Chapter 50: The Tin Knight and The City of Clockwork (9)
Kumara, a silver-ranked adventurer of the Imperial Adventurers Guild, received a peculiar request from the guild one day.
“...So, you’re telling me to give a false testimony now?”
“False testimony? No, our guild merely wishes to correct your ‘misunderstanding’.”
Despite Kumara’s gruff, irritated voice, the guild employee maintained a businesslike attitude without showing any emotion.
“Silver-ranked adventurer Castor and his three party members, along with the same-ranked adventurer Peledos and his two party members, were killed in the Taros Labyrinth. It was undoubtedly a crime targeting the treasures they possessed. Our guild has decided to respond strictly to protect the safety and honor of our affiliated adventurers, and after a thorough investigation, we also uncovered the crime process and the culprits’ identities.”
The employee continued speaking with an unchanging expression and tone, as if reading from a predetermined manual, “The culprits are the exclusive explorers employed by the Halder Company. They ambushed the two parties aiming for financial gain and stole the treasures they had discovered. They quickly handed over the treasures to the company and fled after securing immediate compensation, fearing their crime would be discovered. Considering that they ignored repeated requests from the Halder Company to accompany them, they might have intended to shift all responsibility to the company.”
“You crazy bastards.”
Kumara’s patience finally reached its limit.
“I personally saw those Castor and Peledos guys alive and wandering around here and there even after those so-called Halder Company explorers had left. How the hell could people who had already left kill those who were in the labyrinth? Huh? If you’re going to do an investigation, do it properly!!”
“You must be mistaken.”
It was a rebuttal full of certainty—no, beyond certainly lied something else.