Since I don't need to rest as much as most people do, I manage to pull myself out of bed before Lia wakes up and decide to kill some time by going for a morning walk. Just a nice peaceful walk through the slums and back alleyways of the city. Poverty stricken men lay on the streets, pickpockets around every corner, truly a large contrast to the rest of the city. Industrialisation has only just started to gain traction and it's already starting to show problems. The large factories I've seen around needed the land from somewhere, and where better to get it than from the poor folk who can't fight back.
And as I walk around the area, I spy with my Dragon eye a man named Marcus. A man who is on the list. I see him head into one of the few remaining houses and sneak my way over to the walls. With how poorly built and maintained they are, I am easily able to hear the contents of the conversation behind the house's walls.
"Hey Ma, I've got some more money for the family. I've you manage it well then it should last for a few months."
"Thank you, Sweetie, but I still think you should give up your profession as an adventurer. It's dangerous and every time you come back you have more injuries. Don't think that just because am old and incapable that I can't see that you're struggling to see out those eyes of yours."
"I know Ma, but the pay is good and if I keep it up for a couple more years then I should be able to keep paying the school tuition for my younger siblings. Once they graduate and get a job, then I'll retire from the adventure life. I just need to keep on going for a few more years, ok Ma?"
"I know I can't change your mind, but your the only grown man left in the family. After your older brother and father died, you have been shouldering the family finances all by yourself. I'm just worried that you'll end up dead before me. I lost one son already and that is already more than enough."
"I'll try to be careful. I'll be going now, I don't want to stick around for too long and make the young ones late for school."
As Marcus gives his mother a hug and leaves, I head over to the alley he took to get here and to set an ambush. Sorry, Marcus's family, I've got nothing against you, but this man has had gotten lucky enough and I'm not giving my chance up for some revenge.
Double checking the alley, I make sure it's empty and after confirming that it is clear of people, I hide under some random rubbish laying around, pretending to be one of the vagrants that litter the slums and back alleys. Just in time before he turns the corner, I manage to get my wings, horns, and tail out of sight as they are the most defining features is have that might get cue Marcus in on me.
As Marcus walks by me with his back turned I prepare a few pieces of dirty cloth I found on the ground and prepare to jump him. Unaware and unprepared for my ambush, I manage to get a good kick on his knee, sending him to the ground. Making my move quickly I roll up one of the cloth pieces into a ball and stuff it in his mouth while sealing it in by wrapping around another piece of cloth around his mouth and tieing it behind his head.
Breaking free of his initial shock, Marcus begins to struggle under me, but chilling a little the area is enough to stifle his movements. Although I say a little, the alley is so cold that ice is forming around solid objects, so it isn't much of a surprise that he is having some trouble moving.
Now that Marcus has been rendered almost completely immobile, I begin covering his limbs with my acid followed by what I can only assume to be his cries of agony. A shame I can't hear them with his mouth gagged and covered up, but I can't have people running over if they heard the screams, I've still got to get back before Lia wakes up.
Unfortunately, I don't get to destroy all his limbs before Marcus fall silent and I see the notification that he's dead. A shame he still had an arm and a leg left, but I was starting to run out of time, so this is fine too. But just as I go to eat and remove the body from the scene, I hear Lia in my head.
{Come back to the inn right now. And leave the body, you've done enough. At least let his comrades or family cremate or bury him.}
Hearing a slight tinge of anger in her voice, I drop what I was doing and rush back to our room at the inn. Opening the door, I try to pretend as if nothing just happened but, Lia ignores my greetings and silently stares at me. As I walk over she still doesn't say anything and just stares at me.
"..."
"..."
The silence continues until I can't take it anymore and say, "I'm sorry, I went to take a walk and I saw him walk through an isolated alley, I couldn't resist."
"I'm not mad that you killed him."
"I'll try to hold ba-- wait, what?"
"As I said, I'm not mad that you killed him. I am technically the number two within the Dragon Bandits, or did you forget that I'm a Bandit. To begin with, Dragoniods aren't inherently good people. The Khanate basically lives off of raiding people after all. As long as you don't take it too far and do it openly, I won't mind you killing the people that piss you off. What I'm upset about is the fact that you left me alone here for almost two hours and didn't even say anything to me when you left."
"So what you're saying is that as long as it isn't obvious that I kill them, then it won't matter? And that I should tell you or take you with me?"
"Yep, that pretty much sums it up. But know that I won't be letting you off easy," Lia says as a mischievous smile forms on her face, "we have a cat to catch so lets get this done with today. But just know, that you have a nice punishment waiting for you tonight."
Hearing her words, I can't help but tremble a little. But not from fear or anything of the sort, rather, from excitement... wait! I'm no pervert! I'm not like that I swear!
"Hey, quit dawdling around and lets go. We can probably get a chance to look around some of the more high-end places around here using the quest from the Dux as a cover, so we shouldn't waste time." Lia says while still holding that grin of hers.
Ah, shit, she was totally listening just now wasn't she. In an attempt to push aside this rising new feeling, I try to shift my focus on the quest as I lead us out to begin the search for the overgrown cat. I just hope we finish early so there's more time-- I mean, so the boy gets his pet back, yeah, that's what I meant...