章節 30: Chapter 189: Operation Compass Theft (1)

[T.L: punisher87]

[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]

Jin collected the money and handed it over to the Watertail tribe. The members of the Red Tiger tribe were unable to witness this scene as they ran away with their tails between their legs.

"Thank you, thank you, human!"

As soon as they arrived at the bustling market, the members of the Watertail tribe who had been with Jin explained the situation to their fellow tribe members, and the representative Dark Flame and Blazing Rock expressed their gratitude.

"Rest for the day and then leave, human. The Watertail tribe knows how to throw a fiery party."

"Sorry, I have to leave in a hurry. See you next time."

"At least, eat this before you go!"

The Watertail tribe quickly grilled twenty fish. The deliciously cooked fish disappeared as quickly as if they were trying to hide their eyes.

"Oh, right. Dark Flame, can you dye my hair?"

"Why do you suddenly want to dye your hair?"

"I need to."

"We can't do it ourselves. Wait a moment, let me see. We'll bring in a Gold Snow Tribe dye master."

The Gold Snow Tribe dye master arrived through a secret passage in the general store.

"Oh, human. Our dyeing technique is so advanced that it's a bit expensive. It's not comparable to the shoddy coloring games that humans play. Prices start at this level...."

As the Gold Snow Tribe was about to put a price tag on Jin, Dark Flame and the members of the Watertail tribe intervened. When they told the Gold Snow Tribe about Jin's feat of making the Red Tiger tribe surrender, the Gold Snow Tribe smirked.

"If that's the case, we can do it for free. Oh, I wish I could have seen those trashy guys grovel with my own eyes!"

The dyeing was finished quickly.

After bidding farewell to them, Jin used the secret passage again to leave the land of the aquatic tribes, just as he had arrived.

***

On the last day of May 1797, in the afternoon, Jin arrived at a southern island of the feudal state of Bellado.

'This place is still the same.'

This unnamed island is a land that has become a playground for pirates as it vaguely borders the waters of the feudal state of Bellado.

This is the place that Jin sought out to participate in the Cosmo's arena competition. Even in broad daylight, the streets were filled with drug addicts, beggars, and nobles gone mad with gambling, creating a chaotic scene.

"Hehehe!"

A disheveled man who looked like a drug addict and a homeless person was lurking near Jin, letting out a strange laughter. These beggars were common in the harbor, usually mercenaries who lost a lot after participating in the arena.

However, this man who seemed to be laughing hysterically was someone Jin knew well. So Jin couldn't help feeling both happy and sad to see him.

'Jet... he's crazy.'

Jet.

He came here about two months ago and blended in with the beggars in the harbor.

It was to serve as a secret contact. He was so versatile that it was hard to tell if he was a beggar if you didn't look closely.

"Hehehe! Hey, sir, spare me a penny! Hehehe!"

Jet pushed aside the other beggars and approached with a bag.

There was a note inside the bag.

(Are you doing well, Bill? Three planks under the bed in room 203 at the Sparrow Inn.)

After checking the note and Jin donated some coins, the beggars behind Jet cheered. Wow!

"Hehehe! You'll be blessed!"

When Jet stepped back, the other beggars ran after him like a pack of wolves. It seemed like he was doing well as the king of beggars.

'I'm glad I recruited him. We had a rough relationship in our past life.'

Jin chuckled and headed to the Sparrow Inn.

The owner, who was dozing off on the chair, clapped his hands when the door opened.

"I don't have a room. Go somewhere else."

"How have you been, Bill?"

Then the owner gave him the key to Room 203.

As soon as he entered the room, Jin pushed the bed aside and pulled off a board with three nails in it. Underneath the board, there was a thin red wooden board and a letter wedged inside.

(My lord, it's been a while. The other comrades arrived about a month to two weeks ago and took a place in different inns.

Everyone is safe, and enemy has no idea that we are onto them.

Here's the information that we've gathered so far.

Kinzelo's forces consist of Anz's Grandmaster Chukon Tolderer, five suspected 8-star mages, and five suspected high-ranking White Wolf warriors.

There may also be other skilled assassins, snipers, and operatives in disguise that we can't exclude the possibility of.

