Chapter 129 - The baron's secret

"Where did you find them?" asked Shadow. It was good that these guards found both Bistam and the baron, but still didn't have any information about Faroon. So, he needed to get to the place to check it out. His mission was to find out about Faroon not the rest.

"There were at the dungeons where we hold the prisoners. Don't know how they got there, but as we asked for a count of all the guards, one of them noticed the baron fainted in a cell at the end of the dungeons. The baron was probably tortured by the demon," said the guard. He was shaking in fear as he told the entire thing. Them failing to protect their master and unable to notice him till he was in the dungeon was a very big blunder.

"Call for a healer to treat the baron," said Baskel. "We need to make sure that he isn't poisoned or let him have any permanent injury. Get some silver ware to check the body and also check the baron. We have someone who can disguise. So, keep everyone in place, ask everyone around you their security questions. I need each one vetted at least by three others," he continued.

A second later, another guard came running. "Sir, we found someone dressed like deacon escape over the walls," said the guard. "The person had claws and killed some of the men on the way out. Deacon Faroon was with him. Luckily, we managed to get Deacon Faroon from him."

"You have deacon Faroon? Is he safe?" asked Shadow. He was very concerned about the NPC Faroon as his quest required him to find out about him. Other than Faroon, he only put up with the others as he had to.

"Yes. He is alive and safe. A bit hurt but was able to talk. He is being interrogated about the events that happened currently," said the guard.

"Interrogate? Check him with silver and make sure he isn't an impostor. Chain him up, but have a healer check him too. Also, get a warlock who could make sure that it isn't someone else in disguise," said Baskel.

The guard ran as they also made out of the study towards the grounds of the mansion. A number of guards were surrounding an NPC in deacon's clothes and a paladin was healing the injured deacon. A warlock was waiting by the side.

"Have you verified him?" asked Baskel as soon as he came close to them.

"He had been checked and healed. The baron is still unconscious though," said the healer that was looking after them.

Shadow quickly made it to Farron and asked, "Deacon Faroon, I have been sent by the great priest, Luciophel to assist you. Can you tell us what is happening here?"

Quest Updated: Help deacon Faroon at the Jarko town. (Difficulty: High)

Description: Assist deacon Faroon against the impersonator who murdered Waral.

Progress: Found Faroon at the Jarko Town. Assist him in capturing the impersonator.

The quest being updated as he met Faroon was expected. A quest which had a difficulty high wouldn't finish that quickly without even a decent fight. There hadn't even been a fight since he started the quest so, he completely expected it to update. He had expected a small fight at the mansion, but that also went forward without much issue.

"I don't know when Bistam was taken over by the impersonator. I was a bit suspicious of him and asked great priest Luciophel for advise," said Faroon. "But yesterday he killed Waral for some ritual and abducted me. I don't know who it is, but only that it was a demon and he wanted something information from the baron. I don't know what it was, but the baron refused to tell him. The ritual at the altar was to find out the same, but it looks like it had failed," continued Faroon.

"How strong was it?" asked Baskel looking at the guards around him.

"It wasn't stronger than us, but it had ambushed us suddenly and was very quick. So, it managed to run away easily," said a guard.

"Where did you find the baron and the other?" asked Shadow. Without any information from the NPC Faroon or the baron, he wouldn't be able to proceed through the quest and such quests if he doesn't manage to find anything for some time, the system would consider him to have failed the quest. Usually, once night-time comes in the game, the system considers the culprit escaped and the player to have failed the quest. So, he needed to find more clues as soon as he could.

"In the prison, which is right beside the mansion. We put the town prison here as it is one of the most guarded areas of the town," said Baskel. "Why?"

"If the baron was taken to the dungeons, there is bound to be an unknown passage to reach the place. It would probably help us in finding out about the demon," said Shadow.

"Deacon, can you tell us, how the demon brought you into the dungeons?" asked Shadow.

"I was bound most of the time until and gagged in the dungeons. It only let me be awake when it wanted me to talk," said Faroon.

Baskel had the guard who found the baron lead them to the dungeons and point tot the place where they found the injured baron. It was a small cell and was completely made of stone. It would be really hard to find out a secret passage in that dark place. Though they had a torch with them, it was still very hard.

"Does anyone have the blueprints of the dungeons?" asked Shadow unable to find anything. He was sure that if he failed to find anything here, then the quest would fail with a completion rate of less than 40%.

"The study in the mansion is supposed to have one," said Baskel and sent a few of the guards to search for it.

"Mr. Basker. Do you have any idea why the demon was after the baron? What secret would he have that was important enough for a demon to impersonate a deacon attempt a ritual at the temple. It is one of the most dangerous places for a demon," asked Shadow.

"I really can say, adventurer. I honestly don't know what could have been the reason," said the NPC Baskel. Shadow knew that repeatedly asking him was a waste of time and he needs to look for other NPCs who might be aware of something.

"Would anyone else know why baron was abducted. Was he related to the temple in any way?" he shouted hoping that one of the NPC might be able to help him.

"The baron hardly had any contact with the temple. He didn't ever go to the temple," said one of the guards.

"He didn't ever like going to the temple and he hated the concept of worship," said Baskel.

