Chapter 15: General Grutt

At noon the next day, all the thieves gathered in the central square. Some were nervously glancing around, while others held weapons in a ready stance, prepared to fight at any moment.

Initially, they were less anxious, but that morning, news arrived that the imperial army had been deployed in Bracada and might immediately wage war here. This news left the thieves at a loss. They had originally planned to quickly collect the loot and leave, but now they found themselves unable to advance or retreat.

In front of the square were several large piles of goods, and three middle-aged men stood among the items, one of whom had presided over the hanging execution the day before, accompanied by several ogres. These three officials, dressed in formal attire, were taking notes with paper and pen. Their occasional glances at the goods and their adept writing revealed their long experience in such matters. The nearby goods were valuable items, including spices, silk, and various crafts. The discerning thieves immediately recognized these as the coveted loot they had long desired. Excitement surged among them, leading to whispers and hushed conversations.

One middle-aged man noticed the thieves had gathered and stepped forward, saying, "Are you all here?"

No one dared to respond. This was a courteous phrase, but for the already anxious thieves, it felt overly polite just like cats toying with mice before eating them. The oldest and most cunning among them, Fololone, remained silent as the conflict from yesterday had left the thieves distrustful of him, so there was no need for him to step forward.

"Well, it seems everyone is here," Asa finally spoke up, despite not wanting to be the one to break the silence. He preferred directness over awkwardness.

The middle-aged man nodded, "Good. You should all be from the Empire of Einfast, right?"

This time, no one dared to speak up. For over a decade, the Empire had engaged in genocidal slaughter against the orcs, and during their journey here, the old thief Fololone had warned everyone not to reveal their affiliation with the Empire to avoid inciting the orcs' anger and being torn apart. Now, with the imperial army watching closely, the risk of being identified as spies was even greater.

"Yes, indeed. We all are," Asa replied rather straightforwardly, causing all the thieves to jump in shock at his admission, even Elaine poked him in disbelief. But Asa felt that since the question had been asked, they likely already knew the answer, so there was no need to continue hiding. He had always preferred to handle matters directly.

Fortunately, the ogres did not rush over to attack upon hearing their identity. The middle-aged man calmly continued, "We have a general understanding of your reasons for being here. We have received reports that you wish to purchase the loot taken by the big-eared monsters. In other words, you all are black market merchants looking to resell stolen goods, and the person executed yesterday was also your companion, correct?"

"Yes," Asa responded, now acting as the spokesperson for the group of thieves. The others were so tense they could barely breathe; the ogres standing nearby wielded massive axes, which, while they might not kill, could certainly crush someone. Many were already imagining their grim fates if a fight broke out.

"Then I regret to inform you that you cannot have what you desire. We were not aware that the big-eared monsters had stolen these goods, but since they wish to join our city, they must adhere to our laws. We harbor no animosity toward any nation and welcome all legitimate merchants. Therefore, we will return all the stolen goods to the robbed merchant caravans, and thus cannot deal with you. As for your reckless friend, we also regret about what happened to him. Regardless who he is, if he violates our city's laws, we must act according to our legal framework. Please remember that violations of the law in our city are punished severely, so be careful."

The term "law" was one that thieves had always looked down upon, but now it bore a heavy weight. Most thieves secretly vowed to become the most law-abiding citizens of the city if they could survive this crisis. They even considered memorizing the inscriptions on the stone tablets to avoid unintentional offenses.

However, the middle-aged man suddenly shifted his words to an unexpected direction. "Regardless of what you intend to do, since you have not violated our laws, you are our guests. To ensure that you, the first guests from Einfast, do not leave disappointed, we have decided to set aside a small portion of these goods as a gift for you."

This unexpected boon left the thieves stunned. Just moments ago, they were trembling in fear of execution, and now they were being honored as guests with the prospect of finally obtaining the long-desired goods. The drastic change left them momentarily speechless.

The middle-aged man continued, "The goods being counted here are those we plan to return to the merchants. Your gifts have already been placed in the city hall; please select a few people to collect them, and then you can take them with you."

Once again, Asa was the only one to speak up, "But hasn't the Empire sent troops here to prepare for war? Even if we take the goods, how can we return?"

The middle-aged man smiled gently, saying, "We harbor no hostility toward any nation here and do not intend to fight any enemies. Your country's actions are likely just a momentary overreaction, and we will soon send envoys to communicate with your country. I believe our act of returning your country's goods is sufficient to express our sincere hope for peace. We also believe your country would not wish to engage in conflict that would lead to unnecessary suffering. We are confident that we can reconcile with your country in a short time, and this small gift we provide is our goodwill toward your nation's merchants. We hope that once you return, you will share with your friends and introduce them to our situation here."

The thieves gradually adapted to this surprising turn of events and soon erupted into excitement.

"What a clever tactic!" In the midst of the commotion, the previously silent Elaine leaned closer to Asa and whispered, making his ear tingle. "Bestowing favors while instilling fear. These benefited thieves will undoubtedly exaggerate the order and friendliness of this place when they return, and the word-of-mouth spread among them is often more persuasive than official announcements. Moreover, even if they return the goods to the Empire's merchants, while they may be slightly diminished, recovering what was lost is still a tremendous blessing for those merchants. This will alleviate their wariness of this orc city, significantly reducing the Empire's hostility toward it. Even if people know there are many orcs here, they will firmly believe this is an orderly and friendly place. This city is already situated along trade routes and will surely attract countless merchants over time; the benefits it receives will far exceed the value of these goods."

Asa nodded, though he only cared about the book hidden among the goods. If that was truly the case, then everything would be easily resolved.

After some discussion, it was clear that Asa, who had remained composed in the face of danger, was the consensus choice to represent the group. He led a few people to the city hall to collect the goods. Asa was eager to see if the book was among this small selection of items.

