Unmasking Truth

When Jorgen and Elin burst through the door, Silversnap's entire body jumped on the seat, nearly toppling over.

"Jorgen, what gives you the right to barge into my office without permission? Goodness, look at the state you two are in. Do you have any idea how many gold coins that white tiger skin carpet beneath your feet costs? However, the timing of your arrival is quite convenient... Mr. Brego, earlier I mentioned the vermin hindering the development of Booty Bay, and I was referring to these two individuals. They come from Military Intelligence Section Seven, the most wicked and destructive organization in Azeroth. Ah, just seeing them fills me with great concern."

"Your guards wouldn't let us in, but I said that I brought a grand gift for your master, and they allowed us through," Jorgen wiped away raindrops from his eyelids. "Would you like to see it?"

Silversnap put his feet back on the table, leaned back, and rotated the diamond ring on his left middle finger.

"Don't try to distract me, Jorgen, and the human behind you whose identity remains unknown. Mr. Brego and I were just discussing you two. Mr. Brego, do you also agree to dispose of these two cunning rats hiding in Booty Bay?"

"Are you truly agents from Military Intelligence Section Seven?" Brego asked.

"Yes."

"I despise Military Intelligence Section Seven. You infiltrated my homeland, stealing and causing destruction."

"That's correct, Mr. Brego. And the harm they have caused extends far beyond your homeland. I believe they are merely the vanguard of Section Seven, deviously plotting to lead their comrades in wreaking havoc upon Booty Bay..."

Brego stood up. "However, whether they are rats or not, I have a deal with them."

"A deal? Why didn't you tell me earlier... Ah, I can't fathom what kind of deal you could have with these people. I dare say, regardless of what they claim, you must have been shamelessly deceived."

"Yes, our deal, or more precisely, your commission to us, has already been fulfilled. I believe you want to know the results," Jorgen said.

"Speak up," Brego unfastened the bag filled with coins from his waist, letting it drop to the floor, right beside his left foot. He gripped his knife in reverse, pressing the tip against the outer side of his right foot. "Then you will face a choice, human, decided by me."

"Fair enough. Elin, bring in the gift."

Elin brought Keener into the room from outside, making him kneel on the ground. His mouth was stuffed with a thick cloth, his hands tightly bound, and he had shackles around his ankles. After all, restraining his hands alone wouldn't prevent him from escaping. As soon as Silversnap saw him, he leaped up from his chair.

"Don't be nervous, Silversnap. What are you doing with your hands under the table? Planning to pull out a gun in front of both of us and Brego?" Elin said. "Listen, we're in a hurry to report our findings to our client. This is a private matter, not something we're doing as members of Military Intelligence Section Seven, so it's better if you don't interfere."

"Goblin, don't interrupt them," Brego, with his back to the desk, said. Silversnap slumped back into his chair, frantically spinning the ring. "Just spill it out and let's hear it. I don't believe the nonsense of two rats can influence the wise Lord Brego."

"Brego, although you delivered that blow, it was someone else in this room who killed Vossuva," Jorgen said.

"Livigaz, go call the guards!"

The moment Silversnap finished shouting those words, Brego turned around and struck the desk with his knife. He used the blunt side, but the high-grade mahogany desk snapped almost in half from the center. Teacups, documents, and writing utensils slid down the slanted surface and fell onto the carpet.

"There won't be a second warning," he said. Silversnap wanted to say "Yes," but he couldn't find his voice.

Jorgen spoke, "You're being cooperative, Brego, and it's a good thing that the goblin is keeping quiet because you do need to listen carefully now. Where should I start? Ah, the arena. You should know that this gladiatorial tournament is not just about victory or defeat; it involves a massive gamble."

"I've heard about it. But it has nothing to do with me."

"No, even if you're not directly involved in the gamble, you're still an important part of it. Unimaginable sums of money circulate based on the victories and defeats of participants like yourself. Everyone wants to profit from it. Let's start with Silversnap. He needs Vossuva, whom he favors, to gain true fame and become the leader of his future Heavenly Army..."

"I know about that. Vossuva is dead, and the goblin hopes I'll inherit that position."

