A Story of Evil

Chapter 135: Catching Thieves III

The fight didn't last that long, With Sol doing the cleanup, everything went extremely well. Even Hendrickson was able to finish his opponents quickly. Making the operation a great success.

However, the noises they raised caught the attention of the neighborhood. Making a concerned citizen reach out to the nearest soldier. This caused a chain of command to be made. Until the news finally reached the prison, with Anthe moving as fast as he could to control whatever commotion was being raised.

Unfortunately for the old veteran, the fight was already finished. Corpses were mounted together while those that survived were tied up. Sitting on a crate was the paladin Solomon, together with his partner and, the very same steel domain citizen who was interrogated in the morning.

"Oh hey, you're finally here." Sol said, noticing Anthe who walked towards him. His soldiers already taking care of the mess.

"Lord Solomon, pray tell what am I looking at here?" The veteran asked. Remembering to be respectful that time around.

"Well, we basically caught the remnants of the League of Thieves." Sol said.

"You did what?"

"Wasn't it clear the first time? We caught them. All the remaining members of the league." Sol said, pointing at the ones on a rope and to the mound of corpses.

"Well, technically most of them got killed." Sol corrected himself.

It was another achievement that stepped on Anthe's pride. After all, his unit has worked tirelessly. Pursuing the same criminals for as long as he was within his position. Anthe hated it because, he truly devoted himself in trying to pin down the league. Taking them down one man at a time. Yet he was never truly able to exterminate them in their entirety.

Of course what Sol did was good. But at the same time, it made the officers look incompetent in their jobs. Because what they couldn't achieve for so long was accomplished by a group of three teens.

Anthe could already see it. How he will be ridiculed and how the paladins would hog the spotlight even more. These alone were enough to cloud his judgment. Knowing that he would only be a hindrance if he stayed there longer.

"Men, gather all the evidence on this scene and make a full report. I'll be heading back." Anthe said as he turned.

"Leaving so early?" Sol taunted, with the soldiers a bit anxious about what will happen next.

The air turned dead silent. No a single sound was made as Anthe clenched his fist. Trying his best to hold himself back as he turned around to give his response.

"My old age is catching up with me my lord. I can't be as rowdy as the younger generation."

"I see, take care then." Sol said, amazed that Anthe was able to hold out that long.

Everyone felt the tension between the two at that moment but, nobody mentioned it. They decided that the best course of action was to stay silent and to do their job. Cleaning up before the fourth day of the festival commences.

The three remained there for questioning with a full testimony of the event being given. This is in order to match the words said and, to ensure the validity of these by matching one statement with the other.

After doing this, the soldiers were also finished confiscating all the belongings of the thieves. The daggers. The explosives. The smoke bombs. The arrows. The bows. The guns. Alice browsed through all of these. With each finally enduing up on Lez,'s corpse. Seeing a small notebook being part of the things he brought with him.

"Sol, can I take that one?" Alice said, pointing at the notebook. As if it was an ordinary shopping day in the market.

"You know we can't just take valuable evidence." Sol said, with a smile on his face.

"And you do know that your expression doesn't match your words right?" Alice said in reply.

"Yeah well, I don't think they've finished listing all the items yet. Plus, nobody would make much of a fuss if a few of the evidence smoke grenade suddenly activate right?" Sol snapped his finger, using gravity to make two smoke grenades hit one another. Causing a thick amount of smoke to immediately rise as both of these activated.

"Oh no. Now I can't testify to anything." Sol pushed Alice away. With the girl gladly accepting the invitation as she made use of her roots as a thief. Moving quickly and silently in a field that took away sight. Snatching her target and moving back to Sol just as quick.

In all of this commotion, the soldiers suddenly raised their guards. Thinking that some of the thieves actually survived. But as soon as the smoke died down, they saw no added person in the area. And this confusion was all that Sol needed to make his next move.

"Guys make sure that no other item suddenly activates okay?" Sol said, giving the soldiers an idea of what happened. With these law enforcers following his command and double checking every item held as evidence. Sure enough they found the smoke bombs that activated which automatically relieved them.

"You'd make for a good leader for the thieves you know that?" Alice said, impressed by how quickly things got done and, how clean the execution was.

"I was actually planning on that if I didn't get selected for the Culling." Sol jokingly said.

"Anyway, what did you need the notebook for?"

"I don't know. I just thought that his will may be written on this."

"Oh? And you're concerned about things like that now?"

"Of course I am. We've basically been family members for a long time." Alice said.

"Yet you still killed him." Sol remarked.

"Gee thanks for bringing that up." Was Alice's sarcastic reply.

"You're welcome."

"Anyway, I'll be reading this when we get home. I'm also a bit tired so I'll be resting on the side okay?"

"Sure, you can leave the everything else to me."

There was nothing but paperwork left after that. A stressful amount which was going to be handed to Anthe and his group. Sol organized everything so that none of the information would be left out.

Be cayuse he was the one leading, they were able to finish earlier. With another group finally coming in order to take all the dead bodies while the ones which lived were sent to prison. Evidences were taken in plastic containers while everything else was cleaned up. There was no use for leaving anything else there as no trial was going to happen based on the events.

After all, the thieves weren't a group that would be missed. Not after all the cruel things they did in the slums. They were scum who took from the poor. Something which Alice herself was never proud of but nevertheless took part in.

With this the case was finally closed and, everyone went home. Hendrickson headed straight for the hospital while Sol and Alice decided to sleep on the nearest Inn. Not wanting to travel any further.

All that time, Alice was only thinking of the notebook. That was another big reason as to why Sol chose a place close by. So he could sleep as his partner finally browsed through whatever was left on the pages of the notebook.

Randomly opening one log and, reading through it.

...

...

...

Twentieth Day after the Eleventh Full Moon

Log Number Two Hundred

I haven't been writing in this for a while.

It's strange, I used to like putting my thoughts into the pages. It gives me a kind of freedom that I can't quite explain. Out of this fate that I have been born in. Out of these chains that have bound me down for so long.

The other thieves would probably laugh at me if they found out about this though. I'm the son of the Crimson Thief after all. The same man who got this unruly bunch together. That means I have the biggest curse. One I'll always be carrying.

...

Seventh Day after the Fifteenth Full Moon

Log Number Two Hundred and Thirty

So my old man just died.

It's a bit comical actually. He was having sex with one of his whores when his heart failed him. Having a stroke as soon as he came.

I don't know how to feel about it though. Of course it's comical and I even laughed about it but, that fleeting moment wasn't even something that gave me satisfaction.

After all, the league has begun falling apart because of the changes happening in the domain. There's no reason for it to stay. Not with food and shelter, as well as every other basic necessity finally being accessible even for us who lives in the slums.

I won't be forcing them to stay. They are free to choose their fate. However, for those like me who feel bound to this fate, we won't escape. We'll continue treading this path. Stealing. Killing. We'll keep on doing all the crimes which the league performed. We'll carry this sin ourselves until god finally smites us down.

And in that moment...

who knows...

I might finally feel free again.

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