Chapter 82: Chapter 82: The Mastermind’s Identity
Watching Rex’s expression change in a flash, Fang Zhen chuckled.
A man like Rex wasn’t particularly powerful. His Combat Power was diocre; at best, he was on par with an Elite Dogman.
But Rex was a true scoundrel, treacherous to the core. If you let your guard down for even a mont, he could easily backstab you.
Fang Zhen had always despised people like that in the real world, but he could never act on it. Reality had too many restrictions.
In this dungeon world, however, he could just get rid of soone like this with brute force. Why let him live to cause more trouble?
"You have a secret base this deep in the forest. What do you think the odds are that I can guess where you’ve hidden most of your wealth?" Fang Zhen asked, his tone mocking.
Rex was speechless.
A mont later, Rex’s tone turned pleading.
"I was wrong, sir! Please, spare
this once! I’m willing to be your most loyal servant. I’ll do anything you ask."
"Just let
live."
"Oh, is that so?" Fang Zhen chuckled. "Alright. I don’t need you to go through hell and high water for . Just tell
who’s backing you. Who had you transport supplies to the Kobolds in the mines?"
Rex’s face was a mask of shock.
It didn’t seem like an act. It was the reaction of a man whose deepest secret had just been exposed to his face.
Rex stamred, unable to speak.
Fang Zhen shook his head, picked up the Cheetah Hunting Crossbow, and began loading a Crossbow Arrow.
The action was more effective than a hundred threats.
"Don’t! Don’t shoot! I’ll talk!"
"It’s Baron von Kleist."
"Baron von Kleist’s domain is just north of Redstone Town. He sent soldiers to block the roads and brought the Dogman Tribe here to Redstone Town, providing them with supplies."
"Baron von Kleist wants to annex Redstone Town!"
Facing death, Rex could no longer afford to keep secrets and blurted everything out.
Hearing this, it all clicked for Fang Zhen.
In an instant, he understood the full picture.
Redstone Town was a semi-independent town that produced ore, located within a certain Viscount’s Domain. That Viscount was at war with another noble, and it seed the situation was not in his favor.
anwhile, Baron von Kleist coveted Redstone Town’s mines and ore. He wanted to use this opportunity to annex the town and bring it under his jurisdiction.
Perhaps due to the unspoken rules between nobles, or so official protocols, Baron von Kleist couldn’t just send his army to annex Redstone Town. He needed a pretext.
To that end, Baron von Kleist had found a Dogman Tribe from who-knows-where and unleashed it in the Redstone Town area, letting the Kobolds seize the mines.
As a result, production in Redstone Town halted, leaving the miners jobless and in a very awkward position.
Normally, they could have paid their Lord, the Viscount, to send troops to clear out the Kobolds. But the Viscount was at war and couldn’t spare the resources.
Fang Zhen guessed that Baron von Kleist’s cunning plan was to wait until Redstone Town could no longer hold out. They would then send an envoy to the Baron to borrow troops to clear out the Dogman Tribe.
This would give the Baron the perfect excuse to logically dispatch his soldiers and annex Redstone Town.
Once his troops were in, getting them to leave would be impossible. The people of Redstone Town would find themselves at the Baron’s rcy.
’This Baron von Kleist is one treacherous bastard!’
Having pieced together the cause and effect, Fang Zhen sighed to himself.
Since arriving in Redstone Town, he’d found most of the people to be quite simple and honest. Aside from Rex and his cronies, they were all decent folk.
And now that Fang Zhen understood the whole situation, he felt there was an eighty percent chance he was right.
Thinking about it, the upper class in this dungeon world, especially the nobles, were all exceedingly cunning. Intellectually, they were no different from modern people.
’I can’t underestimate anyone. If my theory is correct, then these nobles in the dungeon world are all incredibly crafty. I’ll be in for a rough ti if I look down on them.’
The thought served as a warning to Fang Zhen.
He turned and looked at Rex.
"Tell , what other value do you have that would make
spare your life?" he asked.
Rex froze for a second, then a look of sudden realization dawned on his face.
"You’re tricking ! You never intended to let
live, did you?"
"You goddamn bastard! Even if I die and beco a ghost, I’ll never let you get away with this!"
"I curse you!"
Rex’s expression twisted once again as he roared.
Knowing Rex had no more value, Fang Zhen didn’t waste any more words. He aid the Cheetah Hunting Crossbow at Rex and pulled the trigger.
SWOOSH!
The Crossbow Arrow shot straight through Rex’s forehead.
The curses and profanities pouring from Rex’s mouth ca to an abrupt halt.
Fang Zhen lowered the Hunting Crossbow, which he held in one hand, and glanced at Leon, whose face was a little pale.
"What’s wrong? Scared?"
"Think I was too harsh?"
he asked.
"No, sir. I think you did the right thing. I’m just not used to seeing dead bodies," Leon said, shaking his head.
"Heh. rcy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself. If our positions were reversed, Rex would have shown
no sympathy," said Fang Zhen.
"Yes, sir." Leon nodded, as if he had co to so realization.
With Rex dead, the anger Fang Zhen felt over Max’s unexpected death began to subside.
He glanced at the cave.
"Let’s go. Ti to see Rex’s lair and the important person he kidnapped."
he said.
Fang Zhen led the way with Leon close behind, and they entered the cave.
The cave was naturally L-shaped. A passage of more than ten ters led to a sharp turn, after which the space opened up.
Inside was a rather large chamber, big enough to hold more than twenty people.
At present, there was a wooden bed and a candlestick, its lit candle illuminating a person within the cave.
On the wooden bed lay a man who was clearly a clergyman. His hands and feet were bound, a cloth was tied around his mouth, and he was lying on the bed.
Fang Zhen observed the unlucky clergyman on the bed.
The man wore a black Vestnt Robe, tailored to fit his slender fra. A white, round collar stood out starkly against the black fabric. A purple Holy Belt was draped over his shoulders, though it now bore a footprint—perhaps from Rex’s boot.
He also wore a purple shawl embroidered with gold thread, signifying his status and sacred duties. On his feet were shoes made of black kid leather. A pendant with an equilateral triangle made of what looked like silver hung from his neck.
The man exuded an air of nobility from head to toe. Though he looked disheveled and pitiful now, his expression, while sorrowful, was not particularly panicked.
Seeing this man, Fang Zhen imdiately made a judgnt.
’This must be the son of a noble family who joined the church to beco a Priest.’
He had a basis for this assessnt.
The man tied up before him was actually quite tall for this dungeon world, over 1.6 ters. This indicated he had been well-nourished as a child. Furthermore, his slender build showed no signs of farm work or other heavy manual labor.
Based on Fang Zhen’s knowledge of the Middle Ages, such a person was most likely a second or third son of a noble, unable to inherit the title and lands, who had entered the Holy See to secure a lifelong position.
"Father Matthew?"
Leon’s eyes went wide as he saw the man, and he blurted out the na.
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