The fire at the smuggling den was the result of Lynn and Matty's combined efforts to ignite the flames. Yet, unlike Matty, who was left fretting and restless after the arson, compelled to witness the fire being extinguished, Lynn returned to his quarters to sleep peacefully after setting the blaze.
It was only upon waking the following morning that he received news from Howard, the duty officer, regarding the events outside. To his astonishment, he learned that the fire had indeed claimed a victim—one of the members of the Roshandar team.
Could this have been Matty's doing? That thought was swiftly cast aside. Given Matty's cowardice, encountering a Roshandar acolyte would leave him with no choice but to flee or surrender; the notion of him resisting and committing murder was far beyond his capabilities.
As expected, it wasn't long before Matty returned, his face pale, clearly shaken by the ordeal. He had remained at the scene throughout the night, witnessing the entire tragic event.
Linda was the fallen—vampires were efficient and merciless in their actions, and she had been brutally slain. Her teammates arrived without delay; however, it was unfortunate that a powerful mage could execute his grim task with even greater swiftness.
All of this transpired on a hidden rooftop, yet there were witnesses. Taderik's familiar raven had observed the entire scene and relayed the information to Taderik and Alaric, who followed shortly after.
The quiet loss of a comrade weighed heavily on the hearts of the remaining team members. Taderik, usually prone to bickering with Linda, broke down in public tears, disregarding his usual stoicism, while the two warriors clamored for vengeance.
Their display drew the attention of onlookers. The Roshandar priest had already become the center of attention, with many suspecting them of being the arsonists. However, as Alaric emerged bearing Linda's lifeless body, the outcry of doubt diminished significantly.
The Roshandar Church was known for its impulsive nature, but they would never harm their own comrades.
Amidst the sorrow of losing a teammate, Alaric openly addressed the crowd: Linda had uncovered a plot to incite a clash between the Roshandar priest and the vampires, but regrettably, the news had not been conveyed before she was slain. He could not ascertain whether the vampires genuinely harbored animosity towards the Roshandar Church or had merely been manipulated, but with the death of his companion, he felt compelled to seek retribution.
A righteous warrior may tolerate rumors, but when faced with a blood feud, they would not retreat before evil. Whether it be the instigators lurking in the shadows or the vampires themselves, both were now their adversaries. Alaric's mission was clear: eradicate these foes and offer solace to the fallen's spirit.
Alaric's words served both to rally and recruit new allies to aid in their assault against the vampire den. With Linda's death, their strength had waned, and to combat the vampires effectively, they required additional support; the mercenaries present were the ideal candidates.
The vampires of Dagger Valley were notorious and undeniably intimidating, yet they had committed numerous atrocities, leading many to despise them. In the absence of a leader, few dared to confront these beings. However, with the Roshandar priest stepping forward as the vanguard, it was only natural that others would follow suit.
After a night of recruiting, Alaric had assembled a new team. Their original party comprised five members, but following Linda's demise, they were left with merely two warriors, one mage, and a priest. Such a composition was ill-suited for exploring uncharted territories, thus Alaric scoured the gathering to recruit a rogue, a druid, and a bard to bolster their ranks.
Having gathered their newfound companions, they prepared to venture into the valley in search of the vampires.
"So, why don't you sign up? We could then justifiably accompany them into the vampire lair and seize the opportunity to strike," Imory suggested.
Upon hearing this, Matty recognized the rare opportunity, yet his face paled, and he remained silent. He had gleaned from Alaric's words that Linda had likely discovered him the previous night. Had it not been for the vampires slaying her, he very well might have been captured himself, and the thought sent a shiver of fear down his spine.
At such a moment, he dared not provoke Alaric; instead, he hid among the crowd, uttering not a word, and hurriedly fled as soon as the matter concluded.
"Well, not signing up might be for the best. We can operate independently while retaining a degree of freedom. The conflict between the Roshandar team and the vampires fundamentally arose from the artifact, and surely many seek to exploit the chaos. The acolytes of Roshandar are unlikely to turn against every opportunist; we can certainly follow them to accomplish our own objectives."
Lynn had not forgotten their ultimate aim: to incinerate the cargo and lure the Roshandar team into fighting the vampires, merely to draw away the defenders. If they could indeed engage in a deadly clash, it would divert all attention, allowing Lynn and his companions to infiltrate without hindrance. The outcome of their final battle was of no concern to him.
Between them lay a chasm of deep-seated enmity; what did it matter to him, a mere arsonist?
Nevertheless, despite his plans, one aspect perplexed Lynn: the vampires' swift execution of Linda seemed excessively ruthless. They had not directly encountered the vampires, nor had they instigated them; why, then, had the vampires chosen to strike with such ferocity?
Did they harbor a longstanding grudge? Yet, what animosity could exist between the centuries-old vampires of Dagger Valley and the Roshandar Church? These vampires remained shrouded in mystery, their motives unclear, and their recent violent actions left one questioning their true intentions.
Lynn committed these thoughts to memory. However, time was of the essence, as Alaric had now gathered his forces and was ready to embark. They too had to enter the vampires' lair in the valley and await their opportunity to strike.
In recent days, under the guise of spreading rumors, Lynn and his associates had captured members of a smuggling team and coerced them into revealing a rough map of the valley. Although the landscape could be likened to a labyrinth, possessing a map left only the question of the vampire sentinels within. Lynn resolved to leave the task of dealing with the sentinels to Alaric while he trailed behind, seeking his own chance.
They had long prepared for such endeavors, allowing them to set out as soon as they received Alaric's summons. Thanks to the financial support from Miss Vira, Lynn had procured some simple equipment for them: while they lacked magical artifacts, weapons forged in the steel city of Santir were of commendable quality.
However, upon reaching the vicinity of the valley, they discovered several other teams had already arrived. Alaric's public declaration of war had attracted many seeking to profit from the chaos, and those who reached the valley ahead of them were numerous.
This situation caused Lynn to furrow his brow: Alaric must have anticipated this outcome, yet he still chose to escalate matters. Was he attempting to enlist the assistance of these mercenaries to assault the valley? Or had he surmised that the shadowy figures lurking behind the scenes would inevitably join in, wishing to hunt them down as well?
The intentions of this priest remained elusive.