Chapter 3: Kill the Thief

As the well-trained and powerful lycan warriors, they could track down any intruder using their sense as they could easily detect and block those people from intruding, or find ways to distract them.

Tobias looked at them and remained silent.

It was mid-autumn, and they were in the middle of a forest. The weather was very cold and dry leaves were scattered all over the ground. However, the air around him grew warmer; it almost felt like spring.

Their king was fuming with rage!

They immediately fell to the ground and shivered in fear. Their king was extraordinary, while other lycan warriors with highest level of magical power could lower the temperature by eight degrees Celsius, their king could raise it by the same amount.

There weren't many things that could anger their king. Even though they were scared, they also felt confused. Joel asked, "What's the matter, My King?” 

"I couldn’t find my robe," he muttered, scanning the area around him. He then pointed out at the big rock as he said, "I left it right here!"

"My King, it seems someone has stolen your robe," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Tobias glared at him. "This is not a joke, Joel. My robe is missing, and it could be a threat to my security. We need to find out who did this and why."

"Well, I think someone took it while you’re swimming."

Fuming by his subordinate's lack of quick thinking, he snapped, “Of course! What else was I doing just now?”

Trying to calm his king's anger, Joel quickly said, “Did you see anyone around, My King?”

"No, I didn't see anyone. This is unacceptable. I want my robe back, and I want whoever took it to be punished."

"Don’t worry, My King. I'll summon the guards to search the area and question anyone who was here. We'll find the thief."

Before Joel finished his sentence, a sheaf of cloth was thrown to his face and Tobias said, “Go quickly and find out where this cloth came from. You'd better kill yourself if you can't find the answer in three hours!”

"Yes, My King!" Joel hastily said. He jumped up and disappeared with the cloth.

The other guards were furtively relieved to see that their king had gone back to being normal.

Tobias quickly gathered a group of guards and commanded, “Go and find the girl quickly! She was the one stealing my robe. And make sure you search every inch of this place. I want my robe back and get rid of the girl as soon as you see her," Tobias said firmly with a hint of frustration in his voice.

They were shocked and looked at each other. Their king had always obsessed with hygiene and cleanness, and he would never pass his used belongings on to others. How could that thief possibly get his robe?

Another guard ventured to ask, "My King, may I know whether it is a woman or a girl?"

Tobias replied, "I don't care if it's a woman or a girl, just kill the thief!"

The guards had many questions in their minds, but none dared to ask any further. They immediately started the search after accepting this mission.

They fanned out across the entire area around the lake, searching for any trace of the missing robe. They asked everyone who was in the vicinity if they had seen anything, but none had any information. But despite their efforts, they found no trace of the thief.

"Forgive me, My King. We couldn't find any leads." As one of the guards reported back to Tobias, his tone suggested that he was sorry for what he had to report.

“This is ridiculous. How can the girl with my most treasured robe just disappear into thin air? Keep searching. We have to find it."

"Yes, My King. We'll keep looking."

They searched for an hour, but they still couldn't find the missing robe. Tobias was getting frustrated and angry. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of loss. The robe was not just a piece of clothing to him, but a symbol of his family's history and legacy of the hereditary lycan kingdom.

Tobias muttered to himself, "I can't believe it's gone. It's more than just a silly robe; it's a matter of value. My most treasured robe, the one that has been in my family for generations. Who would steal something like that? And why?”

As they searched for the missing robe, Tobias couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. He knew that if the thief was caught, she would face severe punishment. But he couldn't let his prized possession go without a fight.

"We have to keep looking. We won't rest until we find it. And when we do, I'll make sure the thief is brought to justice," Tobias said.

"My King, we've searched everywhere. Maybe we should call off the search for now and resume tomorrow."

Tobias snapped, "No, we can't stop! Tonight is the only chance we have to find it; if not, the thief will have gone too far. Keep looking!"

When midnight came, Tobias and the others had already carefully searched the valley, but they couldn't find anything. They had no hint of the girl's scent; even if they had, they could have got help from their enhanced sense of smell.

The lycan king stood in the darkness under the moon as the wind blew above him. The girl had just left less than an hour ago and must still be close, because she had no inner strength. Even if she could run extremely fast, she would never be able to run more than 15 miles away. None can beat the fugitive search skills of his guards, so they’re sure to find the poor girl!

None had ever seen his true appearance before, and those who did were usually dead!

Moreover, not only had the bad girl saw at his true appearance, she had also seen him naked!

Tobias couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something important, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Little did he know that the thief was closer than he ever could have imagined.