I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Once the two of them had entered the basement, the door was closed silently.

The basement was dark and damp, filled with the smell of musty and rust. Only a few broken candles flickered in the cold wind, providing a weak and unstable light.

The innkeeper, Craig, spoke first, his tone filled with barely concealed unease and resentment: "Aig, is this the fat sheep you were talking about? Are you blind? Didn't you see he brought four adventurers?"

The man called Aiger let out a short, snicker as he spread his hands in the leaping firelight.

"Don't rush, Craig. They can't stay together forever. In this mud, once we figure out a way to separate the prey from the hounds, the rest is up to us, isn't it?"

Craig snorted, his tone cold and hard.

"Let me make this clear beforehand—no bloodshed in my inn, and don't provoke those adventurers."

"There are several silver-level beings in the border town. If we recruit them, the entire undead settlement combined wouldn't be enough for them to slaughter."

"You can rest assured, why would I seek to kill myself?"

Aiger pulled an exquisite glass bottle from his pocket. He gently swirled the bottle in the candlelight, and the dark blue, viscous liquid inside was reflected in his pupils, gleaming with an eerie light reminiscent of the abyss.

"Later, all we need to do is put the little cutie from this bottle into their food..."

Craig frowned, wanting to object.

But Aiger spoke first: "I know what you're going to say. Don't worry, this potion will only make people sleepy, it's absolutely non-toxic. Once those 'hounds' are sound asleep, my men will take the target away directly. I promise, I won't lay a finger on those adventurers."

Craig's expression remained grim.

Iger continued.

"When those adventurers wake up and find their employer missing, they might come looking for you. You can simply pretend you know nothing."

"The adventurers in the border town are not all saints, but they wouldn't kill someone just because they have suspicions. If they can't find any evidence, they will naturally leave."

Craig snorted, his tone full of dissatisfaction.

"In the end, it's all about me taking the biggest risks for you. You, on the other hand, get to be all free."

Upon hearing this, Egger approached Craig and said in a deep voice, "Since you're involved, there are bound to be risks. Besides, it's not like I haven't given you any benefits."

"When we worked together before, you always took the lion's share. Did I ever say anything about it? You'll make some money this time too, just not as much. Let's part ways amicably after this is over."

"You should know that the greatest sins often stem from greed, not poverty."

Craig's face was extremely grim.

"Fuck you, you're full of bullshit."

Despite their obvious disdain, the two reached an agreement.

……

In the room on the second floor, Zieg and Ravenna, who were on night watch tonight, lay on the only two beds.

Finn and Ingram, on the other hand, sat cross-legged on the floor, resting against the wall.

The room was deathly silent, save for the occasional heavy footsteps outside the window and the unsettling barking of a stray dog ​​in the distance.

Knock, knock.

The sudden knocking on the door shattered the deathly silence.

Zig opened his eyes instantly, his body tensed, and his hand reached for the longsword at his waist.

The other three also opened their eyes at the same time, looking towards the doorway.

The four then exchanged a silent glance.

Who would knock on the door at this time?

Zieg made a gesture, signaling the others to get ready.

Then he lowered his voice and asked towards the door, "Who is it?"

A somewhat nervous voice came from outside the door: "Innkeeper, dinner is served to you."

Everyone then relaxed a little.

Zig walked to the door and opened it a crack.

A thin young man with his head down held a wooden tray with food and drinks on it.

It doesn't seem to pose any threat.

Zieg opened the door and let the other person in.

"Gentlemen, this is a dinner specially prepared for you by the boss."

His voice was very soft. After he finished speaking, he quickly walked into the room and placed the tray shakily on the table.

The food on the tray emitted an almost sinister aroma.

Golden-brown roasted pork bones, steaming bread, stew, and a jug of ale.

In a place like this, having such food is already a luxury.

After putting down the items, the waiter bowed slightly and then hurried away as if fleeing for his life, without saying a word.

Zieg's gaze lingered on the closed door for a moment—he arrived just in time and left in such a hurry, and his eyes, which he never dared to lift, were hard to ignore.

After the door closed, Finn walked to the table, looked at the food, and his eyes lit up: "In a place like this, there's actually a cook who's willing to use spices?"

Ingram also came over.

None of them had eaten properly for the past few days.

Seeing this tempting dish enveloped in steam, my mouth is practically watering.

Zig also walked to the table.

He picked up a large, golden-yellow piece of meat.

I subconsciously put it into the book of adventure first.

"Large pieces of meat laced with a sedative: the meat is succulent, but it has been injected with a sufficient amount of sleep-inducing alchemical ingredients. It is non-toxic, but it can put a strong adult man into a deep sleep within ten minutes."

Zig's fingers, which were gripping the meat bone, suddenly paused, and his eyes instantly darkened.

He put down the large bone and meat, then picked up a piece of bread and a plate of stew, and put them into the book of adventure as well.

"Drugated bread"... "Stew laced with malice"...

Every single dish on the table was the same.

Zig glanced at the steaming food on the table, then at the expectant expressions on his companions' faces.

He took a deep breath and slowly put down the stew in his hand.

"Don't touch it!" Zieg's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable deterrent force.

Finn's fingertips had already touched the large bone and flesh, but the sudden shout startled him so much that he jerked his hand back. Ingram and Ravenna also instantly stopped what they were doing.

Zieg said with a serious expression, "This food has been tampered with."

"What?"

The three people's expressions changed instantly.

"Are you sure?" Ingram asked in a deep voice.

Zieg nodded:

"Absolutely certain. All the food was laced with a sedative. It wasn't lethal, but it would make us lose consciousness."

Ingram's face darkened:

"Damn it, it seems the innkeeper has ulterior motives."

Zig didn't say much, hurriedly got up, and walked quickly towards the door.

He left behind the words: "You wait here, do not make any rash moves."

"Where are you going?" Ravenna asked instinctively.

Sieg said without turning his head:

"next door."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed open the door and rushed into the next room.

The three exchanged a glance and instantly realized the seriousness of the problem.