Golden Hand was beyond frustrated.
He had just gotten a bit itchy, couldn't resist picking a pocket, and now he was stuck with someone so hard to shake off.
What baffled him even more was that his thieving skills were top-notch, yet somehow this guy had noticed. If he'd known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have even bothered.
"Let go already! If you don't, I'm going to shout for help!" Golden Hand threatened.
"Oh? In such a hurry, are we? Got some big heist planned?" Ethan smirked.
Of course, he wasn't going to let him go.
This guy was just like Bard, always wandering around, poking his nose into things.
Now that they had crossed paths, Ethan wasn't going to let him slip away.
Not without squeezing out some benefits.
Wait, not benefits—he meant cooperation.
"None of your damn business!" Golden Hand snapped, annoyed.
He had important things to do, and this crazy guy was holding him up.
"Not talking, huh? Well then, maybe I should call over the city guards."
Ethan knew this type all too well. If Golden Hand wasn't currently in the middle of a theft, he was definitely on his way to one.
And the more challenging the target, the more excited he got.
Judging by how desperate he seemed to leave, Ethan was certain this guy had something big planned.
"Whoa, whoa! Let's not get the guards involved. We can talk this out," Golden Hand quickly relented.
The last thing he wanted was to be on the city guards' radar. His criminal record was long enough—if he got caught, prison would be a certainty.
"Alright then, spill. What are you up to?" Ethan asked, leaning in.
Golden Hand looked around cautiously, then leaned closer and whispered,
"The city lord's daughter is having a birthday party today. She's invited lots of nobles, so I'm planning to sneak in."
"A birthday party!"
Ethan's eyes lit up at this news.
He had been racking his brain, trying to figure out how to infiltrate the City Lord's mansion, and now the perfect opportunity had just fallen into his lap.
This guy was a lucky charm!
"So, how are you planning to sneak in?" Ethan asked, genuinely curious.
"You wouldn't know about this, but the city lord invited a circus to perform at the party. And me..." Golden Hand pointed to himself proudly.
"Right now, I'm one of their magicians. I'm on the guest list."
"A magician? You?"
Ethan sized him up, suppressing a laugh.
Golden Hand, a thief posing as a magician? He'd be exposed in seconds!
But it gave Ethan an idea.
Golden Hand wasn't a real magician, but Ethan was.
"Take me to meet the circus leader," Ethan ordered.
"Uh... why?" Golden Hand asked, suspicious.
"Don't ask questions. Just do it, or I'll call the guards."
"Fine, fine, I'll take you!"
Golden Hand rolled his eyes, having no choice but to lead the way.
As they walked through half of Winterhold, Ethan never let go of Golden Hand's wrist for a second.
He knew this guy had too many escape tricks up his sleeve. One moment of carelessness, and he'd vanish without a trace.
So, despite the awkwardness, Ethan kept a tight grip the entire time.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a small circus troupe.
"Can you let go now?" Golden Hand grumbled, clearly irritated.
His wrist felt like it was going to snap.
"Fine."
Ethan finally released his grip.
Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a red hat stepped out from the circus tent.
Seeing Golden Hand, the man's face darkened.
"Where have you been? We've been waiting for you!" the man snapped.
"Sorry, I got held up on the way," Golden Hand replied with a forced smile.
"And who is this?"
The man's eyes shifted to Ethan, clearly suspicious.
"A stranger. Don't worry about him—"
"I'm a magician," Ethan interrupted.
"I heard your troupe offers good pay, so I'm here to apply for a job."
"You—"
Golden Hand stared at him in shock.
*So, that's what this is about! He's trying to steal my spot!*
No, wait. This guy wasn't after his spot—he probably had the same plan to use the circus as a cover to sneak into the City Lord's mansion!
"He's not a magician, don't listen to him—"
"Quiet."
The circus leader waved Golden Hand off, turning his attention back to Ethan.
He studied Ethan's appearance—his neatly tailored suit, the elegant top hat on his head.
If he were holding a cane, he'd look every bit the part of a magician.
At the very least, he looked more the part than Golden Hand.
"So, what kind of magic can you do?" the leader asked, intrigued.
Without a word, Ethan rubbed his fingers together, and a small flame flickered to life in his palm.
"Fire magic? Not bad. Anything else?"
The leader stepped closer, his interest piqued.
"Of course!"
Ethan smiled, taking off his top hat. He gave it a few skillful flips before reaching inside.
Out of the hat, he pulled a white dove.
"Co-coo!"
The bird cooed and flapped its wings, flying away.
"Impressive sleight of hand! Anything more?"
The leader nodded approvingly.
"Plenty!"
Ethan reached back into his hat, pulling out a flower, then bread, then weapons, and playing cards...
A whole stream of objects flowed from the hat, leaving the circus leader speechless.
Golden Hand stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
*What kind of skill is this? It's way more impressive than my Empty Hand technique!*
His Empty Hand technique allowed him to steal things from a distance, but the objects had to already exist.
Ethan's trick, on the other hand, seemed to create things out of thin air.
Could it be that his hat was like some kind of magical storage item?
"This is called Hat Trick," Ethan explained with a grin as he tucked the last object back into his hat.
"So, what do you think? Am I qualified?"
"Definitely! Welcome to the Red Hat Circus!"
The leader extended his hand, and Ethan shook it firmly.
"What about me?"
Golden Hand interrupted, pointing to himself in disbelief.
"You're fired."
"Dammit!"
Golden Hand cursed under his breath. He had worked so hard to get into the circus, and now he was being fired just like that.
How was he supposed to sneak into the City Lord's mansion now? How could he access the underground vault?
This was ridiculous!
"Heh, good luck! I'm sure you'll figure something out," Ethan said with a grin, clearly aware of Golden Hand's plans.
He patted the thief on the shoulder, giving him a "friendly" word of encouragement.
"Just you wait! I'm not done with you!"
Golden Hand was seething. He wanted to punch Ethan but knew better. He wasn't built for combat and could only grumble as he stormed off.
"What's your name?" the leader asked.
"Dustwalker," Ethan replied.
"Good. We'll be heading to the City Lord's mansion for the performance soon. Be ready, and don't mess this up."
"No worries. I'm a professional," Ethan reassured him.
"Also, remember that many high-ranking nobles will be attending the party. Mind your manners and behave with decorum."
"Got it, boss."
After a final round of instructions, the leader went back to preparing for the performance, leaving Ethan to wait.
While waiting, Ethan received a notification that he had reached level 7.
He knew right away it was thanks to his two shadow clones.
Along with the level-up came 2 new attribute points and 2 new feats.
This time, Ethan decided not to allocate the attribute points right away, choosing to save them for later.
As for the new feats, one was [Darkvision] and the other [Bird Affinity].
[Darkvision] enhanced his perception, allowing him to see clearly even in pitch-black environments.
[Bird Affinity] was simpler, improving his relationship with bird-like creatures.
Neither feat was particularly outstanding, though [Darkvision] seemed more practical.
Ethan patiently waited until the afternoon, when the circus was finally ready.
With the leader guiding the way, they headed off toward the City Lord's mansion.