Taking a seat by the office table, Xu Feng sneered at Rolph's objective.
Others might not have recognized much of the significance of the compartment's design, but not him.
With just a single glance, he could tell Rolph wanted to become a town mayor, but given his credibility and reputation, it would be impossible for him to ever be voted for one.
Therefore, the only way was to overthrow the current town mayor and establish dominance to rule with an iron fist.
However, such a dream was never going to succeed.
Did Rolph really think the Aetheria Empire would turn a blind eye to such a major incident?
Even if he somehow succeeded and became the town mayor. It was achieved illegitimately, and would definitely result in a severe backlash, with the empire mobilizing their strongest army to eliminate them.
'Dreams… Only fools have dreams.' Xu Feng thought to himself.
In his mind, if you want something, you can't just dream about it. You have to plan and consider every possibility to reach that goal.
Aside from that, one must ponder over the consequences and backlashes that you might have from trying to achieve it. Once the repercussions and backlashes overwhelmed the fruit of success, it meant that it was a fictional dream.
Shaking his head, Xu Feng began reading the documents. As he read further, his smile grew wider.
"Rolph really didn't disappoint me." He mumbled, reading the documents written by Rolph personally.
For someone as pragmatic and psychopathic as Rolph, he needed to give him some credit.
To label all important personnel of the insurgents, along with their hideout and gathering places within the towns, Rolph was determined to eliminate them once he assumed the town mayor's position.
After all, Rolph knew he would definitely become a target to be eliminated by the Aetheria Empire, so by offering this kind of information, he could negotiate a deal.
Most likely, the deal was going to be allowing him to remain as town mayor with a clean slate under the condition he would remain lawful from now on.
"What a shame that this type of person cannot be used for long." Xu Feng tapped his fingers repeatedly on the table, feeling pity about Rolph's personality.
Such an insidious person could not be used, given they are the type to backstab or betray you as soon as some negative sign appears.
Sometime later, Xu Feng stored all the documents in his inventory. Aside from the papers, he also snatched and looted everything valuable in the hideout.
Since the rebels were defeated by him, the loot naturally belonged to him.
He spent a few more moments scavenging, ensuring he left nothing of value behind, before moving on to a deeper passage. As he did so, he put on his mask once again.
With each step forward, the sounds of cries and anxious whispers echoed through the cave walls, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
The further he ventured, the more the air seemed to thicken with a mix of fear and desperation.
The dim light from his torch flickered, casting long shadows that danced ominously on the rough-hewn walls.
By the time he reached near the end, there were only metal cages, and within it were women, whose clothes seemed disheveled and bruises could be seen on their arms, legs, hands, and face.
As these women noticed Xu Feng's presence, they all shrieked and screamed in agony.
"N-No, please don't hurt me anymore."
"I don't want to be chosen again. Please, I beg you."
"I'll do anything but that."
Seeing their weak-willed scream showing they had been treated harshly with barely any food fed to them, Xu Feng was silent.
"Relax, I'm not part of the rebels." Xu Feng calmly knelt on one knee and explained, taking off his mask.
With the mask taken off, he flashed a warm and gentle smile, "You're safe now. I'm part of the team that has been assigned to eradicate these rebels. Those rebels can no longer harm you anymore."
Startled, bewildered, anxious, all types of different expressions flashed across these women's faces.
They couldn't believe what they heard, and one brave woman stepped up, "A-Are you really not part of the rebel? Or is this another one of your sick role-plays to toy with us?"
Hearing that kind of question, Xu Feng had a glimpse of what these women went through before his arrival here. To gain their trust was probably nigh impossible, given their suspiciousness and wariness toward strangers like him.
Luckily, there was something that he could still prove his credentials.
"I'm a Baron ranked under the Aetheria Empire." Xu Feng calmly responded.
"And news of the insurgency undergoing by these rebels have alarmed the empire. Hence, they've sent me over to investigate. I apologize for being late to your rescue, and you might still be suspicious. But as of now, you're free."
He then stood up and unlocked the metal cage, opening the door widely for them.
Although the women remained dazed for a few seconds, clearly unsure if anything of it was true.
Finally, the brave woman from earlier scrutinized Xu Feng and was able to detect his nobility status was true.
"H-He does have a noble rank." She muttered weakly to her fellow inmates.
If it were players trying to detect his noble status, it would be hard for them to do so, but NPCs of the Divine World had no trouble in doing so to confirm a player's status and identity.
It was also why most NPCs referred to players as adventurers, given that it was their default rank and status.
With the brave woman somewhat confirming his statement as true, she decided to take a step forward, exiting the metal cage.
She had already gone through the worst scenarios possible, so even if it was another sick play, she decided to just die along with the man.
Xu Feng also didn't bother saying another word. Any consolation words now were pointless.
'They will know the truth once we leave the hideout.' He thought, guiding them the way out slowly.