The night is restless, memories of earlier events dancing through my mind like a storm of chaotic emotions. As morning finally breaks, I awake feeling exhausted, every muscle in my body aching as if trampled by a stampede of wild horses. My entire being feels like a shipwreck, battered by relentless waves of pain and fatigue. Seriously, I need to figure out a way to deal with this curse. It's annoying as hell.
With a groan, I force myself to sit up, my vision swimming like a school of fish. I manage to pull myself together enough to stumble to the nearest clothing store, where I purchase a simple black shirt and pants. "Nothing beats black clothes," I mutter to myself. The transaction leaves me with only a couple of bronze coins to my name, the weight of my near-empty purse heavy in my hand. Couldn't she give me a bit more? Tsk, a TSI is worth a platinum coin, so I can't really complain.
I stop at a nearby food stall and buy myself a meager meal. The aroma of the food only slightly soothes my gnawing hunger. As I eat, I grumble to myself about my dwindling funds. "How am I going to manage until Eira contacts me again?" I wonder.
Finishing my meal, I begin the journey uptown, leaving the commoners' market behind me. Though I'm heading to a slightly wealthier area, it's still a far cry from the opulence of the true upper class. As I walk, the pain in my body continues to torment me, each step a challenge to my resolve.
Suddenly, a commotion nearby catches my attention. Turning to investigate, I see an irate man shouting at a guard, his face flushed with anger and frustration.
"A thief! A damned thief just took my belongings, and you're doing nothing about it!" he exclaims, his voice like a blade slicing through the air.
The guard appears disinterested, his eyes glazed over with apathy. "Sir, there's not much we can do. Thieves are common in these parts. You should have been more careful with your belongings."
Damn, that sucks. While I'm no stranger to the darker side of life, I know the sting of losing something valuable all too well. As I continue to watch the scene unfold, I feel a growing sense of unease. The guards offer little protection... Hmmm, guess it's all the same, no matter what world you're in.
"At least I know he's nearby. Now, how am I going to talk to that little rascal?" I muse. Knowing his personality, he's not the type to sit around. I turn my sword into a necklace with a beautiful black gem in the center. Knowing that kid's personality, he won't be able to resist, but I better lead him into an alleyway to talk to him.
I casually stroll through the busy streets, my hand resting on the newly transformed necklace, making sure it's visible to anyone with a keen eye for shiny trinkets. As I walk, I deliberately choose a path that leads me toward a quiet, dark alleyway, away from the prying eyes of the crowd.
Sure enough, after a few minutes, I sense a presence behind me. I can barely sense him thanks to the Sword of Umbra; Without it, I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed. A quick glance confirms my suspicions – a small, nimble figure is tailing me, his eyes locked on the gleaming gem adorning my necklace.
As soon as I stop in the alleyway, the figure dashes forward, successfully snatching the necklace from around my neck before I can react. I grin to myself; I've prepared for this. The necklace swiftly transforms into a black net, ensnaring the young thief before he can escape the alley.
"This sword is fucking Amazing, being able to morph it into anything. Truly a unique item," I mumble to myself as I walk toward the struggling boy.
He glares at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and anger. I crouch down next to him, keeping my voice calm and friendly.
"Yo, I'm Kael. You're quite talented, seriously, I mean it. Though your concealment needs some work... I think we can work on that later. So why don't we help each other out and get filthy rich?"
He scoffs, clearly on guard and upset by his current predicament. "Yeah? What crazy fucker. I don't need your help, so just turn me in or sell me, you bastard!"
I raise an eyebrow, leaning in closer. "Really? Do I look like someone who would sell kids...? Tsk, if you work with me, you could have enough money to send your sister to the academy. So whatchu think?"
The boy's eyes widen, his anger momentarily replaced by shock. "How do you know about my sister!?" he demands, his tone full of suspicion.
I offer a mysterious smile, "I know lots of things, Asher. The point is, if you work with me, you'll both benefit. You'll no longer need to be a petty thief." What am I even saying? I'm pulling this out of my ass; if things progress as the original story, in the future, he'd become the king of thieves.
