What can I say? (other than DUHHHHH)
This i s a minor thing, and it may be RPG Maker related, but I have two saves, a backup (at the very beginning, before even meeting Lapis) and my "main save". For whatever reason it keeps wanting to load at the "backup" save, even if I've been using the main save repeatedly. Is there a chance you can fix it so that the last time saved it will go to that save and not the "I'm not using this save unless I wanna start over" save?
Didn't realize that the soldier looking for the thief was a quest, but given how much he wants for it, think it's be a great idea to find and capture that thief! Although, you said the thief is one of the toughest fights so far. If I capture the thief and don't send him to the brothel or to one of the goblins, does he just stay captured until I give him to the soldier?