Thieves (Part 1)

Because most of the town's officials were connected to the baron in one way or another, their authority and intimidation over ordinary townsfolk remained formidable.

The moment Bakasi, the tax officer from the mayor's residence, walked in from outside with an unmistakably hostile expression, everyone in the leather shop immediately stepped out.

However, they did not leave right away. They gathered nearby outside, watching the situation unfold with cautious curiosity as they pointed and whispered among themselves. After all, Romon was a fifteen-year-old who had only just become a Druid Apprentice, yet had swiftly offended Druid Jefa. There were simply too many "highlights" about him for others to discuss over tea and meals.

Now even tax officer Bakasi had come to make trouble for him. Naturally, the onlookers were immensely curious.

Seeing Romon turn toward him, the capable-looking middle-aged man smiled faintly. "Romon, didn't that boy Fafier pass along my message? If not, I don't mind telling you again. The town does not permit the buying or selling of wild cattle. Do you understand this time?"

"Yes, Mr. Bakasi. I think I understand, and I met Fafier just now as well. He conveyed your message, so I no longer intend to sell those two calves. I only want to dispose of this hide now. Mr. Bakasi, is that not allowed either?" Romon asked respectfully.

"Yes, it is not allowed. Young man, do not try to exploit loopholes. The Temple has already told me about your situation. Why was Master Jefa angry? Was it not because of your willful behavior? All right, I have said what I needed to say. Romon, according to the town's tax laws, anyone privately trading wild cattle or wild cattle hides will have all proceeds confiscated. Since you have not completed the transaction yet, hand over the hide."

At this point, tax officer Bakasi no longer showed even a trace of the kindness he had initially displayed toward Romon. His face was stern, and he handled the matter with official severity.

"The town's tax laws?" Romon was slightly stunned. If he remembered correctly, the town seemed to have no such tax laws at all. Of course, that was not entirely accurate. More precisely, in this town, all laws came from whoever governed it. Other than the various fixed taxes stipulated by national law, most other taxes were decided by the baron. As for banning private trade in wild cattle and their hides, was that not simply whatever this tax officer said it was? But what could a powerless young boy like him do to resist? At least, not yet.

"All right, Mr. Bakasi. Since the town forbids the trade of wild cattle and wild cattle hides, I am willing to accept the punishment. I will never make such a mistake again. Here is the hide." To Bakasi's surprise, Romon did not argue his case despite such obvious harassment. Even though the boy's objections would have made no difference in the end, Romon's calm demeanor still left the tax officer somewhat taken aback.

"If there is nothing else, I will be leaving first. Goodbye, Mr. Bakasi." Romon calmly placed the hide in Bakasi's hands, gave him a farewell salute, and walked out.

That calm expression, that seemingly humble attitude, made tax officer Bakasi narrow his eyes again. Almost out of habit, he touched the ring on his right index finger, then watched the departing youth with a complicated expression.

"Was this decision a mistake?" he muttered, quietly enough that only he could hear.

Although Romon was indeed a lowborn youth and merely a level-one Druid, he had become a Druid at the age of fifteen. With that talent, and a temperament clearly more mature than that of his peers, in the future...

Even though he had incurred the Temple's suppression after getting too close to Miss Eileen and displeasing Priest Tennis, he was a Druid now, and still so young...

At that thought, the tax officer, who had always been known for his caution and skill at following the wind, fell into deep thought. Since... he had already made an enemy of this boy, if he did not suppress him completely, the youth might become a future threat!

Then... that was what he would do.

While Bakasi was still thinking, Romon had already entered the forest once more.

It was November. The plants in the Temple were still growing lushly, but the grass and trees in the forest already bore strong signs of decay.

Romon casually took out a piece of dry bread from the Shennong Horn Space. He ate as he walked, sorting through his thoughts.

He did not have much money left. Since things had turned out this way between him and Druid Jefa, he would likely have to repay the three hundred silver coins he owed him very soon. Adding other expenses and costs, he needed to obtain at least four hundred silver coins as quickly as possible to overcome his current difficulty.

Moreover, whenever he thought of Bakasi's deliberate harassment just now, Romon felt uneasy. If he had judged correctly, the ever-smiling middle-aged man was a typical smiling tiger. He would not normally involve himself in conflicts unrelated to his own interests. There was likely someone else behind Bakasi's actions against him.

