Matthew returned to the inn and stayed in his room alone, summarizing the gains from his training and spell refinements that day while waiting for Aidan’s routine report.
However, as time quietly passed and the sky outside the window grew completely dark, Aidan had yet to return.
A trace of doubt gradually surfaced in Matthew’s heart.
Aidan had always been punctual, usually even arriving early. During this period, even if there were special circumstances, he would always notify the innkeeper in advance.
This complete lack of news was truly abnormal.
After a moment's thought, Matthew stood up and left his room.
He arrived at Aidan’s door and knocked, waiting for a moment.
There was still no answer.
Matthew’s brow furrowed slightly as a faint premonition of trouble rose in his heart...
Just then, he suddenly recalled the shout of the man who had been cornered earlier—
“The Blood Hand Gang... You dare lay a hand on me? I am the adventurer ‘Iron Shield,’ protected by the Adventurer Guild!”
Something was wrong.
This matter felt strange. People from the Adventurer Guild were never someone the Blood Hand Gang would willingly provoke. Even if it was in the outer city, it was rare for them to openly attack a formally registered adventurer.
He recalled the news of Aidan’s disappearance and connected it to the Blood Hand Gang’s recent covert expansion in both the inner and outer cities. Various clues began to string together in his mind like scattered beads.
“I can’t wait any longer,” he whispered to himself, his gaze suddenly sharpening.
If it were just a typical gang brawl, Matthew naturally wouldn't bother with it.
But the current situation was clearly different—Aidan had failed to return with no word at all.
At the same time, the Blood Hand Gang had openly targeted a registered member of the Adventurer Guild in an area close to the inner city.
That these two events happened back-to-back was clearly no coincidence.
This meant the Blood Hand Gang’s actions might have already exceeded the scope of a simple turf war; there was likely a larger scheme hidden behind it.
Either the power behind them felt secure enough to begin testing or even provoking the Guild’s bottom line,
Or they had a more urgent and secretive operation underway, for which they were willing to risk exposure.
What made Matthew even more alert was that the timing of this incident was extremely delicate—it happened shortly after he and Aidan had retrieved the wooden box from Nathan’s courtyard.
Aidan had appeared in that vicinity many times to gather information; there was no guarantee he hadn't caught the attention of some hidden observers.
Regardless of the situation, he needed to find Aidan as soon as possible!
He no longer hesitated. With a focused mind, he turned and headed downstairs.
The ground floor was already closed for the night, with a sign hanging on the door. The lights inside were dim, leaving only the owner and a servant tidying up the tables and chairs.
Matthew’s footsteps were crisp and hurried, sounding particularly prominent in the quiet room.
He reached the first floor.
A sharp-eyed servant quickly approached and asked in a low voice, “Sir, are you looking for the boss?”
Matthew glanced at him and nodded.
“Please follow me.”
The servant asked no questions, turning to lead him toward the inner parlor.
They passed through a corridor and arrived at a quiet door. The servant knocked twice. “Boss, there is an urgent guest.”
A low response came from inside, and the door was pushed open.
Seeing it was Matthew, a flash of surprise crossed the owner's eyes, and he stepped aside to invite him in.
Upon entering, Matthew said straightforwardly, “I need to contact Regg immediately—right now, this instant. Can it be done?”
The owner’s expression turned solemn. Without a word of nonsense, he immediately nodded. “Yes. Give me ten minutes.”
Before he finished speaking, he had already strode out of the room.
Matthew heard only a few hushed instructions and acknowledgments, followed by the sound of the door closing and receding footsteps. Silence quickly returned to the surroundings.
Matthew was the only one left in the room.
He stood where he was, his gaze heavy, as the outlines of several factions in the city flashed through his mind—the Blood Hand Gang, the Adventurer Guild, the noble shadows behind them, and even the scattered organizations watching from the dark...
But for a moment, the clues were as tangled as a mess of hemp, and he couldn't grasp a single clear thread.
Why did the Blood Hand Gang dare to attack the Guild’s people?
Whose hands had Aidan fallen into?
Who exactly was driving this from behind?
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing the trace of restlessness born from the unknown. Regardless, he would wait until Regg’s news arrived.
Ten minutes later, urgent footsteps echoed outside the door.
It was Regg who pushed the door open. His face carried an unmistakable anxiety, but as soon as he saw Matthew’s calm yet slightly heavy expression, his pace faltered.
Regg took a deep breath, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. “What happened?” he asked.
Matthew did not hesitate, briefly explaining Aidan’s mysterious disappearance.
As he reached the end, he paused slightly, his voice dropping a bit lower as he pointed his suspicion toward a certain gang in the outer city—the Blood Hand Gang.
He had originally prepared to explain to Regg what kind of existence the Blood Hand Gang was.
After all, in the eyes of a young man with an extraordinary background like Regg, whose social circle was entirely elite, the gangs lurking in the shadows of the outer city streets were likely no different from dust.
However, before Matthew could even speak, Regg’s face changed abruptly upon hearing the words “Blood Hand Gang.” A flash of realization crossed his eyes, followed by a complex expression of dawning understanding and wariness.
Matthew’s heart stirred, keenly capturing the change in Regg’s expression.
To elicit such a reaction from Regg... He thought to himself, “It seems this matter really is related to the Blood Hand Gang?”
Regg merely furrowed his brows tightly, seemingly weighing something. After a moment, he spoke in a heavy voice:
“Fine, I’ll have someone look into it for you.”
He looked up, his gaze landing on Matthew’s face, his tone becoming more serious. “If it really was the Blood Hand Gang... how do you want it handled?”
The air in the room seemed to freeze for an instant. Matthew’s gaze met Regg’s briefly. He didn't answer immediately, but in the depths of those calm eyes, something seemed to settle—sharp and profound.
In the end, Matthew only gave a slight nod. He didn't answer Regg’s question directly, only saying, “Thank you for your trouble.”
Regg seemed to read his unspoken meaning. He nodded and asked no more, turning to stride out of the room. The door was pulled shut gently, and the sound of his receding footsteps in the corridor quickly vanished at the end.
The room grew quiet once more.
Matthew stood in place, his gaze fixed on the deepening dusk outside the window, his eyes cold and still.
If it really was the Blood Hand Gang... then perhaps it was time to settle everything at once.
...
...
Rate on N.U.