"It's easier if you already know. As a member of Military Intelligence Section Seven, I understand how unrealistic it is for a goblin to fully trust and rely on others. Similarly, Silversnap, the goblin among goblins, couldn't completely trust Vossuva either. To ensure that Vossuva could be of use to him, Silversnap did two things.

"First, he bribed many people who would be fighting against Vossuva in the competition, persuading them to voluntarily lose and guaranteeing Vossuva's victory — including Keener Marando before us. Elin, let him speak."

Elin removed the cloth from Keener's mouth, and he took a deep breath.

"Keener, repeat to me what you said."

"Three hundred gold coins, Silversnap gave me."

"How did you use those three hundred gold coins?"

"I... I bet against myself. I bought the loss."

As soon as he finished speaking, Elin gagged him again. If it weren't for the intimidating presence of Brego, Jorgen wouldn't have let Keener speak so freely.

"Silversnap, I believe this was your financial advice to them; otherwise, they would have foolishly squandered that money instead of putting it on the gambling table to make more. Even without his confession, I'm quite certain of this because I have a friend who works in the casino and collected detailed betting information on this group — at the cost of his life. You would pay the price for Banjay's life, Silversnap."

"I've never heard of...," Silversnap began to say but stopped himself. He understood that any hasty defense at this stage could potentially anger Brego.

"That doesn't make sense. Why didn't the goblins plan to bribe me before the competition?" Brego said.

"That leads us to the second thing Silversnap did for his own security. Silversnap, I truly admire your cunning," Jorgen said. "You spared no expense to bribe those opponents of Vossuva, but interestingly enough, Vossuva himself didn't receive a single coin to invest in the gambling. Promises for the future but no upfront payment — you were testing his loyalty. Brego, what I'm about to say next may not be something you're willing to hear, but it's the truth. Are you ready to accept these facts?"

"Tell me everything you know."

"You don't know what kind of person Vossuva is. He saved your life, and you've been idealizing him relentlessly. That's foolish."

The orc's face began to tense. Jorgen made sure his words didn't exceed Brego's breaking point.

"The fact is, he grew envious. He wondered why those small pawns could get money while the future commander-in-chief couldn't. I don't know if Vossuva ever asked Silversnap for money, but the result is, he didn't have a single coin to invest in the final gambling match, believing in his own victory. Silversnap, have you ever considered that while you were testing the troll's loyalty, he was also testing your sincerity? You're truly arrogant to the point of believing that everyone will be satisfied with the positions you've arranged for them in 'Paradise.'"

"The final day of the competition drew near, and Vossuva began to feel anxious. Despite believing that he would win the championship prize money, he received nothing from Silversnap. This situation is called 'greed.' Brego, I'm sorry to shatter your illusion. Your savior is a greedy person."

Brego's fist tightened around the handle of his knife. His chest heaved with rough breaths.

"Vossuva came up with another way to satisfy his greed. Coincidentally, he knew someone who had 500 gold coins — honestly, I don't know how they met, perhaps greedy people just find each other. This person is called Idoli, a fraudster I've been pursuing, who urgently wanted to turn his 500 gold coins into more to repay his debts. He needed a guaranteed victory in a gambling match. And Vossuva — he believed he had a surefire victory but lacked the cash. Brego, your savior struck a deal with a small-time fraudster like it was nothing."

"Unfortunately, this matter eventually unraveled. Vossuva lost trust. At the same time, Silversnap truly noticed you, Brego. That's why he didn't attempt to bribe you. You receiving his invitation wasn't a coincidence. He transferred the methods he used to cultivate Vossuva onto you, guaranteeing your victory in the competition."

"Lies! Nonsense!" Silversnap couldn't hold back.

"Lies? How can you prove that you didn't do it? On the contrary, I have eyewitnesses, Keener's testimony, and physical evidence that I'll mention later. What do you have?"

"This... this is sophistry," the goblin stood straight, wide-eyed, sweat streaming from his forehead into the corners of his eyes, without blinking.

"Brego, perhaps you don't know, but Vossuva had a significant connection with a potion called 'Dinner.' That's not important. What matters is that he liked using it. Before his match with you, he used 'Dinner' as usual, right in the competitors' preparation room. And that led to his death. No, he didn't die from 'Dinner.' He died from another poison, a real poison delivered by Keener's blowdart."