We don't have any information about Zipfel's forces. They're likely to reveal themselves on the day of the operation. However, there's a high chance that, like Kinzelo, there are already skilled operatives in place.

The operation is scheduled for June 1st at 10 PM, and there have been no changes. The location is also the same, the gambling den in the abandoned mansion in the north of the island. The red wooden board enclosed is the entry ticket to the den.

The escape route after the operation is also the same for options 1, 2, and 3.

The address of the inn where our comrades are staying is written on the back of this letter.

Oh, and Lady Syris of hidden palace will be joining the operation with the consent of Sir Kashmir and Lord Murakan. As someone with experience in espionage, assassination, and guerrilla warfare, she will be a great help.

This is the last message I'll be delivering to you, Lord. I'm heading back to Tikan today. I will inform Gilly about your safe return. Good luck, my lord!)

All of the comrades were staying in different inns, just in case they looked suspicious to the groups of Zipfel and Kinzelo.

'A 9-star mage and five 8-star mages, and five elite White Wolf tribe warriors....'

It was a force that could easily overturn any kingdom.

'Zipfel will definitely bring at least this much power. By tomorrow night, the dirty and messy playground of the pirates will become the battlefield of the stars.'

Enemies exceeded the power that Jin and his comrades had anticipated six months ago.

Therefore, a full-scale war was out of the question. Although their power had grown stronger, it was still not enough to handle all of them.

However, if Jin and his comrades power had not grown stronger, they would have had to seriously reconsider the plan.

Whether to execute the operation or to withdraw was entirely up to Jin's decision. They had agreed six months ago that if Jin did not reveal himself at the casino, they would quietly return.

Of course, Jin had no intention of retreating.

'Bringing in people like this means that the compass is just as important. I will definitely take it with me.'

Since the operation was going to be carried out guerrilla-style, there would be no need to engage in a full-scale battle with them.

Even if a full-scale battle were to take place, there might be something worth fighting for. If 8- and 9-star mages and White Wolf warriors fired off all kinds of magic and techniques, this small island could crumble in an instant.

Everyone would die, not just the island. All the ships would be destroyed, and a whirlpool would form in the middle of the sea, just as Luna wiped out the Vermont Island with a single blow of her sword.

'Furthermore, if the fight escalates, Runcandel and Vermont will also catch the scent, which is what Kinzelo and Zipfel are most concerned about.'

Runcandel and Vermont still did not clearly realize the existence of the compass. If they did, both of the giant forces' people should already have been firmly established on this island.

Jin quietly cleaned his two swords.

Bradamante and Sigmund.

***

The next day, at six o'clock in the evening on an early June day.

Jin found the gambling den in the abandoned mansion on the north side of Island. He looked like a typical rogue nobleman, who had money to spend and loved to show off, with his hair dyed in a rich golden color by the product of Gold snow tribe, flashy clothes, and heavy makeup accentuating his waist with two swords.

'I wonder why they're doing this, even though makeup has been a trend in noble social circles for quite some time now.'

Jin felt stuffy due to the thickly applied powder and color blocking his pores. His face reflected in the mirror looked almost like a woman's, but with pronounced physique his pretty face looked strange. It was the power of the Gold snow tribe's special cosmetics.

-You seem to need some kind of disguise. My friend, you look very handsome, but if you puts on too much makeup, you looks like a woman. How about going all out woman disguise, not just dyeing your hair? No one will recognize you!

-I'm not comfortable with it.

-Anyway, makeup is a must! Our merchandise is different from human technology, so if you apply it roughly, it looks like convincing. Put this on your cheeks, put this on your lips, put this on your forehead, put this on your neck.

While Jin felt awkward about his appearance, the people gathered in the gambling den, regardless of gender, were busy staring at him.

'I've never seen such a pretty gambler before. I want to hang out with him tonight, lend him money if he's feeling down, etc....'

The explicit voices were disturbing Jin's ears. Although he had been recognized by his face quite a lot, it had been a long time since it had become so noisy. Even men with free tastes were openly expressing their interest.

