Black Sail
Chapter 256: CCLVI. Exposure

Chapter 256: CCLVI. Exposure

Liszt quickly pulled Tani aside for a private talk.

Tani hadn’t dressed up especially for the evening, still wearing her usual outfit but without a hat, her chestnut curls tied back in a low, wavy ponytail.

"How are things going, what’s Taylor’s attitude right now?"

Liszt needed Taylor’s support, undoubtedly his greatest ally. If Taylor wasn’t on board, Liszt would have to resort to a less favorable plan—swaying people from the Holy Spirit Church.

Without securing the Boss position, Liszt would be overwhelmed by the troubles that would relentlessly follow.

Even if it meant great personal loss, Doringger had to be dealt with.

Tani shook her head.

"Don’t worry, if he tries to harm you, I’ll kill myself."

Tani said with a light laugh, then made her explosive remark. She couldn’t control what Taylor would do or which side he would take, but at least she could ensure Taylor wouldn’t harm Liszt. That was all she could promise.

Liszt was somewhat bewildered. Your love is quite bizarre; why would I be so fortunate?

"Stop talking nonsense; you make me look foolish. You just need to know that I have a surefire way to win. Go back now."

Liszt didn’t want to exploit a woman, especially in such a situation.

Tani was reluctant to leave, but she didn’t say much and just hummed affirmatively.

The banquet was going smoothly and was well-organized.

Ben’s task was top-tier stealth work. During the banquet when security was lower, stealth was easier, and today was likely the only chance.

He needed to find something in Doringger’s bedroom—a document or transaction details—that could be used as leverage.

Despite Doringger not flaunting his capabilities publicly, ruling over the entire East Sea seemed excessively brazen.

Liszt speculated that even if the Beima Duchy was in decline—which was still considerably mighty compared to others—Doringger shouldn’t be able to interfere. With such massive transactions on the East Shore, Doringger had likely overstepped his boundary. There might be some higher authorities involved; otherwise, he would be excessively tyrannical.

He must find some leverage, adapt to the situation, and address it appropriately.

As an untouchable figure with no wife or children publicly, who knew if Doringger had any illegitimate children? Having one as a hostage would make even a ruthless man like Doringger wary due to their blood relation.

The Thief Guild had a corporate culture, endorsed by a deity.

The Shadow Messenger was protected by the Night Goddess, also known as the Shadow Lady, the unknowable.

This protection made them undetectable at night.

Whether you believe it or not, some people did.

In reality, Ben relied solely on his physical skills.

He had initially toyed with the idea of informing Doringger that Liszt was out to get him, but then thought better of it. That Archaic Mage was ominously powerful; getting involved with him could be fatal.

Moreover, even returning to the Thief Guild seemed to have no future, as Liszt put it. It sucked that his lifelong reputation as an adventurer meant mingling with the dregs.

The current problem wasn’t Ben’s stealth skills, but the damn fact that he didn’t know where Doringger’s bedroom was. The castle was too vast.

It would take a Duke’s effort to search each room one by one; by then, it would be daylight.

Although Liszt had instructed not to shed blood, Ben didn’t care and decided to simply grab someone for information and then dispose of them.

Inside a castle tower.

Ben stealthily moved through the corridors on the sixteenth floor, wearing special night clothes—an amalgamation of swamp toad secretions and other materials painted on the fabric, allowing him to blend into the shadows.

Ben spotted a person who seemed to be on patrol, robust in stature, and decided to target him.

The unsuspecting guard didn’t notice Ben as he rounded a corner when suddenly, a card pressed against his neck, drawing a line of blood. Ben covered his mouth with his other hand.

"Where is Doringger’s bedroom?"

Ben whispered his final words to him.

This man had been ready to reveal something under the threat to his life, but...

Doringger was far too terrifying.

"Don’t worry, I’ll only knock you out, I won’t kill you."

Perceiving the man’s apprehensions, Ben cajoled him gently.

"In another building, the tallest one with the rooftop pool, that’s where he rests, don’t—"

He didn’t finish his sentence.

The card had already severed his throat, in several segmented cuts, not a drop of blood fell to the ground, nor did any sound escape; he died instantly.

Ben dragged him to something akin to a warehouse and covered the corpse with wooden crates—it definitely wouldn’t be discovered tonight.

Another tower then.

Ben grew angrier the more he thought about it; him, a man almost earning a thousand Golden Dragons a year, and here he was doing such demeaning work, climbing out of a window sixteen stories high.

Hook, Iron Claw, unparalleled finger strength, he moved silently like a spider on a vertical surface in the darkness, extremely perilous.

It wasn’t long before he spotted another tower with an expansive rooftop. The banquet was held in the second largest annex; there likely were secrets in the main building.

Ben continued to scurry vertically, leaping from ledge to ledge, reaching a hundred-meter-high rooftop terrace, just as the deceased had mentioned. There lay an oversized sunken pool, probably a thousand square meters, complete with rockscape and sunshade platforms. Damn it was exaggerated, a literal wine lake and meat forest, one could hardly imagine what kind of hedonistic life Doringger led every day.

Liszt wished to move in here, and his ambitions were sky-high, but his life as fragile as paper; living here was literally courting hell.

Approaching the indoor folding glass door on the terrace, just as he was about to enter—

"Quite unusual."

Whoosh!

A rapid crossbow bolt shot out from inside.

Ben internally cursed at the misfortune, having been discovered, how was that possible?

Slicing the crossbow bolt with a swing, Ben didn’t think twice, he just ran.

But his adversary didn’t provide such an opportunity, sending several sword glares slashing through, tearing the snowstorm, blocking his path, Ben agilely dodged all.

However, the attacker’s target was the Hook in Ben’s Arm Armor, striking it with a sword. Although Ben narrowly evaded, his Arm Armor was chopped up, completely ruining the Hook mechanism.

"A member of the Thief Guild, why are you here?"

The newcomer revealed their true form.

Ben was dumbfounded, recognizing the person; screw this, there was actually a Hall-level adventurer guarded here, whose statue once stood at the guild entrance but was removed and demolished later.

Meanwhile, at the banquet.

Just as Fen had anticipated, the conversation phase wasn’t over yet; members of the Iron Soul Pirate Group appeared and unveiled those veils over showcases, introducing the New Continent to all the guests, preparing them for a later investment.

But what puzzled Fen was that it was not the Pirate Captain who came forward, but the First Officer, such a logic deserved deep contemplation.

Liszt’s expression grew somber remembering Taylor’s previous words, pirates that made a name for themselves were all rounded up by Doringger to serve as dogs, Iron Soul seemed no different; it was likely that the Captain was killed, and the First Officer got promoted.

He gasped in surprise; Boss was indeed somewhat capable.

As the atmosphere of the banquet grew warmer, the orchestra played more passionately.

Just then—

Footsteps descended from the giant Y-shaped staircase.

It was that man.

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