A new day dawns over Oni City, as usual. The sun first illuminates the spire of the Harinari Castle's bell tower, before casting its light upon the rooftops of every house in the city.
Of course, those in the underground cells couldn't bask in the glow of the morning sun. It was the daily ration of black bread that reminded Austin of the new day. This rock-hard substance, mixed with grit and wood shavings, could barely be called bread.
He sighed, breaking the bread into pieces while carefully picking out the hard bits, trying to soften it with saliva before swallowing. He certainly didn't want to chip a tooth or have his throat scratched by wood shavings. "God!" he prayed, "Let me find a golden bag after I get out, then I'll go have a grand time at 'Beauty and Wine'!"
But as Austin silently prayed, hoping for an unrealistic stroke of good fortune, a harsh sound of metal scraping against the floor came from afar—the sound of the prison door being opened, something he had heard many times before.
"Thud thud thud..." Then came the sound of a wooden stick knocking against the iron bars, followed by the warden's roar, like a broken bellows, "Get up, you damn pigs, the scum of the city, the filthiest wretches!"
"Sir John, the city's constable, has arrived. Get up and stand straight! Quick, quick, quick, those at the back there, Porter, the lame one, the madman... and you, Austin, get up now!"
What? Constable Sir John has come to the dungeon? Isn't he the one who dislikes this place filled with rats and the smell of excrement the most? Austin was full of questions, but that didn't stop him from springing up from the ground and standing straight with a humble and flattering smile for the nearby guard and the constable.
And our constable, Sir John, over forty years old, who always combed his hair neatly and even tried to imitate the nobles by applying some powder on his face, today seemed somewhat dejected, not even bothering to groom his hair. If the light in the dungeon were brighter, the prisoners might have exclaimed in shock—Constable's right cheek was swollen red, as if someone had slapped him hard.
"Alright, sir, all thirty-five able-bodied criminals are here," the guard reported to John after carefully counting the prisoners.
"Hmm." John nodded slightly, then scanned the large dungeon with his sharp gaze, looking at the prisoners separated into more than a dozen cells. These were the dregs of Oni City, including ruffians, murderers, adulterers, almost all of whom he had personally sentenced and thrown in here. Seeing these people look at him with fear, like mice facing a cat, made him feel slightly better.
"Listen well, all of you! I'll only say this once!"
"The lord of the city is merciful and wants to give you criminals a chance to redeem your sins!"
Just the day before yesterday, a despicable thief dared to infiltrate Harney Castle and stole the Count of Harney's favorite collectible—an ancient-style jewelry box inlaid with rubies on the surface! The count was furious and ordered me to capture the criminal and retrieve the stolen goods within a week!
After extensive inquiries and thorough investigations by the security office, and with the help of a mage skilled in divination spells, it was finally determined that the thief was still in the city, hiding in the sewers of Oni City!
And you, this bunch of crooks, have been given the chance to serve the lord. You will all be thrown into the sewers, like rats, to catch that damn thief for me! At this point, Old John gave a sinister smile.
I know some of you are familiar with the underground, but don't think about escaping. I've already arranged for people to guard every exit. If I find out anyone is trying to run, don't blame me for being ruthless!
"My lord, may I ask, if we catch the thief, what reward can we expect?" someone couldn't help but ask, voicing the question everyone cared about most.
"Reward?" John said in a deep voice, "When you complete the mission and come out alive, you'll be satisfied. But I'm afraid you might not have that chance!
What did that mean? Was the thief exceptionally skilled?
"My lord, what level is the thief?"
Austin couldn't help but ask. He didn't want to die; he was still young and had many good days ahead of him! He knew his own abilities, slightly better than an average adult male, mostly because he fought often and was quite ruthless.
After hearing this, John glanced at Austin and, after considering for a few seconds, decided to tell them the truth. "The mage specializing in divination says he's probably a level five thief! Whether he has another profession on the side, that's uncertain."
If the previous words were like a cold wind, then this time it was like an icy storm hitting them. A level five thief! And possibly with another profession! Austin was stunned.
