Chapter 3

A day had passed, and Parlin had already begun to set his plan in motion. As he watched from a distance, he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. There was fear, of course, but also a sense of anticipation. He was stepping into uncharted territory, and every move he made felt like a gamble.

He wasn't just observing Bargain Bael; he was studying his routines, his habits, his interactions. He was looking for weaknesses, for opportunities. It was a grueling process, mentally and emotionally, but Parlin knew it was necessary. He reminded himself of his goal, of the stakes. He couldn't afford to make a mistake. So, he watched and waited, his mind constantly working, planning, strategizing. Three days of observation and contemplation passed in a blur, bringing him one step closer to his target.

Feeling assured by the gathered information and what he acquired from information sellers, he was now prepared for the next stage. This step involves spreading rumors about his target, but the challenge was to choose the right rumor. It had to not only damage the target's reputation but also create friction between him and another prominent figure in the town.

There were only two people who fit the criteria - the mayor and the marine commodore. Parlin thought messing with the marines was like stepping on a mine intentionally. Though the mayor wasn't an easier target, he seemed to be a somewhat safer choice.

Parlin had targeted the Mayor, Baron Stroud. He knew the ideal rumor to spread – a few days ago, there were accusations that the Mayor's wife, Lady Isabella, had an affair while he was sick. Though the rumor had died down, it was a perfect opportunity for Parlin to take advantage of.

Now he just had to blame Bael for having an affair with the mayor's wife. With the rumor in his hands, the next step was to spread it across the town. Luckily, this seemed to be the easiest part. The town's residents were mostly rich and didn't have to worry about basic needs, so they spent their days and nights gossiping about various things.

Parlin knew a particular group of rich guys known for being the town's rumor-mongers. He decided to send them a short letter, even if anonymous, about the affair involving Bael and Lady Isabella. He was confident that by doing so, the information would spread throughout the town by the end of the day. And that's precisely what happened.

The next day, just as he expected, the rumor about the mayor's wife's affair came up again. This time, it mentioned Bargain Bael as the person she had the affair with. Parlin's plan was going well, and now it was time for the next step - to increase the tension.

Shortly after, the merchant Bael and Lady Isabella released statements denying the rumors, which reduced the excitement around them. But Parlin had expected this. Now, it was time for him to move forward with the plan. To escalate the tension between the mayor and Bael, he needed to reinforce the rumors with something undeniable – like finding one of Bael's personal belongings in the mayor's house, making it clear that Bael had been there.

He knew people who could help him plant the evidence in the mayor's house, but getting the evidence itself was something he had to do alone. Parlin was confident in his ability to lie, so he chose to disguise himself as a worker to sneak into Bargain Bael's huge mansion. After three days of gathering information, he knew exactly where to go and what to do. With confidence, that very night, Parlin headed over to Bael's mansion.

Parlin brought along a pocket knife for protection, lock picking tools, and a flashlight. The mansion was large, as expected from one of the island's most powerful figures. He climbed over the metal fence carefully to avoid alerting anyone.

During the three days of gathering information, Parlin noticed something important about his target – Bael was an anxious man. He would take half of his guards with him every time he left the house. This habit meant that whenever Bael was away, the mansion's security would be significantly reduced. Thanks to this, infiltrating the mansion would be much easier, especially when the merchant was out for a business meeting.

Parlin sneaked to the back of the mansion. There was a door leading to the kitchen, but he chose not to enter and instead stayed hidden next to it. He began counting silently in his head from 0 to 300, and just as he reached 300, the door swung open. One of the workers came out, carrying a bag of garbage on his back. Parlin quietly approached the man and put him in a headlock. The man struggled to breathe, and eventually, he fell unconscious.

Parlin swiftly took the man's clothes and left him unconscious by the bin along with the trash bag. Then he entered through the back door, which led directly to the kitchen. The kitchen was empty with no one around. When Bael was not home, the workers seemed to be less diligent. They avoided tasks they would be doing if Bael was present. Initially, this made Parlin a bit suspicious of their loyalty to Bael, but he dismissed the thought. It was riskier to doubt their loyalty, so he chose to assume they were still loyal to him.l.

The disguised Parlin walked confidently around the mansion, passing people without raising any alarms. Even if someone suspected him of not belonging there, they didn't say anything. His assured manner dismissed any doubts about his presence.

Parlin climbed the stairs to the first floor, feeling a bit lost. He looked out of the window to figure out his location in the house and then knew where to go. He walked towards what he believed was his target's room and opened the door. To his surprise, the room was messy, but it clearly looked like a rich man's bedroom. He entered inside but kept the lights off, using his flashlight to see around.

Parlin started searching the room for solid evidence. He knew he couldn't take simple items like clothes, as they could be easily explained away. As he looked around, he noticed a bunch of torn papers and files on a desk by the window. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were confidential papers from the Bargaining Chip Merchant Company, which could serve as compelling evidence. While reading through the papers, a cunning smile spread across Parlin's face.

As Parlin went through the papers, he found out that Bael was in big trouble already. The documents revealed that Bael's company was on the verge of collapse because the world government had learned about his past involvement in human trafficking crimes. Some of the papers even appeared to be warnings from the marines. It looked like Bael was in a tight spot, and maybe Parlin wouldn't need to go to the third step. If his plan proceeds without a hitch, it could be enough to take him down.

