Stepping out of the concealing darkness and into the more populated areas of the city filled them with trepidation.

Their biggest fear was that the bandits would immediately recognize them as outsiders and attack. But to their relief, nothing of the sort happened. The bandits continued with their activities, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

This was excellent! William and Rena could move through the city without attracting undue attention, allowing them to search for Burt and the elusive portal.

They agreed to avoid initiating conversations, only responding if someone spoke to them first.

William’s strategy was to listen and gather information discreetly. The more they spoke, the higher the risk of arousing suspicion. It was only a matter of time before someone realized he didn’t belong if he couldn’t keep quiet.

With this plan in mind, William and Rena made their way toward the main square, choosing a spot to sit and eavesdrop on the surrounding conversations. The city’s residents gathered there to chat and enjoy the cool night air.

Most of the talk was irrelevant to William, consisting of mundane details about their lives and daily routines. It wasn’t the information he was seeking.

But eventually, two voices caught his attention. They were discussing something that sounded like it involved Burt.

“Did you hear that the man they captured knows something about the portal?” one person said. “Apparently, he’s an adventurer, and those adventurers can actually use the portal!”

“What? Really?” the other replied, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, at least that’s what I’ve heard. They’re keeping him locked up in the barracks.”

William and Rena exchanged a significant look. Burt was being held at the barracks, it seemed, and they might be trying to extract information from him!

“We need to get him out of there before it’s too late,” William whispered urgently. “They might try to kill him once they’ve gotten all the information they want.”

That was precisely William’s fear. Burt wasn’t the kind of person who could endure significant pain and remain silent.

If the bandits were persistent enough, they would likely extract the information from him, and that would be a dire situation. They would have no reason to keep him alive once they had what they wanted.

William was relieved they had arrived in the city relatively quickly. Burt had likely only been captured recently and was hopefully still unharmed.

Their immediate task was to locate the barracks. William and Rena rose from the bench in the square and moved through the city, their eyes scanning for any building that fit the description.

A place like the barracks would undoubtedly have tighter security compared to the rest of the city. William noticed a few makeshift restaurants and taverns before his gaze landed on a building swarming with bandits.

There were four guards stationed at the front entrance and two more at the back. It was clearly a location with heightened security compared to the surrounding structures.

“That has to be the place,” William murmured.

Just as they were about to strategize a way to enter, a voice startled them from behind. It was one of the bandits, who had approached William and Rena unnoticed.

“What are you two doing here?” the bandit inquired, his eyes narrowed slightly, sensing their unusual behavior.

William turned to face the man, a disarming smile spreading across his face. He leaned in conspiratorially and said in a low, suggestive tone, “We’re actually looking for a private spot… doing it out in the wilderness must feel quite nice, you know?”

The bandit’s expression shifted immediately as he understood William’s implication. A knowing grin spread across his face. “Yeah, it is, my friend. There’s a secluded area behind the barracks. Lots of vegetation, no one around, so you can have your fun. Good luck, my friend.”

With a playful nudge of his elbow against William’s side, the bandit chuckled and walked away. Rena, who had followed the exchange, couldn’t help but shake her head with a wry smile.

“No way that actually worked,” she muttered, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Men…”

Rena was genuinely surprised that William had managed to deceive a random bandit so easily with such a flimsy excuse.

Regardless, the encounter served as a stark reminder that they needed to be more cautious. Even though their stolen attire helped them blend in, lingering in suspicious locations would inevitably attract unwanted attention.

Following the bandit’s suggestion, William and Rena walked around the barracks, making their way to the back.

There, they found a back door guarded by two bandits. Beyond the door lay a dense patch of vegetation with a narrow path winding into the heart of what appeared to be an abandoned park. It looked like a once-maintained area that had fallen into disuse, though it seemed it was now being used for… other purposes.

The guards at the back door of the barracks noticed William and Rena heading towards the abandoned park and exchanged knowing glances, clearly believing their earlier story.

“What do we do now?” Rena asked once they were concealed within the overgrown foliage of the abandoned park.

They needed to get into the barracks, not proceed further into the park. William was well aware of this.

“There are only two guards at the back door, so that’s our best point of entry,” he said, his voice low. “But can we take them down silently? Because if we make any noise, the rest of them will likely come swarming.”

That was their biggest predicament. If their initial attempt failed, William would be facing a significant number of bandits – not just those inside the barracks, but potentially everyone in the city!

Even with his strength, that was not a fight he desired. The risk far outweighed any potential reward.

“Maybe I can lure them out?” Rena suggested, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Lure them out…” William repeated, a thoughtful expression mirroring hers. “That might actually work. In fact, it’s a brilliant idea!”

With Rena’s striking beauty, enticing the guards away from their posts would likely be quite easy. William felt a surge of confidence in the plan.

Rena then subtly adjusted her borrowed clothes, revealing a bit more skin and adopting a more suggestive appearance. It would be a potent lure, one that those rough bandits would likely find hard to resist.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep