'Crunch~'
Luo Li took a hearty bite of the large apple she held. Heaven knew why the apples in this world were so massive. For apple lovers, it was pure bliss. The crisp, sweet taste filled her mouth. Two rows of small teeth marks were left on the huge apple.
Moonrise City, as part of the Kingdom of the Moon, was a city exceptionally rich in natural resources. It bordered the Eastern Sea to the east, the East Forest to the south, and vast plains to the west and north. While its maritime transport wasn't developed, its natural resources were abundant. Marine, forest, and agricultural resources surrounded the city. This made everyday expenses in the city and its surrounding areas much lower than in other cities. The apple in Luo Li's hand cost fifteen copper coins. In other cities, this would be dirt cheap, but here, it seemed a bit pricey. A large apple weighing nearly twenty pounds for fifteen coins, or ten pounds of regular apples for five coins. Any ordinary family wouldn't need to think twice about which to choose. Luo Li had even deliberately chosen one that wasn't the largest. The biggest apple weighed thirty pounds. That was a third of Luo Li's own body weight. It seemed like something ordinary families wouldn't buy. These apples often had more economic value than practical value. Nobles would typically buy such apples to flaunt their extravagance; the bigger the apple, the more prestigious it was. Hence, the premium price for these large apples fluctuated wildly. Luo Li merely asked, and a twenty-pound apple was fifteen copper coins, but a twenty-two-pound apple instantly soared to fifty copper coins. In reality, how many families could possibly finish twenty or thirty pounds of apples in one go? Only nobles, with their fondness for luxury, would purchase such an item. However, if this apple could be used to mass-produce apple juice, that would be truly excellent. After all, the apple she held tasted genuinely good. Its natural apple aroma filled her entire mouth with a single bite, far surpassing the taste of ordinary apples.
"This truly is a foundational city."
Luo Li's gaze continuously swept over everything on the street. The fish vendors by the roadside even knew to aerate the water, using magic stones and tubes made from an unknown animal product for the air pump. They used wind-element magic stones to push airflow into the tubes, which then flowed into the fish tanks. Looking at these sea fish, each larger than the last, with the biggest even three meters long and unidentifiable,
Luo Li found herself struggling to resist.
'I want to eat them!'
But, patting her stomach and then looking at the large apple covered in tooth marks, just a piece of this apple had almost filled her up. She definitely couldn't eat fish now. 'Forget it, I'll eat them when I reach Moonrise City.' Earlier, she had walked and eaten, incidentally asking about this city. This was Luocheng, the largest city near Moonrise City. But compared to a metropolis like Moonrise City with a million residents, this place was still too small. It probably only had a population of a hundred thousand. The terrain here was almost identical to Moonrise City. This also made the area quite prosperous.
She checked the sky; she had been walking for most of the day, and it was nearing noon. Continuing to walk like this was a bit tiring. After all, she was no longer in her witch state, lacking the powerful attribute support. Her stamina was naturally much lower.
"Excuse me... is there an inn nearby?"
"Oh, an inn? It's just around that corner."
"Thank you."
Luo Li casually asked someone on the street and then headed straight for the inn. She planned to rest here for a day and depart for Moonrise City first thing tomorrow morning.
She subtly glanced behind her, feigning indifference. Before, she had only noticed the large gorilla, but now, the other person also came into view. It was him, indeed. That Bit. 'This guy is following me?' All this way, the gorilla's figure had intermittently appeared in her sight. So, it was basically confirmed that these two were indeed following her.
Luo Li subconsciously stroked her smooth chin. The image of a certain elementary school student instantly flashed in her mind. 'The truth is, there is only one!' 'They want to kidnap me!' 'Most likely, they intend to traffic me, right?' 'Hmm, let me think about how to deal with this.' 'Should I naturally allow myself to be kidnapped, then blend in and get to the bottom of these traffickers?' 'Or should I just apprehend these two directly and interrogate them harshly?'
Just as Luo Li was still deliberating whether to pretend to be captured and investigate, or to simply seize them and interrogate them with a Tiger Bench and chili water, a rather handsome man walked over from not far away.
