LOTR: The Mincraft Player Chapter 166: 166 - Every Boast Is a Clue

"? Take on a whole squad of royal guards?"

"That's madness."

Halbarad rode swiftly along the northern road on the horse the three of them had previously taken from the ssenger.

But no matter how far he traveled, he saw no trace of any ssengers or royal guards on that road.

This made him breathe a sigh of relief.

At least he wouldn't have to rack his brain figuring out how to deal with a squad of elite guards.

He recalled the discussion they had held earlier.

"Right, the three of us working together to handle the guards escorting the orders is manageable, but asking each person to take on an entire squad alone is definitely pushing our luck."

"How about this, we simply do our best. Even if we can't intercept the military orders, we can at least try to gather so intelligence. That way we'll know what the enemy is planning, instead of stumbling about blind, relying purely on fortune."

That's what the other two had said.

Whinny.

The horse ca to a halt just outside the city walls.

To avoid drawing attention from any unfamiliar marks or insignia that might have been on the ssenger's mount, Halbarad released the horse before entering the city.

Then, as usual, he covered his face and donned a robe with so local flair, who knew where he got it from, and walked openly into the settlent.

To the average city dweller, his appearance was sowhat conspicuous. So folk paid him no mind, others avoided him, and still others regarded him with disdain.

A wilderness hunter, a vagrant, a beggar...

Whatever they took him for, no one suspected he was an outsider.

That was already half the battle won.

"This port city built along the Sea of Rhûn, they say every stranger gets lost in its noisy markets and winding alleys."

"That's no lie."

In a narrow alley, Halbarad looked up at the sky.

If only I could fly...

"Those eastern rebels are finished..."

As he was walking, so idle chatter drifting out from a nearby tavern made him pause.

"I saw it myself. Those royal guards from the capital, they went to see the city lord."

Soone, sipping their ale, said, "Just so rebels. Our cavalry will crush them underfoot in no ti!"

"The last kingdom that challenged us like this was Rhovanion. And where are they now?"

"You can't even compare the two. At least Rhovanion was a proper kingdom. These rebels, what they've built is no better than a bandit camp..."

Drinking and discussing politics, whether in the West or the East, it was always a popular pasti among the locals.

Clearly these were tavern regulars; even the barkeep joined in, agreeing enthusiastically, and the place was soon buzzing with animated conversation.

But with one newcor joining in, a jarring voice cut through the chatter.

"I wouldn't be so certain. I heard those traitors have assembled quite the force!"

Halbarad strode boldly into the tavern, putting on the airs of soone with insider knowledge as he offered his contradiction.

"That army's nothing to fear."

Clack!

Imdiately, an Easterling man in leather armor slamd his cup down and declared, "Do you know who we've deployed this ti? The King's guard, each one's armor is inlaid with gold. And they're led by a captain whose helt is adorned with genuine auroch horns! A wild hunter like you, even ten of you together couldn't match the captain's sword-arm!"

"I don't believe it."

The 'wild hunter,' whose face remained obscured, was clearly provoked by the comnt. He said, "What do you know? I've got so inside information, word is, the rebels have gathered a large host, and they've got a formidable commander..."

"Nonsense!"

Another man cut him off directly, saying, "I think you must've been kicked in the head by a wild ox! We've got the mighty King's guard and the cavalry, led personally by a captain, what do your rebels possess?"

The hunter argued back, clearly agitated. "But I heard they also have a dark sorcerer, terrifying power. He just raises his hand and lightning cos crashing down, felling several n at once!"

"Pfft."

That claim drew mocking laughter from several patrons.

"What rubbish. Another wild tale, where'd you even hear such nonsense?"

"Even if that rumor is true, even if they do have a dark sorcerer, so what? Word is, the capital's been testing a new weapon lately, called 'fire bombs.' Toss one and it sets several people ablaze at once."

"One dark sorcerer is still just one man. But our bomb throwers, we've got hundreds, maybe thousands of them. What can he accomplish against us?"

The hunter muttered weakly, "Fine, say you're right and they can't win in open battle. But couldn't they simply retreat and hold out in a fortress? You think those fire bombs can burn down stone walls?"

"Clearly soone hasn't traveled much or seen the world."

Soone pointed at him indignantly and scolded, "You hunters, when you can't find ga in the wild, you co back spinning wild tales just to make yourselves seem important."

"They won't escape."

The hunter tried to argue further, but every sentence was countered by the politically inford tavern patrons. Their responses were well-reasoned, even citing troop movents and where a specific company had gone after leaving the city, including speculation about their mission.

In the end, the hunter was left speechless. The entire tavern had beco a chorus of voices against him.

"Right, right, you're all correct."

He quickly fled the tavern, clearly unable to remain a mont longer.

"Ha! At least he knows when he's beaten!"

The tavern-goers clinked their cups together in triumph.

---

In a narrow alley, the mont he left the tavern, Halbarad quickly pulled out parchnt and quill, jotting down everything those folk had revealed.

There was no trace of embarrassnt on his face.

His first piece of intelligence from this coastal city was now in hand.

Sotis, when it cos to gathering information, asking directly will get you nothing, people grow suspicious about your motives. But when people freely give up that information, without even realizing it, the credibility tends to be much higher.

"Captain... cavalry... troops that departed through the southern gate... fire bombs that can set n ablaze..."

He wrote it all down and headed deeper into the city.

The larger and wealthier a settlent, the more shadows it usually harbors.

A century of life experience had taught him this: as long as soone is human and has emotions, they also have weaknesses. And more often than not, those weaknesses are universal.

The gold he had scavenged earlier would soon prove useful...

"Can't let those two look down on ."

For a wanderer like him, whether it was lying in wait in uninhabited wilderness or blending into a bustling crowd, it was all routine.

But the sa applied to wizards.

---

"Still too late."

At a town on the eastern edge of the Easterling lands, Alatar watched helplessly as a carriage rolled through the city gates. Monts later, he followed.

"Just an old vagrant in tattered robes."

The guards paid little attention to the elderly man who needed a staff just to walk.

But arrogance and negligence... always invite ruin.

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150 = 1 bonus chapter

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100 Advance chapters!