Keener made an indistinct sound from his mouth, lunging forward, but his legs were held back by Elin, causing him to collapse at Jorgen's feet.

"Continue!" Brego shouted.

"A blowdart, I encountered one this morning... honestly, not a very effective weapon. It can only be deadly when the user is in the dark and the target's position is relatively fixed. Unfortunately, in the dark room, Vossuva, sitting on the only stone stool, smoking 'Dinner,' was indeed a fixed target. Keener was outside the door, shooting the poison needle into his neck through the keyhole. The physical evidence is in your ice chamber, Silversnap. There's a wound on the back of Vossuva's neck, the same size as Keener's poison needle. Whatever the poison was, it incapacitated Vossuva, leaving him vulnerable to the following strike. Keener was so determined to catch a whiff of the high-purity 'Dinner' he smelled through the keyhole that he went back to the scene to search for the remaining powder. And this morning, right beside his bed, was the same quality 'Dinner' used by Vossuva. He encountered me for the first time and apparently returned for a second. I have to thank another troll friend for helping me identify the smell of the powder. Without this coincidence, I might not have been able to confirm Keener's presence at the scene on the day of the final."

Jorgen paused, looking into Brego's eyes, and continued, "Do you understand, Brego? You made a grave mistake by placing your honor among a group of greed-driven individuals. Your first mistake was mistaking Vossuva for a hero. Fortunately, you've been secluded in a remote place because if you were armed with a knife among the complex crowd, you wouldn't have survived to this age. Now, generous Silversnap is inviting you into this intricate world. Are you willing to accept? If you don't, then you'll continue your meaningless practice, detached from society."

"Jorgen, you're being too harsh. Why provoke him?" Elin whispered, but Jorgen didn't respond.

"Brego... sir... don't believe him. I am an honest man, a man of principles..." Silversnap struggled to speak, as if his tongue was trying to choke him.

Brego approached Jorgen, looking down at him.

"I'll ask you one last time: are all of these true?"

"I can only tell you that this is the result of my investigation. You can make your own decision."

A breathless silence filled the room.

"My mentor once warned me about three knife techniques that should never be forgotten."

Brego raised his large knife.

"Yes, kill him! This despicable human who deceived you!" Silversnap shouted, his voice hoarse.

The orc's blade came down, and Jorgen felt a chilling sensation on one side of his body. Keener, who was kneeling beside him, twitched and fell forward, splitting apart from the crown of his head to his chest, spilling blood and entrails.

"The first strike, punishment for a killer," Brego uttered these words and turned towards Silversnap. In that moment, he transformed back into the version of himself that fed on slaughter when he first left his homeland. He rubbed the prayer beads around his neck with his left hand, contemplating if there was still room to carve another cross. The trembling goblin before him convulsed in terror, but the current Brego no longer saw any emotions, only what could be severed and what couldn't.

Silversnap fumbled to retrieve a golden short gun from under the table, but his fingers couldn't reach the trigger. Brego swung his blade, cleaving Silversnap along with the teetering table and the golden short gun, splitting them into two. The heavy blade smashed a portion of the goblin's skull into the cracked floor.

"The second strike, punishment for a deceiver." After killing Silversnap, Brego turned towards Livigaz, who had cowered in the corner of the room, using both his hands and feet to crawl away.

"Stop," Jorgen said.

"Don't stop me, human. You've done what I asked you to do. Now, it's best for you to stay away."

"We need to leave someone alive to spread the word about this. People need to know the true face of Vossuva. Otherwise, the title 'The Hero Who Defeated Broken Fang Vossuva with a Single Strike' will follow you for the rest of your life. Do you want to be forever associated with a name tainted by greed?"

Brego silently watched as Livigaz crawled all the way to the wall, where a mounted stag head hung. He switched the knife to his left hand and then said,

"The third strike... punishment for one's own shame."

Ten years ago, his right arm, which had been connected, was severed in the same place, falling to the ground and splattering a large burst of blood from Chyna and Silversnap. Brego laid the greatsword flat, clenched his teeth, tore a piece of cloth from his shirt, and tightly bound the wound.

