Jervis and the guards were bewildered and unsure, but an order was an order. Despite Rosalyn not being their direct superior, considering her ambiguous relationship with Gwynnis, the guards decided to comply.
Jervis drew his iron sword, placing it against the middle-aged man's neck, while two other guards seized his arms. The surrounding crowd panicked, screaming and scattering in all directions.
It was just an arm-wrestling match. Did losing warrant such a reaction?
Rosalyn and Baldwin quietly explained the situation, making even Baldwin anxious.
He quickly instructed Jervis to follow Gwynnis, fearing something might have happened to him.
Meanwhile, Gwynnis, despite running at full speed through the alleys, aided by his agility of 7 points, was still unable to catch the fleeting figure.
The thief was not just fast but incredibly agile, very familiar with the surroundings, and adept at using various terrains for concealment. For example, after turning a corner, the figure would disappear.
Gwynnis's heart raced as he ran through the empty alleys, guessing the possible hiding spots of the thief.
During this process, he seemed to have discovered a particularly useful... ability. Perception.
With a perception attribute of 7 points on his panel, it was considerably above average.
Several times, he passed an alley, seemingly gone past it, only to spontaneously double back and take an extra glance into the alleyway.
However, it was this glance that caught the thief emerging from hiding.
The two locked eyes, then another chase ensued.
Unfortunately, the thief ultimately escaped. She used the terrain to her advantage, slipping into a hole only a smaller person could fit into and then escaping from the other side.
Yes, the thief was a female, slender and seemingly young.
That was all Gwynnis knew. But with just this information, it was impossible to find her among the 2500 residents of Windermere City.
Frustrated and gritting his teeth, Gwynnis had no choice but to return to the original location to regroup with Rosalyn and the others.
After meeting up with Jervis, who had come to support, Gwynnis shook his head and returned to the alleyway.
At the arm-wrestling spot, he saw the middle-aged man already controlled by the guards.
Gwynnis guessed Rosalyn's intentions. Apparently, she believed it was a scheme orchestrated by the middle-aged man and the female thief. The man served as a distraction while the thief acted.
The speculation made sense, but without the man's confession, Gwynnis couldn't do much.
After all, on someone else's turf, it wasn't appropriate to interrogate directly.
"Speak up! Where is the woman?!"
Regardless, it was worth a try.
Gwynnis stepped forward, grabbed the man's neck, and astonishingly lifted him off the ground with one hand!
Given the man's size, likely over 180 pounds, it was shocking that Gwynnis could lift him single-handedly.
This display startled the onlookers. They couldn't believe that Gwynnis, who didn't seem particularly strong, possessed such arm strength.
Under Gwynnis's grip, the man struggled to breathe. His eyes rolled back, but he still violently shook his head.
"I... don't know... I don't recognize... her…"
Gwynnis's face turned extremely grim.
"What's going on here?"
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, several city guards pushed through the crowd and sauntered over lazily. Seeing Jervis and the two attendants with drawn swords and Gwynnis holding a man mid-air, they quickly drew their weapons as well.
Baldwin hurriedly stepped forward to explain.
"This gentleman is Baron Targas. We came to the city for business, but we encountered a thief…" Baldwin explained to the guards, who promptly reported to their superiors, not daring to neglect the matter.
Soon, several figures resembling managers or captains arrived at the scene. Eventually, even the mayor of Windermere City, having heard of the commotion, rushed over.
"I'm Mayor Bohn. Baron, please, calm down."
"As the mayor, I sincerely apologize."
"Maintaining market security is our undeniable responsibility…"
Upon arriving, Bohn immediately tried to appease Gwynnis with a stream of reassuring words.
However, Gwynnis merely shook his head, informing Bohn that his trip to Windermere was to raise funds. Now, with his important property stolen, it might delay his debt repayment plans. He declared that if his belongings weren't recovered, he would have no choice but to ask the mayor to intervene and request the merchants' association to extend the debt repayment period.
Bohn frowned subtly and exchanged glances with the nearby head of the merchants' association.
"As mayor, I am saddened by the theft of the Baron's property. I promise to do everything in my power to catch the criminal and recover the stolen goods," Bohn assured. "But at the same time, I ask for the Baron's understanding. Although many think our association is large, 22 gold coins is also a significant amount. Our financial chain is delicate and sensitive, interconnected. If the Baron can't repay on time, our association will be greatly affected. In that case, I might have to report the matter to the Count."
"Please understand," Bohn concluded, having spoken at length without agreeing to extend the debt repayment. Not even by a day.
Gwynnis's eye twitched, his teeth biting his lower lip.
The atmosphere at the scene was tense.
Suddenly, there was some commotion among the guarding guards.
"What are you doing? Get away!"
It seemed a beggar was trying to push through, and the guards were attempting to drive him away.
Unable to enter the scene, the beggar grew desperate and shouted, "I know! I know!"
Seeing this, Gwynnis let the guards allow him through.
Once released, the beggar crawled on the ground, desperately inching forward. On closer inspection, it was the same old beggar they had encountered before. His legs were broken, ending at the knees. He could only move by supporting himself with his hands on the ground.
When the beggar reached Gwynnis, he didn't rush to speak but kept kowtowing, stealing glances at Gwynnis's face and muttering flattering words.
Seeing no reaction from Gwynnis, the beggar grew more anxious. He pointed a finger, nodding and bowing profusely, his face almost touching the ground.
Gwynnis, with a stern face, threw a copper coin at him.
Overjoyed, the beggar hurriedly hid the coin and began to reveal information about the female thief, now grinning and flattering.
According to the beggar, the girl was sixteen or seventeen, short and slender. She came from the mouth of the Handi River and had been wandering nearby for months, living off theft. Many people in the area knew about her.
"And then?" Gwynnis asked impatiently when the beggar paused.
The beggar resumed his obsequious behavior, still indicating one finger.
"Alright, alright."
Gwynnis tossed a handful of change to the beggar, who gleefully collected it all before continuing.
The girl was skilled at theft and had never been caught. However, she had a friend, about the same age but clumsier, who was often caught. Just a few days ago, the friend was captured and nearly beaten to death.
He was barely alive then, probably close to death now.
The beggar pointed out the friend's hiding place. After speaking, he turned to crawl away.
But Gwynnis stepped on his back.
The beggar panicked, struggling desperately.
"If I don't find anyone where you said, I'll have you killed," Gwynnis said coldly. He then turned to Mayor Bohn.
"Mayor, you don't mind, do you?"
The mayor scoffed.
"The beggar is not a citizen. Do as you please."