Thief Mage

6

On this day in the Ottoman Empire, citizens rose early and dressed in festive attire. The streets were festooned with lights and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere was filled with festivity. A sea of ​​people surged across Qasr Square, the world's largest square. Ignoring the scorching sun, they waited for something.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd. "Here they come!" someone shouted.

The entire square erupted in excitement. Their four heroes, along with me, wrapped in a sack, appeared at the square's entrance. The crowd cleared a path to the podium. Following the path, the four heroes, with graceful and steady steps, slowly approached the podium amid the cheers of tens of thousands. King Will III of the Ottoman Empire, clad in a golden battle robe, stood majestically on the podium, gazing at the five figures approaching from afar.

We made our way through the crowd to the podium, stepping onto the scarlet carpet. Captain Karina stepped forward, placed her right hand on her left shoulder, and gave a standard military salute. "Your Majesty, the theft of the Tianji Shield, which shocked the world three years ago, has now been concluded. The thief has been apprehended. The pursuit mission is now complete. Please inspect and approve it, Your Majesty."

Karina clapped her hands twice and called out, "Bring him up!"

Sword Saint Sike walked up to me, picked me up by the hand, and threw me to the ground. My bound hands and feet couldn't support me, and he threw me to the ground. The pain was so intense that I squirmed like a caterpillar. I looked up and saw Will III staring at me.

Will III looked to be around fifty. Surprisingly, his chubby face still exuded a regal aura. A golden crown covered his graying hair, and his belly bulged. His slightly smaller eyes and carefully trimmed mustache made it clear he wasn't a good person. I politely smiled at him, and Will III smiled heartily. "My dear Mr. Kano, one of the three most evil thieves in the world and the treasure thief," he said. "I wonder how you feel about this situation today, Mr. Kano? It's not just me who's here to welcome you. There's also the High Priest of Islam, the heir of the House of Tandin, and the daughter of the Lord of Lisbon. Everyone's waiting for your arrival. I don't think anyone has the nerve to command the attention of all these powerful corporations!"

Following Will III's gaze, I saw the people he was referring to. They all looked at me with a look of fury that couldn't be expressed in words. I noticed Lisa among the crowd, and I guess she felt my gaze, and her face flushed slightly.

Retracting my gaze from Lisa, I chuckled and said, "Ah! It's been so hard over the years, everyone. I'm deeply grateful for your kindness and concern. I'm grateful for your support. Now, I'll return the things I borrowed from you. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to interact with you again in the future. After all, we're so familiar with each other, so please feel free to take them."

It was clearly stolen, yet they still called it borrowing. Their expressions turned rather grim upon hearing this.

At this moment, Karina had already ordered someone to bring up "my" things.

The first item brought up was the Ottoman Empire's national treasure. Due to the loss of this treasure in recent years, the Ottoman Empire had been ridiculed by many nations. Losing even a national treasure was certainly not a glorious thing. Some nations, seeing the Ottoman Empire without the protection of the Celestial Magic Shield, brazenly provoked and invaded it, prompting the Ottoman Empire to continuously recruit troops and increase taxes. In short, the Ottoman Empire had indeed not had a peaceful life for many years. This was the reason for today's national celebration, but in reality, it was just an excuse for Will III to intensify his exploitation of the people.

Will III excitedly lifted the long-forgotten Celestial Shield with both hands, examining it closely. The grease and rice grains on the bowl shone brightly. Damn, this guy used such a sacred Celestial Shield...

He pulled out a handkerchief and shakily wiped the sweat from his brow. He remained calm and said nothing. If anyone knew that his nation's treasure had once provided me with a living, the Ottoman Empire would be humiliated for a long time. Will III quickly pulled up the red cloth covering the shield and immediately ordered it to be taken to the top-level safe in the national treasury.

From then on, this matter became a top-secret secret of the Ottoman Empire.

Will III glared at me and said sternly, "Alright! You're really good and ruthless!" I gave him a sheepish grin.

The next item brought up was the wind magic staff of the Tandin family. The Tandin heir held it in his hands.

This chapter is unfinished. Please turn to the next page to continue reading... The Thief Mage, latest chapter, Chapter 6, website: [This section appears to be unrelated and likely comes from a different source.] My hands trembled as I held onto my pipe. Tears streamed from my eyes.

The Tandin heir stared excitedly at the staff, now a pipe. If it weren't for the public, he might have cried. Many years ago, he was supposed to inherit the position of patriarch, but the staff's disappearance delayed his succession. He had endured countless family strife, plotted against by his uncle and brothers, and suffered countless humiliations. He had expended countless efforts and struggles, fought against the murder of his brothers, and persevered, finally persevering with his perseverance. He believed that this day would finally be his day. His expression was filled with emotion, tears streaming. Perhaps he had some thoughts, but only he knew.

Speaking of this pipe, it's about as long as an arm and as thick as a big toe, with a rough, jet-black surface. I don't know what it's made of, but it's so light that anyone unfamiliar with it might mistake it for a pipe. In fact, it was originally a family heirloom of the Tandin magic family—the "Wind Magic Wand."

The reason it became a pipe is related to my hobby. My third greatest pleasure in life is smoking. Because I need to carry as little as possible on the run, I hollowed it out and made a pipe on the end of the pipe. This became my unique, Kano-made Wind Magic Pipe.

It was precisely because of this Wind Magic Wand that the Tandin family hunted me for five years.

This also ties into another incident. I remember once smoking a cigarette on the Libyan coast when a typhoon started to blow up, bringing with it a tsunami. I was inexplicably wanted by the United Libyan States. I was puzzled for a moment, and then I came across this entry in a history book:

"In the year 1300, the Libyan harbor was attacked by the Dread Demons. The entire harbor was reduced to ruins, with no casualties. The reconstruction cost approximately 8 billion spiks, and it consumed the United Libyan States' treasury for nearly half a year."