So, it seems the tavern owner and Evil Demon Claws are colluding to rob people and profit from it.
The reason he recommended buying his wine was also to set up a robbery!
With the target identified, Aux believed it was time to close the net!
"Do you know where the Evil Demon Claws' hideout is?" Aux asked.
The five Drunkards shook their heads, unsure.
"You'll keep today's events a secret, won't you? If I hear any rumors, that pain you just felt will haunt you for all eternity," Aux warned.
The Drunkards' faces were filled with terror; the thought of that suicidal pain made them tremble.
They promised they would absolutely forget what had just happened.
"Just in case, I've left a tracking spell on you. Behave yourselves!" Aux reminded them.
He left the alley, walking past the Drunkards. Ten minutes later, the Drunkards noticed the sluggishness in their bodies had disappeared.
"We..." one Drunkard began to speak.
Another Drunkard propped himself up, his brow furrowed in a long, warning gaze, "Don't you dare talk about this outside. I don't want to experience that feeling again."
"Are we just going to let it go like this?" The third Drunkard was very unwilling. They had been tormented so much; could they only back down?
The second Drunkard sneered, "Do you want to fight a Mage? You've had too much piss; anyone with a clear head knows this matter should end here."
The fourth Drunkard was also sober now. He looked at the third Drunkard and said, "From what that Mage said, he plans to cause trouble for Evil Demon Claws. We don't need to get involved. I hate both sides anyway."
The gloom in the hearts of all the Drunkards suddenly cleared.
If Evil Demon Claws were dealt with, their town would have an easier time.
Conversely, if that Mage died, they would also feel a sense of relief.
There was no need to dwell on revenge now.
They could just sit back and watch the show. They hated both parties, so it didn't matter who was eliminated.
Thinking this, they had nothing more to say. They straightened their clothes, ready to go to other taverns to continue drinking!
Aux didn't know the Drunkards' thoughts, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.
He strolled through the town.
He would buy any nice decorations he saw, planning to give them to Cana when he returned. After all, she had a connection with him, so a little concern was only right.
After sunset, Aux and Mystogan met again and booked a room to exchange information.
"I've checked all the surrounding mountains and forests. There are dead bodies and some carriage wrecks, as well as traces of fighting, but no survivors were found."
"It seems the Evil Demon Claws either left this town early or are hiding somewhere," Mystogan explained.
Hearing this answer was not unexpected.
If Evil Demon Claws were so easy to track, the Magic Council would have sent people to exterminate them long ago.
Mystogan asked, "What about you?"
Aux said, "The tavern owner is confirmed to be cooperating with Evil Demon Claws. The purpose is to make passersby buy his wine and take specific routes so that Evil Demon Claws can rob them."
"There's an Evil Demon Claws informant hidden in that tavern, suspected of overseeing the tavern owner and reporting back to those at the hideout."
Mystogan immediately stood up, surprised that a clue had been found so easily.
Didn't this mean the Evil Demon Claws' hideout had been discovered?
"Then let's capture the tavern owner, interrogate him about the Evil Demon Claws' hideout, and we'll go exterminate them tonight," Mystogan said, about to leave.
"Wait a moment..." Aux quickly called him back, "Everything needs a solid plan. Have you considered that the tavern owner might not know the Evil Demon Claws' hideout?"
Mystogan stopped.
That possibility did exist; he had been careless.
He returned to his seat, waiting for Aux to continue explaining the next plan.
"The tavern owner is not a member of Evil Demon Claws, so he likely doesn't even know who the informant in his shop is."
"If we rush to capture him, not only will we alert the informant, but if the tavern owner doesn't know the hideout, wouldn't we just be wasting our time?"
"Now we must ensure the plan is foolproof because time is very limited. We don't have time to play hide-and-seek with the members of Evil Demon Claws."
Mystogan listened very carefully.
And he agreed with Aux's words; he hadn't considered so much before.
Now, they couldn't rush.
"Doesn't the tavern owner just want us to buy his wine? Tomorrow, I'll get a carriage and buy a few barrels, then just follow the route he recommended out of town."
"At that time, I'll let it slip that there's a Mage escorting the wine. Evil Demon Claws will surely send many people after they find out. Then, we can exterminate them."
The plan was not complicated.
Aux believed that the members of Evil Demon Claws wouldn't be so cautious, and many members would surely be arrested or executed then.
Mystogan asked, "What about the tavern owner?"
Colluding with a Dark Guild, this tavern owner couldn't just be let go.
"First, exterminate the Dark Guild, and then let the Magic Council arrest the tavern owner," Aux replied.
A mere tavern owner was completely incomparable to the Evil Demon Claws; he could be dealt with casually.
Their main mission was still Evil Demon Claws.
"Tomorrow, you just follow me secretly. Otherwise, your attire makes it easy to recognize you as a Mage from the Fairy Tail Guild."
"Evil Demon Claws may not fear regular guilds, but our Fairy Tail Guild's reputation is well-known, so it's possible they'd be too wary to rob us."
It was also fortunate that he came as a partner for this mission.
If it were Natsu or Gray from the Guild, they might be recognized by the Dark Guild members.
Only Aux was low-key and hadn't made a name for himself yet.
Otherwise, this plan wouldn't work.
"You rest. I'm going out to hire a few people to come with us tomorrow when we leave town. It would be too awkward if it was just me," Aux reminded him.
Clap... Mystogan knew his attire was inconvenient for going out, so he simply took out money for Aux to use freely.
This mission was for him, so he naturally had to cover the expenses incurred.
"Sensible."
Aux gave him a thumbs up.
He picked up the money, weighed it a few times, and had already thought about how to spend it.
He left the inn.
The town was deserted after dark, with seventy percent of the shops closed.
There was no need to ask why.
Evil Demon Claws might sneak into the city at night and cause widespread panic.
Aux had originally wanted to find a place to enjoy himself.
With so many shops closed, that little thought in his mind completely died out.
He found a place similar to an employment agency.
He selected three people and told them to wait at the inn entrance tomorrow.
He also found a carriage rental shop, booked a carriage for tomorrow, and then went back to rest after everything was settled.
Everything was ready.
Just waiting to go out tomorrow, then resolve the members of Evil Demon Claws, and return to the Guild...