On this continent named Casasem, there exist people known as professionals, who possess extraordinary talents in certain fields and command unique combat skills or abilities, definitely figures ordinary people look up to. Of course, there are strong and weak professionals. The lowest-level professionals, even the most formidable saint warriors among the lower ranks, could barely handle seven or eight adult men. But a level five professional, having entered the mid-tier category, is no longer someone who can be overwhelmed by numbers alone. Even if they can't defeat a large group, escape is not a problem.
If it's in the sewers, with the complex terrain to aid, out of our thirty-five people, how many could dodge a thief's dagger? Thinking this, Austin couldn't help but touch his neck.
"Can we not go?" This time it was Rett from the same cell as Austin who spoke. Standing up, his burly figure made Austin look like a small child beside him.
Seeing it was Rett, John readily gave the answer, "No, everyone must go. It's the lord's, your grandfather's, death command."
Rett knew John wouldn't lie in such a situation, and he himself was aware of more insider information, firmly believing that his grandfather was capable of issuing such an order, so he kept silent.
Instead, the others in the prison, upon hearing that everyone must go to the sewers to find the thief, who was comparable to the existence of death itself, started shouting, saying things like "We haven't committed a capital crime; you can't send us to our deaths," "I want to see my family, I need to find a priest to tell God about your darkness and injustice," "Oh dear, my legs, how come I can't stand up, I can't go," and so on.
"Anyway, there's not a single one willing to go. These good-for-nothings from Oni City, none of them value their lives. Austin didn't make a fuss about it, instead he quietly asked his brother, Ray, beside him, 'Bro, what level are you at?'
He believed that Ray must be a professional because he had once seen Ray in a fight. Wow, the opponent was five or six swordsmen, and he sent them all crashing onto the tables with his bare hands. Those solid wooden tables and chairs were like matchsticks under his thick palms, easily shattering into many pieces.
'I guess I'm around level three. If it weren't for this incident, I would soon meet the standards of an official knight and then be sent out for training.' Ray didn't hide his strength from Austin. Soon they would be teammates facing the trial of death together, and knowing each other's abilities would make things easier.
'Wow, level three! Brother Ray, you're my idol!' Austin couldn't help but exclaim. It's worth knowing that Ray is only in his twenties, and for knights on the path of a professional career, the golden age is forty. That means if Ray develops smoothly and with the support of the Harney family, reaching the level of a fifth-grade knight is not a fantasy. By then, even as a bastard, he could be ennobled as a knight and become a true noble knight lord.
In contrast, I'm just a ruffian who hasn't shown any special talent since childhood. Apart from being a bit cleverer than those who farm the land, I probably won't even touch the threshold of a first-level professional in this lifetime. The best outcome for me is to steal a few more fat sheep, save some money, do a small business, and marry an ordinary girl.
Ray received the compliment and couldn't help but show a bit of pride on his face. Although he was a bastard, in this regard, he was much stronger than the legitimate children of his age in the Harney family! If it weren't for being implicated this time...
'Brother Ray, please take me under your wing. If we go down to the sewers, I will definitely follow your commands, and I will be the first to face any danger! Even if it means death, I won't hesitate!' Seeing the possibility of currying favor with Ray, Austin pressed his advantage and pledged his loyalty.
If he could really get on Ray's good side, this trip to the sewers might have a chance of survival, maybe even a fraction. After all, there were more than thirty people on his side, some of whom had the level of a first or second-grade professional. Moreover, some were very familiar with the terrain of the sewers. If it came to a fight, the outcome was still unknown. Besides, they had a tough third-grade knight on their side. The thieves would surely target those who posed a threat first, and by staying close to him, his chances of survival were the greatest!
However, Ray did not agree on the spot, simply saying, 'We'll see how it goes.'
But even so, Austin was very excited. At least he wasn't directly rejected, right? He suddenly felt that his life was looking up. If he performed well and survived this time, he would have a patron in the future! A big brother who might be ennobled as a knight! Maybe he could even become a knight's attendant or something. With that, would gold coins and beautiful women be scarce?
Sometimes the power of desire can really give people immense courage, so much so that even the fear named death cannot drive them back!"