Ch. 27 - Arrested

"Stop the cart! Nova, go check the boxes."

Several fully-armed mercenaries surrounded the ox cart, urging Catherine to drive it toward the manor's clearing.

Tang Qi immediately spotted a man in full plate armor, carrying a greatsword on his back, who had been waiting for some time.

He strode forward directly, the "clang clang" of his armor collision rhythmically, like evening bells approaching their final toll.

The man didn't even bother with interrogation, making it clear he already knew the ox cart carried inferior goods masquerading as the real thing.

Tang Qi didn't understand.

Could Black Snake really be so short-sighted as to think shifting all responsibility onto him, an outsider, would absolve him of his negligence?

But things had come to this point, and all he could do was grit his teeth.

As he got off the cart, his mind was entirely focused on figuring out how to drag Black Snake down with him.

"Get down here, don't try any tricks on me."

"Of course I wouldn't dare." Tang Qi truly didn't dare.

Never mind what level this leader was at.

Just having a few mercenaries rush up and stab him with their swords would be enough to turn him into a pincushion.

The man escorted all three people down from the cart. A young man in robes immediately ran to his side, and the slender magic wand in his hand suddenly burst with spiritual light that drilled into his eyes.

Before meeting up with the merchant caravan, Tang Qi had taken a "treat a dead horse as if it were alive" approach and asked Kuru to cast Silent Image around the ox cart.

But this Nova was clearly shooting arrows first and painting the target afterward.

The camouflage made at the last minute couldn't possibly fool their already suspicious eyes.

Nova looked around and finally fixed his gaze on the starberries loaded on the cart—

"Only illusion school magical aura."

Noting that this caster hadn't recited incantations or communicated with the Weave, Tang Qi guessed it was a magic-detecting wand that could reveal the source of magical auras.

It could expend spells stored in the wand to cast Detect Magic.

"Say something I can understand!"

"That's why I suggested you read more, Explosivewolf. It would at least let you hide your ignorance."

"Cut the fucking crap!"

Nova didn't bother with the mercenary captain anymore, instead examining Tang Qi's group with interest.

Finally, his gaze settled on Kuru.

He yanked off the robe covering Kuru.

First came a sound of surprise, then he grabbed its head:

"So it really is a kobold? Come, let me see where it is..."

"Rua!"

Nova's hands were rough, his fingernails nearly digging into Kuru's scales.

"Sir, you..."

Tang Qi wanted to step forward to pull him away, but a greatsword immediately blocked his path.

Explosivewolf frowned tightly, like he was holding back a fire that could ignite at any moment:

"Stand still if you don't want to die."

"Can't find it, can't find it! How is this possible!? A kobold that can learn spells—how could it not have a headband of intellect?"

Nova groped around randomly, his fingertips feeling only the touch of cold scales. Finally, unable to restrain himself, he grabbed the kobold's shoulders, looking somewhat crazed.

"Listen, little guy. Hand over all the treasures on you, and I'll have them spare your life, okay?"

The headband of intellect he mentioned was a type of magic item.

It had enlightening and inspirational effects, occasionally helping high-intelligence creatures have sudden flashes of insight, but only worked while worn.

So he'd heard about the kobold mage and coveted this magic item?

But Kuru couldn't make items invisible yet.

Its wisdom probably truly was a gift from the gods.

And when Kuru heard these humans constantly threatening its little life, it was quite angry.

But that didn't affect its survival instinct.

It didn't understand what Nova wanted to do, but it understood the word "treasure."

"Spare me, spare me!"

It immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Submit, treasure!"

It hesitated for quite a while, finally choosing to bear the pain of parting with what it loved for the sake of its life, taking out its most beloved treasure—

"This is... a stick?"

Nova looked at the wooden staff it held up, unable to help frowning.

This wasn't what he wanted.

Kuru nodded vigorously, raising the staff to display it:

"Straight, stick!"

Kobolds generally showed little warmth in kinship relations.

