chapter 76 Malthor intelligent descision

Kaelith watched from the shadows of a nearby building as players swarmed around the old merchant Malthor, eagerly accepting his quest. The man stood in his usual spot, his worn cloak draped over his shoulders, his wrinkled face twisted in a well-practiced expression of desperation.

"Please, brave adventurers! I was once a warrior, but now… I am just an old merchant trying to survive!" Malthor's voice wavered as he spun his tale. "The bandits… they stole everything from me! My goods, my wealth, my livelihood! I barely escaped with my life!"

Kaelith scoffed as the players nodded solemnly, believing every word. It was pathetic how easily they were manipulated.

A retired warrior? That was a new twist.

Kaelith had heard Malthor's story in his past life, but back then, the merchant had only ever claimed to be a simple tradesman who had been unlucky with bandits. Now, he was trying to add credibility to his lie by claiming he had once been a fighter himself.

Kaelith stepped forward, his arms crossed. "You say you were a warrior? Must've been a long time ago if you couldn't handle a few bandits."

Malthor flinched, but he quickly regained his composure. "Ah… yes, my body has grown weak with age, adventurer. My sword hand is not what it once was. That is why I rely on kind-hearted souls like you to help an old man in need."

Kaelith chuckled. "Right. And these bandits… tell me, how did you escape if they were strong enough to steal everything from you?"

Malthor hesitated for a split second before sighing deeply, as if weighed down by his own tragic past. "Luck, perhaps. Or maybe they saw no value in taking an old man's life."

Kaelith smirked. That was a terrible excuse. Ruthless bandits didn't leave witnesses. If they had truly been the brutal killers Malthor described, he would have been dead the moment they found him.

But before Kaelith could press further, Malthor suddenly changed tactics.

"If you are hesitant to fight, there is another way," Malthor said, lowering his voice as if revealing a secret. "I have… friends. Old comrades from my days as a warrior. They are mercenaries now. For just 100 gold, they will take care of the bandits for me."

Kaelith's smirk widened. There it was—the real scam.

A hundred gold was a ridiculous amount for low-level players, especially for a simple bandit extermination. No legitimate mercenary would offer their services for such a low sum, and even if they did, why hadn't Malthor hired them before?

Kaelith leaned in slightly. "If you have mercenary friends, why not just ask them for help for free? Surely they'd do a favor for an old comrade?"

Malthor hesitated again, but he recovered quickly. "They… they do not work for free, you see. They have their own lives, their own responsibilities. Even I cannot ask them for charity."

Kaelith almost laughed. The lie was so obvious.

But just as he was about to walk away, something caught his eye—a tattoo peeking out from beneath Malthor's sleeve.

A bandit clan insignia.

Kaelith's smirk turned into a grin. "You really should cover that up better, old man."

Malthor stiffened. "W-what are you talking about?"

Kaelith nodded toward the tattoo. "That mark on your arm. It belongs to the same bandits you're complaining about. You're not a victim—you're working with them, aren't you?"

Malthor's expression darkened for a fraction of a second before he forced a weak chuckle. "You must be mistaken, adventurer. I am simply an unfortunate merchant trying to make a living."

Kaelith shook his head. "No, I think I've got it figured out. You send adventurers to fight your 'enemies,' retrieve your 'stolen goods,' and then sell the same loot back to the bandits. And if someone doesn't want to risk their life? You try to scam them out of 100 gold with fake mercenaries that don't even exist."

Malthor's eyes narrowed. His fake, pitiful merchant act was slipping.

"You're clever," he muttered. "But what of it? The weak exist to be used by the strong. If these fools believe my words, then that is their problem, not mine."

Kaelith chuckled. "I'm not here to stop you, old man. I just enjoy watching idiots waste their time."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Malthor to continue his con while clueless adventurers eagerly took his quest.

Kaelith chuckled as he turned to leave, but before he could take another step, Malthor suddenly reached into his cloak.

"Wait, adventurer." His voice was smooth now, lacking the trembling weakness he had shown before. "You're sharp, too sharp. That makes you… dangerous."

Kaelith smirked but said nothing, watching as the old man pulled out a pair of boots. The leather was reinforced with darkened steel plates, and a faint magical aura pulsed around them. Rare gear.

"Consider this a token of goodwill," Malthor said, offering the boots. "A gift for your… understanding nature. After all, there is no reason for us to be enemies, is there?"

Kaelith raised an eyebrow. He wasn't stupid. Bribery. The boots were valuable, and Malthor clearly wanted something in return.

"You must be real desperate if you're willing to hand over something like this," Kaelith said, inspecting the boots. Their enchantment increased movement speed by 5%—not bad at all for low-level players.

Malthor smiled, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "I prefer to call it… an investment." His eyes gleamed with something between amusement and calculation. "You understand the game, don't you? These fools," he gestured to the players still eagerly taking his quest, "they don't. They believe what they are told, run headfirst into death, and lose everything in their greed."

Kaelith met his gaze, silent.

Malthor continued. "But you? You see the truth. That makes you valuable. I need someone like you to… keep things running smoothly."

Kaelith chuckled. "Let me guess—you want me to 'confirm' your sob story to the idiots, maybe pretend I fought the bandits and won? Sell your little scam?"

Malthor's smile widened. "You catch on quickly. With your word, the players won't question me. And in return… there may be more 'gifts' in the future."

Kaelith tapped the boots against his palm, thinking. He could easily expose Malthor and ruin his scam. But… why would he?

If the fools kept wasting their time on Malthor's quests, that meant less competition for Kaelith. Besides, he wasn't a hero—he didn't care if some low-level idiots got scammed. If anything, watching them struggle would be entertaining.

Kaelith slipped the boots on and grinned. "Fine. I'll play along… for now."

Malthor let out a pleased chuckle. "A wise choice, adventurer. I believe we'll get along just fine."

As Kaelith walked away, he smirked at the sight of more players rushing to take Malthor's quest. Idiots. They had no idea they were working for the very bandits they thought they were fighting. And now, with Kaelith playing along, they would never suspect a thing.