Chapter 555
Lucia, her eyes wide behind the mask, whipped her head around.
Ian added, "He’s saying a debt collector has shown up, and if he leaves now, he’ll have no way to pay his gambling debts, so he’s asking for help."
Sanford, who had been chattering nonstop, turned and looked at Ian just then. Seemingly with no idea that Ian had heard him, he even wore a leisurely smile.
"He’s saying just buy him enough time to get out of here safely, and he’ll share all the money in that box."
Smiling back, Ian repeated the man’s words word-for-word. A moment later, Yog’s chuckling laughter echoed in his mind.
—How amusing. He thinks he’s outsmarted you, and he believes he can escape simply by leaving this place.
One corner of Ian’s mouth twisted a little more. In any case, the situation itself wasn’t particularly surprising. Besides the fact that the man was an untrustworthy criminal bastard, Ian had received a quest. It was only natural that there would be some bumps on the road to completing it. He’d simply assumed that, after dodging traps and chasing the bastard down, the finish line would be straightforward.
So that’s why the completion window didn’t pop up.
The one-eyed bastard’s plan was obvious. He likely had a base for his crew somewhere in the back alleys. He probably planned to slip out of here, lie low, and then set sail with other smuggling ships, taking on passengers.
Of course, it wouldn’t be strange if he just bolted tonight, which would cause the quest to fail. There might be a chance to catch him beforehand, but in truth, Ian didn’t even need to think that far. Sanford wasn’t going to escape from here.
"It seems they’ve accepted the deal," Lucia added then.
Behind them, three of the thugs who had been standing by a nearby wall had approached. Their steps were leisurely, as if to avoid drawing the attention of the other customers.