Chapter 299: Scout

Northwind Fortress, City Hall Square.

“Citizens, please adhere to the kingdom’s laws!”

Mantou circled above the city on his wyvern, shouting through a loudspeaker. His voice occasionally drew envious or awestruck gazes from below.

With the rapid growth of the player base, their antics had become increasingly diverse, even exploiting loopholes in the kingdom’s laws for outrageous schemes.

As a sheriff, Mantou’s workload had reached unprecedented levels. The southwestern district under his jurisdiction now housed over thirty thousand people, including nearly five thousand players.

“Hey! You there, don’t take off your clothes in public!”

“Trying to run?”

Mantou dived sharply on his wyvern.

The wyvern extended its claws, snatching up a bare-bottomed player attempting to disrupt public order.

Turning sideways, Mantou saw a familiar face.

“It’s you again, Holy Light Bro. This is your third time this month exposing yourself in public places. Got any excuses?”

Holy Light Bro, completely naked, proudly showcased his physique mid-air. Calmly, he replied:

“I’m merely following the way of nature. Everyone is born naked. Why should crude creations conceal our bodies? In my ideal world, everyone would be honest with each other.”

Mantou suppressed the urge to retort and waved him off.

“Enough of that!”

“Citizen, you’ve violated Article 23 of the Kingdom’s Public Order Penalty Act. Five gold coins fine or seven days in jail—your choice.”

Mantou used his legs to control the wyvern as he pulled out a notebook and feather pen from his bag to record the incident.

Holy Light Bro replied indifferently:

“Rather than pay for an unfounded crime, I’d prefer to spread the way of nature in jail, enlightening others to the beauty of freedom.”

“…”

“You’re unbeatable.”

After a long pause, Mantou gritted his teeth and uttered a few words.

Escorting the serene Holy Light Bro to the kingdom’s jail, Mantou resumed patrolling the skies above the city.

As a sheriff, his duties extended beyond managing citizens to identifying unknown outsiders and guarding against spies from the Northern nations, the Harpist Alliance, and even the Fadlan Empire.

Gazing down at the bustling crowds below, Mantou sighed deeply.

“So much to do lately… endless trivialities. No rewards, just wasted time.”

“Awoo~~”

His wyvern, Noodle, howled in agreement.

The wyvern seemed to miss the days of standing guard at the palace gates and leisurely eating in its lair.

“Damn, is the air quality getting worse? Feels suffocating.”

“Whatever. Back to work.”

Mantou stroked the smooth, slender neck of Noodle and continued using the wyvern’s 【Aerial Reconnaissance】 skill to patrol the city. Icons appeared above everyone’s heads, displaying names, levels, and even affiliations.

【Citizen】

【Worker】

【Scholar】

【Tiefling Guard】

【Wealthy Merchant】

Scanning the ground below, the overwhelming array of names strained Mantou’s eyes.

“Thirty thousand people in the southwestern district. Finding a spy here is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Checking each one would kill me.”

“Wait, what’s this?”

Suddenly, a striking red name caught his attention amidst the crowd.

【Bosk Duchy Scout (Challenge Level: 3)】

The man wore plain clothes and blended in seamlessly, looking no different from any other ordinary citizen. In the chaotic Northwind Fortress, no one would suspect him. Unfortunately, he encountered players equipped with cheats.

Mantou immediately perked up, exhaling white smoke through his nostrils.

“Speak of the devil—gold coins and contributions, here I come!”

“Noodle, that’s the one.”

“Awoo~”

The wyvern nodded slightly and flapped its wings faster.

On the ground, the scout seemed to notice the approaching wyvern and quickened his pace, trying to slip into an alley under the cover of the crowd.

From above, Mantou observed everything clearly.

He wouldn’t let this duck escape.

“Damn it.”

The scout glanced back at the growing shadow and realized he’d been exposed. He hastily pulled powder from his clothes, creating thick smoke that caused confusion in the city.

“Cough, cough, what is this?”

“Where did this strange fog come from?”

“Is it an enemy invasion?”

The crowd buzzed in confusion, eyes watering from the smoke.

Seeing the scout’s increasing speed as he blended into the crowd, Mantou muttered softly.

“No more waiting. Noodle, Dragon Roar Charge!”

“Roar—”

Together, they unleashed a deafening dragon roar.

Simultaneously, the wyvern spread its wings and dove rapidly.

The roar paralyzed most of the crowd, some fainting on the spot. The scout’s hope of escaping through the chaos was dashed.

Even the specially trained scout stumbled and tripped, collapsing onto a street vendor’s stall after only a few steps.

Mantou shouted loudly:

“Crimson Scaled Conqueror on duty! Stand aside, civilians!”

“He’s a spy sent by the enemy!”

Two legs can’t outrun wings, especially under the influence of a dragon roar.

Within moments, the wyvern swooped down, grabbing the scout mid-air with its sharp claws.

“Woohoo, lift-off!”

Mantou shouted triumphantly from the wyvern’s back, clutching not just the scout but also a fortune in gold coins and contributions.

“Damn dragon lackey!”

The scout struggled in mid-air.

But the wyvern’s claws, embedded in his flesh, held him firmly, preventing any escape.

Within moments, the wyvern climbed hundreds of meters high. The scout, regaining composure, pulled out a hidden wrist crossbow, aiming to pierce the wyvern’s wings and bring down the rider with him.

“Die, dragon lackey!”

The scout raised his right hand, aiming at the wyvern’s wings.

But Mantou had been watching the scout’s every move.

“Swish—”

As the scout extended his arm, Mantou decisively swung his longsword, severing the arm and the crossbow in one swift motion.

Wiping blood from his blade, Mantou remarked coldly:

“Caught and yet still resisting? Could’ve surrendered peacefully.”

“Had to make me draw blood, didn’t you?”

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