As Lucian and Tetsu are slowly surrounded by four men, Lucian thinks to himself, 'So this is actually happening, huh? A fight in an alley. But the problem is…' Lucian looks over at the thugs and sighs in disappointment. 'These damn punks are too weak. I can barely sense any mana from them, and they don't even look physically fit. Why would people like this choose to be thugs?' he wonders.
One of the thugs pulls out a knife and points it at them. "Now, now, kids, empty your pockets. And that includes all weapons hand them over." he says, waving his knife around. Tetsu's expression shifts to one of terror, and he whispers to Lucian, "What should we do, Senior? Should we hand over our stuff?"
Lucian replies quickly, "Why are you scared of knives? Don't you make those things?"
"I make them, Senior. I don't use them." Tetsu responds, still afraid.
Lucian glances at the four thugs and speaks up. "Have you seen an elven woman with crimson-red hair pass through here?" Lucian's calm question catches the thugs off guard, but the knife-wielding one quickly tries to intimidate him again, thrusting the knife closer.
"Listen, kid. Hand over your stuff and walk away, or I'll have to get rough with you." The thug crouches, bringing his face close to Lucian with a menacing expression.
Annoyed, Lucian responds, "Damn, you're irritating." In one swift motion, he slaps the thug across the face, emitting a powerful flash of mana. The thug flies backward, crashing into the wooden cart, which shatters under the impact. Tetsu, both shocked and relieved, watches as the other three thugs expressions turn pale. They begin to back away slowly, hoping to escape, but Lucian stops them.
"Take one more step back, and I'll break all of your legs." he says, staring them down. The thugs freeze, then slowly sit down on the ground, trembling.
One of them speaks up quickly, "We're just small time thieves. We haven't committed any serious crimes other than a little stealing. Please, let us go!" He pleads, eyes watering as he glances at his unconscious companion.
The others chime in defensively, "Yeah, we're just ordinary thugs! We weren't really going to hurt you, we swear on our lives. Please, forgive us."
Lucian sighs and speaks firmly, "First, answer my question. Have you seen a red haired elven woman walk through here?"
The thugs exchange nervous glances, and one of them finally replies, "Yeah, she came through a little while ago. We tried to rob her, but she jumped onto the rooftops like a rabbit and disappeared. We swear, we're telling the truth."
Lucian considers this for a moment and decides they're probably telling the truth, as such weak thugs wouldn't pose a real threat to an elf. "Did you see where she went?" he asks.
"No, she ran off before we could even react. But… we have something of hers." Hearing this, Lucian raises an eyebrow, curious. The thug reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small gemstone the size of a pea. It's a deep red color and seems quite valuable.
"Where did you get this?" Lucian asks.
The thug quickly answers, "She dropped it while she was jumping onto the rooftops. We saw it fall and picked it up. We didn't steal it, we swear."
Tetsu inspects the gemstone curiously but can't quite identify it. "It looks like a ruby, but something seems off. Still, I'd say it's definitely valuable."
Lucian glances back at the thugs, who remain seated and silent. "What are you waiting for? Get lost. And if I catch you stealing again, I'll do more than just slap you."
The thugs, visibly shaken, bow to Lucian, gather their unconscious friend, and quickly leave.
"So, what should we do now?" Tetsu asks, still examining the gemstone.
Lucian thinks for a moment. "It probably fell from something like a necklace, pendant, or bracelet. Since she hasn't come back for it, she likely didn't realize it's missing. So, let's leave it to luck."
"Luck? What do you mean, Senior?" Tetsu asks, confused.
"Well, we'll hold onto the gemstone until we see her again. If we do, we'll return it."
Tetsu considers this, then nods. "Not a bad idea, I guess." He hands the gemstone to Lucian, who slips it into his pocket. The two of them quickly start heading back to the library, not wanting to get scolded by Galen for wandering the city alone.
As they run back, a tall figure in a black hooded cloak watches them silently from atop a nearby building.