Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 926 - 25: The Old Man and Dusack

Chapter 926: Chapter 25: The Old Man and Dusack

Reflecting on his childhood, old Fugget considered himself lucky, as his mother had eight children, but only he survived to adulthood.

But unfortunately, Fugget also had a father who was a thief.

The occupational hazards of being a thief are high, once caught, a light punishment would be a severe beating, while a severe one would mean losing a right hand.

The income from theft was not proportionate to the risks. After all, Paratu was no prosperous and wealthy Vineta; in the Kingdom of Galloping Horses, hardly any thief could solely rely on stealing to support a family.

Thus, Fugget’s father mostly earned his bread through odd jobs, only finding the opportunity to indulge in his sideline during crowded occasions like markets, celebrations, or services.

Odd jobs also had off-seasons and peak seasons. During peak seasons—like spring planting or autumn harvest—Fugget’s father was always the last to be hired, only taken in by employers as a last resort. During the off-season, he was always the first to be fired, because as soon as people saw his wooden prosthetic, they knew what crime he had committed.

For Fugget’s father, losing a hand meant he would never be accepted by the public again. Even passersby, upon seeing him approaching, would clutch their purses and grip their swords.

Hence, Fugget’s family fell into a vicious cycle of “steal because of poverty, poor because of theft,” from which they could never escape.

In old Fugget’s memory, his childhood was spent following his parents from town to town, working on farms during farming seasons, and returning to towns to work odd jobs in winter.

Of course, there was also stealing.

Being born into such a family, becoming a thief was a matter of course.

Fugget was sent by his father to steal at the age of eight—children were more agile and less noticeable, and even if caught, the consequences were not severe.

He continued stealing until he was sixteen, at which point Fugget dared not continue. By then, he had grown a beard and an Adam’s apple, and was already a young man.

For an adult, being caught stealing was not just a matter of being scolded or slapped a few times. Each time he saw his father’s prosthetic hand, the young Fugget felt a genuine fear.

So one quiet night, Fugget bade farewell to his mother, escaped from his father’s control, and ran to a town where no one knew him, hoping to start anew.

Interestingly, Fugget, having been a thief from childhood, never once failed. His skill was not something his half-baked father could compare with; he was an impressive third-rate thief, so impressive that he could live quite well just from theft.

Intending to reform and lead an honest life, Fugget found he couldn’t even make ends meet.

Having no special skills, Fugget could only rely on menial labor.

Digging clay, firing kilns, he worked like a beast from dawn till dusk, yet the wages he earned were barely enough to keep him fed and warm.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Just when Fugget felt he could no longer endure, the first ray of light shone on his life—the Potter who employed him as a helper took him home and subtly suggested he wanted to take him as a son-in-law.

The official reason was “after careful consideration, he was deemed a reliable and honest young man.”

The real reason was that the Potter’s only daughter had long harbored a crush on Fugget, badgering her widowed father into consent.

It’s hard to guess from old Fugget’s appearance today what superior physical attributes he possessed at just over twenty years old, one can only assume that the young Fugget was relatively in line with the aesthetic standards of the time.

Thus, Fugget got married, gaining a virtuous and lovely wife, a generous father-in-law, and the prospect of inheriting a small pottery shop. He believed there was nobody luckier or happier in the world than he.

Then, war broke out.

To this day Fugget clearly remembers that it began with a severe drought in spring and summer, followed by heavy snow in autumn and winter, and then “Herdman” leading an unprecedented army of Barbarian tribes into Paratu.

People were terrified, murmuring, “This time the Herdman has come, and it seems they do not plan to leave.”

The Barbarian tribes fought the Paratu People, and the Paratu Republicans fought the Paratu Royalists; Fugget couldn’t tell who was who.

At that time, he was frantic with another issue—the war had destroyed his father-in-law’s pottery shop, rendering his father-in-law bankrupt and deeply in debt.

Fugget ran around trying to borrow money; the money his father-in-law owed was not much, but nobody was willing to lend to him. War was raging outside, and everyone was holding tight to their money.

Fugget stood in the ruins of the pottery shop all night and decided to take a risky shot.

…

…

“And then?” Pierre frowned, “You didn’t steal successfully? Were you caught?”

“I did it,” the old man looked down and fiddled with the campfire, “Although I hadn’t done it for many years, I wasn’t completely rusty.”

“And?” Pierre coughed, “Where is your pottery shop now?”

The old man feigned nonchalance, “Gone, even the land was sold by the creditors.”

“Then where are you?”

“I got caught.”

“You said you were successful?”

“I got the money. But I also got arrested.”

Pierre was a bit annoyed, “How is that ‘successful’?”

The old man was silent for a while, then explained, “I was arrested because someone in Xiaolu City accused me of theft, which had nothing to do with the ‘job’ I took care of.”

“I don’t understand,” Pierre was utterly confused.

“Because,” the old man lifted his head and said calmly, “I did my job in Crow’s Town.”

Pierre initially didn’t understand, “You mean… you’re saying they framed you?”