "a beer for the gentleman!" He yelled at the bartender.

"Name's Ilundar, I don't think I've seen you guys around this humble village, how can I pay you back for the beer?"

Ilundar definitely knew who they were and why they were here but he was just playing this game for some reason.

"We heard you are a scout, you must have gathered some clues about where the goblins' lair is. We want you to tell us what you know and this silver is yours."

Esdras didn't want to beat around the bush and directly stated his business. At the same time, he used his [Third eye] on him out of caution.

[Name: Ilundar Sunspear]

Rank: 2

Class: Ranger lv.4

Physique: 7

Agility: 11 (+2)

Intelligence: 4

Spirituality: 6

Mana: 4

True shot Lv. 5, scattershot Lv.6, identify terrain Lv.4, beast control Lv.4, ...

Esdras controlled his expression and suppressed his instincts to widen the distance between them. This man was at the peak of rank 2 and he was a Ranger a rare class in this world.

In fact, he was the first person he saw who had a different class apart from vigor knights, mages, and warlocks. Even the mages didn't know about this class, at least as far as he knew.

Oh, yeah, the orc warrior didn't count as a person. At the very least it was not public knowledge that these classes existed, not to mention a way to get them.

Why did this man not get rid of the goblins yet? Esdras did not doubt that it could be done if he really wanted to. Something was very fishy in this town.

"Ah, yes, I do have some information, generous strangers. But keep in mind this is not a definitive answer, I think the bog outside of town might be the place. Although I also heard of a troll occupying the place as well so take it with a grain of salt."

"A troll?" Daylen exclaimed.

Esdras couldn't blame him. A troll was a troublesome monster that was not only strong and quick but also had great vitality and regeneration powers.

Only when three or more True mages was it possible to take it down safely.

Of course, there were exceptions, for example with the help of a powerful magic item or if a True mage at the peak personally faced it.

It was a particularly hated monster because it occupied terrible terrain for mages, either narrow places where mages had a hard time keeping a safe distance or hard-to-tread areas.

For the physically weak mages that were a great disadvantage that cost many a mage their lives.

'And you're telling me we have to fight this monster? No, how could the troll allow the goblins to make their nests in its territory? I have to see it to believe it.'

Since they got their clue Esdras gave the Ilundar his silver coin and departed with Daylen. Tomorrow they will see about this bog out of town.

Before he slept Esdras meditated even though this process was much slower and harder than using EXP he got some results so no matter how insignificant he still maintained his diligence.

The next day after breakfast, the group going to explore the troll's bog consisting of Esdras, David, Celine, and Calvin moved out. Daylen had to stay behind to protect the rest because all of them were injured and in no shape to fight.

The prince was especially in a bad condition, what with his leg and all.

Coincidentally the troll's bog was also the site of the last ambush that the mayor and Dash wanted them to investigate.