Chapter: 27. Striking It Rich!
Upon hearing that this was the Princess of the Aulus Kingdom, the outlaw trapped by Binding Magic looked up in astonishment.
After discerning the emblem representing the royal family, dread instinctively filled the man, causing him to tremble.
Even his straw hat fell to the ground, revealing a weathered, unkempt face that looked to be over fifty years old.
He appeared dirty and disheveled, as though he had traveled a long distance, unlike a native of the Capital City.
But his panic lasted only a moment.
The man’s dull face suddenly broke into a laugh.
The laughter grew louder and more unrestrained.
Amid the laughter, there was also a hint of tears.
Princess Livra said nothing and did not scold or hurry him. Rather than seeking to punish evil, she wanted to understand the root of the crime.
After a moment, the man suddenly shook his head vigorously as if he were breaking down, and he threw the stolen bag heavily onto the ground.
“Ah…! I’m caught today; I admit it! Encountering royalty is just my bad luck! Fine, fine, it’s not like I can live anymore; do with me as you will!”
“Your crime is robbery, but it doesn’t warrant death.”
“This kind of life! What’s the difference between living and dying?!”
The man’s emotions were highly unstable as he shouted, his eyes bloodshot, revealing he was ready for death.
Princess Xue Fei quietly stood beside Xiya.
She was curious about how this human princess would handle such a matter.
Just a moment ago, she seemed so naive, but now she looked quite reliable.
And it wasn’t just a superficial appearance of reliability.
Livra sighed lightly and pointed towards the crowd.
“Just now, you had a knife but didn’t harm the crowd; when you swung the knife, you deliberately avoided them, didn’t you?”
The man’s impatient expression suddenly froze as if he were in shock.
He did not expect that royalty would notice such a trivial detail.
Without giving him time to go mad again, Livra continued with her conclusion.
“Moreover, when I overturned the stall, your first reaction was not to escape but to stop and look back, hesitating whether to continue fleeing.”
Stopping to look back simply meant he wanted to check if anyone was hurt or the damage to the stall.
This was not behavior that a remorseless criminal would exhibit.
“And throughout your entire escape, you didn’t knock over any stalls.”
After saying that, Livra absentmindedly patted the remnants of a donut on her dark hair.
Now, Princess Xue Fei had thought Livra was somewhat cool just a moment ago, but that impression had completely vanished.
This detestable princess reminded her of her heinous crimes!
The outlaw was now completely dumbfounded.
At that moment, Livra revealed her true intention.
“So, I’m curious about your reasons for robbing on the streets; this is why I came to let you explain yourself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to inquire about an already irredeemable criminal, would I?”
“……”
Xiya took Xue Fei a bit farther away and whispered in her ear.
“Princess Livra is the King’s most favored daughter, and she is evidently different from the other princesses.”
“Indeed, she can be quite reckless and unique.”
“No, no… Xue Fei, look, although she always sneaks out of the palace, she remains calm when it’s time to act. The King has had a headache with her for a long time, yet everyone in the palace knows that he has long regarded Princess Livra as the heir to cultivate.”
“Oh my, it seems she’s not just reckless.”
Xue Fei, your perspective on things is quite unique!
At this moment, the outlaw had fallen completely silent.
He seemed to have remembered something; a tear appeared in the corner of his eye.
Yet, due to his pride and strength, he hurriedly wiped it away with his muddy hands.
Such a proud man had resorted to robbing on the streets, surrendering his dignity.
The reason behind this seemed worth listening to.
The man no longer wallowed in self-pity.
He stood up from the air wall, facing Princess Livra with newfound respect.
“Your Highness, thank you for saying that… I don’t seek leniency from the court; I’ve made a mistake, and I know it. But I hope you will listen to me…! Punish the real outlaws!”
“My purpose here is precisely that. Speak up; if it’s something I can help with, I will definitely assist.”
The man finally put aside all his defenses.
With a sorrowful look, he began to anxiously recount his experiences.
He used to be a merchant from a Border City in the Aulus Kingdom.
Through over twenty years of hard work, he became wealthy, had a virtuous wife, and raised children in a comfortable life.
But ever since the war broke out, he was forced to hand over all his wealth to the lord of the Border City.
At first, the man had no complaints; it was natural for those who could help during the war to do so.
However, the lord’s collection of the so-called “emergency war funds” had no limits. The man had paid more than required, and even went from being wealthy to living in scarcity, yet the lord continued to send people to demand payments of outrageous amounts.
Later, the man learned by chance that the lord was taking advantage of the war to rob people.