Asher hesitates, clearly torn between his desire for a better life for his sister and his instinct to distrust me. But as he considers my proposal, it's evident that the temptation is growing stronger. Without a doubt, he's willing to do anything to get his sister into the academy. Equinox is a prestigious school where the most talented people around the kingdom are enrolled. The school itself has a long history, and even the king has no control over it.
It's an independent school that relies on nobody and refuses donations(Most of the time). The only problem is that it costs 30 gold coins to submit an application. Every year, hundreds of people submit applications, but 80% of them get rejected. Being a student is considered a great honor, and graduating from it pretty much guarantees a position at any job.
I can see the conflict and distrust in Asher's eyes as he weighs his options. The opportunity to change his sister's life is enticing, but his distrust is difficult to overcome.
"Look, Asher," I say, softening my tone. "You should never trust a stranger, especially when they have you tied up. But I had to tie you up or you would've run away before I could pitch you a job."
I pause, watching as he continues to struggle with his decision. Finally, I decide to offer him a show of goodwill. I reach out and touch the black net, causing it to dissolve and set Asher free.
"As a sign of trust, I'm releasing you. You can choose to walk away right now, or you can stay and hear more about my proposal. Working with me will provide you and your sister with the best life possible."
Asher hesitates for a moment, still wary but clearly intrigued by the possibility of changing his fate. After a deep breath, he slowly nods.
"Alright," he says cautiously. "I'll hear you out. But if I don't like what you have to say, I'm gone."
I smile, relieved that he's willing to give me a chance. "Fair enough. It's rather simple. I can't tell you most of the details unless you agree, but I can tell you what your job is. You'll only have to do three basic things for the first one. We'll be selling certain products and have someone deliver them. All you have to do is follow them and confirm that the package is successfully delivered. If not, you must steal it back. For the second task, you'll have to act as the delivery boy for certain orders. All the negotiations are done beforehand, so all you have to do is go to the agreed-upon location, collect the hidden payment, confirm the payment, leave the package, and return without being noticed. And the last task is simple. All you have to do is be an employee in a particular store. So, what do you say?"
Asher stares at me, his expression as unreadable as a locked diary, as he considers my words. I can tell he's mulling over the tasks and what they might entail. After a few moments, he finally speaks up.
"I don't know what kind of business you're running, but it sounds risky," he says cautiously. "But... if it means I can help my sister, I'm willing to give it a shot."
I nod, with a sigh of relief as heavy as a lifting fog. "Great! I promise you won't regret it, Asher. We'll have a good time working, I promise, and I'll make sure your sister has the opportunity to attend the academy. However, you should know only her skill can guarantee she becomes a student; all I'm doing is providing the finances."
"Alright, Kael. I'll trust you for now. But if you lie to me, I won't hesitate to leave."
I hold up my hands in a gesture of surrender. "Understood, Asher. I've no intention of causing harm to either of you. Our partnership will be mutually beneficial. Oh, by the way, please don't tell anybody, and I mean absolutely nobody, about the little trick I used to subdue you earlier."
"Alright, I won't say a word. Was that magic? It was a cool trick."
"That's right, that's magic, but don't tell anyone—that includes your future coworkers. Anyways, Ash, I've more preparations to do. Let's meet here again tomorrow at this time."
"Oi, who told you that you can call me Ash? Do you want to die? Only my sister can call me that."
I can't help but hold back laughter at the thought of this kid threatening me. Although he's currently stronger than me, the way he says it is like a child. I'll have to introduce him to Eira tomorrow; they're going to work together for a long time, so it's best to make sure they don't start off fighting with each other. Despite his age, Ash is quite smart and slightly more mature, so he should be able to behave, I hope.
"Alright, Ash, there's no time to play around. I'll introduce you to my partner tomorrow. However, right now, I've more matters to attend to. Oh, and please don't tell your sister; there's a high chance she'll try to stop you."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. If she were to find out what I do, she'd probably tie me up in a basement. Oh, shoot, it's already the afternoon! Sorry, Kael, I've got to go, or my sister will be as mad as a hornet."
Before I can say anything, Ash is already sprinting out of the alleyway like a bolt of lightning, leaving me in his dust. That kid is seriously fast; I can't even get a word in. But it should be fine; I've already told him everything he needs to know. Now, I'd better go look for that money lunatic; he should be in that shop I mentioned in the novel. I just hope I can reason with him.