"Beautiful lady, your lovely brows are furrowed; surely you have something on your mind? How about I help you solve it?"
At this... thing that suddenly appeared before her, Luo Li couldn't help but be taken aback.
"And you are?"
'Tilt my head and be cute, I'm truly adorable.' 'And casually ask what the other party does.'
The man smiled slightly and stood tall.
"My name is Izzy Capablanca, lady. You've been targeted by human traffickers, and I can help you solve this problem."
Hearing this, Luo Li pursed her lips in a soft smile and nodded.
"Yes, if you could, I'd appreciate your trouble."
"You're welcome. It is my honor to be of service to such a beautiful lady."
This frivolous man had fiery red short hair, and his appearance... was indeed quite handsome. However, the inexplicable confidence on his face made one instinctively want to avoid him. But Luo Li disliked judging people by their appearance, even if this man's confidence was a bit excessive. Moreover, Luo Li remained suspicious of this person who had inexplicably popped up. After all, it was hard to say if this person wasn't in league with the traffickers. If he was, he would surely try to trick her into going somewhere later. A faint smile played on Luo Li's lips, but in her heart, she had already planned everything. Meanwhile, Izzy smiled and nodded.
"Since that's the case, please wait here for a moment; I'll be right back."
"Go ahead."
As he spoke, Izzy directly walked towards Bit and Shinke behind him. He approached them directly, without any intention of avoiding them. Under their somewhat bewildered and helpless gaze, this man, who seemed entirely suffused with the glow of 'confidence', suddenly shouted angrily:
"Halt! You two scoundrels, following this lady all this way, what is your business? If you don't explain yourselves, I'll have to take you for a stroll through the magistrate's office!"
Luo Li had expected some kind of 'hero saving the beauty' scene or a 'manly power burst' where he would beat up the two petty thieves. However, what she never expected was that this person's first thought was to go to court?
'This... the logic seems perfectly sound.' 'But it doesn't quite fit the current situation, does it?'
Bit, having been exposed, also looked rather displeased. As a human trafficker, he couldn't even admit it, or he'd truly be finished.
"What scoundrels? I don't understand what you're talking about! Who the hell are you? I'm just out for a normal stroll; how is that any of your business?"
"Exactly!" Shinke, beside him, chimed in.
Unexpectedly, Izzy suddenly burst into laughter.
"Since you've asked so earnestly, then I shall mercifully enlighten you!"
'Huh?' 'These lines... why do they inexplicably give me a sense of déjà vu?' 'I feel like I've heard them somewhere before.' That single sentence made Bit and Shinke freeze in place, staring at him with blank expressions. Seeing their reactions, it seemed Izzy really wasn't in league with these two. 'There are actually people with such chivalrous hearts in this world?' 'Willing to stand up against evil?'
Izzy, with immense confidence, swept his bangs back and struck an incredibly embarrassing pose.
"Now that it has come to this, I shall no longer conceal it!"
People on the surrounding streets stopped and watched. In that instant, Luo Li suddenly felt an urge to just turn and walk away.
"Indeed!"
He covered half his face with his right hand, stood on one foot, and placed his other hand on his hip.
"Indeed! I am the embodiment of beauty and wisdom, heroism and chivalry."
"The adventurer known as the Kingdom of the Moon's most handsome man."
"Izzy Capablanca."
'Ugh~ How utterly embarrassing!' 'This man!!' 'How could this person possibly say such cringeworthy lines so brazenly and without a change in expression?' Luo Li felt her cheeks flush, her scalp tingle, and her whole body crawl as if a thousand ants were scurrying over her; she was so mortified she wished the ground would swallow her whole! Bit and Shinke were also stunned, and the surrounding onlookers couldn't help but stand dumbfounded. Only Izzy remained unfazed, still wearing his confident smile.
"You scoundrels, before Izzy Capablanca, the Kingdom of the Moon's most handsome man, quickly kneel and confess your crimes, or I..."
Before he could finish, the massive gorilla tribe member suddenly raised its fist.
'Thud,' it slammed into that handsome face.