"I haven't seen your face before, but the seedy gambling den feels much livelier since you came in. Nice to meet you, I'm Julia."

However, the murmur ceased in an instant as a black-haired woman approached. Julia was a woman who had appeared two weeks ago and had become famous in the gambling den overnight.

At first, Jin didn't recognize her. It wasn't as much as Bubare's sculpting skills, but the masks made in the Hidden Palace were also great.

In that way, all the companions were wearing the face masks of the Hidden Palace. Except for Murakan, who is cradled in Syris' arms, transformed into butterfly.

"This place is known for its marble game, young master. It's a specialty here. You probably don't know the rules, but I could teach you if you'd like."

Jin gently pushed her away.

"No, it's okay."

"Well, if you don't like it, there's nothing I can do about it. But if you go to the marble game table without knowing anything, you'll get ripped off, so stick to something you're familiar with, like even-odd or dice. If you think of me while you're playing, come over to the marble game table."

She meant for Jin to take a look and come back later. His companions were gathered at the marble game table, while Zipfel and Kinzelo's factions were disguised among the even-odd and dice tables.

"Let's do that."

"Make sure to come back before it's too late, it's almost night."

To the people gathered at the gambling table, Julia sounded like an trickster who was playing tricks on Jin.

After Julia left, people who were really throwing down gathered around Jin. Jin lightly brushed them off and roamed around the even-odd and dice tables, keeping an eye on the enemies one by one.

'Kinzelo is one thing, but those Zipfel guys are really cunning. Who would know that the mages of Zipfel, who are proud enough to pierce the sky, would disguise themselves as gamblers and wait here.'

As expected, all of Zipfel's mages seemed to be first-class. Just as Jin was looking for any familiar faces, two men in robes turned and looked in Jin's direction.

They were nearly three meters tall. Clearly, they were not ordinary people.

They were white wolf warriors.

As if they sensed something strange, they looked at Jin and then stood up from their chairs and approached him.

"Hey, you. Can we talk for a moment?"

It was because of the aura of the Plutonian tribe.

'Even though I'm hiding as much as possible, did they sense it?'

Jin replied as he looked at them.

"Wow, aren't you from the White wolf tribe? I didn't expect to see you here at the gambling den!"

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章節 31: Chapter 190: Operation Compass Theft(2)

[T.L: punisher87]

[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]

There were those among young nobles or martial artists who often idolized the power and culture of the white wolf tribe. They were usually fools who approached recklessly, drawn to the white fur, blue eyes, strong body, and energy, only to meet their ultimate fate as a meal.

White wolf tribe doesn't like humans. To most of them, humans were inferior beings, toys, and snacks.

"I've always dreamed of talking to a White wolf tribesmen! Wow, your fur is so cool. Can I touch it?" Jin exclaimed with sparkling eyes, and the White wolf tribesmen's impression wrinkled.

'Was he just an idiot? I thought he smelled dangerous enough to make my fur stand on end...…?'

The White Wolf Tribe looked down at Jin, who was laughing, for a while.

"Put your hand away."

"Oh, I apologize for being rude. Sorry about that. By the way, what do you want to talk to me about? Ask me anything."

"Hmm, no. It seems like a mistake."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I don't know."

As the White Wolves returned to their place, Jin smiled shyly. The people who flirted with him looked at Jin with pity.

'Phew, I almost got tired before the operation even started. From now on, I have to press down more on the energy of the Plutonian tribe.'

He wiped his chest inwardly.

'I must definitely kill all of Kinzelo's subordinates during the operation.'

If he left them alive, they would undoubtedly go back to Kinzelo and talk about 'someone with dangerous energy.'

It was okay if people knew about his disguised appearance, but if there were rumors about the unique energy of the Plutonian tribe, Jin could be caught anywhere.

He spent two hours checking the enemies on the even-odd and dice game table. Fortunately, there was no sign of the White wolf tribe, and no one suspected Jin.

'I should go see my companions now.'

The marble game table, where his companions were, was full of onlookers. Alisa was hiding in the gap, while Kashimir and Enya were nervously placing bets.

'Everyone's disguise is well done.'

