As Emperal and Grimblaze crept toward their target, the man below was too busy rummaging through his crates to notice their approach. Emperal's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"Watch closely, Grimblaze. We're about to perform a masterpiece," he whispered, his voice dripping with playful malice.
Grimblaze's ears perked up. "I'm ready, boss! I've been practicing my stealth!" He puffed out his chest, attempting to look menacing, but his small, round body and the watermelon still wedged in his mouth made him look more like a rotund thief than a fierce partner in crime.
Emperal barely contained a chuckle at the sight but gave a nod. "Alright, here's how we do it—simple, clean, and with style."
Although he said, The Hippol however,
Grimblaze, already bouncing on his tiny hooves with excitement, grinned from ear to ear. "I'm ready for the greatest heist of all time!" he squeaked, his voice oddly high-pitched with anticipation.
Emperal shook his head with a smirk. "Just remember, subtlety... for the first part."
Suddenly, without warning, Grimblaze darted forward, his little legs wobbling comically beneath him as he charged directly toward the merchant. "Oi, watch out!" Grimblaze yelled at the top of his lungs, causing the merchant to turn around in alarm.
Before the man could process what was happening, Grimblaze skidded to a stop right in front of him, puffing out his round belly. "Whew!" Grimblaze's expression twisted into mock concentration as he positioned himself perfectly, then—without so much as a warning—let out a monumental, earth-shattering fart.
FARTTTT!
The sound was deafening, like the roar of a distant thunderclap, reverberating through the market. A few nearby shoppers froze, their eyes wide as they turned to see the source of the disturbance. The merchant, already off balance, looked up in horror, his face scrunching in disbelief as the full force of Grimblaze's gaseous assault hit him.
The air was instantly filled with a thick, pungent stench that made even the most seasoned traders gag. The merchant staggered, clutching his nose, his face turning an alarming shade of green.
"What the hell is that smell?!" he croaked, his eyes watering as he tried to back away. His mind became a bit foggy.
As the stench reached Emperal, his expression twisted into pure horror. He clutched his nose, his voice muffled but laced with venom.
"Grimblaze, you disgusting sack of lard! What in the world did you eat? A corpse dipped in sewage?!" Emperal spat, practically gagging as he stumbled backward, trying to escape the invisible cloud of doom.
Grimblaze, completely unbothered, wiggled his stubby legs in triumph. "Hey, genius requires sacrifice! That, my dear partner, was art in its most primal form!"
His face twisted in disgust, his stomach churning as he resisted the urge to hurl. "For fucks sake, that is Rotten hazel," he muttered, holding his nose in a futile attempt to block the smell.
But despite his disgust, Emperal knew what had to be done. This was his chance.
With a flick of his wrist, Emperal activated Solustasis— manipulating his surroundings with uncanny precision. His mind focused, and in a split second, he reached out, seizing the merchant's pouch of Elyths from a distance.
It lifted from the merchant's waist, floating silently through the air until it was safely in Emperal's grasp. He couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction. The pouch was his, and the merchant... Well, he was far too preoccupied with his own misery to notice.
"That's it, Grimblaze. That's how you pull off a clean job," Emperal said, his voice dripping with sarcastic approval as he watched Grimblaze practically dance in the chaos he'd caused.
Grimblaze, still basking in the glory of his stunt, looked back with a proud grin. "See? Told you! Subtlety is overrated. And hey, you've gotta admit, it was a masterpiece."
Emperal shook his head, trying to hide his smile behind his disgust. "A masterpiece? You're just a foul pig."
Grimblaze only snickered, completely ignoring the insult. "Whatever, partner. At least we're richer now."
Despite the banter, Emperal couldn't help but chuckle. He quickly stuffed the pouch into his robe and motioned for Grimblaze to follow.
"Let's get out of here before I throw up," Emperal said, casting one last, disgusted look at the merchant, who was still coughing and spluttering behind them. The poor guy was probably going to have nightmares for weeks.
Grimblaze waddled after him, still chuckling to himself. "I mean, I'm not the one who got farted. I'm just the delivery man!"
"Don't remind me," Emperal groaned, but even as he said it, there was a flicker of dark amusement in his eyes. "Let's just hope no one notices the stench… or us." It's not that he's afraid, It's just that noble deeds should always stay well…hidden.
And just like that, they vanished into the crowd, leaving behind only the faintest trace of Grimblaze's chaotic genius—and a merchant who would never forget the day he got robbed by a fart.
…
They entered the inn, which, judging by its modest decor, could barely be called that. At the reception, if the worn-out counter could even earn that title, a strikingly beautiful elf woman was diligently handling some paperwork. Her presence added a surprising air of grace to the otherwise unremarkable establishment.
Hearing their footsteps, she looked up with a polite smile. "Welcome! What can I do for you?" she asked, her tone professional. However, when her gaze fell on Emperal—particularly his vibrant red hair—her demeanor shifted almost instantly.
"My lord, what can I do for you?" she said again, this time with a respectful tone, her head dipping slightly.
The sudden change didn't go unnoticed by Emperal, though he merely raised an eyebrow, deciding it wasn't worth questioning. With a shrug, he replied, "We'd like a room for the night." His voice was casual, as if used to such reactions.
"That would be one and a half Elyths, sir," she said, maintaining her respectful tone. Although she didn't know who he was, the fiery red hair alone marked him as someone of high standing.
"Alright." Emperal retrieved two Elyths from his pouch, sliding them across the counter. It wasn't entirely out of generosity—he was just too tired to haggle and figured extra food might come in handy.
The elf woman accepted the payment with a slight bow before disappearing into the back. After a few minutes, she returned with a peculiar token in hand—a leaf, triangular in shape and slightly glossy, almost as if freshly plucked from a magical tree.
"This is your token, sir," she said, handing it over with a delicate touch.
Emperal took it, inspecting it with faint curiosity. Its texture and vibrant green hue seemed to pulse faintly with mana, but he shrugged, tucking it away without another thought.
With that, he and Grimblaze made their way toward their room. Grimblaze waddled ahead, sniffing the air eagerly for any sign of food, while Emperal followed, his mind already running over the events of the day.
Their quiet retreat into the inn marked the end of an eventful chapter, though something told Emperal that this strange new world had far more surprises in store for him.
"Boss, how much did we ste- ahem Burrow!?" Grimbalze asked excitedly in the room.