Under the guise of collecting emergency funds, he was filling his own pockets while in reality, the army was merely recuperating and had not left the city to fight the Demon Race.
The man was furious and took his entire family to the lord’s mansion to protest, demanding that the lord either send troops to fight or refund the emergency funds.
But he had vastly underestimated the lord’s level of authoritarianism…
He was just a merchant, who would listen to him?
Ultimately, he was still just a commoner, nothing more than an inconsequential ant in the face of noble power.
The lord personally came out with a sword, killed his wife, and then accused the man of “disrupting military morale and refusing to pay the emergency war funds, being selfish.”
He even privately threatened him… if he didn’t want his children and parents to meet the same fate as his wife, he should continue to earn money for the lord’s mansion without delay.
From then on, he could no longer stay in the Border City.
The man traveled a long and arduous path with his children and elderly relatives, eventually reaching the Capital City.
But alien to this place, his children fell ill due to the unfamiliar environment, and he had no way to earn money in a short time; let alone afford medicine, he couldn’t even provide basic food and clothing.
After all, their money had already been drained by the lord.
As a last resort, the man had to cast aside his useless dignity and rob on the streets to treat his children.
At this point, the once-tough man was now drenched in tears, his words failing him.
“I don’t want to rob… but I have no choice… how do I survive in this world? My own life doesn’t matter, but my family should not die! Your Highness… I hope when I am caught by the court, you can save them! I know this request is unreasonable, but I see that you are not the kind of heartless royalty, so I beg you!!”
As he was about to bend his knees to kneel, Livra wanted to stop him, but the air wall prevented her, and even if she said not to kneel, he wouldn’t listen.
However.
That knee never hit the ground.
The man was astonished to find that he could only stand there, unable to bend his knees even a little.
Princess Xue Fei continued to hum a tune, as if she hadn’t done anything.
But Xiya looked at her daughter with warmth and comfort in her gaze…
Although Xue Fei pretended to be unconcerned, the surge of magic power just a moment ago couldn’t be hidden, could it…?
Livra noticed the gaze of Lady Xialet and seemed to realize something, nodding in thanks to Miss Shaya.
Then she turned to the astonished, pitiful man within the air wall.
In the name of the royal Aulus, she made a promise.
“Rest assured, I will arrange for your children and parents to be properly cared for. As for you… I regret to inform you that crime is crime, and the court will deal with it according to the law. However, regarding your situation, I will verify it. If it is true, I will explain it to them, and your punishment may be mitigated, allowing you to reunite with your family sooner.”
“Ah… Thank you, Her Highness the Third Princess…! Thank you for your kindness!”
“There’s no need for thanks, but can you tell me the name of the lord of the Border City you mentioned?”
The emerald glimmered fiercely.
As she spoke, Livra’s royal emblem of sword and shield seemed to shine as it pointed from the Capital City directly towards the smoke of the Border City.
And just at that moment.
A rather plump figure squeezed out of the crowd gathered on the street and began to run slowly towards them, panting heavily.
Princess Xue Fei, distracted, looked over…
Oh dear…?
Isn’t that the unfortunate soul who was just robbed? He’s only just caught up!
So, losing weight is important; look how slow he runs being so fat!
This noblewoman was a local noble from the Capital City and naturally recognized Princess Livra, even if Livra did not recognize her.
Upon seeing the princess, the noblewoman set aside thoughts of her purse and valuables, rubbing her hands with an ingratiating smile, her flattery evident.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for stepping in to help… I can’t believe you would personally intervene in such a trivial matter… Ah! The Hero is here as well?! What… this is fate! I’ll definitely have my husband come to the palace to kneel in gratitude another day!”
Before the bewildered Livra could respond, the noblewoman smoothly turned towards the man.
It was clear she bore a grudge about being robbed in public.
And in front of the princess and the hero, how could she not showcase her family’s presence!
“You lowly beggar! How dare you rob from the Countess of Xiluber? Just a mere commoner, daring to rob a noble?! You should die for this! Ouch!!!”
The noblewoman kicked fiercely at the man — only to kick right into the air wall.
The pain felt akin to stubbing her toe sharply against a table corner, a heart-wrenching agony!
Xue Fei cheered inwardly!
She had thought that this woman looked rather unpleasant!
Oh right.
Xue Fei’s gaze stealthily darted towards the bag that had fallen on the ground.
In a flash, she utilized Storage Magic.
The bag was still there.
But the once full bag of gold coins was now empty and flattened…
Xue Fei continued to whistle a clumsy tune, completely off-key and unrecognizable.
Yet, she was humming a popular song from the Capital City.
The song was titled — Congratulations on Becoming Rich!
