Gauss admitted that he indeed had a chance to stop that black-robed figure earlier.
But in situations like this, he instinctively inclined not to intervene.
If it were a group of novice Adventurers in trouble, or a blatant act of bullying, he might not hesitate to step in.
However, in those brief few seconds just now, he didn’t know either party’s identity or purpose, nor the cause of the incident, so he could only watch first.
In this chaotic market, acting rashly might end up turning good intentions into trouble.
And Gauss’s slight uncertainty vanished in the man’s seemingly justified questioning.
He was right.
"Why should I help you?"
Gauss’s voice was not loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear at the quiet alley entrance.
His gaze fell calmly on the man in front of him without a hint of evasion.
The man saw his target was completely out of sight and, hearing the indifferent retort from the man in front of him, became instantly furious.
His face flushed with anger, veins bulging.
Customers and shopkeepers from nearby stores also leaned out to observe, whispering about the situation.
"She stole my stuff! Isn’t it your duty to stop her? Or are you part of her gang, deliberately blocking the way here?"
As he said this, his hairy right arm shoved towards Gauss’s shoulder.
His companions behind him gathered around, giving unfriendly looks, their hands subtly reaching towards the weapons at their waists.
Gauss moved swiftly. Just as the brute made his move, he deftly sidestepped.
The brute stumbled forward a couple of steps after his push met nothing but air.
Probably not expecting Gauss, who looked slim, to react so rapidly, he lost his balance, and his entire right arm was already firmly gripped by deft energy.
After dodging, Gauss’s right hand shot out like lightning, clasping the man’s wrist. Following the man’s forward momentum, he exerted a slight force to smoothly toss the burly man away in a concise, fluid motion.
The brute only felt his forward force suddenly magnified, lost total balance, and his body was flung away, spinning, before tumbling twice on the ground.
"Bang!"
The heavy thud of flesh hitting the ground was particularly clear at the alley entrance.
The brute ended up awkwardly in the corner, raising a cloud of dust, lying on the ground groaning in pain, and for a while, couldn’t get up.
This sudden scene elicited a low exclamation from the surrounding onlookers, who appeared outwardly concerned but were harboring deeper sentiments of "get into a fight, get into a fight" typical of spectators.
The brute’s companions hurriedly drew their weapons from their waists.
Short Blade, dagger held horizontally in front of them.
"You... you bastard!!"
They stammered in disbelief, displaying ferocity, but their slight retreats betrayed their inner fear despite the outward aggression.
Gauss had taken down their strongest companion in a single move, and this disparity in strength couldn’t reassure them, even with weapons in their hands.
After taking down the attacking brute, Gauss didn’t assume any defensive or offensive stance but simply stood there, his gaze scanning over their threateningly shimmering weapons and bewildered, uncertain faces.
"Put your weapons away, or I’ll get serious." His voice was calm but carried an indisputable force. "Then take your man and get out of my sight."
The ones under his gaze felt a mounting pressure converging on them like a tide, gradually intensifying.
After a few seconds of stalemate.
One swallowed with difficulty, his eyes flickering as he glanced at his groaning companion in the corner, then looked at Gauss.
"We... we’ll take Antoni for treatment first, you wait here, we’ll be back for you later, don’t... don’t get cocky, kid."
Upon hearing him speak, the others took it as a reprieve, hurriedly pocketed their weapons, and scurried over to help their burly companion up.
They didn’t even dare to spare Gauss another glance, keeping their heads down the entire time as they swiftly ran past him, assisting their muttering companion, swiftly disappearing into the alley’s shadows.
A brief conflict unfolded quickly and dissipated just as fast.
The alley entrance returned to its tranquility, only the slightly disappointed whispers of the still-curious onlookers lingered.
Gauss shook his head, adjusted his sleeves, ignored the peering eyes, and stepped deeper into the market.
He didn’t take their threats to heart either.
It was all empty talk with their actions betraying their intentions.
For instance, the brute who lay there unmoving, when Gauss threw him, he hadn’t actually exerted much force, not enough to keep him from getting up.
The best proof was, after his companions helped him up, they didn’t exert much force and he immediately walked away quickly on his own.
However, he was somewhat concerned about the black-robed figure who passed by hastily; he felt a faint sense of familiarity.
After pondering a bit, although the figure was masked, Gauss couldn’t find anyone of similar height and build in his memory, so he shook his head, putting this minor episode aside for now.
He continued walking deeper into the alley.
....
In the residential area of Forest Crown Town, a simple shack cluttered with various items, with the sound of neighborly disputes faintly audible from outside the window.
A black shadow deftly slipped in through the window, landing silently.