They followed a middle-aged man to the city hall, undoubtedly the most magnificent building in the city. Constructed from massive stones, it was many times larger than the typical buildings in the area, resembling a squat castle without floors. The central hall was spacious enough for someone to ride a horse within it. The enormous stone pillars were so thick that several people were needed to wrap their arms around them. Around the hall, stone slabs divided numerous rooms.

Inside, many half-orcs and humans were bustling about, carrying papers and chatting with one another, completely ignoring the presence of the outsiders, creating a scene reminiscent of a busy marketplace.

The goods were located in one corner of the hall. An old man and a young man were standing next to the pile of items. The middle-aged man introduced the old man as Mayor Theodorus of the city of Orford, who had decided to give these goods to the thieves. The young man next to him was General Grutt, who commanded all the Orford troops.

Mayor Theodorus stood straight, his back and waist perfectly erect. His thick silver hair and beard would look quite impressive if allowed to grow long, but they were trimmed short, seemingly to avoid hindrance. The casually neat silver hair gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the windows, and even the deep wrinkles on his face appeared vibrant, as if they were merely decorative marks of age and wisdom. The eyes behind those wrinkles had a youthful glint, bright and lively. This was an old man who exuded no trace of frailty. He wore simple clothing and could easily blend into the crowd, making it hard to associate him with the power and authority of a "lord," especially in such a peculiar city filled with orcs.

General Grutt was around thirty years old, and his appearance did not seem to match his position. He had a pale, slender face, with sharply defined features that gave him a sculptural calmness. His long eyelashes framed dark eyes that were so black they barely reflected light, giving him an air of elegance reminiscent of an elf. When Asa first saw him, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, but upon reflection, he realized he had no memory of him.

Asa couldn't help but look at him a few more times, but the more he noticed, the more he was drawn in. The exposed muscles beneath the fabric of his clothing had a flawless sheen; even the most skilled sculptor could not achieve such a perfect blend of lines and textures. It was hard to believe that this was merely flesh and blood, as if it were shaped from some kind of essence.

If this body was all about the essence of combat, then this man was undoubtedly someone who lived for battle. Asa suddenly felt this conviction.

General Grutt suddenly turned his head, and his dark eyes met Asa's gaze, flickering for a moment. Asa instinctively looked away.

The goods set aside for them, while not a large amount, were certainly significant—about one-tenth of the total goods. Although it was a trivial portion compared to the whole, it was still worth a hundred gold coins.

A few thieves stepped forward to sort through the goods. If they sold these items, everyone would end up with ten or so gold coins each, and this anticipated wealth sent the thieves into a frenzy of excitement. Compliments flew from their lips, praising the city of Orford for its strict laws and high living standards, declaring that the one-eyed dragon's crimes justified his hanging as a service to the people. The food prepared for them at the inn was described as a rare delicacy, and they credited it all to the lord's wise governance.

"If you find this place agreeable, I hope you will report back to your friends in the Empire about our situation," Mayor Theodorus said, smiling at the thieves as they eagerly examined the goods, resembling a benevolent owner watching a group of cats and dogs excitedly feasting on bones. "As for the news of war, you don't need to worry about it too much. I can almost guarantee that this war will not come to pass." His relaxed tone exuded confidence.

"No problem! You are the most talented leader I have ever encountered." "If I get the chance, I will definitely come to live in your city." The thieves' gratitude was evident in their expressions.

"Ah, what is this?" One of the thieves suddenly pulled out a package from the goods. Upon opening it, he found it filled with cosmetics and trinkets—personal items typically belonging to girls—and a book.

From its color, it was clear that this was an old book, though it appeared to be in good condition. It was made from some kind of soft leather, and the unusual, blocky characters on the cover were not in any common script.

"That must be a merchant's personal belongings. The big-eared monsters must have stolen them along with the goods. We need to return it to the merchant," the middle-aged man said as he approached to take the book and the package.

Asa turned away slightly to hide his excitement. Although he was trying to remain calm, the ultimate goal of his journey was now within reach, making him a bit breathless.

He was almost certain that he would have the book in hand. Once they returned the goods and found the merchant caravan where Christine was, all he needed to do was present the bishop's appointment letter to easily obtain it. After that, he would return it to Sandru and report back to Bishop Ronis, and everything would be finished.

He had always disliked the feeling of being obligated to do something; a carefree and unrestrained lifestyle was what he preferred. When Bishop Ronis assigned this task to him, he felt a sense of duty but also discomfort. Now, this complicated and tumultuous mission seemed to be wrapping up smoothly without him realizing it. It felt as if a heavy burden he had been carrying suddenly vanished, leaving him with a sense of lightness and joy.

"Wait a moment." Mayor Theodorus called out to the middle-aged man, abruptly interrupting Asa's pleasant feeling. "Let me see that book."

Mayor Theodorus took the book in his hands and, after glancing at the cover and a few pages, his expression began to change. There was no doubt he understood what it was. Asa's reaction was even more pronounced, though no one else noticed.

"How could it be this kind of thing?" the lord exclaimed, shaking his head in surprise as he handed the book to General Grutt. "It'ss very dangerous to have it floating around. Keep it with you."

"I'll keep it under my pillow," the young general replied with a calm tone, as if that were the safest place in the world. His voice was pleasant and clear.

"Oh, that's good then." The mayor odded, evidently agreeing that it was a safe enough place.

General Grutt took the book. His hands were clean, with long fingers and an elegant shape, creating a refined image in conjunction with his sharply defined features. Asa noticed a faint scar on his hand, running from the base of his thumb to the edge of his palm, as if a straight line had been drawn across it.

Asa suddenly had a vague premonition: with things developing to this point, it seemed he would have to resort to the methods he was skilled at to achieve his goal.