Chapter 62: The Thief

The rain grew heavier.

What had initially been a light drizzle, thin as threads, gradually thickened.

Deep within the gathering, oppressive leaden clouds, the low rumble of thunder could be faintly heard brewing.

Xia Nan and the Halfling were on their way back to the inn.

Carrying no rain gear, they walked close to the eaves of the buildings that jutted out over the street.

Yet, even where there was no shelter, they were in no particular hurry, walking with ease.

For Xia Nan, he was already soaked through; his armor and equipment would be meticulously maintained before sleep anyway, so a few more steps in the rain made no difference.

With his Constitution of 8, as long as he didn't contract some spell like "Disease Curse" or "Weakness Aura," a little rain wouldn't possibly make him sick.

As for Alton...

Xia Nan only hoped the other would stay away from him while splashing through puddles, so as not to splatter mud onto him.

"By the way."

Watching the Halfling, who was in high spirits and enjoying the cool rain,

Xia Nan couldn't help but recall the words the other had spoken at the tavern entrance just moments ago.

"What you mentioned just now, the younger sister of the Xing Yun Nv Shen, is..."

Before he could finish, Alton suddenly turned and held a finger to his lips.

"Shh."

"Don't talk too much about her; she isn't as easy to talk to as the Lady."

Hearing this, Xia Nan's heart tightened, and he fell silent.

On this vast continent, where it was difficult for an ordinary person to see the edge in a lifetime, there were countless gods from different pantheons and diverse races.

They might differ significantly in the strength of their divine power and the domains they governed, but they all shared one thing—

A lifespan so long it nearly spanned the history of an entire race.

Under such circumstances, the connections between gods became incredibly complex and tangled over their immeasurable journeys.

Even the most seasoned historian would find it hard to know exactly what events an ancient god had experienced or which other deities they were entangled with.

Therefore, the only information about the relationships between gods that circulated on the continent was the most superficial and trivial.

For example, the famous "Fate Sisters":

The Lady of Smiles who governs luck, 【Tymora】,

And her younger sister—

The "Calamity Maiden" who symbolizes misfortune, 【Beshaba】.

Unlike her sister's easygoing and somewhat childlike nature, the Calamity Maiden was known among mortals for being petty and mean-spirited.

So much so that in most formal occasions in the Servia Kingdom, when a speaker needed to offer thanks to certain entities, they would often include this temperamental lady.

Otherwise, she would feel disrespected and would unhesitatingly spread misfortune to everyone present.

Only wanting to take this opportunity to learn a bit more about the gods of this world,

Xia Nan certainly didn't want to get involved with an entity who possessed such a nasty personality and held power over fate.

"Hahaha, no need to be so serious."

Seeing his solemn expression, the Halfling laughed and tried to comfort him.

"Given her personality, with so many people praying every day, she doesn't even necessarily respond to her most devout fanatics."

"You didn't even mention her divine name; rest assured, you won't be noticed."

"Besides, you have me!"

As he spoke, Alton flipped the lucky coin in his hand, looking smug.

While Xia Nan felt slightly relieved by this, he couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

According to what he knew of the relationship between Tymora and Beshaba, if he accidentally offended her, coupled with having a follower of the Xing Yun Nv Shen by his side...

The divine punishment he'd receive would probably be super-sized.

Whoosh—

A flash of silver caught the corner of his eye.

Xia Nan couldn't help but look up, only to see a robin, entirely silver-white, darting through the dense rain beneath the dark clouds, its wings beating as it passed.

Just as he felt something was strange, he heard a burst of hurried footsteps ahead.

A small, thin figure, hunched over as if avoiding the rain, rushed past.

Their features were obscured by a hood, revealing only two thin, frail calves beneath an ill-fitting coarse cloth coat.

Assuming it was just a passerby avoiding the rain, Xia Nan instinctively stepped aside to clear the path.

But he hadn't expected the small figure to collide head-on with Alton, who was walking in front, as if they hadn't noticed the two of them at all.

The Halfling was short, but his race granted him agility beyond that of ordinary people.

With a slight turn of his body, he neutralized the impact from the front.

He even reached out with good intentions to steady the other, preventing them from falling.

Clearly not expecting Alton to so easily neutralize the force of their collision,

The small figure, who had leaned their entire weight onto Alton after the impact, suddenly lost their center of gravity, as if they were about to slip and fall the next second.

And it was precisely because of this that the person's youthful, gaunt face was revealed, along with...

A palm reaching toward the empty coin purse at Alton's waist.

"A thief?"

Xia Nan reacted instantly, his right hand already reaching for the hilt of the decapitation sword on his back.

Alton reacted even faster, realizing the other wasn't a passerby but a pickpocket targeting him.

His left hand, which had been steadying the other's arm, shifted to a grip, while his right leg swept forward to trip them, all while exerting force with his hand.

"Bang!"

The thief, who had been in a stalemate with the Halfling, was instantly pushed to the ground.

Muddy water splashed everywhere.

"Good grief, trying to steal right in front of me."

Xia Nan weighed the two longswords on his back, looking somewhat puzzled.

Not to mention the Halfling, even he, walking alongside, was clearly dressed as an adventurer.

The other didn't seem to possess any professional combat techniques of a "Rogue."

Was the thief really that reckless?

Or was there some other conspiracy?

He couldn't help but draw his sword and step forward.

The thief's actions were unexpected; having been easily tripped by the Halfling, they showed no intention of resisting once exposed.

They simply rolled twice on the ground, following the force of Alton's push, their coarse hemp clothes covered in mud and water.

Then, using both hands and feet, they turned and fled in a panic.

Xia Nan watched the retreating figure, naturally unwilling to let this pickpocket escape so easily.

He took two fierce steps forward, but then suddenly stopped.

It wasn't because he had discovered some clue and abandoned the chase.

It was because a thick, powerful hand had suddenly reached out from the corner of the street.

With a single motion, it firmly grabbed the thief by the back of the collar, as if made of iron.

With their toes off the ground, the thin thief was slowly lifted like a chick.

A blonde man wearing a sheriff's uniform appeared before the two of them.

"Joey, what have you done again!?"

A low voice, suppressing anger, came through the rain.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 63 =====