Chapter Six, Uncle Miller

"Ranger Badge? How did you, Master Marvin, suddenly become a ranger? How did this happen?"

Hmm? Is there a sound of wind behind?

Marvin casually remarked: "While I was unconscious, I dreamt of many things. I dreamt of a person who claimed to be my teacher. In the dream, he taught me many things. Just now, I followed his guidance to take some necessary steps, look."

In the quiet alley, Ma Wen said softly: "The sentinels of the Akron gang confirm each other's safety every twenty minutes. They use the call of the partridge as a signal. I observed it earlier, and approximately three calls of the partridge indicate safety. Unfortunately, none of us understand partridge language, so our time is quite limited"

Marvin secretly thought it was fortunate that he had not impulsively approached earlier, as the thief would surely have noticed him. If the thief had signaled, the situation tonight would have become quite troublesome

At present, she merely nodded in compliance. Prepared to handle various situations—she had been trained from a young age to be a competent bodyguard and a capable domestic steward—she was the greatest asset to the master of White River Valley. When Marvin made a choice, she would only offer her full support.

Anna was completely stunned. It is known that ordinary people need years of training to become professionals, but Master Marvin has never undergone combat training. Could this ranger badge be fake?

The friction of the flint ignited a candle, adding a bit of light to the dim room

The stealth of the ranger is penalized by 40% in the city, which is not comparable to that of a thief. A stealth score of 24 is somewhat low in the face of a thief's perception; this is not the wilderness, and Marvin has no advantage here

Marvin stealthily approached the thief from behind, and before the latter could react, he decisively pounced.

This fellow has quite remarkable perception

The members of the Akron gang. Marvin nodded and said: There are two at the front door and one at the back door

Indeed, this time the thief showed no reaction, focusing intently on the back door of the inn

No! Anna suddenly seemed to recall something, her face displaying an expression of disbelief, which quickly transformed into intense anger

Did he encounter another scammer again

However, she is not entirely incapable of understanding Marvin's transformation.

... ...

The body of the thief was dragged by Marvin into the drainage ditch, where some unfortunate souls are discovered dead every day; apart from the corpse collectors, no one cares about these faces.

"Uncle Miller?" Marvin paused for a moment, beginning to search his related memories

Ma Wen said calmly: "We must at least leave one person alive"

She is merely somewhat concerned, fearing that Ma Wen might head towards another extreme from now on

A female voice said coldly

Anna said through gritted teeth, "I have been working at your uncle Miller's house these past few days, and I inadvertently overheard that he is closely associated with the Akron gang"

The leader of the Akron gang, Diafis, personally visited your uncle's mansion a few days ago and took away a lot of jewelry! This was witnessed by the cook, A Tao, who later informed me as a piece of gossip. At that time, I didn't pay much attention to it

Marvin let out a bitter smile and hurriedly said: "Sister Anna, it is I."

Regardless, since the lookout at the back has been eliminated by Ma Wen, it will not be long before the two enemies at the front also become aware of this fact

... ...

In the dark alley, it is empty and desolate, with not a single person present

After adjusting his skills, he leaned slightly forward again and extended one foot to step on the ground

Startled by the actions of the thief, Ma Wen took a step back, drenched in cold sweat

Skilled in covering the mouth, slitting the throat, and bleeding out

Everything that follows will be easy to handle

Looking into Anna's eyes, Marvin knew she did not believe him. He then said in a low voice: "Leave the unimportant things in the house and take the important ones with you. By the way, leave a letter for the owner of the Wild Horse Inn, asking her to help take care of our belongings, which we will come back to retrieve later."

Marvin shook his head, acknowledging that the church of the Silver Church indeed offered a place for travelers to rest, but the rent there was considerably higher

This task is exceedingly tedious. The subject is a half-elf warrior, reportedly specifically requested by the employer, but the boss's requirement is merely to monitor her movements. Their only responsibility is to timely report the whereabouts of that female half-elf to the higher-ups

At the dead of night, who would go out on the streets? It would be troublesome to encounter a patrol soldier. The thief suppressed his drowsiness.