Bit was stunned to see this. The onlookers couldn't help but gasp. Luo Li even winced and turned her head away. Izzy took that punch squarely.
"You... why did you hit him? Can't you tell this guy's crazy?"
Bit hastily yelled at his companion, trying to stop Shinke. After all, hitting someone like this in the middle of the street was simply unacceptable. But Shinke, the gorilla tribe member, was furious, waving his fists and gnashing his teeth:
"Because he's shameless."
"How is he shameless?"
"I am clearly the Kingdom of the Moon's most handsome man, and he dares to steal my title! Of course I have to hit him!!"
The bewildered onlookers slowly raised their heads, gazing at the gorilla's face, covered in black fur and all askew. They had seen shameless people like Izzy before. But it was their first time seeing a beast even more shameless than Izzy. Just then, Izzy, who had been knocked to the ground by the punch, groaned and awoke from his daze. Suddenly, he chuckled slyly. His laugh was incredibly sinister, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
'What is he going to do?' 'Why is he suddenly smiling like that?'
As everyone stood dumbfounded, Izzy suddenly sprang up, grabbed Bit's leg, and refused to let go.
"Your companion just hit me! You have nothing to say now, do you? To the magistrate's office! Pay up!!"
After saying that, he didn't forget to wink at Luo Li.
"Beautiful lady, hurry and leave! I'll handle this here. They hit me, so they can't leave without paying!"
Instantly, all eyes fixed on Luo Li. The girl clutching the large apple froze on the spot. An impulse to kill him right then and there suddenly surged in her heart! 'This Izzy!' 'I thought you were going to beat them up and stage a cool hero-saves-the-damsel scene.' 'Who knew you were actually aiming to extort money from them?' 'What a scheme~ Truly a clever scheme.' 'Provoke them, get them to hit you, then make them pay, and still play the hero saving the beauty.' 'It's just that the process is utterly ridiculous.' 'Where does that leave me?' 'In this situation, how am I supposed to leave?' The people around were still pointing and whispering, and Luo Li resigned herself to fate. 'Fine, if it's the magistrate's office, then it's the magistrate's office.' In this situation, there seemed to be no other choice. If she were to turn and leave now, people would truly point fingers at her for the rest of her life. 'For crying out loud, why does she always run into such oddballs?' 'She wasn't actually traveling incognito like an emperor; it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.' 'How did she actually end up in such a bizarre situation?'
Soon, the clanking sound of steel armor echoed from down the street. A squad of soldiers came running.
"Stop! Everyone, stop it right now!!"
Shinke had originally wanted to throw another punch, but the moment he saw the City Defense Force arrive, he instantly cowered. The onlookers also made way, and soon, a group of soldiers wielding longswords surrounded the area. Including... Luo Li.
"Nobody move! What exactly happened here?"
Seeing the City Defense Force, Bit quickly moved to explain. But before he could open his mouth, Izzy suddenly interjected.
"Officer of the City Defense Force! They were following this beautiful lady and they hit me! They're bad guys! Arrest them quickly!"
Saying this, Izzy turned his head to look at the City Defense Force. His eyes suddenly lit up.
"Uncle Kalan?"
The City Defense Force leader was also startled at this sight.
"Izzy? What are you doing here?"
Then he looked at the injuries on Izzy's face, and his mouth twitched involuntarily. Looking at the current situation, he seemed to have already figured things out.
"Men, take those two back and interrogate them thoroughly."
He then glanced at Izzy again, ignoring the lunatic. Turning back, he looked at Luo Li. The moment he saw Luo Li, the City Defense Force leader's eyes lit up. Such a beautiful woman was rare, even in this city of a hundred thousand people. If this woman had always lived in Luocheng, it was impossible that she would have no reputation at all. This meant she was from out of town. He looked at the girl's arms, delicate as jelly. They gave the impression that even a light touch would leave a mark. It was clear at a glance that she was no ordinary noble young lady. He quickly changed his demeanor and stepped forward.
"Beautiful lady, if I may ask, what exactly happened just now?"
"Sir, just as he said, those two men have been following me since I entered the city. If it weren't for him, I truly wouldn't have known what to do."
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