Chapter 50: Cast on Earth!
The wallet-snatching girl, seeing Ailiya charge with ferocious momentum, felt a jolt of fear. Despite Ailiya’s petite frame, her unstoppable aura was like an enraged rhinoceros.
This one’s trouble!
The girl, quick as a flash, bolted, scaling a low alley wall like a nimble cat and vanishing into another street.
As she ran, she calculated. Joking? In the capital’s thief circles, nobody matches “Fleetfoot Lily’s” speed! That ditzy maid’s long gone.
She even regretted her overreaction. It’s just a few coppers. Should’ve just given it back…
Distracted, a booming shout hit her from behind. “Thief! Stop right there!”
Shocked, Lily glanced back. The white-haired maid, sprinting on short legs at an astonishing pace, looked unfazed, not even winded!
Impossible!
Lily clicked her tongue, her competitive streak ignited. Lose to a maid? Not with my “Fleetfoot” title!
She accelerated, weaving through the maze-like alleys, dodging pedestrians and obstacles.
Thus began a bizarre chase through the capital’s outskirts.
A tiny girl fled desperately; a maid-clad teenager pursued relentlessly. They covered miles, the sun sinking low.
Lily’s lungs burned, gasping as she glanced back. The monstrous maid was still there, panting but not slowing!
Was she a marathon runner in her past life?!
Gritting her teeth, Lily summoned her last reserves, sprinting into the courtyard of an abandoned church. Ivy clung to its weathered stone walls, half its stained-glass windows shattered, leaving dark holes. A lone bell tower stood, creaking in the evening breeze.
Lily ducked through the dilapidated doors, collapsing against the frame, shouting hoarsely, “Little brats! Save your queen!”
A gang of ragged kids, the oldest barely ten, the youngest under five, rushed out, clutching sticks and iron bars as “weapons,” eyeing the outside warily.
Ailiya reached the courtyard.
Instead of pushing the rusty, half-open iron gate, she gripped the bars. Under the kids’ horrified stares, she inhaled deeply, her arm muscles tensing.
Creak—screech—
A teeth-grinding metal groan echoed as she bent the sturdy gate outward, creating a gap wide enough to pass.
Smaller kids wailed, dropping their sticks in terror.
Ailiya stepped through, white hair fluttering in the breeze, her round eyes blazing with fury, looking like a vengeful spirit. “Give—me—my—wallet!” she roared, as if she’d lost a fortune.
Seeing the tide turn, Lily stepped forward, shouting, “I’ll give it back! Don’t do anything rash!”
Ailiya’s menacing aura vanished instantly. Hands on hips, she said smugly, “Should’ve done that earlier. Hand it over.”
Lily tossed the wallet, muttering, “Bad luck. No haul, chased all afternoon by a monster…”
“What was that?” Ailiya, counting her few coppers, snapped her head up.
Lily flinched, yanking a taller boy as a shield, peeking from behind him.
A familiar voice called from above. “Ailiya!”
Sylvie descended on a glowing magic carpet, landing lightly and hurrying to Ailiya’s side. “Found the thief?”
Ailiya waved the wallet, nodding toward Lily.
Lily glared at the intruders with hostility. The boy she used as a shield whispered, “Lily, are we… not eating tonight?”
“Respect your elders! Call me Sister!” Lily bopped his head.
Sylvie’s gaze swept over the kids and Lily. “You’re ‘Fleetfoot Lily,’ right?”
“You know her?” Ailiya asked, surprised.
“Not personally,” Sylvie shook her head. “She’s notorious, in and out of the guardhouse. Rumor says she steals to feed homeless kids. Seems true.”
A half-decent person? Ailiya eyed the wary girl. But steal my wallet? No mercy!
As if hearing her thoughts, Lily scoffed, “Thought you were rich, dressed all fancy. Who knew you’re broke…”
Ailiya’s fists clenched, itching for a whip to teach her a lesson.
Sylvie, unfazed, crouched before the kids, pulling silver coins from her purse. “If you don’t have dinner, buy some food with these.”
“They’re thieves!” Ailiya protested.
“I know,” Sylvie smiled back. “But they need to apologize.”
She faced the kids seriously. “Please apologize to Ailiya.”
A small girl timidly asked, “If we say sorry… we get the money?”
“No taking it!” Lily covered her mouth, glaring at Sylvie. “We don’t need charity! I’ve told you—never bend your spine, no matter how poor!”
The kids hung their heads, murmuring, “Sorry, Sister Lily.”
“Then why steal?” Ailiya couldn’t help but retort.
“It’s just me doing it!” Lily shot back defiantly, then quieter, “Besides, stealing needs running, right? That’s physical labor. I earn it!”
What kind of logic is that?! Ailiya’s blood pressure spiked. I’m gonna punch her.
She rolled up her sleeves, but Sylvie stopped her. “No matter how tough you act, the kids are innocent.”
Looking into Lily’s eyes, Sylvie placed the coins on the ground. “Don’t let them go hungry.”
Turning to Ailiya, she said, “Let’s go.”
Ailiya, unable to resist the overly kind heroine, sighed and followed to the carpet.
As they prepared to leave, footsteps chased after them. “S-Sorry!”
The kids ran up, bowing deeply to Ailiya and Sylvie. The boy used as a shield pushed Lily forward.
Grudgingly, face red, Lily muttered, “Sorry.”
Ailiya chuckled at her reluctance, hopping onto the carpet and sticking out her tongue at Lily. “Steal from me again, and I’ll show you an Earth-shattering toss!”
For emphasis, she threw a casual punch at a half-dead tree nearby.
Boom!
The trunk, thick as a barrel, splintered under her fist, crashing down.
Lily and her gang froze, faces pale as ghosts.