Parlin was thrilled to discover this information. However, in his excitement, he accidentally knocked over a vase, causing a loud noise as it shattered. Panic set in for a moment, and he quickly turned off the flashlight, desperately searching for a hiding spot. But his impulsive decision to turn off the lights left him in complete darkness. The sound of footsteps from outside grew louder and closer.

The door swung open, and a man entered the room, switching on the lights. "Who's there!" he yelled. Parlin stood in the middle of the room, his eyes filled with panic.

"Hey! Workers aren't allowed in this room! What are you doing here?" the man shouted at Parlin.

Amidst the panic, Parlin quickly came up with a response. "I'm sorry!" he said, bowing apologetically. "I'm new here, and I didn't know this room was restricted. Please forgive me! I thought I'd clean it up since it looked messy!"

The man seemed to relax a bit. "New here, huh? Well, anyway, just clean up this mess and then leave the room. I'm sure that senile bastard won't notice it's gone," he said before leaving the room again.

Parlin let out a quick sigh as he finally calmed down. He returned the knife hidden behind his back into his pocket, ready to defend himself if he needed to. But what just happened really intrigued him. The man had brushed off his presence like it was nothing, and calling his boss a "senile bastard" wasn't common. Parlin started to reconsider the loyalty of Bael's workers.

Nonetheless, he continued his search for evidence. Parlin looked through the bedside drawers, the wardrobe, under the bed, and behind the paintings, but found nothing. Then, in one of the cloaks in the wardrobe, he discovered a golden pocket watch. What made it an excellent piece of evidence was the logo of the Bargaining Chip Merchant Company on the front.

With the perfect piece of evidence in hand, all Parlin had to do now was escape. That was the easy part. He turned off the lights in the room and left, carefully checking the hallways for anyone nearby. There were only two guys, one of whom he had encountered earlier. The man glanced at Parlin but seemed unconcerned. Parlin proceeded down the stairs, passing a few people, but no one confronted him.

He reached the kitchen and waited for about 5 minutes. True to his expectation, after 4 minutes and 24 seconds, a woman entered the kitchen carrying two garbage bags. "Mister Markall, it's time to take out the trash," she said.

However, when she looked around, she didn't find "Mister Markall" but only Parlin. "Where is Mister Markall?" she asked, puzzled. Parlin smiled and replied, "Mister Markall said he was taking a bathroom break. He asked me to take the trash out for him."

The woman seemed confused. Parlin decided to introduce himself, "I'm Parlin, by the way. Nice to meet you. I'm new here."

"Oh, then take these. Nice to meet you too, Parlin," she said before leaving the garbage bags on the ground and exiting the kitchen. Parlin quickly took the bags out and then swiftly retrieved his clothes near the door. He left the building without raising any suspicions.

Having accomplished the first part of his plan, Parlin now needed to plant the evidence at the Mayor's house and wait. He wanted to complete this before midnight, knowing it might take some time for the evidence to be found. Without delay, Parlin headed for the slums on the outskirts of the town.

Still donning the stolen suit, Parlin caught some curious looks, as everyone knew about his past actions during the last two years. He entered a bigger tent, different from the other shelters. Inside, three men were drinking, two holding rifles, and the middle one sipping from a bottle of alcohol. The man slammed the bottle on the table in front of them.

"Parlin, the great thief. What brings you here?" The man in the middle asked.

"Rat, I need you to do a job for me." Parlin requested.

The man, known as Rat, had a creepy smile on his face. He had brown hair styled in a mohawk and wore scavenger-like clothes. Parlin stared back at him with a serious expression, making it clear that he wanted no funny business.

Rat giggled a little. "Kekeke, it's always a pleasure when the great thief asks for a favor. What do you need?"

Parlin took a moment before answering. "I need you to plant something in the Mayor's house."

Rat's creepy smile widened even more, making it even creepier. "Gladly, but... don't you think that's quite a big 'favor' to ask?"

Parlin stomped on the ground and approached Rat, making the two men next to him wary. He leaned on the table, bringing himself to eye level with Rat. "Do you think this 'favor' is worth more than your life?"

Rat quickly replied, "Of course not."

Parlin stepped back and walked toward the tent's entrance. "Then plant this in the Mayor's bedroom, somewhere he won't notice immediately but will eventually." He tossed the golden pocket watch behind him as he walked away.

Before leaving, he gave Rat one last look. "Get it done before midnight," Parlin said before exiting the tent. He could still hear Rat's rat-like giggles even as he walked away.

Before this encounter, Parlin and Rat were already acquainted. During Parlin's two-year employment with the broker, he got caught by the marines and ended up in their base jail. They were going to transfer him to a detention center on another island, but Parlin managed to escape within the first day. In his escape, he saved Rat, who was facing a death sentence for a serious crime. Since that day, Rat owed Parlin a big favor for saving his life.

Feeling satisfied with his work, Parlin returned home, hoping that everything went smoothly. Now, all he could do was wait for the evidence to be planted and eventually discovered by the Mayor. With only two days left, he knew this was a critical part of his plan. Though he could only rely on hope and prayers at this point, Parlin remained determined and focused on his goal.