Volume 2
Chapter 2: Smooth…
“A woman? Where?” The mercenary leader, called “Boss,” looked around. The area was deserted woodland; there were no women in sight.
Behind him, a skinny mercenary with a pointed chin sniffed the air, his gaze settling on the carriage. “In… there!”
“And she smells expensive, real high-class… definitely loaded!”
“Loaded?” Boss looked at the dilapidated carriage skeptically. “Would someone rich travel in that rattletrap?”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered checking the carriage earlier, but such carriages were usually used by the poor. Robbing them wouldn’t yield much.
Most travelers on this road knew the unspoken rules and factored in a “toll” for the highwaymen.
Although reduced to banditry, these mercenaries weren’t completely foolish. They understood the concept of sustainable thievery.
Rob only a portion, don’t harm anyone, and the business could continue.
…But these unspoken rules didn’t apply to the truly wealthy.
The rich rarely carried their entire fortune with them.
“Let’s have a look, shall we?” The skinny mercenary sniffed the air again, a look of rapture on his face. “That fragrance… I’m telling you, Boss, trust my nose. It never fails!”
“Disgusting,” a young, melodious voice suddenly said from behind them. A small figure emerged from the carriage.
“Who… who said that?!” The skinny mercenary’s face flushed red, as if deeply offended. “Show yourself!”
But seeing Bai, who looked no older than seven or eight, he burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha… look at this little beauty. Looks like our luck has changed, boys…”
“Little… little miss?” The old coachman looked surprised, even fearful. “Why did you come out…?”
If this beautiful little girl fell into the hands of these men, who hadn’t seen a woman in months… the consequences would be dire!
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine,” Bai nodded reassuringly at the coachman, then looked calmly at the leering mercenary. “I said you are disgusting.”
“Well, well, quite the sharp tongue on you, little lady,” the mercenary sneered. “Looks like Uncle needs to teach you some manners…”
“Monkey, shut up!” the Boss snapped, silencing him. “What’s wrong, Boss?” the skinny mercenary asked, his face falling.
Bai looked at the Boss in surprise. She had been reaching for the dagger hidden at her waist, but she hadn’t expected him to intervene.
She had been ready to act when they robbed the coachman, but she hadn’t expected them to detect… a woman’s presence.
Well, she wasn’t exactly a woman now. A little girl, at most.
“Little miss, I presume… your family is quite wealthy?” the Boss asked, a cold smile on his face. “Would you consider… donating to us poor fellows? Just a small contribution?”
Although the transformation rune had masked her striking beauty, Bai was still undeniably pretty.
And her black dress clearly indicated wealth and status.
If not a noble, then at least the daughter of a wealthy family.
“Boss, let’s just…” the skinny mercenary started, but the Boss silenced him with a glare. “You’d lay your hands on a child like that?”
“That’s the best part…” the skinny mercenary muttered, glaring at Bai.
“Don’t worry. Have your family send someone to retrieve you, offer a suitable reward, and we won’t harm you,” the Boss said, then added, “We won’t touch you either.”
“As for this old man, he’s free to go.”
The Boss waved his hand, and the mercenaries cleared the road.
But the old coachman hesitated, looking at the men surrounding Bai. He stood his ground.
However, he couldn’t bring himself to intervene directly. He was just an ordinary man.
Facing these desperate mercenaries, simply standing his ground was already a display of courage.
Bai was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected such… professional ethics from highwaymen.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have any family,” she said softly, shaking her head. “And why don’t you find honest work? You’re young and able-bodied.”
“Little girl, don’t play coy with us,” the Boss’s voice hardened. “You’re old enough to understand. As a woman… girl… whatever, a female, you should know there are things worse than death.”
“We’re just trying to make a living. Write a letter to your family and have them fetch you.”
Bai shook her head again. “You’re right, but I really don’t have any family. And I don’t have any money.”
“Don’t lie to us. You think you can afford a dress like that without money? That dress alone is worth several gold coins!” the Boss snapped, losing his patience. “We’re not unreasonable. A hundred gold coins for your life. That’s a fair price!”
A hundred gold coins was enough to support a commoner family for two or three years. It was… a reasonable demand?
But even if Bai wanted to pay, she didn’t have that much money on hand.
However, the Boss was wrong about one thing. Bai’s dress wasn’t worth just a few gold coins.
It had been custom-made, costing 2,300 gold coins, and it was priceless, irreplaceable.
It had been designed by Lady Leticia, one of the Empire’s nine Legendary Knights.
Only someone with Lin Yan’s connections, and for an occasion as important as Lugner’s funeral, could have obtained a dress from the reclusive Legendary Knight, renowned for her craftsmanship.
“Whether it’s a hundred gold coins or one, I can’t pay,” Bai said, her tone still calm, infuriating the Boss even further.
This little girl was completely clueless!
He finally lost his patience, deciding to teach her a lesson, to show her the harsh realities of the world.
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