3 months after they arrived in the city:
"This is preposterous!"
The old man in a full suit armor threw a block of paper in the face of his subordinates at such force that it almost made him fall.
"How can the capital's guard allow something like this?! Ten arsons happening in a month, in densely populated areas! Casualties and death are out of the chart! Can you even explain this?! At least tell me that you have a suspect!"
"...Sir, we have eyewitnesses seeing of a woman leaving each building before they blew up. There is a detailed description of her in the report that we just gave-"
Bamm!
The commander punched the taking soldier breaking his nose and make him lose consciousness.
"This commoner dares to speak to me in this tone...Take him away and make him do 'dragon duty' for a week, that should teach him some manners."
Yep, as a common team, this world also discriminated, maybe even harder than any other place.
First, everything that was not human was nothing more than an animal to them. , Lamia, mermaid, demon, if it's not human then it's a slave or a monster. Even demihumans weren't exceptions that had the most resembling trait to humans.
Then there were the other sub-races of humans like elves, dwarfs, fairies. They were also treated harshly, used as cheap labor. The particularly good looking ones were sold as toys, while the rest was used in 'other ways.'
Lastly, between themselves, there was a huge classing system based on skills. Those who had powerful skills were treated better than those who had not.
If a noble had no skill, then, there was a huge probability that it would be thrown out from its house, while if a beggar can become a powerful figure if it becomes stronger.
Sadly this system only applied to humans.
The unconscious soldier was quickly dragged away and another one stepped in his place.
"Sir, we have already posted guards in disguise in the most important bookshops in the capital. If they appear in one of them we will get them."
"Finally, a good news! We will have that wore in no time!"
As if it waited for a signal another soldier rushed into the room.
"Sir, another bookshop has just gone in smoke!"
"...GOD DAMN IT!"
*****
"This took us more time than the last! I need food and sleep!"
'Yeah, yeah, let's go.'
We have been here for a long time yet I couldn't get passed by the diversity of habitants of this place.
Riches, poor, fat, skinny, there was every type and shape.
If only they had any mana cores! It would have been a feast! At least they used it in their daily necessities so it was not like I was starving, it's that my SE level is much lower than I want it to be.
"Damn, what should we eat today?"
'Let's get rid of the stuff we stole before. I don't want us to be caught with our pants down.'
"Ugh, your right, Mr. Right."
'Stop it.'
Our next destination was the slums.
It was a perfect place to sell stolen objects.
Sert, the locals, can be rude and can stab you in the back, but once you learn to know them (and sell a load of stuff to them) they will start to consider you like their own.
Being a part of this community has its perks. You can get some interesting information from them for the right price and if you are lucky, ingredients and materials that are usually const a lot can be bought for cheap.
On our first day, we managed to exchange some bread for an ingot of adamantium.
"Hey, bab! Missed me already?"
"Like always. Is your boss here?"
It was the usual guy leaned on the wall next to the entrance of a rundown building.
"Like always. Ya lucky, he is in an extremely good mood today."
"Nice, I might score some extra then."
"Just don't forget who told you that!"
We entered the building.
The entrance leads us to a flight of stairs that took us to another door, but this one was made from DIamond Metal, something that's the third strongest metal in the world.
Knock! Knock!
The door opened and a muscular guy with a short sword stepped out.
"What do you want?"
"Something to drink."
"And this place looks like a tavern to you?"
"It looks like something brown."
'What a stupid password.'
The big guy stepped aside letting us in.
"Oh, Amu, my sweety, how are you? ~ Did you brought me something good again?"
'I hate this.'
The boss of for who we were selling all these items was a woman in her thirties. She was dressed all elegant and her face covered in a ton of makeup.
She hugged us, leaving some of her white powder on our body then she took the bag that we prepared before we came, making sure of its content.
"Not bad. These types of things can be sold for quite a sum. Do you want the money or something?"
"I want the usual. The last place was a total miss."
"Really? Well, that's unfortunate. But I might have what you are looking for." She snapped her fingers.
The bodyguard brought us a piece of paper.
"On it, you will find a list of some very old books that are being brought in the city. I want you to get them for me and in exchange, I will let you copy their content. I will even give a big amount of money."
'...This sounds too good to be true.'
"...I will think about it. Thanks anyway."
"But of course, anything for my favorite client."
*****
"...Sigh, Leave me alone. I need to think."
The bodyguards bowed to her and left the room.
Not wasting any second, she took out a mirror from my closet and put it next to the wall.
" Bringers of hope,
Listeners of despair,
The dealmakers of the unworthy,
I beg for your attention."
The mirror's surface started to wave as if it turned into a liquid, then it turned entirely black.
From the darkness, several white hands came out, grabbing the edge of the mirror and the ground with a slowness that seemed to make time stop.
Slowly tree figures emerged, each wearing black robes and a bird skull mask.
"Nessen Mary, can we take this as a sign that you have found the object?"
"Y-Yes, they will arrive tomorrow at midnight. I have already sent someone to retrieve them."
The middle one node then raised his hand, holding a box seemingly made from blue light.
"10 years. As promised. Continue the good work and your debt might be erased. In time."
"R-Right. Thank you."
She took the box with trembling hands. The moment it touched her hands, it decomposed into pure light that fused with her body, nourishing it with life.
[+10 years received]
A hint of relief washed over her.
Ever since she exchange her life span with these beings for control over the slums, she was desperately trying to find a way to regain it.
So when she was contacted by them with an offer that could save her, she couldn't say no, if she wanted to live past her fifties.
"Before we forget, what is the name of the person you hired?"
