Luke was stunned when Baston quietly passed him the piece of paper.
The message that was written on it was short yet its meaning carried a weight that made his fingers stiffened.
His uncle was actually not here since he was in somewhere else.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the words as if his mind refused to process them. The bustling area of Paradise Resort continued around them with people laughing, attendants serving, and music drifting through the air but none of those sounds reached his ears anymore.
Only the words on that paper existed that the real Viktor was somewhere else. His fingers tightened slightly around the paper after knowing the fact.
If Baston was mistaken, the situation would only become awkward. But if Baston was correct, then everything that he had done since arriving at Paradise Resort might already be part of someone else's arrangement.
Surely, his uncle was not a careless man.
Viktor had spent few decades of navigating the noble politics, business alliances, and dangerous rivals. A person like that would never appear somewhere publicly without preparing several layers of precaution.
It already meant the man that he had spoken earlier might not only be a fake. He might be a bait that was used just to lure him out.
The thought made him feel a chill run across his spine yet he kept his expression completely neutral while walking beside Baston as if nothing unusual had happened at all.
He slowly lifted his eyes toward the fat boy who was walking beside him. Baston's round face looked the same as usual, calm and almost absent-minded as if the information he had just delivered meant nothing extraordinary.
But, he knew better. Baston was not someone who joked about things like this.
He might act lazy, greedy, or foolish most of the time, yet when it came to serious matters, he rarely lied. If anything, Baston preferred keeping silent rather than speaking falsehoods.
That was why his heart sank because if Baston was right, then the man that was currently waiting somewhere inside Paradise Resort was only an impostor.
He himself had absolutely no way to verify it.
His eyes briefly swept across the surroundings which consisted of servants, nobles, gamblers, and guards. There were too many people moved around them and anyone might be listening.
After all, the walls here had ears. Luke folded the paper quietly and slipped it into his sleeve without saying a single word.
For now, he chose to believe it.
As for where Baston got this information and how he confirmed it, those questions would have to wait. Asking them now would only attract the attention.
If someone overheard even a fragment of this conversation, the consequences could become disastrous.
While both of them walked toward the coliseum venue, his mind spun rapidly.
If the man here was fake, then the real Viktor must be doing something far more important somewhere else.
He briefly wondered how Baston could even discover such a thing.
They had only arrived at Paradise Resort not long ago yet the fat boy already seemed to know far more than he should. Such information like this was not something that could be guessed casually.
Either Baston had some hidden method to gather the intelligence or he had already suspected something long before today.
He secretly glanced at his new servant again. The fat boy was lazily looking around the resort as if he were simply admiring the scenery.
There was no tension nor urgency. There was only that usual slow and careless appearance.
Still, he had already learned that Baston's most dangerous trait was exactly that. No one could tell what he was truly thinking.
Just as he was lost in thought, Baston suddenly handed him a second piece of paper.
He opened it and his brows slowly knit together. It was a request to delay for the time. That was the entire instruction.
He let out a quiet sigh before giving a subtle nod. Eventually, that was Baston's plan.
If the man who was pretending to be Viktor wanted to confront him, then he simply had to stall him. The longer the confrontation lasted, the better.
Still, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
When he spoke with his uncle earlier, nothing felt unusual. The posture, the voice, and even the subtle habits that Viktor had developed over the years seemed perfectly natural.
If Baston had not insisted otherwise, he would have never suspected anything.
Yet, the noble boy trusted Baston more than his own judgment right now which meant the situation was far more complicated than it appeared.
*****
Far away from the extravagant lights of Paradise Resort, the real Baston was nowhere near the coliseum. His true body remained hidden several streets away from Carpel Inn.
Through the thin thread of consciousness that was connecting his puppets, he observed everything that was happening through their eyes.
One puppet currently stood beside Luke inside the resort and another puppet had already entered Carpel Inn.
The place looked ordinary from the outside.
Its wooden sign creaked gently under the wind while the warm lantern light spilled from the windows. The people moved in and out casually, chatting with the staff as if there was nothing unusual existed here.
Yet, the moment his puppet stepped inside, he sensed something wrong. It was very wrong that he could know it just from the puppet's sense.
The air inside the inn carried a strange tension that ordinary people would probably ignore but he noticed it instantly.
There were too many eyes. They weren't staring directly at the puppet, yet the subtle glances appeared from different corners of the room.
A man who was drinking near the bar, a woman who was pretending to read near the window, and even a waiter who was cleaning the table that seemed overly attentive.
They were watching every movement. The puppet sat down at a wooden chair near the corner of the inn.
From an outsider's perspective, he looked no different from any tired guest that was resting after a long walk yet his consciousness was carefully measuring every reaction around him.
The man at the bar lifted his cup too slowly, the woman near the window turned a page without reading, and even the waiter's smile felt slightly forced. None of them made a move but that very restraint revealed their vigilance.
It was like stepping into a room that was filled with silent traps.
Baston didn't know exactly where Viktor was hiding but he was certain of one thing. The real mastermind of today's scheme was very close.
He controlled the puppet carefully, forcing its body to behave like an honest and slightly dull guest. The puppet ordered cheap food, spoke politely to the innkeeper, and occasionally scratched his head like a confused man that was unfamiliar with big cities.
Nothing suspicious and nothing threatening yet he could still feel the invisible pressure that was surrounding him.
If the puppet made even a single mistake, someone would silence it immediately.
That meant only one thing since the real Viktor was very likely here. Because only someone who was cautious enough would arrange such a careful surveillance network inside an ordinary inn.
Baston narrowed his eyes slightly. In the end, this was where the real game was happening. That was why he decided to reveal the truth to Luke earlier.
