What to do with the Arisen's Shadow in Dragon's Dogma 2

The Dragon's Dogma 2 Arisen's Shadow quest sees you catching a spy and deciding to take compensation and let him go, or hand him over. How you get to Battahl in Dragon's Dogma 2 somewhat depends on this choice too, as arresting the spy alive for interrogation will ultimately get you a better border permit when it's time to travel to Battahl and enter the kingdom.

How to catch the Arisen's Shadow in Dragons Dogma 2

When you get the Arisen's Shadow mission in Dragons Dogma 2, all you'll know is that you're being followed in Vernworth. You're looking for this guy above, Bermudo. If you don't seem him around in the crowd, you should notice him running off if you get too close. That should help him stand out and, once you get an eye on him, give chase until you're close enough to use the Dragon's Dogma 2 grab button on R2/RT to bring him down.

Should you take the bribe in the Arisen's Shadow?

Once you've caught the Arisen's Shadow he'll offer a bribe which, if you accept, will net you 5,000G and end the quest. However, arresting him and handing him over to Brant will eventually get you a Merchant's Permit for Battahl. That will let you in to the region without needing a mask to pretend your Beastren. So refuse the bribe and prepare for a short fight.

You need to be careful here because Brant should turn up and stop the fight almost immediately but the quest has been bugged for some, leading to Bermudo dying. While you can revive him if you have a wakestone, it's best to play it safe and not fight back too hard until the fight is broken up. Bermudo will be taken away for questioning and you'll have to wait a few days before speaking to Brandt again.

When it's time to speak to Brant about it you'll just get some info about the spy and close the mission, earning 4,000G as a reward. That's less than the bribe but the pay off comes after the Coronation mission when Brandt says it's time to go to Battahl and hands over a border entry permit they found on the spy during interrogation:

If you took the bribe or killed the agent so they weren't taken into custody you'll get a Beastren Permit at this point that requires the extra hoops of getting a mask to use, unless you are already a Beastren. So catching and handing over the spy is the better option despite the lost 1000G difference between the two rewards, especially if you're playing as a human character.