Chapter 298: The Stronghold in the Ruins
Chapter 298: The Stronghold in the Ruins
"Really? Haha!"
Li Meng reached out and ruffled Ame's small head.
Ame happily nudged into the boss's hand, clearly enjoying it.
"Let's go. I'll take you all to a place."
"Alright, alright!"
Ame stood up cheerfully.
Li Meng then led the four young girls out onto the bustling streets, walking quickly together.
"Boss, are we heading to the slums?"
Li Meng glanced at Monica beside him. It seemed Monica had told Ame and the others about what happened last night.
"Yes, to the Brotherhood Thieves' Guild stronghold."
The tavern was quite far from the slums. Walking there would take hours at the very least.
Li Meng flagged down a passenger beast carriage by the roadside.
"Yay! We get to ride!"
Ame cheered and happily climbed into the carriage, followed closely by Amay and Amayee. Li Meng and Monica got on last.
"Where to, passengers?"
The driver was a diminutive Ail man. Ail men were also known as the Gnome Race.
This race was very similar to humans, differing only in their small stature. An adult Ail's height was about 0.7 meters.
"To the slums, the Brotherhood Thieves' Guild!"
"Alright, let's go!"
The driver cracked his whip, and the camel-like beast started running.
The beast carriage sped down the relatively wide streets. In less than half an hour, they entered the slums.
Although curious about why these passengers were heading to such a grim place, the professional driver didn't ask questions.
"The slums aren't a good place, especially that area. It's a den of crime. You folks don't look like members of the Brotherhood; you'd better be careful. People here are crazy. They'll kill each other over a bite of food and even gnaw on corpses."
The driver seemed genuinely afraid of the slums. His eyes darted nervously.
His driving skills, however, were impressive, expertly steering the beast carriage to avoid potholes along the road.
"What's your name?" Li Meng asked from inside the carriage.
"Passengers, my name is Nande!"
"You've got good skills."
"Thank you, passenger!"
Being complimented on his skills clearly delighted Nande.
After another ten minutes or so, the beast carriage arrived at the Brotherhood Thieves' Guild stronghold.
The carriage came to a halt before the south gate of the stronghold, nestled among the ruins.
Li Meng and his group got off, looking at the open gates of the stronghold.
"Boss, is there no one here?"
The gate stood open, and the courtyard inside was eerily quiet. Ame curiously asked.
"There's someone," Amayee interjected.
A woman in tattered clothes appeared in the outer courtyard just inside the gate.
"Let's go; we're heading in."
Li Meng took the lead, stepping through the south gate, followed closely by the girls.
In the courtyard, the woman stopped and bowed slightly.
"Master!"
"Master? I'm not your master."
Li Meng didn't recall having such a subordinate.
"Oh, it's you. Since you call me master, I'll accept you as one of my subordinates."
Subordinate?
The woman, with her pale face, froze in confusion. She had thought she was a slave, but instead, she was called a subordinate.
There was a world of difference between being a slave and a subordinate.
"How's it going? Are you all full and satisfied?"
The woman lowered her head further.
"We've all eaten our fill. Everyone is cleaning up the stronghold."
"Master, we found the Brotherhood Thieves' Guild's treasure vault!"
The treasure vault?
Hearing this, Li Meng's eyes lit up.
"Alright, take me there!"
Hearing about the treasure, Ame and the other two girls' eyes gleamed with excitement as well.
The woman led the way, guiding them into the courtyard and toward the castle gates.
Inside the castle, the main hall was bustling with activity. People were cleaning, using makeshift mops and towels to scrub the support pillars and floors.
The bodies were gone, and most of the bloodstains had been cleaned, though traces of red still remained in some spots.
When they saw Li Meng in his dark robes and peculiar attire, the vagabonds cleaning the hall showed expressions of fear.
Seeing the state of the Brotherhood Thieves' Guild upon entering the castle, they realized how terrifying this man was. Even after discovering the treasure vault, they didn't dare touch anything inside.
Only after Li Meng's group left the hall did the vagabonds breathe a sigh of relief.
"How many people are in the castle now?"
Walking down a long corridor, Li Meng asked casually.
"I don't know the exact number, but roughly over three hundred."
"Master, we're here!"
"Call me Boss. I don't like being called Master."
Coming from Earth's civilization, Li Meng found the term "Master" unpleasant.
"Yes, Boss!"
Rose pushed open the heavy doors.
As the doors opened, a dazzling array of magical light spilled out.
"Oh my god, we're rich!"
Ame, Amay, and Amayee stared in shock at the mountain of treasure before them.
The vault was piled high with magic crystals and gold coins, forming a ten-meter-tall mountain.
Blue light radiated from the magic crystals, while golden light gleamed from the coins.
Scattered across the floor were more gold coins and crystals, as well as a large quantity of magical equipment.
Ame dove headfirst into the treasure, causing a cascade of magic crystals and gold coins.
"Rose, assign some people to buy clothes that fit you all, then go take a bath. Come back to see me when you're clean."
With that, Li Meng turned and left the vault.
"Boss, I want to stay and play here for a while."
Li Meng waved his hand, signaling that the girls were free to do as they pleased.
Monica glanced at the three sisters and then at Li Meng, eventually choosing to follow him.
In the following hours, Rose busied herself, leading a group to leave the stronghold hurriedly. She returned with a convoy of carriages after three hours.
Rose then organized the vagabonds in the castle for bathing. The first-floor baths became a hive of activity, with steam filling the corridors.
"We're all cripples. What does that man want us to do?"
"No idea."
"As long as he gives us food, I'll do anything."
For the first time in ages, the vagabonds scrubbed themselves clean. The bathwater, constantly flowing in and out, remained murky due to years of grime.
Some of the vagabonds hadn't had a proper bath in years. As they washed, they chatted about the unbelievable events of last night.
The once-feared Brotherhood Thieves' Guild had been completely wiped out. Not only that, but they were now eating their fill—a surreal twist of fate.