Luke didn't need to know every detail but he had to understand one thing clearly. The man at Paradise Resort was fake and his job there was simple. It was to buy time for him to act.
He could not divide his attention equally between the two locations forever. Controlling multiple puppets already required enormous mental concentration.
If the situation escalated, he needed to focus entirely on Carpel Inn which meant Luke had to stall the fake Viktor by any means necessary even if it required fighting.
*****
Meanwhile, Paradise Resort's coliseum was already roaring with excitement.
Compared to the elegant casino halls, the coliseum was far louder and far more chaotic. In this place, the refinement meant nothing. The blood and violence were the true entertainment.
A massive circular arena stood at the center, surrounded by rows upon rows of spectators. The nobles, merchants, adventurers, and gamblers packed the seats tightly while shouting toward the fighters below.
The coins clinked, the bets were shouted, and the wine splashed across the tables. Unlike the quiet tension of card games or slot machines, the coliseum offered something raw and thrilling.
People came here to see the strength, to witness the clashing blades and exploding magic. And sometimes, to watch someone die.
The death inside the arena was not considered a crime. As long as both participants agreed to the fight, the spectators treated it simply as part of the show.
The more brutal the battle, the louder the cheers became.
Luke observed the scene silently while Baston looked around with mild curiosity.
Several matches were already taking place.
The fighters charged at each other with reckless aggression, trying to end the battle as quickly as possible. The crowd clearly preferred such swift and decisive victories. Slow or cautious ones were immediately booed.
"GO! GO! GO!"
"FINISH HIM!"
"WATCH YOUR BACK!"
"USE MAGIC!"
The entire arena shook with the noise.
Baston scratched his chin thoughtfully. Such a fighting style did not suit him at all. His method was the complete opposite.
Instead of rushing forward blindly, he preferred observing first. He would test his opponent, analyze their habits, and then slowly construct the best strategy to defeat them.
The patience was his weapon but such patience rarely entertained the crowds.
"These people would probably hate my style…" he thought.
He sighed inwardly. Still, that didn't matter today. This fight was never meant to be spectacular. Its only purpose was to delay time.
Before he and Luke could sit down, a tall man suddenly approached them. The man wore a servant's uniform yet his posture carried an arrogant confidence.
Luke immediately recognized him since it was one of Viktor's personal attendants. The person stopped directly in front of Baston and pointed at him rudely.
"You!" he said coldly, "Because you offended my lord earlier, I challenge you to a fight. Do you dare to accept?"
Baston blinked once before he shook his head, "No…"
The servant froze, "What?"
For a moment, he simply stared at the fat boy in disbelief, "I see… You're a coward! Don't you have any pride? Once people hear you refused a challenge, you'll be mocked everywhere!"
Baston chuckled lightly, "Before that, do you know who I am? Do you know of my status?"
The servant frowned, "Of course. Your name is Baston. You have ice magic talent but your poor status will always hold you back. In this world, the status determines everything."
Baston nodded thoughtfully, "So, you did your research."
Everything had already been confirmed. Viktor's side had investigated him thoroughly which meant this challenge was not random. It was part of a plan yet he showed no sign of concern.
"You say I'm just a poor," Baston said casually, "If that's true, why should I care about my reputation? If people mock me, does my status change?"
"What?"
"Can the pride be eaten?" Baston continued seriously, "If not, then it's useless… So, if you want to challenge me, you have to pay first."
There was a silence before the servant exclaimed, "You… what?"
"Pay the money first..."
"Why would I pay money to fight you?!"
Baston clicked his tongue, "I see… so you're poor too? No money means no fight then."
The servant nearly exploded with rage yet he forced himself to calm down. Causing a disturbance in the spectator area would only attract the guards.
Grinding his teeth, he turned and walked away. Luke watched the scene with an amused smile.
Threatening Baston with reputation was completely pointless. The fat boy already stood at the lowest level of society. There was nowhere lower to fall.
A few minutes later, the servant returned. This time he carried a Luminos card with him.
"Here's 1,000 pounds," he said stiffly, "Now fight me!"
Baston shook his head, "Too cheap…"
"What?"
"10,000 pounds is the minimum price…"
"Are you insane?!" the servant shouted.
"After all, I can use ice magic," Baston said.
"What does that have to do with anything?!"
"I don't care about your lord's reputation," Baston shrugged, "I only care about the money. Since I'm a talented wizard, I have to sell myself higher."
The argument quickly turned into something absurd. They began haggling like the merchants at a market.
"Two thousand!"
"No…"
"Three thousand!"
"No…"
Luke struggled not to laugh. The tension from earlier had completely vanished. Finally, Baston raised his hand.
"Alright… Five thousand pounds."
The servant narrowed his eyes, "Too expensive…"
"With this price, you can have the first attack."
The servant hesitated before a slow smile spread across his face, "Fine… Let's sign a magic contract..."
The money was transferred to Luke's Luminos card and the contract soon was signed. The servant sneered, convinced that the fat boy had just sealed his own defeat.
But, Baston only smiled quietly because the one who was signing the contract was merely a puppet. Even if the puppet was destroyed, he himself would remain completely unharmed.
"Be careful…" Luke whispered.
"I know…" Baston replied.
Soon, a voice echoed across the coliseum. It was signifying the next show for people to watch.
"Next match! We have another exciting round between a wizard and a mercenary…"
The crowd roared and Baston slowly walked toward the arena. Inside his mind, his real body remained focused on Carpel Inn.
The target was somewhere inside the quiet building. The real Viktor had been waiting and he intended to find him.
While the hunter kept focusing on his target, he would not realize that he would become a prey.