Chapter 124 Players Behaving Weirdly (Part 2)
"The Qoma Inn is in the Undercity District. It's been open in Pentos for many years," Hazru the Big Mouse began his introduction. "Originally, there was nothing remarkable about it. But last year, a new owner with very powerful connections bought it and started offering a service inside the tavern to help mercenaries find work."
"Because of the Qoma Inn's extreme efficiency, it became the largest hub for mercenary activity in Pentos in less than half a year. It was even given the nickname the 'Mercenary Guild'."
It sounded like the work of a player, but the timing was too early. Ian shook his head inwardly. "And this mysterious owner?"
"He works for Suda Tetrus, the third son of Magister Tetrus," Hazru answered quickly. "Yes, the same one whose fiancée was stolen by Prince Hazan, who then challenged the prince to a duel."
*The poor cuckold,* Ian thought. He nodded to Hazru, motioning for him to continue.
"The first trace we found of Gini Taime's activities in Pentos appeared in this very inn," Hazru said, immediately changing the subject. "He posted a mission at the Qoma Inn."
"Do you know the content?"
"No," Hazru shook his head. "It was a very ordinary task, completely inconspicuous. If it weren't for the fact that the publisher's name, 'Gini Taime,' has no meaning in Valyrian—a detail that made the owner look twice—I'm afraid no one would have noticed such a task at all."
*So, someone posted a bounty with a name that, when pronounced in Valyrian, sounds like Gini Taime. If this was an attempt at fishing for other players, it can likely be ruled out.*
The target audience was far too narrow. The number of Chinese players in the game was less than a fifth of the total. One of them would have had to know this specific transliteration trick, happen to start in Pentos, happen to come to the Qoma Inn, and happen to see the name. Even if all those conditions were met, they might not even recognize the name when spelled out in the Valyrian alphabet.
It was a lure so specific that even a master fisherman couldn't hope for a bite.
*So, was it truly a pre-arranged code between Taime and his allies?*
"Who took the mission?" Ian asked immediately.
"No one. A week later, Gini Taime returned to the Qoma Inn and canceled it. Of course, for canceling without a justifiable reason, the deposit was non-refundable."
"How much was the deposit? And the reward?"
"The deposit was two gold dragons, one-third of the mission's total reward," Hazru replied.
*Useless information,* Ian thought. *Far too many starting professions could produce two gold dragons. I can't judge the player's starting class based on that.*
"And after that?"
"After that, the name next surfaced at the Red Temple, just recently."
"But the earliest information you gave me said that he and his small gang made a fortune," Ian asked, puzzled.
"Yes, but by that time, his name was no longer Gini Taime."
"What?"
"In the span of a single month, Gini Taime used three different names. We didn't know which was his, so we just used the first one he used. But judging from your friend Darren Grafson's reaction, Gini Taime is his real name, is it not?"
Ian touched his nose. *Three names in one month. Why does that sound so familiar?*
"But if no one has seen his face and he keeps changing his name, how do you know it's the same person?"
"Heh," Hazru's face suddenly filled with pride. "Ian, you must understand, the inn's owner, Suda Tetrus, is a member of the Volantis Party. After he made such a major move in the city, it would have been impossible for Magister Illyrio not to take precautions."
"The Qoma Inn has always been a key target of our surveillance, and we deployed extra manpower in the area."
"And it was by sheer coincidence that our people saw Gini Taime meet with a swordsman named Manin Charles on the next street over, right after he canceled the mission and left the inn."
"Then, this Manin Charles appeared in a new gang. The leader of that gang always wore a mask, but judging from his build, there is no doubt that the man was Gini Taime."
"Impressive." Ian's scalp tingled. He couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude that his own early schemes had been carried out in quiet, unnoticed intersections. "So, what happened next?"
"Then, just as the report stated, Taime made money and built his power at the port through a series of operations. Of course, after this more in-depth investigation, we discovered a few new things."
"For example?"
"A mercenary knight in Taime's gang once tried to seek an audience with Lord Illyrio, but he was directly rejected by the manse's guards."
*That's completely normal,* Ian scoffed internally. *Of all the players who start in Pentos, who isn't here for the Dragon Mother?*
"You may not know this," Hazru continued, pausing for a moment, "but some time ago, a large number of so-called Westerosi noble knights were visiting Lord Illyrio's properties, claiming they came to seek refuge with the… beggar king." He swallowed the rest of the insult, glanced at Ian, and when he saw no sign of anger, he went on.
"The people who come to seek refuge with His Majesty Viserys have endless tricks. They all try their best to prove their worth, but unfortunately, they all fail to pass Steward Mills's test."
*No, I'm well aware. I learned that much when I had a spear pointed at my nose by one of your Unsullied guards the first time I came here.*
"And after those speculators were rejected, for some unknown reason, a great many conflicts broke out between them. They began to hunt one another, causing a large number of murders in a short period."
"It was during that period of chaos that Taime's gang took advantage of Pentos's anti-slavery operation and became the sword of the Hauket family, growing rapidly in strength."
"With all that activity, how could you possibly have missed them?" Ian laughed.
"They rise quickly, but they die even faster. That is the way of small gangs like that," Hazru shrugged, his expression full of disdain. "In late October, they suffered a fatal blow."
"Their rivals took advantage of Magister Tetrus's counter-offensive against the anti-slavery crackdown and brought disaster upon Taime's gang overnight. They disappeared after that, and Taime himself was missing until he resurfaced at the Red Temple."
*Exposing his identity as a player without sufficient strength led to a devastating blow. Then he disappears for more than a month, only to suddenly reappear at the Red Temple and reveal himself again. This isn't some fantasy story where you go away, achieve a breakthrough in power, and return to announce the king has returned.*
Ian shook his head. The whole story was absurd. Regardless of whether Taime had some connection to Suda Tetrus, his revealing himself at the Red Temple made no sense. There was definitely something else going on here. He had to find a way to investigate more carefully.
"Tell me about his enemies," Ian said, temporarily setting aside the puzzle of Taime. He focused on the other group of players. "What about the gang that forced Taime and his people into a corner?"
After all, players were the enemy.
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