Was it... Jefa? No, that was unlikely.

Romon shook his head.

Although that Druid had always been neither warm nor cold toward him and had now resolutely expelled him, Jefa was not, overall, an evil person.

Then was it Priest Tennis? That man who had always disliked him? Romon pondered for a while and felt that possibility was not small.

Or perhaps there were others who could not stand seeing someone without a background like him rise up after becoming a Druid? That possibility existed as well, he thought to himself.

Then what would their method of suppression be? Banning him from trading wild cattle? If that was all, he still had ways to deal with it. At the very least, the town's laws did not prohibit trading herbs, did they? If animals could not be sold, he had an advantage in finding and cultivating plants. He clearly would not starve. It was only that saving money this way would be slower than dealing in wild cattle, a high-risk, high-return business.

Romon thought irritably. Still, he had never felt much attachment to this town. If the oppression and exclusion became unbearable, he could simply leave. With his modest martial skills and his ability to perceive nature, he could start over somewhere else. It was only that he might then bear the disgrace of being a debtor who had fled.

Thus, after finishing the bread, Romon began searching as he walked for plants not yet in his space.

His mood gradually calmed, and he leisurely admired the beautiful scenery before him. Along the way, he even caught a wild rabbit, found an open patch of ground, and roasted it to eat.

Only when the sky was nearly dark did he put the half-eaten rabbit meat into his space, rise to his feet, and head back.

Just as he entered the town, someone suddenly stopped him. "Hello, are you Romon?"

"I am. And you are?" Romon stopped and looked the man before him up and down.

He was a short middle-aged man with thinning hair, worn but not entirely old clothes, and a sallow, gaunt face. Romon seemed to have seen him somewhere in town before, but the man rarely appeared in public and had left little impression on him.

"Haha, it's like this. I'm Jieke from the Thieves' Guild. Our branch leader has something he wants to discuss with you." The man leaned close to Romon and spoke in a low voice.

Romon frowned. "The Thieves' Guild?"

Among the memories Romon had received, there did not seem to be much information about this Guild.

Seeing Romon stop with a contemplative expression, Jieke hurriedly explained in a low voice, "The Thieves' Guild generally operates in medium and large cities. There was originally no Guild in this town, but we have only recently established a branch here. I am a Guild member, and I came this time to ask you over to discuss a business deal..."

As he spoke, he glanced around before lowering his voice further. "I heard you hunted some wild cattle, right?"

"That's right." Romon became even more wary. "What does that have to do with why you are looking for me?"

Jieke chuckled. "Of course it has something to do with us! I also heard that the wild cattle you hunted have been banned from sale in town, right? Our branch leader wants to discuss that very matter with you. We want to buy your wild cattle. And..."

His smile deepened. "If you can hunt more wild cattle or other animals in the future, we will take all of them. What do you think? If you are interested, come to the Guild with me."

Although the man before him gave him an unreliable impression, Romon could not help feeling tempted when he considered that, if the deal truly worked out, he could quickly resolve his current predicament. Under Jieke's persuasion, he finally decided to go take a look first.

The Thieves' Guild branch in town was located in a remote place. It was not even inside the town, but outside it, in a temporary den built within a stone chamber beneath the forest.

The person who discussed business with him was also a middle-aged man, but he looked far more presentable than Jieke. In fact, he appeared even more honest than an ordinary person. Romon found it hard to believe that such a man was a thief, much less a minor leader. Only the occasional sharp gleam in the man's eyes during their conversation told Romon that he was certainly no harmless figure.

The business discussion went fairly smoothly. The only issue was that the price offered by the other party was quite low. However, Romon had expected that. After all, with wild cattle currently impossible to sell at all, if the other party had offered a high price, he would truly have had to think carefully about whether there was some trick involved.

Even so, as the negotiation was about to end, Romon took advantage of the other party's inattention to remove a listening device from his space and place it beneath the conference table. He had bought the device in his original world. It was not high-end equipment, but it could amplify sound. He just did not know whether it would work here.

The thieves were currently satisfied that the deal had been settled, so none of them noticed Romon's small movement.

Nor did anyone notice that a metal object no larger than a button had been placed beneath the table.