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<span class="mu-s">BANDIT KING DEAD!</span>
<span class="mu-i">The notorious bandit leader, Bal Asterd, was shot dead in the back of the head by an unknown assailant after much planning was made for his execution.</span>
<span class="mu-i">The self-proclaimed 'Bandit King' united various gangs and criminals living in the periphery of the Continental nations into a single organization. He would create a 'Bandit Army' which looted and kidnapped merchant caravans, villages, and corporations; mainly from Centria and the Eastian borderlands. This 'Army' would be responsible for the deaths of at least four Savants.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Lionel Rostchilde, whose company and properties were raided by the infamous bandit leader, was happy to speak to us when asked.</span> "While it is an undeniable boon to have this threat to business expunged," <span class="mu-i">He said to an interviewer</span> "We cannot allow ourselves to entertain these celebrations for long. Like always, we must wash our hands of this ugly mess and return to business as usual." <span class="mu-i">Lord Rostchilde was one of the many other business leaders from Eastia and Centria that pressured the I.D.C.A to have the Bandit King executed as soon as possible, even forsaking investigation or trial.</span>
<span class="mu-i">Likewise Edgar Thorne, Headmaster of the Centrian Academy, spoke of the matter.</span> "While we should always seek to oppose those like the Bandit King, we have laws in place to enact justice. To ignore them sets a faulty precedent." <span class="mu-i">He also declared that</span> "Sad will be the day in the history of Centria when we celebrate clear acts of vigilantism." <span class="mu-i">He has promised to work with city detectives and law enforcement to catch the assassin. The Adventurer's Guild and the Order of the Jagged Sword are considered suspect according to preliminary reports, yet neither have been openly accused of any crime. Despite the current manhunt receiving funding from the Academy, morale is said to be low within the International Legation Constabulary due to the sudden and unprecedented friction law enforcement now has with the Centrian Guilds and local Knightly Order.
Regardless of the circumstances, Centrians and Eastians alike have been cheering upon the news of the Bandit King's death. Even Westphalians, though not as affected by the Bandit King's actions, have been reported to celebrate alongside the jubilant Eastians and Centrians in a rare act of solidarity.
The Bandit King, known as Bal Asterd, was a black sheep of the landed Asterd adventuring family, attempting to take up the mantle of the near-mythological founder of the Thieves' Guild — the Bandit King. The Asterd family declined to comment on the matter.</span>
Putting that paper aside and grabbing the adventurer's newsletter, creatively named <span class="mu-i">The Adventurer's Newsletter</span>, you gave it a read.