I was going to have a knight class as well, but you know what? I'm too lazy for that.

So it's been a few days and I totally forgot about the above statement… Time to erase some stuff.

---

In the midst of a huge human crowd, a handsome youth could be seen walking leisurely.

Step.. Step.. Swoosh. Step. Step.

Ender had just nabbed a bread loaf from a grumpy looking vendor's stand! No one noticed him, he was sure of it so he stopped after taking a few steps and started looking around for his next target.

"THIEVES! SOMEONE STOLE FROM MY STAND!"

As soon as Ender heard the shouting he immediately started walking again. It wasn't very often that his stealing got noticed anymore.

He quickly pushed through crowd while silently cursing the vendor who he stole from.

'He had to go and notice a single missing bread loaf huh? The gods truly don't favour me…'

Even though the vendor had announced Ender's act to everyone, he wasn't worried. He had already blended with the crowd and was walking in the opposite direction of the market. In addition, a lot of people were shopping while eating bread loaves themselves, so he wasn't standing out at all.

He quickly managed to get out of the market with no incidents and found himself in the city's main square.

He looked around, enjoying the marvellous architecture. In front of him there were imposing buildings, each boasting grand facades adorned with intricate stonework and ornate carvings.

Ender closed his eyes and sighed.

"If only my home was like this…"

After pleasing his aesthetic senses he turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. After taking a few sharp turns he found himself walking in a shady alley. He was heading towards the slums and more accurately, towards his home.

As Ender approached the outskirts of the sprawling city, his gait slowed, and his shoulders slumped. The previously nice atmosphere and smells were now replaced by the gritty reality of the slum he called home.

The slum unfolded before him like a patchwork quilt of haphazardly constructed dwellings, each telling a unique story of struggle and survival. Flimsy shanties with tattered roofs leaned against more stable structures.

"Home sweet home!" Ender exclaimed when he reached a particularly bad looking shack.

He pushed the door and quickly made his way inside. There wasn't any lock on the door since it had broken a few days prior and Ender didn't get a chance to lift one yet.

As Ender entered his modest shack, he was greeted by a wave of musty air and dim light filtering through the tattered curtains. The space was small, barely large enough for two persons to manoeuvre comfortably. Salvaged crates served as makeshift furniture, arranged in a way that maximised the limited floor space.

Ender's and Catherine's meagre possessions were scattered about. A threadbare mattress lay in one corner, its worn surface showing the signs of countless restless nights. A few tattered blankets were piled at the foot of the mattress, offering only a semblance of warmth during the chilly nights. There were also two pillows. Surprisingly, they were in good condition!

He put the bread loaf that he nabbed on the best looking crate and moved toward what he called "bed".

He sat on it and closed his eyes.

He tried again. Tried to feel the magic that coursed through his veins and being, that supposedly would let him create wonders like all the other mages. After a few had minutes he opened his eyes disappointedly.

"Sigh. Dad... Did you lie to me about this as well?"

Truthfully, Ender thought that his daily meditations were pointless. A long time ago, before his mother had died and his father was still around, he had a "serious" talk with him. His father explained to him that he was one of those special people called "mages" and he possessed the ability to tap into his mana and use it.

Ender had already know all about "mages". They were tall and slender people, with pale skin and long, flowing hair. Their eyes were often glowing and they had a calm and collected demeanour. Some had the ability to control the elements, able to cast powerful spells that could freeze, burn, or shock their enemies. While others could create illusions or even teleport.

Ender couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Clearly, he was missing the memo on being extraordinary in any way.

"Now, now. That's a lie! I can cause some sparks!", he half shouted mockingly.

"Fire ball," Ender chanted for what felt like the millionth time. If he was an elemental mage with an affinity to fire, right about now a sphere of blazing fire should have materialised a few centimetres above his palm. However, that didn't happen! What Ender did achieve though, were some nice looking sparks… That disappeared after a second.

"Sigh. I tried every one of the basic spells of every single magic school! Why doesn't anything work. If I didn't display any magical talent I would have longed stopped, but I clearly have mana inside me, those sparks be damned. Not a single spell of the all the know schools works for me…"

Ender got up and headed toward the "in almost good condition" crate. He always felt particularly tired after trying to cast magic.

He grabbed his single bread loaf and slow started munching it, slowly satiating his hunger and feeling a little better, while his thoughts drifted to his day's plans.

'Catherine isn't back yet and probably won't be for another hour. I could probably go out again in that time.'

After having devoured half of the loaf, he stopped and put the remaining back on the crate. It had become a routine, as Catherine sometimes opted to forgo her meal.

Catherine, unlike him had a normal job. Yet, occasionally, she refrained from purchasing food as part of her money-saving thing. Ender had tried to explain to her how flawed that way of thinking was, but she wouldn't listen.

"I hope I have better luck this time," he muttered with a sardonic grin as he swung the door open once more, fully aware that luck had an uncanny habit of being consistently uncooperative with him.