The Baron’s Treasury 

The Boss man asked, his voice a low rumble, “And what about you?”

Ard said coldly, “Is the Boss man content to be a fattened pig, waiting for the slaughter? This plan of theirs will surely require some cannon fodder. And after an attack on a royal, someone will have to take the fall. I imagine I’ll be the one ‘forced’ to lead the charge against you, Boss man. And on the battlefield, blades have no eyes. My death would be no surprise, would it?”

The Boss man stared at Ard, his eyes deep and calculating. “So, what is your plan?”

Ard suddenly countered with a question of his own. “Boss man, did you become a bandit because you enjoy the profession?”

The chieftain snorted. “You jest, my lord. If not for circumstances, who would willingly choose to be the king of this godforsaken mountain?”

A signature, confident smile spread across Ard’s face. “I have an idea. If this plan succeeds, Boss man, perhaps you and your most trusted brothers can finally step out of the shadows and into the light.”

“Oh?” The Boss man’s interest was piqued.

“First, a direct confrontation with those man-eating wolves is certain death. They are backed by the kingdom, and the Sunstone Gang has now offended the royal family. The force sent to exterminate you will not be the Baron’s usual rabble, but elite troops and commanders from the outside. Defending Sunstone Peak is a losing battle. Therefore, before the Baron makes his move, we must acquire enough capital to break free from our shackles.”

“What shackles?”

“We must abandon Sunstone Peak as our base. To escape with a large number of men, we need two things: a path, and a substantial amount of funding.”

“We have a great deal of wealth hoarded here in Sunstone Peak.”

“It’s not nearly enough,” Ard said immediately. “That amount is barely enough for your escape. To establish yourselves elsewhere, you will need a massive amount of capital. And because of your… sensitive identities, the sum required is likely more than you can imagine.”

“You seem so certain of yourself. I presume you already know how to acquire these funds?”

Ard nodded with confidence. “As I said before, I am a steward of financial affairs. Though my seniority is lacking, my late father left me some… invisible assets. To be frank, my father was once in charge of the Baron’s secret treasuries, and I was fortunate enough to be involved.”

The Boss man’s eyes bulged. “That fat pig’s treasury?!” Now that they were on the verge of turning on him, the chieftain had no intention of showing Baron Quentin any respect. “Is what you say true?”

“Whether it is true or not, you can see for yourself. Baron Quentin may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he understands the principle of having three burrows for a cunning rabbit. He has three treasuries. One is well-known, located in the basement of the Baron’s manor in the main city of Capa. This is the one he shows to the world.”

“That one is impossible. Even if that Baron has few competent men, my brothers are not enough to attack a lord’s city.”

“Of course. Attacking that treasury would be suicide. And…” Ard sneered. “It’s not worth the effort. The treasury on display is the smallest of the three. It’s for show. The wealth he has extorted over the years is concentrated in the other two. One of them, coincidentally, is located in a small town just a few miles from Sunstone Peak. I wonder if the Boss man has noticed anything… different about a certain nearby town?”

The Boss man pondered for a moment, then said slowly, “Niro Town? Of all the towns nearby, that is the only one my men have never touched. That fat pig specifically warned us not to lay a single finger on it. I had assumed the town’s mayor was a relative of his. It seems there is more to it than that.”

Ard clapped his hands in mock applause. “Indeed. The Boss man is as meticulous as they say. No wonder you’ve managed to build this stronghold to its current state. All you need to do now is send your brothers for a little stroll over there, and my words will be verified.”

“…” This time, the Boss man fell silent. After a long pause, he said, “If I do this, the bridge between me and the Baron will be well and truly burned. How can I risk the fate of my stronghold on your words alone?”

“Does the Boss man still believe he can have it both ways?” Ard asked with feigned surprise. “Well, I suppose that’s to be expected. You are the leader of a stronghold, with many things to consider. But Boss man, what do you think of the state of security in Baron Quentin’s domain?”

“It’s in utter chaos. Wait, are you saying…?”

“Since the Boss man is reluctant to reveal his identity, why not disguise yourselves as another band of robbers and plunder the Baron’s treasury?”

The chieftain frowned. “But we are the biggest band of robbers here.”

Ard chuckled softly. “But how could you possibly know the location of the treasury? The Baron certainly didn’t tell you, did he?”

It was as if the clouds had parted for the Boss man. He let out a booming laugh. “That’s right! How could we know there was a treasury there? Hahaha! Unless… an insider told us.” But his laughter slowly died, and his eyes, now filled with a murderous glint, fixed on Ard. “But what if that insider is a spy, deliberately luring us to our deaths? That would be quite a problem, wouldn’t it?”