Jorgen watched him expressionlessly.

"Human," Brego picked up his money pouch and clenched it in his left hand, "was all of this for this?" His voice was low, perhaps due to the pain in his right hand.

"That's right. This is Booty Bay, paradise. The thing in your hand is the ticket to paradise. Many people would give their lives for it."

The coins in the bag rubbed against each other and collided under Brego's tight grip. He held the bag of gold coins while biting the greatsword in his mouth, staggering as he walked towards the balcony of the office.

"What is he going to do, Jorgen? Isn't that our reward?" Elin said.

The pouring rain beat down on Brego on the balcony, forming streams between his rock-like muscles. His eyes were completely blurred by the rain, but Brego felt that he had never seen things so clearly before. He overlooked Booty Bay, feeling like he could see thousands of people from different races, their expressions, movements, and attire, all vividly clear. These people were walking in the pouring rain, madly swimming through the vascular-like wooden structures that formed Booty Bay.

He raised the money pouch and let the coins fall, welcoming the cleansing touch of the rain. Some landed in flowerpots on upper-level residences; some slid into filthy rat holes; some were blown far away and fell onto the deck of a merchant ship; some dropped onto the windowsill of a fisherman on the lower level, spinning several times before coming to a stop. Perhaps tomorrow, when the weather cleared and the sunlight poured down, people would discover these ownerless coins and put them in their pockets, saving them from disappearing into the dust.

After completing his task, Brego pressed above his wound and descended the stairs, disappearing from Jorgen and Elin's sight. Even as an orc, he couldn't leave behind any footsteps in the endless downpour.

"...Is it over like this?" Elin said, taking a step forward from the still-spreading blood.

"No, not yet."

Jorgen approached Livigaz, who was crouching in the corner.

"Stand up. You're safe now."

Livigaz slowly straightened up and let out a breath. He squinted as he looked at the body of Silversnap, now mixed with the debris of the table.

"Are you sure you can inherit his wealth?" Jorgen asked.

"Of course, of course, of course I can. After all, I am his brother. Besides the two of us, there is no one else in this family."

"I believe you remember our agreement," Jorgen said.

"It goes without saying. I will fulfill our agreement and grant you the authority to board the merchant ship for inspection. However... we'll have to wait for things to settle down a bit before we proceed, right?"

"We will give you time, but we will also leave personnel to assess your actions."

"Oh, please rest assured. Rest assured ten thousand times. I am very, very much looking forward to our future cooperation. But first, I have to settle the accounts that Silversnap left behind. It's quite a blow to my resources..."

"Take care of yourself. You have seen what Military Intelligence Section 7 is capable of."

"Sigh, how I wish you could work for me, Mr. Jorgen. That wasn't a slip of the tongue, was it?"

Jorgen no longer paid attention to Livigaz and turned to Elin.

"Let's go," he said.

"What in the world is all this about?" Elin asked.

"My mission is complete, and I need to leave this place. Is there anything else that you don't understand? Or do you lament the loss of those seven hundred gold coins?"

"...No," Elin averted her gaze, looking at the red stains on the ground.

At least, she understood why Jorgen had been provoking Blego all along.

Jorgen walked toward the stairs but then paused, turned around, and approached Livigaz once again.

"There's one more thing I want to ask you," he said.

"Ah, please go ahead," Livigaz replied.

"Where is Bossia Wislanzo?"

This question caught Elin's attention once again.

The goblin rubbed his hands together, grinning at Jorgen.

"Sorry, I haven't heard of her. Is that the name of a lady? Who is she?" Livigaz asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play dumb. It was you who mentioned that name to Binguixiu in our previous meeting," Jorgen replied.

"Ah, really? Maybe there was such a thing... maybe. I'm certainly willing to help you find this lady since you've done me a great favor. However, everything has its price, and we need to follow the rules. So, what does Military Intelligence Division Seven have to offer in this trade? Or is it just a personal matter, Mr. Jorgen?" Livigaz asked.

Elin could see Jorgen's grip tighten on his dagger, and the muscles in his back tense up. But in the end, he did nothing. All we can do is engage in a prolonged struggle. No one can predict our gains or losses.