Even Alisa, who was worried about her extraordinarily large body, was perfectly disguised. She had put on a fake mustache and was dressed in men's clothing.

"Oh, have you thought of me already? I knew you would come, young master."

Syris naturally wrapped her arm around Jin's shoulder, and showed him her palm with something writing on it.

(Item will be exchanged at the 2nd floor central card table.)

"Now it's your turn to tell me your name, young master. Didn't I only tell you?"

Julia, no, Syris, who tightly hugged Jin, was really good at acting. She was perfectly portraying a promiscuous woman who was obsessed with gambling and entertainment.

Jin was also experienced in acting.

Jin grabbed Syris' hand, which had writing on it, after moistening his fingers with the remaining water in his glass, and then gently rubbed her palm with his finger to erase the writing.

"My name is Vamel, young lady."

Clack! Clack!

Kashimir and Enya's marbles collided on the round table.

Syris pretended to explain the marble game and started explaining the detailed strategy that her companions had already planned.

"First, two marbles go up on the board."

"Like the young lady and me now?"

"Yes."

Only Jin and Syris go up to the 2nd floor first, meaning they are the ones who will steal the item.

"Then, when the other marbles start running, the dealer's obstacles start appearing. There are too many variables, there are obstacles to avoid, and throw bigger marbles to break through. I usually prefer to break them."

"I think I like that one better."

It means they should kill the enemies who block them while stealing the compass.

"You have to choose the marbles that break the obstacles and the marbles that run to the finish line. Even if you use almost all marbles to break the obstacles, you can run alone if there is only one left."

Syris' gaze was subtly directed towards Enya as she spoke.

Finally, Enya is appropriate to run away with the compass means. Jin's companions concluded that Enya would be least suspicious of any situation.

Enya felt the complete opposite of Syris. Unlike Seris, who swept away the stakes as soon as she entered the gambling den and showed off her stunning beauty, Enya was like an ant.

She had always played the role of a hot pants who bet only small amounts with a restless face. No one looked less composed than her.

"Is the explanation enough?"

"Is there anything else I need to be particularly careful about?"

"Don't hesitate too much or waver if too many marbles that remove obstacles are broken. You can't miss the opportunity. That's why the scums always lose money."

It means that even if a comrade is injured or killed, the mission would fail if one became engrossed in the emotion. Jin made eye contact with Syris with a calm face.

"It's good advice. I feel like I could easily become an expert."

In this way, Jin talked about operation with Syris until around ten o'clock at night. Then, he repeatedly lost money to Syris and showed signs of irritation.

"Ha, is the young lady a god of marble game? How can you not win a match!"

Onlookers clicked their tongues.

It wasn't just a buck or two. The money Jin lost to Syris was already going beyond thousand gold coins.

Jin was a rare type of rich sucker who lost a thousand gold coins in just a few hours at this gambling den.

"Well, it seems that young master is not good at marble game. Didn't I tell you to give up and go drink?"

"Hmph! You just want to drink alone after winning like that?"

"Are you really regretting losing a few gold coins? You have a chance to have a drink with Julia alone until tomorrow morning, you know?"

"I don't mind spending money. But as a gambler, my pride won't allow me to end like this. I may not know how to play marbles, but in other gambling games, young lady won't stand a chance!"

"Oh, you're confident in other games...?"

Ah!

Sighs of lamentation could be heard among the onlookers.

They realized that another sacrificial lamb had emerged.

"I have to make young lady suffer a crushing defeat at least once to satisfy my conscience."

"Looks like your spirit is still intact. What game do you want to play?"

"If it's cards, young lady can never beat me."

"The card game is on the second floor. Let's go, young master Vamel."

With a wicked smile, Syris stood up, and the onlookers crowded around them, eager to witness the handsome fool surrendering all his assets to Syris and becoming a weeping mess.

Naturally, most of the people who had been on the marble table rushed to the second-floor card table. However, Alisa, Enya, and Kashimir did not leave the marble table. They had plans to carry out a distraction mission on the first floor.

The two of them took a seat next to the central card table where the deal between Zipfel and Kinzelo was taking place.

At the central card table, Zipfel representative was disguised, while Kinzelo's representative, Chukon Todlerer, sat with a bare face, easily recognizable.

