Chapter 319 – #17 the Guard and the Thief (8)
The time when Suma placed the flag to the queen in the palace. Emeril wandered through her dirty alleys.
It was her habit to walk around aimlessly when her mood was complicated. In Suma’s mansion, the only space to walk around was the garden or the trail in the backyard, so it was crowded, but her back alley was like her home until a few months ago.
She had to be able to move around with her eyes closed. However, the back alley she visited after a long time was very different.
‘Why is it so clean?’
Promin’s back alleys were well maintained compared to other cities. There were cases where people who came in without knowing why had their belongings stolen and were kicked out, but there were very few cases where they died and disappeared.
If you go deep into the depths, there were women used as sex slaves, but sex slaves were rare in Promin.
This was because the guards who patrolled periodically looked for them with their eyes turned on.
Promin’s systematically trained guards were so strong that the gangsters in the back alleys could not deal with them, and the gangsters chose to voluntarily pay their taxes rather than be beaten to death.
Anyway, the security in the back alleys used to be pretty good, but now it has changed to a level where it would be appropriate to say it’s a complete disaster.
There was not a single beggar in sight who was supposed to be lying on the floor covered in mat. Young children who had to keep an eye on passers-by ran around kicking pig urine.
“Hey! There! Pass!”
“Oh.”
Tuk
“Pretty sister! “Please kick the ball!”
Emeril was unconsciously kicking the ball when he spotted a familiar child.
“A promising pickpocket?”
“Who…? Ah! “Minoknok!”
Emeril frowned. I felt bad because it was an abbreviation for crazy green hair and green eyes.
The girl smiled awkwardly when she saw her dreadlocked face.
“Lol. Why are you doing this, sister? I washed my hands. See. It’s clean.”
“That’s it. Description.”
“Let me tell you why I quit my job…”
“Tell me to explain why the back alley changed like this.”
“Ah.”
The girl nodded her head sharply.
“The rumor that her sister was away was true.”
“Recite”
“Once my sister lost to someone, and she became a slave…”
The girl stopped talking and noticed her. She explained as Emeril crossed her arms and stroked her chest.
“I retired and opened a nail shop, a wizard who was curious about why I was so strong in the back alley was captured as a test subject, I became a hunter and went into a dungeon, etc…”
Emeril waited for the expected rumor to come out, but it was difficult for Emeril to understand. Even though there were a lot of rumors in her alley, she never knew how to tell the truth.
In the end, Emeril cut her girl off.
“Isn’t there a rumor that she joined the warrior’s party?”
“No way. Who believes that? How can people like us join the hero’s party…”
The girl secretly changed her words while looking at Emeril with a straight face.
“… There is no greater honor than entering. Her older sister’s skills were famous.”
“Was it that famous?”
“Sure! “All the bastards who targeted her sister’s crotch were buried!”
“Let’s say so.”
After solving the minor questions, Emeril got to the point.
“So why did the back alley change like this?”
“You know the guard in charge of the back alley, right? Her sister was lucky enough to never run into her, but she is that infamous guard.”
“Of course I know.”
Cold sweat ran down Emeril’s spine. When she was living as a wild woman in the back alleys, she used to swear a lot, but she shouldn’t do that now.
“That cruel and merciless…”
“Isn’t Mehya’s only fault for being faithful to his duties? No. “He is the true guard of our time, as he catches criminals for the suffering of his people in the back alleys.”
“Yes?”
Even without opening his mouth, I felt like I could hear him say, ‘Are you crazy?’ As Emeril took out her dagger, the girl became obedient.
“Hehe… I see… It looks like she really joined the warrior party.”
“So watch your mouth.”
“Anyway, Mehya, who is wonderful, beautiful, and has a nice body, is married to Duke Sma.”
“Yes.”
“She said that normalizing her back alley was her long-cherished wish and released the duke’s funds. “I have a job where I can make a living without having to commit a crime, and because I started cleaning, more people came in, and thanks to the victory special, more money came in, and thanks to that, I started a new business.”
The girl proudly held up a ball made from pig urine.
“The sport of soccer is popular these days, right? I make this and sell it with pickpockets. It’s quite salty.”
“Okay…”
“I explained it well, so now you’re letting me live, right? “I don’t want to die because I’m enjoying life these days.”
The girl shed tears like chicken shit. Emeril was not fooled by the former pickpocket’s tears. Like most women in the back alleys, she knows how to force the juice.
“I also don’t go around killing people. Go and play.”
“Yes!”
The girl ran as if running away. She could have run away. Emeril wandered around Mehya’s back alleys, intent on seeing her achievements.
