C28: Are You Worth Guiding?

Shamrock City, outer layer region.

Ken walked out of an apothecary carrying a small metal jar under his armpit, both of his hands occupied with dragging other daily necessities lumped inside half a dozen cotton bags. The very first test his enhanced physique was made to face was to be a porter. Simm and Surata had inexplicably joined hands to make a long list of things needed inside the hideout, now that the children were evidently growing even faster than before.

From clothes to toys, from medicine to special nutritions, Ken's bags contained enough materials to weigh well over 50 kilograms. Carrying the entire load back to their hideout was not a task any porter would look forward to. And Ken had to do the job himself for safety's sake.

.

While carefully crossing a wide intersection of three streets, Ken noticed a commotion not too far away. The focus of every conversation in the intersection changed as the source of the commotion came closer. Ken quickly performed a routine checkup on his disguise appliances. Yup, the fake facial hair, shoulder pads, skin paint, and the scent mixer were all in position. The mana killer lotion was also actively reducing his mana leakage down to zero.

A large team of uniformed law enforcers had just arrested a trio of beastmen criminals. Their success had transitioned into a lively parade now that the criminals were being dragged away for interrogation.

Many witnesses to the parade questioned directly or indirectly what crimes these beastmen had committed, but such inquiries were a minority among the ensuing conversations. Beastmen, especially the poor ones, were highly disliked by the natives of every locality. Criminals would not get much sympathy even from their own people.

But Ken could not simply return to minding his own business like the crowd around him. Among the three apprehended beastmen, he knew two faces very well.

In the last three days, he had repeatedly analyzed in his mind what the Duke of Shamrock City would do upon realizing that his scheme against the merfolk was at the risk of being jeopardized. He had learned from rumors that the parasite guest had been reduced to his original form inside the core city, and Duke Roshoka had arranged for his naked, vulnerable body to be a part of the decorations of celebration.

.

While this was a blatant slap to the face of the parasite race and whichever clan this guest belonged to, Ken was certain that there was a bigger scheme at play here. The parasite guest would never have voluntarily walked back into the core city after realizing that his life was in danger and he could easily reverse the situation by simply blackmailing the Duke. Whatever was happening inside was happening with his consent. He was tolerating the temporary humiliation for a bigger gain; he must have been ready to be a step away from death when he decided to meet the Duke face to face on the Duke's home turf.

This line of thinking had made Ken realize that the parasite wasn't as boorish and emotionally driven as he had made himself appear after the death of his spirit pet. It was likely a facade for him to run around the city in preparation for whatever he himself was planning.

Following this logic, it made sense that Duke Roshoka did not outright kill the parasite even after having his original body in his grasp. That meant he could only take out his frustration on the culprit who had dragged the dying spirit pet's body into the Capera River. The arrangement had been awfully convenient for the parasite, and it had turned the Duke's decade-long plan into a card to be used against him. From the Duke's shoes, it would be an obvious conclusion to come to that whoever had pulled the trick knew all about the Manapoisoning plan and wanted to punish the Duke for it.

But how would they find out who this culprit was? Ken had used his totem beasts to carry the pet from the forest to the river. He hadn't even dumped it in the actual spot where the body had been found. Instead, he had used his army of fish totems to carry the body upstream from a secluded spot far from the city.

So Ken, the suspicious fisherman who had fished the spirit pet's body out of the river's depth, was the only decent trail left for them to chase after. Unfortunately for them, he hadn't returned to the Capera River after that incident. While it was akin to admitting his guilt indirectly, it would also cut off the last trail of clues for the investigators. Ken had taken every precaution needed to ward off capable mages sniffing down his tracks.

So what else could the law enforcers do, except to frame a few known associates of his as the scapegoat? A simple, brief interrogation would have been sufficient if they really wanted to track down Ken. This parade of arresting criminals meant that such stages had passed.

To satisfy the Goblin Duke, these beastmen would probably be the sacrifice. Ken couldn't be sure if the Duke would accept that perfunctory result of the investigation, but he knew that either way, there was little hope for these beastmen to come out unscathed from the interrogation chambers.

What would the old Ken do in this situation?

And what should the current Ken do?

.

He kept stopping every few steps he took on his way out of the city, not because his heart was in turmoil over the decision, but because the shopping bags were too heavy. Ken didn't need to contemplate what he wanted to do. He was a simple man. When an opportunity presented itself in front of him, ripe for reaping, he happily took it.

Ken left Shamrock City carrying the supplies, not making any moves outside his original schedule. Looking back at the tall walls of the core city from a mile away, his expression became somewhat helpless.

"Are those the walls that neutralized an invasion attempt by Super Rank Necromancers? Thirty-one years of absolute safety, eh? I'll help the Duke identify the remaining weaknesses of his defense. In these trying times, he should appreciate the guidance! But first he has to prove himself worthy of being guided."