Thief (Part 2)

At dusk, moonlight bathed the earth, and the air was filled with a tranquil, peaceful feeling.

It was already dinnertime. Most of the town's residents had finished their day's work and gone home to eat. The streets, noisy all day long, suddenly lay at their emptiest hour.

At that moment, two youths walked one before the other along the main street. Under the moonlight, they passed through a small tunnel in town and arrived at an open patch outside the town. This was a newly dug tunnel of the Thieves' Guild. Because of the bison trade, it had now been shown to Romon as a route for delivering goods.

By then, the town gates had already been shut, and people were not permitted to leave without cause.

"Romon, is it really thirty silver coins for each one?" The youth behind him was sturdier than others his age. He looked about fifteen or sixteen, yet already carried himself with considerable vigor. He was Romon's good friend, Fafier. This youth, several months older than Romon, wore an excited expression on a face whose firm lines had begun to emerge.

Thirty silver coins for a calf was not much, but it was still better than getting nothing. Besides, they could keep hunting game in the future and trade it for money. In Fafier's eyes, this deal was quite worthwhile.

Romon, walking ahead, was clearly much quieter. Hearing Fafier's words, he did not stop, only turned back to glance at his companion before saying uneasily, "Perhaps."

Perhaps? Even a simple bug could apparently still be used in this world, though it could not function from too far away. Once he returned to town, he could barely hear anything, and the daytime was far too noisy anyway.

This time, wanting to listen in again, he had put on the earpiece before leaving through the tunnel. Speaking of the tunnel, it led from a residence in town to the outside. Who knew when the thieves had dug it?

Romon had not hidden his cooperation with the Thieves' Guild from Fafier. One reason he had invited him out to explain it was that Fafier was entitled to a share of the profits from hunting the bison. It would not have been right not to make things clear. The second reason was that Romon was too alone and weak now. He needed a companion—someone who could shoulder risks, share his current feelings, and discuss the merits and faults of things with him.

Nick was still recovering. Since receiving the forty silver coins Romon had sent over, Nick's family circumstances had improved considerably, and Nick's meals had become more nutritious. Although he could still only walk slowly, the recovery of his injuries had already greatly exceeded everyone's expectations. Still, without Nick, Romon and Fafier's gatherings had become somewhat more subdued.

"Perhaps? What does that mean? Didn't you already settle everything?" Though Fafier's mind was not as nimble as Romon's, he could still hear the unease in his friend's words. He scratched his head, unable to understand why something already set in stone could not lift his friend's spirits.

Romon found a patch of soft, shallow grass and sat down. Then he said to Fafier, who sat down after him, "I don't know why, but I keep feeling uneasy, as if something isn't right."

"Heh, what's there to worry about? I've heard people talk about the Thieves' Guild. Everyone in there is the sort whose eyes open at the sight of money. For money, what would they not dare do? You should be happy that someone wants to buy bison. Besides, didn't you say that if this cooperation really continues, earning money will become much easier? If Nick's body is to recover to how it was before, it'll be impossible without money. And with your relationship with Master Jefa so tense now, you have to start thinking about your future life."

There was one more thing Fafier did not say. If he wanted to become a warrior, a Level Five warrior, and restore glory to his fallen family, he too would need enough money. With money, he could seek out a famous teacher for guidance. With money, he could venture out into the wider world to temper himself...

"Maybe I'm overthinking it. How about this? Tomorrow, you lead the calf outside town and wait for me. I arranged to trade with them outside the town." Romon patted Fafier on the shoulder, feeling that perhaps he really was being overly suspicious. He was only an insignificant youth, with neither power nor influence. He had even been stripped of his qualification to enter the Temple. If they merely wanted to knock him back to his original shape, they had already succeeded. Under such circumstances, who else would painstakingly scheme against him?

The moment he thought of the Temple, Romon immediately thought of the kind and quiet Miss Eileen. Over the past few days, he had passed the Temple entrance several times, yet had failed every time to meet that angel-like girl. He wondered whether she had heard about what had happened to him...

"Ah! Seriously, at a time like this, I'm still thinking such nonsense!" Romon suddenly came to his senses. Annoyed, he vigorously shook his head, as if he could shake the girl, who had drifted farther and farther from him, out of his mind.

"Romon, what are you muttering about?" Fafier looked at him in bafflement.

Romon smiled evasively. "Nothing."

