Chapter 123: The Eccentric Player (Part 1)
Drogo's arrival was much earlier than Ian had anticipated. Before the month was even over, his bloodriders had already appeared at the gates of Pentos.
After inquiring, Ian learned that Drogo had left most of his khalasar to make camp on the Dothraki Sea, traveling the final distance with only three hundred bloodriders.
This morning, Pentos held a grand entry ceremony for Drogo. To the uninformed, the scene looked like the arrival of a conqueror.
After lunch, Illyrio sent his steward, Mills, to inform Ian that Drogo would be hosting a feast for all the high nobility of Pentos in three days, which King Viserys would also attend, and that Ian should prepare to swear his oath.
Ian readily agreed, as he had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Adding to the good news, that evening the Mouse visited, telling Ian that he had brought more complete information about Kinvara Tem.
Since discovering this player in Quhuru's intelligence last week, Ian had asked him to find them.
Quhuru failed, so Ian had to settle for second best, hoping he could uncover all the available clues about Kinvara Tem's activities in Pentos.
To be honest, Ian still couldn't fully understand why the player chose such a name.
In esports, such playful stunts are normal.
But for a player participating in a "battle royale game," especially one who emerged from the most competitive Pentoshi players to reach the top thirty, to do something so self-destructive just for laughs is incomprehensible to Ian.
Generally, a distinctive name serves two purposes: either a signal to gather teammates or a trap.
But Kinvara Tem's name isn't optimal for either purpose. After all, if it were a signal to gather teammates, he could have chosen a code known only to his own people, instead of such a popular reference.
If it were a trap to lure people in, he should have chosen something more universal and recognizable, rather than something that only affects his countrymen.
Furthermore, another point worth noting is that this person's last appearance was at the red temple atop Pentos's highest hill.
And the timing was exactly the same day that Symon Tetrus, the son of Magister Tetrus, appeared in that temple vowing to kill Prince Hazan.
This made Ian suspect that this person might be the 'factor' that exacerbated the factional strife in Pentos.
If so, then such an unpredictable and manipulative individual is undoubtedly a dangerous opponent.
If possible, Ian hoped to take advantage of his current 'home field advantage' in Pentos, thanks to Illyrio, to bury this threat forever.
Otherwise, letting this person live could lead to endless trouble.
Back in the sitting room of his chambers, Ian had a servant bring in some fruit, and then formally began his conversation with Quhuru.
"You should thank me properly, Ian. We went to great lengths for you." Quhuru sat down in a velvet-cushioned chair and began eating fruit without any hesitation.
"It's about Darren. I've been racking my brains trying to help him." Ian shrugged, making up an excuse.
After all, compared to the sixteen-year-old Ian Rivers who had always stayed in Westeros, it was only natural that the twenty-five-year-old Darren Grafton, who had sailed to many cities, would have such an enemy as Kinvara Tem of Lorath.
He was currently using Illyrio's intelligence network. Although Illyrio had never questioned his personal relationship with Quhuru, his actions still needed to be logically consistent with Illyrio's assessment.
"I don't care, I don't know any Darren Grafton. I'm helping you; I wouldn't go to such lengths for anyone else."
"Of course, I owe you a favor, my friend," Ian said sincerely. "So, can we get to the point? Darren hasn't been sleeping well since he learned that Kinvara Tem had also arrived in Pentos. As his friend, I have to find a way to help him solve this problem."
"Is that Lorathi really that dangerous?" Quhuru muttered. "He looks very thin."
"Thin? Can you describe his appearance in detail?" Ian asked quickly.
"No," Quhuru shook his head. "No one has ever seen his face. This person always appears shrouded in a black cloak. We only know that he is very thin."
"Then how did you determine that the last person to appear at the red temple was him?"
"He said it himself."
"He said it himself?"
"He went to the red temple to confess, telling the red priestess on duty his name. The priestess thought what he said was too bizarre, so she shared it with the other priests, including one of our people."
What the hell? A player went to confess to a red priestess? What kind of insane move is this?
"What did he say?" Ian asked urgently.
"He said he shouldn't have touched that... Basketbol." Quhuru uttered an unfamiliar word awkwardly.
What the hell?! Ian's mind reeled.
If he didn't know Quhuru was definitely a native, he would have really suspected this little bastard was playing a joke on him.
So that player's last appearance was just to tell a red priestess that he shouldn't have touched the basketball? What the hell is this? Ian felt his brain was completely short-circuiting.
The other players he'd encountered, regardless of their skill level, at least did normal things, but what was going on with this guy? What was his purpose? What was his logic?
Could it be a provocation? A moment later, Ian had a theory: could it be that another player was also hunting him, so he showed up to make a joke and mock his pursuer?
If so, while his behavior was bizarre, at least it wasn't entirely illogical.
"Have your people ask the priests again to see if anyone inquired about Kinvara Tem before you," Ian told Quhuru.
If so, it meant his guess was correct; there was another powerful player faction in Pentos, and they were hostile to Kinvara Tem.
"Okay," Quhuru nodded.
"Then continue. Tell me everything you've found."
"The name Kinvara Tem first appeared in Pentos on a bounty notice at 'Jommo's Inn,' almost three months ago, around early October."
Ian had mentally calculated this when the game first launched, then asked, "Where is Jommo's Inn?"
(End of Chapter)
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