Guidance? Looking at the mysteriously enigmatic Marvin, Anna became increasingly perplexed

Whoever dares to set their sights on Young Master Marvin, she will definitely not let him go

"Young Master Ma, why did you suddenly..." Anna looked at Ma Wen with some surprise, as if she were looking at another person.

Anna held a candle in her left hand and a sword in her right hand, displaying a hint of astonishment

Compared to Marvin's transformation into a qualified ranger, Anna is more inclined to believe the latter

Anna remained silent, yet a storm surged within her heart. She knew Master Marvin all too well; such a kind person had actually taken the initiative to commit murder.

In retrospect, it is highly likely that the one who acted against you from behind the scenes is your Uncle Miller

"Listen, Anna, we only have fifteen minutes." Marvin spoke quickly. His eyes scanned every corner of the room, only to unexpectedly find the windows tightly covered by curtains.

Therefore, Marvin has always said that they do not have much time

This left Anna both shocked and angry

There is no time to explain too much. Marvin revealed a resolute expression: "Anna, you must believe me. I have recovered from a serious illness this time, and my mind has become clearer. I know what I need to do. Moreover, I have also received some guidance."

The alley behind the Wild Horse Inn

Now, I need your help

Sneaky fellows! What exactly do you want to do?

Anna hesitated for a moment, pointing her sword out the window: "Your words before you left reminded me, I did a little reconnaissance and found that there have been people outside on the street who have been watching our room."

The thief suddenly glanced back with alertness

In recent days, both the White River Valley and young Master Marvin have suffered tremendous blows, far exceeding what a 14-year-old boy can bear. It is not entirely impossible for the kind young Master Marvin to become decisively cold-hearted.

"Live mouth?" Anna frowned

The two quickly tidied up and quietly left through the back door

"What happened? Anna?" Marvin asked

The young thief yawned in boredom, staring blankly while keeping watch

Marvin coughed and said, "In the ditch behind."

What have you discovered?" He looked at Anna

I went to kill them. Anna revealed a hint of murderous intent. Just moments ago, in the room, Marvin explained to her that he had been ambushed by members of the Akron gang, and it was only through the guidance of that teacher from his dream that he managed to escape the crisis and return to the inn

Apart from the increased scent of blood in the air, no trace was left behind

Having said that, he displayed the emblem of the sika deer.

Did you not say that you would not be back tonight? I thought you would be spending the night at the Silver Church

A wise person once said that the potential of humanity is limitless. When a person finds themselves in a desperate situation, it is highly likely that some transformation will occur—whether good or bad—regardless, people will change in order to live better

Because I want to know who exactly wants to kill me The Akron gang would not attack me for no reason There must be someone behind them giving orders

Whoever knows, at the very moment the main door opened, a cold light suddenly rested upon their neck

"Nervous?" The thief furrowed his brow and stared for a moment before slowly turning his gaze away

The leader of the Akron gang is ambitious and no longer satisfied with the previous small-time activities such as collecting protection fees. This time, he is making an attempt to venture into the darker realms of brothels and related fields. Everyone in the gang knows that if this mission fails, their heads will roll

Maven's tone was unequivocal, Anna took a deep breath and silently vowed that if Maven truly encountered a fraudster, she would ensure that the scoundrel who deceived her young master would be torn to pieces

No, no, no, Anna, if it were just about killing them, I wouldn't have come to you for help

Master Ma Wen

Young master, I believe I may know who has been secretly plotting against you

This is a level 2 thief. Marvin hastily dealt with the corpse, obtaining some materials for making traps, as well as 30 silver coins. The gang members were not actually wealthy; their equipment was even worse than the plain curved dagger Marvin had purchased himself. It was mostly used to intimidate ordinary people and would be of little use in actual combat for true professionals.

Fortunately, the perception range of the thief was accurately estimated, and a test was conducted.

Marvin said softly, "As far as I remember, there are no enemies in the riverside town."

I still do not understand what you mean. Anna asked softly, "You said there is a hidden lookout at the back door? Where is it?"

He hid in the shadows, contemplated for a moment, and ultimately allocated all of his remaining 20 precious skill points to Stealth. With 44 points in Stealth, even at a 60% effectiveness, it would still amount to over 26 points, which should offer some hope

Quietly entering through the back door of the inn, Ma Wen stealthily ascended the stairs and entered the room