"Oh, her name is-"
*****
"-Amu Left?
" Yes, that's me."
"Are you sure that you want to take on this request alone?"
"I am absolutely sure."
Right now we were at the adventures guild. Compared to the one in that village, this place was a place. The entire building was made from white marble with plants and seats everywhere. The people here were wearing shiny armors and expensive looking weapons.
'The best of the best. I am sure that some have cores. I want to eat them!'
"...Give me a sec."
The receptionist, a cute girl as it should be, looked under the counter, searching for a piece of paper.
"Please sign this."
"What is this?"
"A contract, saying that you will take this quest that is higher than your rank and we will not bear responsibility if you die."
'Seriously?'
She took the paper and signed it in a heartbeat.
"Here. Can I go now?"
The receptionist looked at the signature.
"... Good luck."
We left the counter and went to the bar area of the guild, to grab something to eat.
We took the table that was nearest to the window and she ordered something from the waitress that passed by.
While we waited for her meal, we started to plan our plan.
' So how you want to approach this?'
"...I am thinking about grabbing it when I have the chance and kill everyone there."
'That's not a plan. We can't be too sure that we can kill everyone who is going to be there.'
"Then why don't you think about that? My food is here."
The waitress put her order on our table then smiled at us warmly.
"Excuse me, do you mind sharing your table with one of our gest's?"
'This is odd.'
The restaurant was not empty but there was plenty of space in it. Why'd someone want to sit with us?
'Be careful.'
"Yes, there is no problem."
The waitress smiled and nodded behind her.
Soon a young man sat before us.
He was around 20 years old with blond hair and blue eyes. Guessing from his outfit, which seemed to be made from high-quality silk, this guy was a noble.
The only default I could find in him was that he was fat. Not pig fat but he had some extra weight.
"Thank you! I have been trying to talk with you for a while! It has been a while."
'What is he talking about? He?'
I could feel something changing in Amu's body. It was... anger, surprise, and fear.
"Eligos? You are alive?"
'Eligos? Why do I feel like I heard this name before?'
"Hello, Amdusias. I am happy that you still remember me but I go by Philip these days."
"B-But how? I saw you with Vapula when the caste caught fire in that war."
"Well, let's say that I saw it coming. And before you ask, no Vapu didn't make it. I saw his core shatter into bits."
"...Vapu. He was a nice guy. Do you remember all those jokes we talked to each other?"
"Can't really forget them. He told then every day." He smiled, showing his sharp teeth, before becoming serious again. "Look Amu, I don't know what you are doing here and you have every right to hide it from me, but you need to leave this place. The Mascarade is here."
Again, a wave of fear washed over her, this time more intense.
"The Mascarade? What are they doing here?"
"I don't know but if they are here, but they are preparing something. The king and the Stars are having a falling out and some rumors are flying around that this situation can lead to war."
"So that's why you are here. Your betting."
"I prefer calling it preparing. Whatever happens, blood will flow and I want to be on the good side of the one who is holding the knife."
"...Fine. I will leave. But I need your help."
"...For old times sake. What do you need?"
"A spell or a ritual, that can help me to change bodies without losing my strengths."
"That's all? Easy."
He snapped his fingers finding ourselves in a dark room with exquisite decorations and fashion.
Ah, who am i kidding, this place was terrible.
Cats
Everywhere I looked, there were cats.
Cat paintings, golden statues, paw-shaped pillows, hell even the piano was made to look like a giant yellow cat.
'T-This guy is a-'
"I can see that you are still the same as ever."
"Hehehe, I know, I know, but i just can't stop, these things are just so cute."
"And you wonder why they don't talk with you."
"Hmm, did you say something?"
"Nothing! So, can you separate me from my body?"
"Yeah I can its quite easy, but there is something that is bugging me. Why? I can see that the body you are in right now is very compatible with your soul and there seems to be no struggle. Is there a particular reason why you can't keep it?"
"Well-"
'I will tell him, so let's change.'
"..."
She said nothing, only giving me control.
The face of this guy was priceless when I took her place.
I did some changes on my equipment while we were here. My bear cape became a bulky fur coat, with a hood that I was keeping on, and a huge axe on my back.
From the outside, I looked like I was very muscular, but that was a ruse. This figure only made me seem big so that when somebody attacked me, they would be quite surprised by my actual thin body, giving me an advantage in combat.
"I am the current host of Amu. She calls me Right."
The noble, who was probably a demon in disguise as well, seemed surprised at first by my body, but he quickly made a poker face and nodded.
"I see. Possessing a monster body can be taxing for her in her current strengths. I have everything for the ritual I only need a host. Bring me one that you wish to inhabit and I can start the transfer."
"Will this ...ritual have any effect on me?"
"...To be fair I don't know. When I use it I kill my previous host immediately, no loos treads and all that, so I can't be sure about that.
So this is a gamble? Should I do it?
******
"So, this person will bring us the objects?"
"Yes, she said that they are capable."
"...Fine, go. Find her and keep them under surveillance. Also, just in case, make some deals with some people of the slums. You know what I mean."
The shadow figures bowed then fused in darkness.
The one who was sitting on the sofa, wearing the deer skull mask, stood up and opened a nearby door.
It leed to an entirely different place, with only a hospital in it.
In the bed, there was only a small girl who was exuding a toxic looking smoke from her mouth.
"Mari, my dear. You are going to be my greatest work of art. The dawn that will bring a new sun."
The man touched her forehead.
Suddenly her eyelids opened showing the torrent of darkness that was flowing out of her.
"For the Founder."