But Kuru wasn't ordinary.

Although this was just a magical implement used to communicate with the Weave, a relic left behind along with that mage's spellbook.

The staff was exquisitely crafted—straight, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with a vigorous texture extending outward from the top, twisted into a claw reaching toward the sky.

It couldn't resist such a straight stick.

It still remembered that when it first picked up this straight staff, it had jumped the claw dance for three days in joy, far more exciting than eating fresh pork.

This staff had accompanied it as it learned its first cantrip.

At night, it would hold it while sleeping.

It was its most important companion.

If it was to exchange for its own life, as a companion, it should be happy to contribute, right...

However, the inexperienced Kuru didn't yet understand.

What it considered treasures might be worthless in others' eyes.

"Are you fucking with me?"

Nova never expected that such a low-intelligence creature that should have had its scales stripped to become material for his component pouch would one day mock him with such a poor joke.

When people get too angry, they laugh.

So with a "snap," he smiled and broke Kuru's staff—

"Rua!!!"

The straight staff split in two before Kuru's eyes.

It crawled crying to the broken staff, trying to fit the pieces back together seamlessly, but no matter what.

Looking at that broken gap was like its own heart being torn apart.

"Where exactly did you put your headband? Or is there some other wondrous item..."

Seeing the caster about to cause more trouble, Tang Qi couldn't care about the longsword blocking him anymore—

Kuru's ruins behind it and the "dragon egg"—he hadn't seen them yet.

So he hurriedly explained:

"Sir, it's a naturally high-intelligence kobold, not wearing any magic items."

"Natural?"

Nova looked at Kuru strangely.

He'd actually encountered special cases like Kuru before—

It was a troll wearing a headband who loved reading.

When analyzing and researching spells, possessing such a treasure that could give one sudden flashes of insight often had twice the effect with half the effort.

But he had no way to snatch that magic item from the other party.

Therefore, he'd set his sights on Kuru.

Now realizing the kobold was naturally intelligent, he lost his previous interest.

But Explosivewolf grabbed it by the scruff:

"A talking kobold... Those rich people with curiosity should be interested in buying one. It should be enough to offset its crime of stealing starberries.

Put shackles on it, throw it on the cargo cart, and take it along."

Several mercenaries grabbed Kuru's four limbs and locked it on the cart.

Explosivewolf finally looked at Tang Qi:

"As for you, a bard, right? Before meddling in others' business, you should think about what price you'll pay."

"Where will I be taken?"

Tang Qi knew that as the "accomplice" who had come up with the scheme, he probably couldn't escape punishment either.

"Before the employer, of course."

As land under Longgold City's jurisdiction, everything in this small town was protected by Longgold City's laws.

So he would probably be taken all the way to Longgold City to face trial under the city's laws—

This was good news; at least these people were reasonable.

After all, even if they drew their swords and executed private punishment on him, in this secluded small town surrounded by mountains on three sides, no one would say anything.

"Alright."

Since he was getting arrested either way, Tang Qi simply raised both hands and gave up pointless resistance.

"No need to trouble yourself, I'll do it myself."

He walked directly toward the mercenary holding the shackles, extended both hands, and after his wrists were firmly locked, followed behind the mercenary.

Catherine, who had driven the cart, knew she couldn't escape either and simply imitated Tang Qi, saving everyone some time.

"Not bad, being sensible is a kind of wisdom. It will save you a lot of physical suffering."

Explosivewolf was pleased to see this.

He was just a mercenary hired to escort the caravan, paid to protect the starberries.

If the employer hadn't promised extra payment, what did these criminals' schemes have to do with him?

Tang Qi was pushed into the manor's stable, uneasy at heart.

Amid the stench of manure, he looked up.

He never expected to encounter an acquaintance.

Tang Qi couldn't help but move closer and say:

"What a coincidence, you're here too?"

Black Snake, firmly locked by the familiar cangue and leg irons, sitting in a corner on a pile of hay, couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth:

"..."

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