"I agree. He was very critical of the mass and the worship of the lords. I couldn't make any sense of why he was abducted," said Faroon agreeing with the others. "He really disappointed his ancestors with his antics."

"He might have been a bit critical of the temple, but his reforms were quite useful to the town and he brought in a lot more trade than his predecessors," said Baskel trying to support the baron.

"I don't deny it, but a lot of things changed after his father and deacon Benson died in that attack. He is quite a capable baron, but the temple had always kept the monsters away and still remains a source of hope for all the citizens of the town," said Faroon. "He didn't need to break off the ties his father and uncle had with the temple. He wasn't like that before. He was on quite good terms with the temple and a good friend of mine before that incident," continued Faroon.

"So, things changed after the attack?" asked Shadow. The only thing that could be a clue in the story from Faroon was the details of the incident.

"No one know of the details of the attack. It was an attack by monsters, and we don't even know how or why they were attacked. We only found their bodies around their carriage. The temple had sent a few investigators, but they never came to any conclusion," said Baskel. "I doubt it has any relation to the situation we have."

"Yes, but his family were part of the temple. His uncle was the deacon of the temple. I didn't expect him to change so much because of this," said Faroon with a sad expression.

"His uncle was the deacon?" wondered Shadow aloud. "So, he has a strong relation to the temple. There is a great chance that the baron had something which the demon considered important enough to risk its life and incur the wrath of the temple. We best talk to him as soon as possible."

"He is still recuperating. I believe that whatever question you have for the baron can wait till tomorrow," said Baskel. Being the baron's bodyguard and butler, the NPC Baskel considered his health to be of utmost importance.

"I understand that you don't want him to suffer more trauma, but it is necessary that we wake him up and he talks about this. The demon is able to get into the mansion. If, we neglect it, there is a good chance that the demon will attempt to attack again," said Shadow.

"That is a good point, Baskel. We only want to help the baron. It is essential for his safety that we find the demon as soon as possible," said Faroon agreeing with Shadow.

"Hmph," said Baskel in anger. Though he didn't want to accept it, he knew that the best way to do his job and protect the baron was to let the adventurer do his own job. "Follow me," said Baskel as they went into the mansion with a group of the guards to meet the baron.

The went into the baron's bedroom. A number of people were around the baron. The healers seemed to have healed the baron and he was sitting on the bed.

[Baron Lockhart] (Baron of Jarko Town)

HP: 100/?????

"Aah, my savior arrives," said the baron lifting his face up to look at him. He looked pale like he was poisoned and hurt. "Good thing that someone managed to guess that I was danger," said Lockhart.

"I was recruited by the great priest, Luciophel. I just found you in my attempt to save deacon Faroon. It was not my intention to save you, but finding you was essential to help solve my problem," said Shadow.

"A candid member of the temple of the twelve? That is something new. I thought that all of you were the same, secretive and mysterious. I guess, the adventurers who joined might be a bit different from the usual ones," said Lockhart. From his words, it was clear that the NPC wasn't trusting of the temple of the twelve.

"A few members aren't a mark of the entire organization, baron," said Shadow. "Most of your guard didn't believe that you were safe. That doesn't may your entire organization incompetent, does it?"

"Rude and overconfident. That is a something you share with the others," he said looking at deacon Faroon. "Highly assured of one's own beliefs to be the truth and the best way in a situation. That is something which you share with the ones that investigated my parents' murder."

"That is probably where it ends too. I am more than interested in finding out what happened to your father," said Shadow.

"Hehehe," laughed the baron weakly. "You want to investigate an incident that happened so long ago. Like it is even possible to do something so ridiculous."

"I am not sure that I can actually do that. But I believe that the only relation that you have with the temple is your father and uncle and the demon that tortured you. So, I think there is a high chance that the reason for it going after you is because it strongly believes that you have what it wants," said Shadow.

"Ah! You have already unraveled the mystery of my parent's death. So, what more do you want?" asked the baron. His words implied agreeing to Shadow and almost all of the guards were surprised to hear the baron accepting to it.

"Unraveled? Far from it. I don't know anything about what the demon wants from you. How can you say that?" asked Shadow with a smile.

"I don't know anything about it either. My uncle requested me to keep something safe. It was taken from me by the men who came to investigate his murder," said the baron.

"So, you have no idea at all. Then why was it after you?" asked Shadow extremely surprised by the change of events. He had expected that the baron would have more information than this.

"I know why it was after me. It was asking for the thing that my uncle left with me. That is the reason for its attack," said the baron.

"So, what do you suggest we do about it?" asked Shadow disappointed. He had no other options that he could think of.

"Only one thing can be used. I still have the box that was used to store it. I will give it to you. You just need to take it and lure it," said the baron. He looked to the woman NPC beside him. "Help me down to my study, dear," he said trying to get up. The woman supported him, and they led the others to the study of the mansion.

COMMENT 0 comment VOTE Load failed, please RETRY Privileged

More Privileged Chapters

Download the app and become a privileged reader today! Come take a sneak peek at our author's stockpiled chapters! Download Table of Contents Display Options

Background default yellow dark

Font Nunito Sans Merriweather

Size

Paragraph comments Chapter comments Write thought login liked newest Author:

© 0){ %>Chapter :

Author: Machine Translation

Editor: