The Rice-Stealing Female Thief

Ten minutes later.

Guy, Ebisu, Genma, Obito, and Rin.

The five of them appeared on the streets of the Land of Rice Fields.

All around them, the same desolate scene remained.

Along both sides of the street, raggedly dressed people sat or lay sprawled about.

They were all skin and bones from hunger, their eyes hollow and numb.

Rin could not bear the sight.

She immediately handed out the food she had packed from the daimyo residence's banquet.

Her action instantly triggered a chaotic scramble.

People lunged at the food like starving wolves.

A few who failed to grab any even panicked and reached out to tear at Rin's clothes.

They tried to snatch the package from her.

Seeing this, Obito immediately rushed over and drove them away with an angry shout:

"Don't touch her!"

Rin did not hold it against them. Instead, she stopped Obito, who was about to lose his temper.

Her eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion.

"It's not their fault... Obito, it's not their fault."

"These people are just too pitiful..."

Obito looked at the refugees who had fallen while fighting over food, then struggled back to their feet.

With nothing but food left in their eyes, he let out a sigh as well.

"Yeah. Look how badly they've all starved. They really are pitiful."

Guy slowly shook his head.

His gaze swept over those fighting for food as he said quietly:

"Pitiful? Perhaps."

"But at least these people still have the strength to fight over food."

His gaze shifted toward an even darker street corner in the distance.

"The truly pitiful ones..."

Guy narrowed his eyes and did not continue.

His sense of smell was very sharp.

Ever since entering the Land of Rice Fields, he had faintly caught whiffs of a subtle