The fight didn't last that long, With Sol doing the cleanup, everything went extrely 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 sa 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 ss.
"Lord Solomon, pray tell what am I looking at here?" The veteran asked. Rembering to be respectful that ti around.
"Well, we basically caught the remnants of the League of Thieves." Sol said.
"You did what?"
"Wasn't it clear the first ti? We caught them. All the remaining mbers 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 achievent that stepped on Anthe's pride. After all, his unit has worked tirelessly. Pursuing the sa 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 ti. Yet he was never truly able to exterminate them in their entirety.
Of course what Sol did was good. But at the sa ti, 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 judgnt. Knowing that he would only be a hindrance if he stayed there longer.
"n, 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 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 mont but, nobody ntioned 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 comnces.
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 statent 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 imdiately 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 so 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 mbers for a long ti." Alice said.
"Yet you still killed him." Sol remarked.
"Gee thanks for bringing that up." Was Alice's sarcastic reply.
"You're welco."
"Anyway, I'll be reading this when we get ho. I'm also a bit tired so I'll be resting on the side okay?"
"Sure, you can leave the everything else to ."
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. Sothing which Alice herself was never proud of but nevertheless took part in.
With this the case was finally closed and, everyone went ho. 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 ti, 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 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 down for so long.
The other thieves would probably laugh at if they found out about this though. I'm the son of the Crimson Thief after all. The sa man who got this unruly bunch together. That ans 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 ca.
I don't know how to feel about it though. Of course it's comical and I even laughed about it but, that fleeting mont wasn't even sothing that gave 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 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 cris which the league perford. We'll carry this sin ourselves until god finally smites us down.
And in that mont...
who knows...
I might finally feel free again.
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