“Excuse me, excuse me, please make way!” Manfred crowded into the crowd, immediately attracting the attention of the refugees.
“Who are you, buddy?” someone blocked him with an unhappy expression. “Even if you can't hold back, you have to wait until I've had my fun first, right?”
This was the same person who had been smirking earlier. His mind raced. It seemed the other party was most likely the leader of this group. It was unlikely he could take the woman away from a dozen or so hooligans. He had no weapons. His only chance was to take down the leader first and then take the woman away in the confusion.
“I'm here to give you all a warning. Someone over there has already gone to notify the Black Cloak Guards. If you don't run now, it'll be too late.” Manfred spread his hands, pretending to be frank, and took two steps closer to the other party, while secretly winking at the woman, hoping she would understand that he was not with these hooligans. However, the latter not only did not make any indication but tilted her head slightly, with a look of confusion on her face.
Damn it, doesn't this guy understand her situation?
Why, even at this point, can she be so… calm?
“What Black Cloak Guards? Aren't they just the patrol?” The leader grinned sinisterly. “It's hard to say who they'll help. You kid, you're probably still a virgin!”
“Hahaha, judging by his looks, he probably comes from a wealthy family.”
“But he's still down on his luck like us, right?”
“Be smart and get lost before the boss gets angry—”
Laughter erupted, and at that moment, Manfred acted. He lowered his shoulder and rammed hard into the chest of the unsuspecting leader, then swung his fist and knocked him to the ground.
It had to be said that these hooligans were much easier to deal with than the two well-trained servants from Gimlet McKinley. From the moment he attacked to the moment he fell, the leader didn't even utter a groan.
The crowd erupted in uproar.
“Damn it, you're asking for death!”
“Quick, save the boss!”
Manfred immediately felt several blows on his back and legs, but he couldn't care less. He half-shielded his head and reached out to the woman. “Come with me!”
Something unexpected happened.
The woman did hand him her hand, but instead of placing it in his palm, she grabbed his wrist, and then pulled him into the encirclement.
“Hey, you…” Manfred was about to question whether she had made a mistake when he saw sparks of electricity leaping around the woman.
Wait… sparks?
Before he could react, the tiny sparks instantly turned into electric arcs. The blue light suddenly intensified, rushing towards the oncoming hooligans like a long snake, piercing them one after another like skewers. In the face of such an incredible sight, the evildoers had almost no resistance, only managing to let out a short scream before stiffening and falling to the ground.
“That should do it.” The woman clapped her hands and said casually.
“Uh… could it be that you are…” Manfred stammered in disbelief.
“That's right, I'm a witch.” She admitted her identity quite frankly.
But… shouldn't witches be incomparably beautiful, have amazing figures, and be full of charm in every move? He carefully sized up the woman for a moment, but the feelings he got were completely unrelated to these descriptions. As for her appearance, plain was an understatement; her figure was also quite thin. If you only looked at her back, she was no different from a little girl.
“What about them… what will happen to them?” Manfred pointed to the hooligans on the ground.
“I'll contact the police department to handle the aftermath. Don't worry, I only used about 10% of my power, enough to make them faint for half an hour at most. But the mines and smelter districts probably won't let them go so easily. I think they'll have to stay there for at least ten days or half a month, right?”
Manfred found that he could no longer keep up with what she was saying.
Why does her tone sound like this conflict was all a planned event?
“By the way, my name is Sharon. Can you tell me your name?”
The woman's question interrupted his thoughts.
“Uh, Manfred…”
“You're the first person I've seen who actively stood up. Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Manfred rubbed the part that had been kicked. “Isn't it only natural to stop evil from happening? It's just that I didn't expect you didn't need any help at all.”
“Only natural?” Sharon curled her lips. “If everyone thought that way, those who were cheering earlier wouldn't have all run away without a trace.”
“But there will always be someone who understands this.” Historically, nobles were transformed from such people. They brought order to a chaotic world and blazed trails through thorns.
“Well said, there are always people who know right from wrong.” Sharon smiled. “You're a new immigrant to Neverwinter, right? Have you ever thought about joining the police department in the future?”
“You mean… become a Black Cloak?”
“That's right. Combating crime, maintaining order, and protecting residents are the main responsibilities of the police. I think this job might be very suitable for you. Besides, they won't necessarily always wear black cloaks, especially nowadays.”
“Huh?” Manfred was stunned.
“Alright, I have to go report to the administrative hall. The receptionist is still waiting for you.” Sharon waved her hand and turned to walk towards the inner city.
“Now you know why I didn't let you go, right?”
Back in the line, Matt smiled at him.
“What… what exactly is going on?” Manfred said with a puzzled look.
“An effective way to deter crime.” Matt explained as he walked. “Originally, the temporary housing area in the suburbs wasn't this chaotic. At least it wasn't when I lived there. But since the number of immigrants has increased several times, the level of public security has seriously declined, and of all the crimes, violence against vulnerable women is the most prominent. Of course, I'm not saying that the fault lies with you, because there are also many drifters who have migrated from all over Graycastle. Because there are so many people, it's difficult for the police to take care of everything, and a very important point is that once something happens and you call the police, the criminals are likely to have caused irreparable harm by the time people arrive.”
“Isn't that obvious? Gathering a large number of scum together will make even the best place become a filthy mess.” Someone muttered, “In my opinion, the King of Graycastle shouldn't have accepted these people from unknown origins.”
Matt shook his head. “His Majesty hopes that everyone can be put to use, especially in the face of the Divine Will War. But this idea didn't come from His Majesty. It was the witches who proposed it. For them, doing so can both consume magic power and pass the time, as well as maintain public security, which is undoubtedly a win-win situation.”
Pass… pass the time? Manfred couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
“Facts have also proven that this trick is very effective. Any seemingly weak refugee may launch a deadly counterattack, enough to make those who act on a whim give up the idea. Plus, the police department will never let go of a criminal, and habitual offenders will also think twice about the consequences. After the two sides launched a joint rectification, the public security here is much better than it was at its worst.”
“I see…” Manfred said thoughtfully. It seemed that the Black Cloaks of Neverwinter were completely different from the patrol in the past. Instead, they were somewhat like the knight image in his mind.
If Sharon wasn't lying to him, this might be an ideal job.
Arriving at the temporary accommodation and allocating the rooms, Matt waved goodbye to them. “I'll come back tomorrow and take you to see the history and characteristics of Neverwinter. This will be very helpful for your future life and integration into the local area. Also, you can feel free to ask any questions you have.”
Manfred originally wanted to ask what conditions were required to become a policeman, but when the words came out, they miraculously turned into another sentence, “On the way here, I saw some huge iron birds. I don't know if you've also—”
“Ah, I've seen them. If you stay in Neverwinter long enough, you'll know it's not a rare thing.” Before he could finish, Matt replied with a smile, “It will indeed be a bit shocking the first time you encounter them, but you'll get used to it. If you have enough talent, you might even be able to fly it yourself
in the blue sky.”
“Are you… serious?” Manfred's heart skipped a beat.
“Of course. Now, there’s also the Princess Royal's recruitment order posted in the central square – regarding the new round of Sky Knight selection.”