I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Aiger stepped out of the shadows into the candlelight, his face showing just the right amount of concern: "You're all armed, are you planning to travel through the night? Even if you're in a hurry to talk business with me, you don't need to brave the darkness of the wilderness, do you?"

Joel felt like he had grasped at a straw.

He glanced at Craig, whose face was grim behind the bar, then pulled Aeger to the corner, lowering his voice and trembling with lingering fear:

"Aig, someone has laced the dinner at this shady establishment with a high concentration of sleeping potion."

Aiger's feigned composure froze for a moment, and his eyes suddenly darkened.

His face displayed a masterful performance, perfectly capturing the mix of shock and anger: "What? That idiot Craig dared to break the settlement's rules?"

He immediately gripped Joel's arm, his tone becoming extremely serious.

"Listen, Joel, the wilderness at night is far more deadly than this. Take your men to my lodgings, and I'll swear on my honor your safety. As for this shady inn..."

Iger deliberately raised his voice by half an octave, giving Craig a cold glance: "I will personally go and settle accounts with the Black Crow Gang."

Upon hearing the words "Black Crow Gang," Joel's previously unwavering resolve to back down instantly cracked.

Aegon was his longtime partner, while the Black Crows represented the brutal yet effective ironclad rules of the Undead Settlement.

These two safeguards allowed Joel to relax his tense nerves a little.

Of course, what truly stopped him was his deep-seated resentment.

If they were to slink back to the border town in such a sorry state, they would lose far more than just the hard work of this trip.

For Joel, this meant the end of his years of hard work in the Undead Settlement, the source of his wealth that allowed him to outprofit his rivals in town.

Later, he had to turn back to those arrogant Water City caravans and endure the exorbitant shipping costs and ever-increasing taxes.

This means his weapons shop will lose its price advantage, and he may have to scale back his expanding operations in the coming years.

Seeing Joel frozen in place, Aiger took another step forward.

"We've been through thick and thin together in this quagmire for years, old buddy. Would you rather trust your gut feeling than my reputation?"

"When have I ever let you fall into a trap? When have I ever let you suffer even the slightest loss?"

Joel felt a slight sense of relief.

A businessman's nature recklessly pushes the boundaries of reason.

Indeed, as Iger said, in this lawless land, Iger has always been his most reliable support.

Every transaction in the past had been as precise as a scale, and every piece of ore transported back to town had yielded substantial profits. It seemed that Egger had no reason to destroy this hen that laid golden eggs for him at this time.

Just as Joel was hesitating, a voice rang out not far behind him. It wasn't loud, but it was as steady as a striking bell.

"Mr. Joel."

Joel turned around at the sound.

Zieg stood quietly on the path leading to the gate.

His posture was relaxed and natural, showing no sign of anxiety or hostility despite Egger's obstruction. He simply gazed at Joel calmly, his eyes revealing a clarity that had seen through the fog.

The moment their eyes met, Zieg slowly, but with unusual clarity, shook his head.

The movement was so subtle as to be almost negligible, yet it carried an undeniable decisiveness, severing Joel's last shred of hope.

Joel felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

He stood frozen in the middle of the drafty lobby of the hotel, the scattered fragments of information in his mind suddenly piecing themselves together at that moment.

From the moment you step into this inn, every piece of meat is injected with a drug, and every jug of ale exudes malice.

Craig was indeed greedy, but he was also a shrewd businessman who could distinguish between a full meal and a regular meal.

Unless, someone had paved the way for him before the hunt even began.

Joel's thoughts inevitably drifted back to a week ago.

If it weren't for Aiger specifically sending someone to deliver a message claiming that there was a batch of top-quality raw ore that was urgently being sold due to illegal mining, he would never have rushed over.

It was the bait that Egger threw out.

Joel felt an unprecedented chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his head. His face turned ashen instantly, and even his breathing trembled slightly.

He looked at Egger again.

The man still wore the concern of an old friend on his face, but to Joel at this moment, all that lay beneath that facade was a disgusting greed.

Joel took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

When he spoke again, his tone was as still as a frozen lake, leaving no room for negotiation.

"No need, Egger."

Aiger's prepared remarks came to an abrupt halt, and his face, which had maintained a composed expression throughout, froze completely at that moment.

"What did you say?"

Joel didn't give the other man any more chances to perform. He avoided Iger's attempt to stop him and decisively walked past him.

"I said, no need, Egger. I think we've already reached an agreement regarding the ore."

There was no farewell, and no cursing.

Joel followed closely behind Sieg's steady figure. The group pushed open the gruesome inn door and disappeared into the thick, inky night of the Undead Settlement.

Behind him, Aiger stood still, his face terribly gloomy.

"Damn it!"

Craig emerged from behind the bar, a hint of undisguised sarcasm on his face.

He crossed his arms, stared at the empty doorway, and let out a harsh laugh: "Looks like your plan has failed, Egger. Your old friend is clearly much smarter than you thought."

Aiger sneered, not turning around, his voice sounding like it was being ground out from between clenched teeth: "Leave? You think they can get away?"

"That's none of my business." Craig shrugged, appearing ready to distance himself. "Since the deal fell through, it's best if all that unpleasantness just happened disappears into the night along with that merchant. I don't want..."

"Disappear? You're too naive, Craig."

Aig turned his head sharply, and the look in his eyes made the hairs on the back of Craig's neck stand on end.

"Do you think Joel is heading towards the door to escape? No, he's looking for sharper teeth to vent his anger."

"In this quagmire, even a lowly cobbler who gets robbed will think of revenge, let alone a merchant like Joel who has some reputation in the border town?"

Craig's smile froze on his face, and out of unease, his fingers began to pick at the splinters on the edge of the bar.

"He left, and he took the evidence with him! Those two unconscious guys are solid evidence that they can talk."

"As soon as Joel returns to Border Town and dumps those two unconscious idiots on the ground of the Adventurers' Guild, your death is imminent."

"Do you think the Black Crow Gang would offend the Adventurers' Guild in the border town just to protect you? No, they'll cut off your head and hang it on the settlement gate as a gesture of apology to the guild."

"They'll use your head to tell everyone that the Black Crow Gang's rules are inviolable. Then you won't even have a chance to beg for mercy."