‘It’s really changed a lot.’
The site of her former hideout was undergoing redevelopment, leaving no trace. A feeling of emptiness suddenly struck me.
It felt like there was no place for her.
‘Let’s go somewhere else.’
Emeril moved to the square, one of the busiest areas in Promin. I saw a plant general store, a specialty of the square.
Unusually, instead of a name, the store’s signboard said, ‘The very house that Duke Suma and Guard Captain Serica often visit.’
In the store, a middle-aged woman was looking at the counter, and her son and his wife were greeting customers.
“Why is the store named like this? It’s been a while since you came to Promin. “When we were street vendors and the Duke was a new guard, he bought a lot of seeds from our store.”
“The duke and I also have a somewhat special relationship. I was a soldier who participated in the Battle of Susong, and the Duke saved my life. Thanks to you, I got married…”
Emeril, who was listening to her son’s boasting, bumped into someone. Her luxurious clothes and unlucky expression were typical of an aristocrat.
“Mr. What are you?”
“I’m sorry.”
Emeril, who didn’t want to cause trouble, quickly apologized. However, the other party had no intention of just backing down.
Emeril is so beautiful that Suma catches his eye on her. He had an appearance that made ordinary people’s eyes widen and aristocrats aroused a desire to possess.
The same was true for Tri, the second son of Baron Ecks.
“Is it okay to apologize? What should I do with these clothes? Huh?”
“…”
Emeril looked at Tri calmly. This wasn’t a situation she had experienced once or twice.
‘Should I kill him…’
If she had met her in an alley, she would have cut off her head without hesitation. But there were too many people in the square.
It was impossible to kill her without evidence.
I just have to go out strong.
“We’ll reimburse you for those cheap clothes. “How much does it cost?”
“What?”
“No. Is there a need to reimburse in the first place? Isn’t that what they were trying to do with me by bumping into me? Tsk. Do you want to play tricks with that face? You have to have a conscience.”
“Hey…!”
Tri’s face turned red. He gave an order to the accompanying knight.
“Change that cocky bitch’s habits!”
“Master. If you do this in the square…”
“Right now!”
“… I’m sorry.”
The guard knight drew his sword. Emeril immediately understood the knight’s skills.
‘It’s weak.’
It was a skill that could not defeat even a horde of demon beasts, let alone a low-level demon race. She didn’t even feel the need to pull out the dagger.
“You can swing the sword. Instead, take care of everything.”
“… Take care of the back?”
“Did you think I was a commoner with no power?”
Emeril revealed his hidden strength. People who come to watch the fight may suffer, so only knights and noble masters.
‘I’ve changed a lot too.’
In the past, I would have been obsessed with looking strong without caring about whether people around me were harmed or not. She met good friends and a good man, and her temper died a lot.
“Ugh…”
The driver, feeling the pressure, let out a sigh. Tri was on the verge of urinating.
“There! Make it stop!”
A group of guards appeared and blocked the gap between the knight and Emeril. Then we split in half and attempted to listen to the situation.
“Wait… Are you Emeril?”
“That’s right.”
“Meeting a member of the warrior party! It’s an honor!”
The guard saluted. The crowd also murmured.
“Is that warrior a party member?”
“It seemed strong somehow.”
“You’re cool even though you’re a woman. Is this the girl crush that kids like these days or something?”
Emeril’s shame continued to rise as the barrage of admiration spread indiscriminately.
“I’ve heard all about Emeril’s achievements!”
“… How?”
“Serica sometimes teaches and how amazing she is each time…”
“Stop, stop! Let’s just grab those first.”
“Oh, yes.”
Emeril, who was about to die in shame, screamed. Although the guard was nervous, he did his duty.
“Did they start an argument? Since she’s a beautiful person, you probably bumped into her on purpose and then asked for compensation, right?”
“Did you see it?”
“No. I assumed it was an obvious tactic. I guess that’s right. Hey! Catch them and throw them in jail!”
“You are a nobleman?”
“Maybe we can put him in a nice prison. Anyway, thank you for your hard work.”
The resigned knight was captured in silence. But Try was evil.
“You! A thief in a warrior party? That incompetent bitch! “I will dismiss you from the palace…”
“Shut up!”
“Ugh! I am a nobleman! A nobleman!”
“We are the guards! “Shut up!”
“Ugh!!”
Try, who had become quiet after being beaten a lot, was taken to prison. But the words he left behind remained like a yoke on Emeril’s heart.
‘Incompetent…’
It was similar to her thoughts. The worries I had as I wandered through her back alleys and squares deepened.
How to improve your skills. Sex with Duke Suma. How should I start?
