I Have a Task Log

Chapter 321: Chapter 320: The Gang’s Referral

’He’s one of us, anyway. It’s fine to tell him.’

With that thought, Colin walked up to the counter.

"Colin, my friend, what have you been up to lately? Tell me all about it," Bob said, raising his glass.

"If I tell you, you’ll just go around spouting ’The Legendary Tales of Colin and Kase’ again," Colin said, placing the map and the deed on the tabletop.

Old Black Heart glanced at his expression and said in surprise, "You’re done already?"

"There was a Ghost in the house, but we’ve already taken care of it," Colin said. "The only thing is, there’s a big new hole in the attic floor. You guys can handle that, right?"

"Then you’ve been a huge help. I was wondering why that mansion was so cheap. Sure enough, there was something strange in it." Old Black Heart’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits as he smiled.

Bob knocked on the table and said, "Colin works hard, you know."

"They’re professionals," Old Black Heart explained with a smile.

He glanced at Colin’s face again, then placed a coin pouch on the table. He took out two stacks of Gold Coins from under the counter, put them in the pouch, and handed it over. "Colin, my friend, if you’re injured, go find a Priest at the Church."

"You’re quite wealthy," Colin remarked.

Old Black Heart said smugly, "Not just anyone can open a tavern, Colin."

Just then, Colin’s expression turned serious. "Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"I want to meet with someone from the Hundred Eyes Gang. I have something to discuss," Colin said slowly, his voice low.

Hearing this, the smiles vanished from both men’s faces. Even the half-drunk Bob seemed to sober up a little.

Bob glanced at the bodyguard in the corner of the room, then leaned in close to Colin and whispered, "Is this the field team making contact with the local gangs? No, don’t answer that. I already know the answer."

Colin nodded.

"Kid, this is fine, but you’ll have to be careful if you go any further down this road." Bob set his glass down on the table.

Old Black Heart chimed in from the side, "You might think you’ve gotten stronger, so you’re not taking this seriously enough. In any case, Colin, it’s best for an Adventurer not to get involved in the affairs of men."

"I know. I’ve thought about that," Colin said. "I’m mainly doing this because of you two."

"Us?" The two men looked astonished.

"The Hundred Eyes Gang is ranked very high on the commission list. You should know what that means," Colin said.

When Morel assigned the mission, Colin knew it wouldn’t be simple.

If Thousand Masts City wanted to turn the slums outside the walls into official city districts, most of the gangs in those slums would have to be dealt with. And the ones who needed dealing with would surely be the gangs that had no contact with the officials.

He didn’t know how extensive the cleanup would be, but for Old Black Heart, who was part of the Hundred Eyes Gang, it definitely wasn’t going to be a good thing.

Old Black Heart sighed.

He took a metal disc the size of a Gold Coin from a drawer and placed it on the table. It was covered in a dense, unsettling pattern of engraved eyes.

"Go find the barber in Rotten Flesh Alley," said Old Black Heart.

Before Colin could take the metal disc, Bob snatched it up.

He downed the beer in his hand and said, "I’ll take them."

With that, the driver turned and headed for the door. Colin and Ale exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

As soon as they caught up, Bob asked in a low voice, "This wasn’t Mr. Helder’s assignment, was it?"

"I suspect it came from the Master of the Black Tower."

"I thought so too," Bob said, a little envious. "I still can’t believe you’re working for the Shield of Thousand Masts. I didn’t even dare to speak when I saw him in his office last time."

Colin had his reasons for believing the order came from the Master of the Black Tower.

After all, Morel was a direct subordinate of the Master of the Black Tower.

Besides, Colin knew he was taking a considerable risk by agreeing to this.

The Gray Squad was an organization that had existed for a very long time, tasked with clearing out the monsters in the surrounding areas.

And with such an elite squad in existence, there were naturally politicians who wanted to use this sharp blade for their own ends.

Centuries ago, a Master of the Black Tower had tried to use the Gray Squad to assassinate the Masked Lord. The Masked Lord of that time, along with the City Prosecutor and the City Lord, launched a counter-maneuver, which ultimately led to the Great Banishment.

The exiled Gray Squad fled south to Colvin and founded the infamous "Shadow Hand."

To this day, that Master of the Black Tower’s name does not appear in any history book.

After that incident, a new article was added to the public laws of Thousand Masts City: "The Gray Squad is forbidden from conducting any and all activities within Thousand Masts City. Violators will be flogged according to the severity of their transgression, have their property confiscated, and be permanently banished from the city."

So, if one were to be a bit of a conspiracy theorist, Colin even suspected that the establishment of the "field personnel" was not just for dealing with monsters. It was likely also a way for someone to circumvent that law and recruit their own private army.

The more he thought about it, the more Colin felt he was on the right track.

This would also explain why Edwin was the leader of the organization. After all, a gentle Paladin seemed far more harmless than a Mage from the Black Tower.

Once the organization was established, they could have someone like Morel, who didn’t seem entirely respectable, issue orders and send people to handle other business.

If the nobles of Thousand Masts City ever found out about this, Colin felt the consequences would be severe.

Having thought this far, Colin then asked, "Bob, is there anything you can tell me about the Hundred Eyes Gang?"

"You’ve definitely asked the right person. Let’s take a detour outside the city first. This kind of talk takes time."

After Bob spoke, the three of them changed direction and headed toward the fields outside the city.

Once there was no one else around, he began to speak. "When I was young, I was just like you. I came from the slums, worked as a sort of gang advisor.

I got lucky and survived into my thirties, then joined the Hundred Eyes Gang. The gang sponsored me to buy a carriage, join the Carriage Guild, and start taking jobs. The goal was to gather intelligence around Thousand Masts City."

"The Hundred Eyes Gang existed back then?" Colin asked.

He didn’t doubt the man’s story. After all, the fact that Bob was so familiar with the surrounding taverns already proved he was no ordinary driver.

"That’s right. The gang has been around for decades. Surprising, isn’t it? A gang without the patronage of any noble family has managed to survive in this area for decades."

Bob chuckled and continued, "It might sound like I’m singing their praises, but I have to say, the Hundred Eyes Gang’s business is clean.

We make our money mainly from the intelligence business and never touch any shady industries. The family that founded the Hundred Eyes Gang has been planning to go legit for a long time. They’re smart people with foresight; you can definitely rest easy on that front."

"When I was in the slums, I really didn’t hear many rumors about them," Colin agreed.

Bob said, "So for you to come and lend us a hand today... I’m very grateful. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time."

Ale, listening from the side, was completely baffled.

She asked blankly, "Well, if you’ve always wanted to be the good guys, why didn’t you just tell the people of Thousand Masts City before?"