Chapter 17: I'm Still a Child
Chapter 17: I'm Still a Child
Lei En darted through the forest, zigzagging to confuse his pursuer and maintain his high-speed escape. After a while, his stamina began to wane.
Slowing down, he carefully listened to his surroundings and hid behind a large tree, panting heavily.
"Huff... Huff..."
In his mind, he cursed, "What bad luck! Why can't these meddling nobles mind their own business?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice from beside him said, "Not bad, young man! You're fast!"
Lei En was stunned, thinking, "He won't let me off? He's been chasing me for so long!"
"Damn!"
Instantly, Lei En made a decision and allocated his remaining skill points to Basic Swordsmanship.
His Basic Swordsmanship level instantly rose from level 3 to level 4!
Suddenly, Lei En burst forth with a ferocious aura!
With a Step Thrust, he brandished the wooden stick he had just picked up and charged at his opponent. If escape was impossible, he would fight to the death!
Lei En's sudden and fierce attack surprised Hamilton, who admired Lei En's temperament, speed, and swordsmanship even more.
Such a temperament, speed, and swordsmanship were truly rare talents!
However, Hamilton merely extended his right hand and effortlessly grasped the rapidly approaching wooden stick, immobilizing it before him.
No matter how hard Lei En struggled, he couldn't budge the stick an inch, causing his heart to sink.
"It's over! The gap in strength is just too vast!"
Hamilton continued leisurely, "Don't be nervous, young man. I'll take care of that drunkard Jack, and he'll spend some time in the detention cell. He won't have the chance to bother you again."
"Detention cell?! Are you... the new sheriff?" Lei En was stunned but quickly realized the situation and blurted out.
"You're a smart young man. I am indeed the new sheriff of Glintstone Town, Hamilton."
As he saw the shock on Lei En's face, a smile crept onto Hamilton's serious expression.
It wasn't that he wanted to scare Lei En.
Rather, Lei En's reactions had caught him off guard, not even giving him a chance to explain himself.
"Sir, I'm truly sorry. I didn't know you were..." Lei En could sense the goodwill in Hamilton's words.
"Hehe, what you did to Drunkard Jack was not wrong. After all, he attacked you first, and you were only defending yourself."
"However..."
"You just brandished a weapon at an Imperial Marquis and the sheriff of Glintstone Town. How should I punish you for that?"
"Also, taking money from Drunkard Jack is against the Imperial Law on Public Security."
Hamilton's combat was far more valuable than mere training.
"Ah! But..." Lei En was at a loss for words. The sheriff before him had changed his attitude so quickly.
"Eighteen silver coins!" Lei En's heart sank as he counted the coins.
Hamilton took the coins with a smile and looked at Lei En.
"Well, now there's just one more thing—you attacked an Imperial Noble."
"But considering your young age, I can forgive you once. However, you need to do something for me."
"What is it? I won't do anything illegal!" Lei En eyed Hamilton warily.
Hamilton couldn't help but feel speechless at Rayn's words.
"You're not even doing anything illegal?" he retorted. "You're a typical lawbreaker!"
After some thought, Hamilton decided to reveal a little to Rayn, "I can't tell you the specifics yet, but you should know about the recent child disappearances. I'm keeping a close eye on this matter."
Upon hearing this, Rayn heaved a sigh of relief.
So, it was about this case! Even in his past life, he had a deep hatred for human traffickers.
Now, with Sheriff Hamilton holding his secret, if he was only asking for help in addressing the child disappearance cases, Rayn could agree to it.
But was the current sheriff so responsible? This sudden revelation made Rayn dislike the man in front of him a little less.
Wait a minute!
I'm still a kid!
In terms of strength, I'm barely stronger than an ordinary militia member. How can I be of any help to him? Rayn realized that something was amiss. Should he refuse outright?
No way!
They have something on me.
Fine, I'll play along for now and agree. I need to improve my strength!
"Alright, but Sheriff, I'm still a child with limited abilities. I might not be of much help," Rayn said with a deadpan expression, as if he were a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
Hamilton couldn't help but laugh at Rayn's response, thinking to himself, "Still a child? With your temperament, swordsmanship, and speed, I doubt most militiamen could match you!"
"Don't worry, it won't exceed your capabilities," Hamilton assured him with a smile.
"Then, may I go home, Sheriff?" Rayn asked.
"Of course!" Hamilton replied.
As soon as Hamilton finished speaking, Rayn darted off like a startled rabbit, not even turning back. This made Hamilton shake his head helplessly again, thinking, "What a clever brat!"
"However, to handle this case, we might need someone like Rayn. Who knows, he might be surprisingly effective!"
Rayn sprinted all the way to his doorstep, only slowing down once he reached it. His chest heaved as he caught his breath.
"Huff... Huff..."
At that moment, Rayn felt a mix of excitement and fear, along with a hint of regret and disappointment. The events of the night had been completely under his control, but he had unexpectedly run into the new sheriff, Hamilton.
The sheriff's strength was overwhelming!
Rayn pondered, realizing that his swordmaster, Humbert, might not be a match for Hamilton. It seemed only the noble boys' swordmaster, Sir Perezz, could stand a chance against him.
Fortunately, Hamilton didn't seem like a particularly strict person.
Otherwise, Rayn would have been in deep trouble!
Thinking about his consecutive attribute points in agility and militia swordsmanship, he still couldn't match Hamilton, not even managing to push him to reveal his true strength. This left Rayn feeling somewhat discouraged.
The gap in strength was simply too vast!
He could only blame himself for his lack of strength.
But what Rayn regretted and felt most sorry about were the eighteen silver coins!
"My body is growing, and I had planned to buy some meat to supplement my nutrition. Alas, things didn't go as planned!"
Although Rayn had only used one move, he gained some experience.
[Your Basic Swordsmanship skill has improved. Experience +11]
[You have engaged in combat. Militia Experience +8]
With a heavy heart, Rayn entered his home.
"Brother, you're back!" Mint rushed to give Rayn a big hug.
Soon, the family of four gathered around a simple dining table for dinner.
The warm oil lamp illuminated the room.
A cozy atmosphere enveloped them.
Rayn's disappointment dissipated instantly!
As for money, he was confident he could earn it.
(End of Chapter)
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