Chapter 45: Preparing to Meet Wildfire Leader Oleg

Sampo lay face down on the ground, grimacing as Theresa stood on his back. Her petite frame pressed down on his burly form, and Stelle watched with growing envy. She suddenly longed to be in Sampo's place, to feel Theresa's small feet on her own back. She even felt a surge of anger toward him—this wasn't the first time he'd dug a pit for them to fall into.

"Spare me, please! I won't run again! I was wrong, grandmothers!" Sampo pleaded, his voice muffled against the dirt. He didn't struggle, letting Theresa stand on his back, though he secretly thought it was hilarious. She was so tiny—how heavy could she possibly be?

Fortunately, Theresa remained unaware of Sampo's disrespectful thoughts. Otherwise, she would have made him experience the full half-ton weight of the Oath of Judah!

"Hmph! You know you're wrong, but you never learn! Do you enjoy stabbing us in the back so much?" Theresa huffed indignantly, stomping lightly on Sampo's back. Sampo lowered his head, trying to hide his faint smile.

"Theresa, why are you rewarding him? Let me have a turn!" Stelle exclaimed, her envy of Sampo's "punishment" growing unbearable. She swiftly scooped Theresa into her arms, grabbed a baseball bat, and aimed for Sampo's weak spot.

Thwack!

"┗|`O′|┛ Aaaaah~!"

Sampo's barely healed weak spot was struck again with a brutal baseball bat blow. He leaped up, clutching his throbbing backside and howling in pain. Stelle watched him writhe in agony with glee, feeling thoroughly vindicated.

"Serves you right for trying to trick us!" she shouted, glaring at Sampo, who was cradling his rear and whimpering. "Next time, Theresa's Oath of Judah will be smashing your head!"

Sampo nodded frantically, his face contorted with fear. He had truly overdone it, putting himself through such misery just for the sake of a performance. He had finally shown the true ruthlessness of The Masked Fools, even towards himself.

"Move it! Take us to Wildfire now!" March 7th barked, her glare matching Stelle's. She had no sympathy for him; he had tried to pull the wool over their eyes every chance he got. The first time, he had attempted to abandon them in front of the Silvermane Guards, only to be restrained by Theresa's weapon.

The second time, he had backstabbed them upon their arrival in the Underworld, stealing a Silvermane Guard weapon and Gepard's armor. And now, this third betrayal: he had been spying on them while they dismantled the Fight Club. When Theresa caught him, he tried to flee again, but this time his luck ran out. Theresa captured him once more. Three consecutive betrayals had filled them with seething rage!

"If this happens again, I guarantee it won't just be your backside getting hurt next time," Dan Heng said, glaring at Sampo. His calm but serious tone left no room for doubt that he meant business.

"I swear, this is the last time! I won't pull any more backstabbing tricks. Sampo solemnly swears!" Sampo knew he couldn't push his luck any further. One more stunt like that, and he'd be nursing a broken leg—literally.

"You want to go to Wildfire, right? Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock sharp, Sampo will be waiting for you all at the Goethe Hotel. I'll personally escort you handsome gentlemen and beautiful ladies to meet Boss Oleg!" Sampo declared solemnly under the group's menacing gazes, daring not to joke—at least for now.

"Your words better be true," Theresa said, her wise smile sending a chill down Sampo's spine. "Otherwise, if we catch you lying, we'll give you a real beating." The thought of such public humiliation made him shudder. He'd probably have to move to another city if that happened.

"Sampo guarantees it! As a merchant, I always strive to fulfill my customers' requests. After all, you've helped me earn a fortune in Shields. I sold all those Silvermane Guards' weapons to Wildfire at a bargain price. With these improved weapons, Wildfire members in the Underworld won't have to risk their lives against Fragmentum monsters with crude weapons anymore."

"And Boss Oleg was particularly fond of the combat armor I stripped from Gepard. Honestly, I've never seen that old man smile so brightly!"

"He stroked the armor so tenderly, perhaps because it reminded him of his days as a Silvermane Guard. I know he's never let go of that part of his past, so with tears in my eyes, I guilt-tripped him into buying that free-to-acquire armor for a thousand Shields—talk about a steal!"

Sampo's expression shifted dramatically, from mock grief to a cheerful grin.

"It's a miracle Wildfire didn't kill you," Dan Heng muttered, eyeing Sampo's gleeful face.

"Heh, almost happened! Seele nearly sliced me in half. Good thing I had my speed boots on—I bolted faster than lightning! Talk about a thrill!"

Sampo chuckled gleefully, while the others exchanged exasperated glances. The fact that this notoriously greedy man was actually one of The Masked Fools struck them as absurd. In their view, he'd be better suited as a ruthless merchant.

"Alright, let's head back to rest," Bronya said wearily. "We'll meet Wildfire Leader Oleg tomorrow. Hopefully, we can avoid any conflict."

She had abandoned her plan to retrieve Gepard's armor upon learning that Oleg had once served in the Silvermane Guards. Veterans tend to cherish relics of their past, and Gepard's armor would undoubtedly be something Oleg couldn't bear to part with.

Bronya knew her mother, Cocolia, would compensate Gepard with new armor anyway, as long as the crucial shield generator remained intact.

[Gepard's weapon was a shield generator disguised as Serval's guitar case, while his younger sister Lynx's mountaineering axe had also been modified by Serval.]

With that, the group bid farewell and returned to the Goethe Hotel to rest. Sampo limped back to his quarters, clutching his throbbing backside and grimacing. He dared not act up again, knowing that constantly backstabbing the Nameless was hardly honorable. But wasn't that, in its own way, part of the thrill of the Path of Elation?

The next day, Sampo arrived at the Goethe Hotel well before ten o'clock, eager to meet the Nameless. Auntie recognized him and let him in, even treating him to breakfast. After all, Sampo had referred many customers to her inn, so she held him in high regard.

"What wind blew our big-time merchant here today? Aren't you busy with your little ventures?" Auntie chuckled, wiping her hands as she sat across from Sampo.

"Your cooking is amazing, Auntie! This vegetable soup is delicious!" Sampo replied between bites.

"Actually, there's something I need to ask," Sampo continued. "Several lovely young ladies have taken refuge at your inn. They're wanted by the Overworld authorities, and I'm responsible for escorting them to Wildfire Leader Oleg in the Underworld. After all, the enemy of our enemy is our friend."

"Having more allies to resist Cocolia would benefit Wildfire too, wouldn't it?" Sampo explained while eating. Auntie nodded in understanding. She had wondered why such charming girls would venture into the dusty Underworld. Now she knew—they were fugitives wanted by the Supreme Guardian.