Just as he was about to continue, a burst of chaotic crackling suddenly came from the tiny receiver he had placed in his ear beforehand.

Romon immediately jolted. He motioned for Fafier to wait a moment, then closed his eyes under Fafier's bewildered gaze and focused his attention on the sounds.

"Hehehe, welcome, welcome! What an honored guest!"

After a stretch of crackling, the sound on the other end began to clear. The first thing Romon heard was this fawning voice.

It sounded like the branch president he had dealt with. But that tone... the visitor was definitely no commoner, was he? Romon focused more intently.

"Has the matter been handled?" A man's voice sounded next. He sounded middle-aged.

The matter? Handled? Romon concentrated even harder. And this voice sounded somewhat familiar...

Who was it?

As Romon listened, he recalled the people he had met. Suddenly, a figure sprang into his mind! It was Bakasi, the tax officer! That smiling tiger! The realization immediately made Romon smell the scent of a conspiracy. He listened even more carefully.

Unfortunately, whether because the signal was poor or because the other side simply was not speaking, Romon listened tensely for a short while and heard only crackling.

Damn it! Could his luck really be this rotten? Romon was beside himself with frustration.

But what came next immediately calmed him down. After another burst of crackling, conversation resumed. From what they said, the previous silence had not been caused by the device at all, but because both people had been silent.

"Mr. Bakasi, you should know that the Thieves' Guild also has its reputation and honor. Doing this really is..." This was the branch president's reply. He seemed to be refusing, but more likely he was angling for benefits.

Sure enough, Tax Officer Bakasi had expected this long ago.

"What reputation does the Thieves' Guild have? You can tell that to others, but Branch President, don't use it to brush me off. If thieves have a reputation, then..." Bakasi paused. Romon could not see his expression, but from the turn in those words, what followed must have been leverage against the Thieves' Guild.

Sure enough. After a brief pause, Tax Officer Bakasi's cold voice came through the receiver again. "...are the evil deeds you committed in Bailin Town, and earlier in Shenglai Town, also displays of reputation?"

After those words, silence fell over the receiver again, accompanied by crackling.

This time, however, the silence clearly did not last long.

"Lord Bakasi!" The Thieves' Guild branch president chuckled.

"You needn't worry. As long as you handle this matter for me, not only will I stop pursuing this issue without end, I'll also double the reward I promised you before. How about it?" Bakasi softened his tone and continued.

"Agreed! But Lord Bakasi, there's something I don't understand. That youth is only a commoner, and I hear he's already been expelled from the Temple. Why does someone like that require so much effort from you?"

Although the Thieves' Guild president had not mentioned his name, Romon, who had been listening to their conversation, still covered his mouth in shock. If he had not, he would certainly have cried out just then—both because someone was plotting against him and because he had been fortunate enough to overhear this conversation.

With no time to mind Fafier's gaze, Romon continued listening carefully. If he had been listening with one hundred percent of his attention before, then after learning it concerned him, his concentration had reached two hundred percent. He was in a state of extreme tension.

Naturally, the two people secretly discussing matters over there did not know their words were being overheard. Thus, Bakasi, usually so cautious, did not refute the Thieves' Guild branch president's words. Nor did he explain anything.

"You don't need to concern yourself with that. You only need to know that tomorrow, I'll send men to lie in ambush outside town beforehand, and I'll be waiting there as well. The moment Romon trades with you, I'll lead people in and seize him... Hehe, three days from now is the public assembly in the square. I'll announce his crimes before everyone: selling bison privately without permission, and having ties to the Thieves' Guild besides. Hehe, at the very least, he can be sentenced to prison. Once he's in prison... let's see how he ever turns things around!"

What followed was some discussion of the specific arrangements. They talked for a while, then the sounds of the tax officer leaving and the branch president seeing him out came through.

Meanwhile, Romon's back was soaked through with cold sweat.

It had to be said that Romon's luck was truly good. If he had not suddenly decided to place the listening device in the Thieves' Guild, and if those two had not happened to discuss these matters within its listening range, then what kind of situation would have awaited him tomorrow?

Though privately trading bison was not much by itself, having ties to the Thieves' Guild was an offense that could bring severe punishment in many territories.

It might not be a capital crime, but a few years in prison was entirely possible. Yet once someone entered a closed prison, if they died inside, who would find it strange?

At that thought, two dim flames suddenly leaped within Romon's eyes.

!!