Ard said, his voice fearless, “I will not leave this stronghold, not even this room, until your operation is a success. And if the Boss man does not go personally, the ruse will be meaningless.”

“But what if you’re telling me this just to force me to join your side?”

Ard’s voice was laced with scorn. “If the Boss man is going to be so indecisive, then there is nothing more to discuss. Let us pretend I was never here. Or, you can take my head and present it to the Baron. Haha, perhaps that will put him in a good mood and he’ll give you a chance to be his dog. I never thought the master of the Sunstone Stronghold was such a coward. I offer you a path to freedom, and you choose to remain a dog. Let’s go, Yexi.”

With that, Ard grabbed Yexi’s hand and turned to leave.

Yexi: “???” We’re leaving, fine. But why are you grabbing my hand?

“Please, wait,” the Boss man’s voice boomed from behind them.

Ard turned back, his expression cold. “Well? Have you made up your mind, Boss man?”

“I have. To hell with it! I’ve had enough of living under someone else’s thumb, like a dog! We’ll do it! I’ll send my brothers over at once. Please, wait here.” With that, the Boss man stood up and strode out.

Ard called after him, “Remember to send your most trusted men, and keep this under wraps. If word gets out, it will be my fault.”

The Boss man nodded. “I know.”

Ard watched him leave, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. But a sharp, piercing pain in his hand made him wince. He quickly let go of Yexi’s hand and looked at the deep nail marks in his palm. “What was that for?” he asked, aggrieved.

“Hmph.” Yexi snorted and sat down in a chair, her voice calm. “You ask me what that was for? Can you not control your own wolf paws? I have my legs. If you had just said the word, I would have walked.”

“I was just going with the flow of the moment.”

“Your flow has a problematic direction,” Yexi said dismissively. “I was just helping you correct it.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” Ard also sat down. The atmosphere was a bit awkward. They were, after all, still in the enemy’s den, and there were some things they couldn’t discuss. “Is anyone there?!” he shouted.

“Coming, coming! What can I do for you, my lords?” A bandit immediately came in, his face a mask of obsequious servitude. “The Boss man told me to take good care of you before he left. Is there anything you need?”

“Bring us some fruit and meat.”

“Right away.”

A moment later, a table laden with food was brought in. There was everything from fresh vegetables to succulent meats and ripe fruits. Ard was involuntarily reminded of the banquet in the village. The entire village had barely been able to scrape together some vegetables and fruits; there had been no meat at all. He sighed and shook his head.

A bandit asked, “Is something wrong, my lord? Is the food not to your satisfaction?”

Ard waved a hand. “The preparation is a bit crude. But, I suppose one can’t expect much more in a place like this. You may leave.”

“Yes, my lord. Please, enjoy your meal.”

The two bandits withdrew. Ard sighed again. “The gates of the rich reek of wine and meat, while on the road lie the bones of the frozen. I suppose this is what they mean.”

“It’s just the law of the jungle,” Yexi said, nonchalantly picking up a piece of fruit. “If you don’t think of fighting back, if you only compromise, and you don’t know how to strengthen yourself, then you can only wait for others to save you.”

“You can’t put it all like that. Everyone has their own difficulties.” Ard shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her. Different perspectives lead to different ways of seeing things.

Yexi was used to shouldering everything herself, but that was something most people could not do.

After a long, five-hour wait, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

“Are those two still in the room?”

“Yes, Boss man.”

It was the chieftain, returned. His hurried steps made it impossible for Ard to tell if he had succeeded or not. To be honest, Ard himself was a little nervous. His information was, after all, mostly hearsay from his past life. If it was wrong, it would be troublesome. But only troublesome. Even if the plan failed, Yexi could get them out. He had already confirmed that with her.

CRASH.

The door was thrown open. The Boss man’s excited voice boomed through the chamber. “Brother, it’s just as you said! That fat pig’s treasury is hidden there!”

The Ogre chieftain’s eyes were filled with a raw, naked greed that Ard had not expected. Just how much treasure had that paunch of a Baron hidden away to make this once-rational Boss man lose his composure like this?

“It’s a pity we didn’t have enough men this time, and we were traveling light. We couldn’t take much. My god, that fat pig is truly fat!”

Ard looked at the Boss man and nodded to himself. He hadn’t expected the chieftain to go in person. Now that the plan had succeeded, the Boss man’s trust in him would be even greater.