Don't move, it's a robbery!

The past few days of hard work have left me quite tired, so I slept exceptionally well tonight.

Unfortunately, I hadn't slept for long before I was woken up by a series of noises.

I groggily opened my eyes from the roof beam, then looked around and, after confirming that the noise was coming from outside, I felt relieved.

It's alright, at least my hiding place wasn't discovered.

Just as I was about to close my eyes and go back to sleep, I suddenly heard other people's voices in the room.

"Honey, what's going on outside?"

"Shh, don't talk. It sounds like the guards and the Thorn Gang are fighting."

Hearing the sounds from inside the house, I wasn't worried. These two people weren't outsiders at all; to be precise, they were the owners of the house, and I was the outsider.

Yes, last night, instead of going back to the empty house I had prepared, I randomly found someone's house and slept in their attic for the night.

The main reason for doing this was to be on the safe side. After all, it's a big city, and nobody knows if there are people in the city who specialize in investigations. If such people find that the recent missing persons in the city are all thugs, then it will be easy to pinpoint the places where gangs gather.

Although I did prepare many backup strongholds to effectively disrupt the investigation, there were still quite a few guards in the city, plus soldiers mobilized from various military camps. If they were to stumble upon the house I was staying in by sheer luck, my reputation as a chivalrous thief would be ruined.

That's why I deliberately hid in an ordinary family's house, just to guard against this!

With my hiding skills, I don't believe anyone can find me!

Just as I was feeling smug, the people inside started talking again.

"Have you heard? The bandits have come to our city. They've reportedly kidnapped all the noble lords in the upper district! They even boasted that they'd take over Mogosloar within three days. This morning, they attacked the city lord and I heard they almost killed him."

What?! The rogue says he'll take Mogoslor within three days? And he even attacked the city lord?

How come I didn't know?

"Really? Where did you hear that? Is it reliable?"

Yeah, where did you hear that from?

"Everyone says so! When I went to buy groceries today, I heard a lot of people talking about this. Everyone said that the chivalrous thief did these things because he wanted to liberate the slaves in the city! The chivalrous thief said it himself. He attacked the city lord because the city lord disagreed."

What?! Is that even possible?

"And today they even put up wanted posters for the outlaw today! Guess what? I actually saw him! You know, that kid who likes to throw money around in the tavern!"

Tsk, how come my wanted poster has reached the Southern Federation? From now on, I'll have to wear a hood when I go out shopping!

"Then why aren't the guards going after the Robin Hood, but instead fighting with the Thorn Gang? Ah! Could it be that the Robin Hood is actually hiding within the Thorn Gang?!"

"Of course! Didn't those bards say that whenever a chivalrous thief arrives in a new place, he always first subdues the local underworld and orders them to follow the rules? Haven't you noticed that there are fewer thugs on the streets lately?"

"My God! I hadn't noticed that at all. According to you, these chivalrous thieves are much better than the guards! And the Thorn Gang too. I used to think they were all scum, but I never expected them to fight to the death with the guards for the chivalrous thieves. They're quite courageous!"

Um, have I ever had any dealings with the Thorn Gang before?

No, right?

Why can't I understand a single word they're saying?

The way things unfolded was rather strange, making me quite curious about what was going on. After some hesitation, I decided to go and join in the fun.

I left quietly without disturbing the couple downstairs, leaving them a gold coin as payment for the room.

Soon, I found the source of the noise. Just a few blocks away, a large group of guards were besieging a two-story building, while inside, a group of thugs armed with crossbows and machetes were putting up a stubborn resistance.

Just then, one of the thugs suddenly dropped his weapon and shouted something at the guards.

The guy was shouting incoherently, and I was too far away to hear what he was saying at all. However, the guards stopped their attack and even retreated a distance on the commander's orders.

Is this a negotiation?

I was a little curious, and then I saw the guards bring in a dwarven cannon.

"........."

Wow, no wonder it's a city with a garrison; they even managed to bring out artillery.

This thing is said to be something only dwarves can make, and it's ridiculously expensive and of questionable quality.

The nobles of Frant had bought one before and displayed it on the city wall as a decoration. Later, when they encountered bandits attacking the city, they tried to fire it, but the gunpowder got damp, rendering it useless.

However, given the dryness of the South, there's no need to worry about the flames getting damp from the cannons here. Plus, the nobles here are genuinely wealthy, which is why the Southern Federation's army has so many soldiers armed with muskets.

"boom!!!"

Just as I was lost in thought, the artillery exploded. Everyone in the entire West District heard a roar. When the smoke cleared, the wall on the second floor of the two-story building that had been besieged had been punched through a large hole.

This cannon is incredibly powerful!

I rubbed my ears and crept over from the surrounding eaves, preparing to get a closer look at the cannon's construction. By the time I got close, the cannon had already been loaded, and with the commander's order, a guard lit the gunpowder.

I was still shaken by the loud noise, so I quickly covered my ears, but I soon realized that it was no use.

"boom!!!!!!"

A deafening roar, far louder than before, sent me flying off the roof.

My mind was buzzing, and I stood frozen in mid-air for a full half second before I remembered to adjust my posture. I finally managed to get back to an upright position before landing.

What the hell is going on? Wasn't I hiding on the roof behind the cannon?

Why did this cannon fire at the rear instead of the front?

Or did they discover me and thus turn their guns around?

Are artillery pieces that flexible?

I shook my head and looked around. I realized I had fallen from the rooftop onto the street and was standing right where the cannons had been placed. However, the cannons that should have been there were nowhere to be seen, and there was a large crater in the ground. Almost all the guards around me were dead or wounded, leaving only a small group of guards at a distance, staring at me with terrified expressions.

Hmm, it seems the cannon exploded.

Looking at the damaged streets, the scattered remains of flesh and corpses, and the trembling soldiers, I felt I should say something to ease the awkward situation.

"Um, how about you guys continue?"