Chapter Seven: Two Little Thieves
The night deepens.
The streets, once bustling with people, gradually grow sparse, and the roadside stalls are closing up shop one by one. Even though it seems like there’ll soon be a splendid song and dance performance in the south of the city, it appears that only one in ten still has any interest left.
Though it’s supposed to be the Carnival Night of the Emerald City, the actual number of folks who can party all night is quite limited. After all, everyone has their own lives to lead, and many have work waiting for them at the crack of dawn.
The raucous atmosphere is beginning to dissipate.
Feeling quite satisfied, I pat my little belly, ready to head back to the church.
That annoying feast should be wrapping up by now, right?
Before I left, I think I heard someone mention that His Majesty the King of the Silgaria Republic would be arriving at the banquet soon… I sneaked away precisely to avoid such bothersome matters. I didn’t come all the way to the Emerald City just to deal with them! All I wanted was to indulge my inner foodie, so I made up an excuse about not feeling well and wanted to rest, leaving the rest to Angel.
The Emerald City’s cuisine is predominantly made up of fruits and vegetables, with meat usually served as side dishes or seasonings. After a few hours of wandering, I’d practically devoured everything in the city’s most vibrant market before finally feeling a hint of fullness. As I gazed down at my flat little belly, I couldn’t help but feel perplexed, wondering how this petite frame managed to hold so much food.
…But, monsters are always a bit different from humans, right?
Don’t sweat it, as long as it feels good.
The two moons cast their washed-out brightness over the night, creating a hazy glow that dances with the city’s neon lights. Holding a bag full of fruity goodies in one hand, I hum a cheerful tune as I strut through the alleyways. Breathing in the pure, natural air of this other world, my mind feels at peace.
The only slight discomfort was the sanitary belt tightly wrapping around my little behind. Though Grandma Claire had lovingly sewn it for me and stuffed it with soft, absorbent cotton, the rough fabric was making my legs feel all puffy and uncomfortable, rubbing me in rather… peculiar ways with every step.
A little painful, and also slightly warm.
But at least I won’t end up with bl**d splattered everywhere again. During the day… hmm? Did anything happen during the day? Probably not, I’ve forgotten.
Let’s just pretend that didn’t happen.
Lost in a jumble of thoughts, I snapped back to reality when I noticed a shadow blocking my path in the pitch-black alley ahead.
“Stop! Don’t move.”
The figure spoke, and from the voice, it sounded a bit childish, like a young boy.
I frowned upon hearing that.
Actually, I noticed them long ago.
When the crowd was thick, I was too busy eating to pay attention. But once the streets cleared, there’s no way I wouldn’t have sensed someone staring at me. I initially didn’t want my good mood spoiled by these little pests, so I ignored them, not expecting they’d be so patient, trailing me all the way to this place.
This alley is a shortcut to the church, narrow and long, completely blocked off by the shadows of the houses on either side. When I passed through, I hadn’t thought much of it, but now I realize it’s the perfect spot for an ambush. They probably didn’t expect a girl would dare to walk through such a place at this hour; they must think they’ve hit the jackpot.
What’s up? Do I look like an easy target to you?
Looks like no matter where you go, there’s always some urban trash lurking around, ready to stir up trouble.
Robbery?
Or are they after something else?!
Well, if they’ve crossed paths with me, they’re in for a rough time.
I smirked slightly, a playful thought igniting in my mind.
After brewing my emotions for a moment, I saw the boy approaching me slowly and suddenly took two timid steps back, hesitatingly asking, “Who… who are you?”
His voice trembled amidst a bird-like chirp, looking as if he were a fragile little girl.
“Little sister, you look like you might have some money on you,” he said.
“I… I don’t have any money…”
As I said this, I pretended to try to escape, but at the moment I turned, I froze.
“My brother said if you don’t move, you have to listen to him.”
A little boy, even younger than the first, lowered his voice intentionally and pressed a dagger against my lower back, effectively sealing off my escape route.
“What… what do you want?”
“Ha-ha, little sister, don’t be scared. We’re not bad guys. We’re just a bit short on cash lately and want to borrow some silver coins from you. We’ll pay you back in no time!”
The older boy spoke up.
“Bro! Come look, this lady’s wearing silk!”
Suddenly, the younger boy shouted excitedly, completely forgetting to keep his voice low, his still-awkward, duck-like tone giving away his age.
Looks like they’re just two little punks.
“Shh—keep it down! Are you trying to get us caught?”
The older boy lurched toward me, giving the younger one a hefty smack on the head.
“There are still lots of people outside; you don’t want them to hear us!”
Both boys had their faces shrouded in thick black cloth, hiding their features well; they appeared experienced—this wasn’t their first rodeo.
“Oh, brother! Look! This girl’s family must have loads of valuables. Let’s just tie her up!”
Smack!
The younger one was hit again.
“Are you out of your mind? We can borrow some silver coins, but you want to kidnap her? What if her family sends an army after us?”
“Please, don’t… don’t k*ll me…”
I feigned fear, on the verge of tears.
“We didn’t say we’d k*ll you; you don’t have to be scared. Just give us the silver coins, and we won’t hurt you.”
The older boy tried to soothe me.
“But I really don’t have any money…”
To prove my point, I turned out the pockets of my dress, and a few copper coins clinked to the ground.
Then I gave them an innocent look.
Today, I only managed to change some low-grade silver coins from Grandma Claire into a handful of emerald silver coins. I hadn’t even touched the million Angel had given me. I thought that would last me a while, but I ate too much and the prices in the Emerald City turned out to be a bit different from what I had imagined, so now all I had left were these few copper coins. The Pope Knight’s stipend isn’t given until the fifteenth of each month, and right now, my pockets are cleaner than my face.
Seeing this, the two boys’ expressions went blank.
“No way! I clearly saw you with loads of silver coins earlier!”
“…I spent them.”
“What? You spent that much silver in one night?!” The elder boy seemed angry, yanking off my fox mask, “You little spendthrift, I…”
He suddenly froze mid-sentence.
His wide eyes were fixated on my tear-streaked, delicate little face as he mumbled softly to himself, “Oh my god… Is this an angel sent by the Deity?”
“Brother! Abe! What’s wrong with you?”
The younger boy, seeing his big brother looking like he’d lost his marbles, anxiously called out.
“…”
“Abe!”
“…Nothing, nothing.” Hearing his brother’s voice snapped Abe back to reality, but when he looked at me again, his gaze flickered, “You… really don’t have any money?”
“No… please, don’t k*ll me!”
With that, I forced out two tears, putting on my most pitiful expression.
The result was even better than I expected; I could see Abe’s Adam’s apple bobbing nervously, and his cheeks showed signs of struggling as he was clearly in a fierce internal debate.
“Then… then what do we do? We just wanted to ask you to borrow some money… can you do us a solid?”
Abe’s voice stammered, surprisingly taking on a negotiating tone.
“Abe, what’s gotten into you? She said she has no money, and you just believe her? Is she casting a spell on you?!”
“Shut up!”
“No, seriously, you’re acting really strange!”
“It’s none of your business.”
“What the… Wow, what a beautiful lady…”
The younger boy fell into a daze as he caught sight of my face, just like Abe.
I could barely hold back my laughter—what a hilarious scene!
This is just too much fun—
Hahaha, what a twist!
As a steel-willed warrior, it seems I’ve unlocked some strange property.