'It looks like the master of the Magic Tower, but I don't know who it is.'

As the onlookers at the table next to me began to get excited, whispers started circulating among them. Now, ten o'clock was approaching, and they had to exchange coins and items on the gambling table. However, the sudden influx of people nearby made them uneasy.

The representatives of Kinzelo and Zipfel, who were on the first floor, came up and informed the organizers about the situation. They reported that there seemed to be a nerve-wracking conflict between ordinary gamblers who had made their way up from the marble table.

'There are 20 minutes left. Until Zipfel took out a compass on the card table.'

In twenty minutes, when the items came out, Jin and Syris would launch their surprise attack. It was crucial to make Jin lose all his bets at exactly that time and make the onlookers retreat.

'When the onlookers leave with frustrated expressions, I'll slip away, and Syris will pretend to leave first. Then I'll follow slowly, and as the compass moves on the gambling table, I'll fire flash cannon...'

Syris will take care of the flow that makes him lose all his money in exactly 20 minutes.

However, just as Jin and his companions painstakingly planned this operation for six months, their enemies would have prepared contingency plans for all sorts of variables.

'If we kill Chukon Todlerer or render him unable to fight, there will be no problem going down to the first floor. The probability of Zipfel's representative being a mage stronger than Chukon is low.'

The person who appeared to be Zipfel's representative did not seem to be over 30, even accounting for disguises. Jin did not know of any mage stronger than Chukon at that age.

Chukon, the Great Mage of Anz.

He reigns as an absolute ruler of the Great Plain of Anz on the northern continent. Unlike Kidard Hall, he was also a person that Zipfel was eager to bring to him at one time.

It was because of his unique defensive magic, famous for his 'extreme defense'. Eventually, Chukon became a member of the Dark Magic Society and now sat on the opposite side of Zipfel at the card table.

"Two hundred, and another two hundred."

"Call."

Jin's stake started to run out at a moderate pace.

'When the flash cannon explodes, Kinzelo and Zipfel will inevitably suspect each other. But they will quickly identify me and Syris as the culprits. The confusion should last around 10 seconds.'

I had to deal with as many enemies as possible within that time.

"Hmm."

Chukon, who had been watching the losing side with sharp eyes for a while from the central card table, shook his head.

"I guess everything bothers me now that I'm getting older. I wondered if they were the thieves prepared by you."

"Haha, you are saying something strange. Sir Chukon. If we just wanted to take the goods, would we go to such lengths? We could just refuse to return it. They're just gamblers who have nothing to do with us."

"Don't be pretentious, Carl Ziple. Aren't you putting on a play on this island because you're cautious too? If you returned it officially, Runcandel might catch a whiff, and if you don't, we might have leaked information to Runcandel and Vermont."

"Your words are sharp, Sir Chukon."

"I'm just saying this because you break the alliance clause and act so shamelessly without even apologizing. I have no idea what your father is up to."

"If you get a chance, ask yourself. I don't know if you have the guts to go find my father."

"That's a cute sound. It's time. Bring out the item. We need to confirm it."

Jin and Syris couldn't hear the voices of the two people. The crowd was too noisy and the distance was far.

However, there were no problems with the execution of the operation.

'It's ten o'clock.'

The stakes are all gone. Jin lowered his head like a person who had lost his country, and Syris stood up from her seat with a face that seemed to have expected it.

"Unfortunately, it's over, young master. I've lost interest too. Let's just forget about drinking together."

Tick-tock, as Syris left the table, the onlookers naturally followed her.

The card table emptied in an instant. Jin glanced up and saw a bag of gold coins in the middle of the central card table.

A bag of gold coins mixed with a compass. Jin could also see Chukon opening the bag and pulling out a golden compass that was a little bigger than a gold coin.

'Now!'

Jin stepped on the table at once and threw himself into the center card table.

In his grasp, a white flash cannon was swollen, ready to explode at any moment.

[T/L:- This is the last chapter as a sample, if you want to read more chapters, then I have created a tier on my patreon page specific for previous chapters. There is will be providing consistent updates.]

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