"My money, my money!" Auster threw away the noodles, yelled and hurried after him.
The thin thief dove into the crowd, turning left and right. He was obviously very familiar with the environment, and he ran to the other side of the road in the blink of an eye.
When he looked back smugly, he found that Oster's footwork was not bad, and he had the advantage of long legs. He separated from the crowd and chased after him. He hurriedly grabbed the money bag and continued to run away.
Oster chased with all his might. This was all his property. But unfortunately, there were too many people on the street, and clashes between officers, soldiers and demonstrators were happening everywhere. The scene was so chaotic that no matter how hard we chased them, we could barely catch them. He chased the thief until he reached the corner, and saw that the thief was about to run into the complicated back alley. Once lost, it would be difficult to find him. Oster decisively called out the USB flash drive interface;
Although there are not many secretly learned spells left, especially long-range spells, it seems that this is the only one left, but property is important. Oster waved his hand and used a Judgment Technique. The light hammer flashed through and instantly collapsed the wall on one side in front of him. Bricks fell down one after another, blocking the thief's path. The latter was caught off guard and was almost hit by a brick. He sat down on the ground, got up in a hurry, ran out of the alley and fled in the other direction.
Oster had already seen that the other person was a child, so he didn't do anything cruel and just forced him to run to the opposite street. And over there is where the guards who came to block the demonstrators were stationed.
The little thief panicked and bumped into a guard's leg armor. He fell to the ground and was held down on the spot. Oster also rushed over panting.
The Kingdom Guards looked much more formal, with shiny armor and straight postures. Both in terms of pace and demeanor, they were much more serious than those twisted Lord's soldiers. Although the equipment of the two is similar, the difference in spirit is comparable to that of a soldier and a security guard.
Auster stepped forward and told his story. The guard opened the seized money bag and asked Auster about the type and amount of coins inside. After Oster answered correctly, the guard made a note in his book and then returned the money bag. The whole process seemed very capable and professional, not much different from Earth's security department.
Although he was quite dissatisfied with the royal family's actions, at this moment Oster was extremely grateful to the guards, the kingdom and His Majesty Wrynn, and praised him with all the words he could think of; so once a person's own vital interests are involved, he will The objectivity of judgment will be immediately lost.
The little thief on the side had his hands tied and was sitting on the ground, biting his lip and staring at Auster angrily. He was only seven or eight years old, as thin as a small animal, with a ragged hood on his head, a dirty face, but extremely bright eyes.
Oster looked at it and felt a little unbearable. He thought that there was no loss anyway, so he simply told the guard to let it go.
At this time, the old businessman who was limping after being hit by stones came over and said loudly to the guards, "Don't let these thieves go! They are the same group as the thugs who beat up people on the street and the horse bandits who robbed them in the suburbs." Yes. You are eating my taxes and must be severely punished!"
According to the guard's address, the old man's name was Mr. Carlisle Kerston, a well-known local wealthy squire. Kerston blamed the guards for not protecting the big taxpayers, causing him to be beaten by thugs, and wanted to stop funding the garrison. The guards were unmoved and said they would get the situation under control as soon as possible.
Kerston was very dissatisfied and said, "I've told you many times that those beggars on the street are potential thieves. Look at this kid, he must have run out of some beggar's den. Maybe, they He's also involved with those red-masked bandits in the mountains. You must drive away all the homeless people quickly so that these moths won't be seen on the streets again." Seeing the little thief staring at him, he scolded, "What's wrong, aren't you still convinced?"
The guard still stood upright and said calmly, "We have received your suggestion. We will report it to our superiors when we return."
Kerston saw that the other party was perfunctory with him and muttered dissatisfiedly, but there was nothing he could do. Oster was a little uneasy and asked the guard, "What punishment will this child... suffer?"
The guard replied, "Brands have been rampant recently. Many warehouses in several towns have been robbed, not only wealthy households and shops, but also some kingdom warehouses and military inventories. This is an organized group of thieves, and the kingdom has ordered that all thefts be strictly enforced. Deal with it and never tolerate it. The thief committed a large amount of money, so he will be sent to a public trial, and one of his hands may be cut off according to the law."
Oster was shocked, and the child was also very frightened, shouting for help. Kerston laughed at the side and said, "You deserve it, I'll chop off one of your hands and let's see how you continue to steal it in the future!"
Oster hurriedly stepped forward and held the guard's hand, saying, "Sir, you see I have nothing to lose. Otherwise, just for my sake, just let him go."
Kerston said in surprise, "You are so weird. How can you speak for the thief? You still stole your own."
The guard raised his hand, opened it, and two gold coins fell from his palm and fell to the ground. This was what Auster had secretly put into his hand when they shook hands just now. The other party obviously doesn't accept this trick at all;
"Sorry, sir, we are the king's guards. Enforcing the law is our code of conduct. Don't confuse us with those lords' private soldiers. Moreover, once you steal, you will always be a thief. When the Titans created people, the quality and nobility of the soul It has been decided. Your mercy will not change this thief. Whenever he has the opportunity, he will still steal repeatedly and pass on his bad bloodline to future generations. Only the law can punish these people."
Auster was stunned. In this world, whether under the rule of the church or the king, the people had no dignity, just like the medieval times he was familiar with.
The child cried and was pulled up by the guards, while Kerston clapped his hands and laughed. Just as the guards were about to leave, a "stop" made them stop.
The guard, the thief, and Kerston all turned back to look at Auster, who slowly said, "No one steals because of blood. There can only be one reason for stealing, and that is poverty and hunger."
An object was thrown into the child's arms. The child picked it up with his tied hands and was surprised to find that it was a heavy money bag.
Oster said angrily, "Besides, you are mistaken. No one stole or was stolen at all. I gave him this bag of money."
The guards looked at each other and finally let go of the thief. The child raised his head and looked at Oster. After a moment, he grabbed the money bag and ran away without looking back, disappearing into the dark alley. As he ran into the alley, his hood was blown off, revealing long black hair. It turned out to be a girl.
Kerston beat his chest and repeatedly said, "Giving heavy gold coins to poor people is a sin!" The guard also said, "You are really a rare saint, but as you can see, thieves will not be grateful."
Oster felt very uncomfortable and walked away while waving his hands.
Although he was acting cool, his heart was still bleeding, and this was all his property. This night, we returned to before liberation. It was still a few days away from the state capital fortress at Sentinel Ridge, so we had to find other ways to earn some money.
