"And sorry for that, but I had to use almost an entire bottle... she really does have a strong head."
It turned out that the boy was holding a nearly empty bottle of a strong liquor that he tilted from side to side before putting it back under the counter.
"There has been only one with a magic seal, absolutely no problem – but that also means that none of the documents she is delivering are of much importance... but you want to at least read them anyway, don't you?"
"Of course."
Connor snorted mockingly while various lockpicks and thin cylinders with mysterious engravings popped up in his hands as if he used magic, and Medea nodded with approval.
"Don't mind the liquor, boss – instead of paying me back for it, why don't you tell me how did you know that the lass would get aroused so easily? I'm quite curious, it's a great tactic, and it gives us more time than if she would just drink herself into a stupor... I believe I caught a glimpse of a detoxification amulet on her, after all."
Connor hid his tools and asked while leading Medea to the stable where they could start going through the documents as the exhausted horse was too busy eating the provided feed to care.
"That part was the easiest, actually. I rode here with her – while that was happening, I kept pushing her forward so she would be rubbing off against the saddle's edge. And she doesn't just have the detoxification amulet – she has healing, paralysis protection, sleep protection, and even light fire protection too. She's a real deal."
Medea said while reading through the documents, making sure to put them back in exactly the same way they were before he took them.
"This one's sealed, mister."
In a couple of minutes, the black-haired boy was done for the most part. Just as Connor predicted, the documents weren't really about anything extremely important – but then a certain one actually had a proper seal that many nobles considered as definite proof of the top secret correspondence not being tampered with.
Medea passed the sealed letter to Connor, and the graying man shook out a few thin cylinders from his sleeve.
He furrowed his brows a bit, but it still took him less than fifteen seconds to remove the seal without putting any damage to either it, the envelope, or the letter inside.
"...oh..."
"...!"
Medea raised his brow and smiled cheerfully, but that very expression sent chills down Connor's spine, making the man take a step back.
"Do you want to read it too, mister?"
"I have lived for longer than all of my colleagues exactly because I know when to look away. No, thank you."
The black-haired boy offered the letter to the graying man, but the offer was politely refused as the older man could sense the potential threat.
"Alright then."
Medea nodded and put the letter back before handing Connor the envelope and watching him seal it back, making it look as if it was never opened.
"I'm going back to Gerard's. Good job."
After watching Connor put all the locks back on the baggage and confirming that it looked as if no one had messed with it, Medea waved his hand and left.
"I never had a chance to personally watch the rise of a new crimelord – I don't think I want to retire before I see it happen."
Connor smiled and muttered to himself, watching the black-haired boy go.
--------
Thomas's group, which was in charge of stealing the magic pellet from the warehouses, returned the next day while the rest of the gang that was providing the distraction for Theodore to kidnap the young lady Rotteloss showed up the day after that.
Of course, they've returned without either Theodore or Zorivia – but with rather heavy news about the first one.
*WHAM*
"HE WHAT?!"
As the almost entire gang gathered in their hideout, Oliver smashed his fist against the long table and shouted, making the empty glass in front of him tremble.
"From what we managed to learn, the kid tried to sneak into the house but was spotted by one of the servants of the Rotteloss girl. Instead of getting the hell away, he attacked the guy and managed to cut off his finger, but then chickened out and started running. We don't know what happened after that, but it couldn't be good. The big brown-haired man. He went so mad because of his finger that he looked ready to chop the kid to pieces."
The members of the group in charge of distraction looked at each other, and then one of them explained in more detail.
"Not only has Theodore failed, but he's nowhere to be found and possibly dead?! What the fuck?! Why none of you idiots did something?!"
*WHAM*
Oliver hit the table again and roared furiously, with his eyes almost bulging out of his eye sockets.
"But, boss... You said that we are only supposed to make a commotion and that the kid was good enough to manage on his own..."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
The spokesperson furrowed his brows and pointed out, but the dark-blond-haired man wasn't looking for the voice of reason or facts, and his face turned bright red as he stood up from the seat of honor and howled.
"Idiots! All of you! Because of all of you, we've lost a member that could serve as our informant, right by the bitch that is in contact with the royal family!"
Oliver continued berating his underlings as they all stood there in silence.
Still, they weren't even looking back at him – instead, the focus of attention seemed to be the boy in a dark-blond wig standing in the very back in a position of no importance.
"Mister, what about the thing that young Miss Ava wanted?"
"Fuck off!"
Medea didn't answer the silent question but instead asked one of his own – and got a rather vulgar response.
"The more we wait without reporting, the more it seems like we are hiding something. You said it yourself. Young Miss Ava has connections with the royal family – we definitely don't want her to..."
"What the hell did I tell you?! Shut the fuck up!"
Medea breathed out and pointed in a serious voice, but that only infuriated Oliver even more – to the point of the dark-blond-haired man grabbing an empty glass and throwing it at the black-haired boy.