Published: March 28th 2025, 8:19:20 pm
I landed on the Academy’s rooftop, leaving the cadets stunned. White carved spires adorned the rooftop, although nobody seemed to frequent the site. The level of detail was outrageous for a rooftop decoration, but I didn’t stop to examine them. I ran over the marble pathway near the edge and let [Foresight] binge on my mana.
At the ground level, cadets slowly vacated the gardens and returned to the dormitories. Malkah had said he saw Kili near the entrance. By the gates, day laborers and visitors retired for the day while the aides checked carts with food crates and materials. There was a massive traffic jam. Skeeth Riders made it more difficult for pedestrians and horse traffic to move across the cobbled path.
My eyes jumped from spot to spot, but unlike a page of a Where’s Waldo, the whole picture moved.
“Cadet uniform and messy hair… cadet uniform and messy hair,” I whispered, but Kili was nowhere to be found.
I had a bad feeling.
The girl must’ve had a strong reason to dare disobey an academy instructor.
“Cadet uniform and messy hair… unless you want to go unnoticed. In that case, you should use a cloak.”
[Aerokinesis] sent me into the air, and a moment later, I landed on the top of the wall. The guards down below noted my presence, but after a quick exchange, they remained in their posts. They must’ve a mental list of all the important people in the Academy, much like the aides. Carts came up and down the bridge.
If Kili had already abandoned the main path, the chances of catching her were slim. Cadria was too big, and Kili too little. It was like finding a needle in a haystack—but the needle moved.
“...and has a destination.”
If I could only guess where Kili was going, I could catch her.
I closed my eyes and focused. The inner city wasn’t in the center of Cadria but offset to the north in the highest part of the hill. Considering the surface distribution alone, it was more likely that Kili traveled south.
[Foresight] projected a map of Cadria into my eyes. I didn’t recall seeing such a map. Maybe in Astur’s office? It didn’t matter. Finding Kili was the priority.
There were three gates in that direction: southeast, south, and southwest, although west could also be correct. There was no eastern gate. One in four wasn’t the best chance. I needed to narrow down the possibilities.
“Kili’s probably smart enough not to steal after today’s session. She’s exhausted,” I muttered, looking at the gates. “Why leave the Academy then?”
The first time we met, Kili and her urchin band had tried to steal from me at the eastern market. Would she steal near her territory to have a quick retreat or far from it to prevent being tracked back? [Foresight] buzzed almost audibly as the skill scanned my memories for any information that could offset the chances in my favor.
Then, I got it.
“Stealing near home is dangerous, but stealing in another band’s territory is even more dangerous,” I muttered, recalling Astrid's stories about the aftermath of Mister Lowell’s death. The night she became a Zealot, she was out scavenging the aftermath of a gang war, and although she never explicitly said it, she totally was stealing from regular people.
South or southeast. It might be a coin flip, but southeast felt better. Kili had to be moving toward the eastern market. I channeled my mana, hoping I was right, and jumped down the cliff. Several merchants pointed at me as I fell to the street level next to a pompous line of marble houses. Then, I used [Mirage] and jumped again.
Luckily for me, there weren't many guards on the streets. Most inhabitants of the inner city were wealthy merchants and high-level warriors, so only a fool with a death wish would try to cause problems. The inhabitants of Ebros understood that stealing from people with demigod powers wasn’t all that smart.
I jumped through the hanging gardens and immaculate parks. If someone detected me, they must’ve thought I was a high-level courier or a Wind Mage from the Library because no one came out to stop me. A couple of guards detected me, but they seemed to assume I was someone important and in a hurry. I was probably way above their pay grade anyway.
I reached the southeast entrance in less than a heartbeat but stopped above a tavern's roof instead of standing atop the wall. The wall was too high, and I couldn’t see people’s faces. I needed to be sure I found Kili, whether she was using her scrambling skills or not. Considering Malkah’s timing, Kili must’ve had a ten or fifty-minute head start. If my prediction were correct, Kili would pass below me in the next minutes.
I sat down on the ledge and waited, and almost twenty minutes later, I knew I was right.
Kili slipped through the carriages and vendors, dressed in urchin attire, a cloak over her shoulders and a bonnet pulled down almost over her eyes. She was in a hurry.
“Why no cadet uniform?” I asked myself.
If she were going into the slums, the uniform would be a badge of protection.
Unless she wanted to go unnoticed.
My [Teacher’s Sense] told me she would ride the lie all the way if I stopped her right there. On a whim, I decided to follow her. Spying on students wasn’t my favorite hobby, but I had enough evidence to suspect something fishy was happening. Without releasing my [Mirage], I followed her through the market into the less busy streets. The more we advanced, the more the city looked like Farcrest’s north district.
The stench of damp waste clung to the winding streets mixed with the acrid scent of tanneries. Crooked buildings leaned against each other, their wooden frames blackened with age and mold. Stagnant water eroded their stone foundations, and packs of scavenging dogs and swarms of rats picked clean the scraps of food thrown to the streets.
Suddenly, the sky disappeared and was replaced by the colossal Cadrian walls. Osprey’s warning echoed in my ears. If you see the walls, you are already in the slums.
Kili threw the cloak over her head and entered a market of makeshift stalls along a muddy road. The scene couldn’t be more different than the colorful market along the eastern gate. Haggard vendors peddled vegetables and dubious cuts of meat and fish, brandishing knives and batons to keep the barefoot children away from their stalls. Rickety wooden balconies where prostitutes advertised their wares. Beggars. Shady spotters in each alley. Heavily armed patrols dressed in royal gold and green.
It was completely different from the poverty I had seen back home. Farcrest had all the same ingredients: poor markets, crumbling houses, prostitution, barefoot children, and thieves. However, a part of my brain yelled that I should turn around and leave. This place wasn’t just a dilapidated district of poor farmers, menders, and peddlers. It was dangerous.
I wondered if it was dangerous for me. Since my battle with Janus, no opponent has even come close to matching my level. High-level combatants knew it was better to keep peace with each other, and common thieves were smart enough to stay away. This was the biggest city in the kingdom, however. High-level crime was only to be expected.
Kili took a sharp turn and entered an alley, but a man with greasy hair and hard eyes blocked her—a gang scout. The girl pulled back her cloak, and the scout seemed to recognize her because he moved aside. Kili walked past the man without exchanging a word. Nobody seemed to notice the exchange.
I cast [Silence Dome] around my feet and jumped to the rooftop of a brothel. The rotten shingles creaked under my feet, and I hoped the spell was enough not to alert the occupants. Not-so-reputable establishments must have a substantial guard body.
The leaning constructions hid the girl over long alleys, but [Foresight] helped me follow her path. She wasn’t using any scrambling skills. Did she feel safe? Was this her territory?
One thing was sure: she didn't belong just to an urchin band.
I pushed a bit more mana into [Mirage].
It was too late to stop her.
Kili walked down a set of stairs and stopped before a seemingly unassuming three-story building. Two thugs guarded the entrance. One of them chewed tobacco, sitting on the ledge of the underpass. His teeth were yellow, almost brown, and his nose was crooked and flattened. The other, a pale man with long black hair, stood silently in the corner. None of them moved when Kili approached, although [Foresight] told me they had detected her since she turned the corner.
Kili showed them the contents of her pouch and entered.
I watched the exchange from behind a smoke-spitting chimney. It was hard to tell the thugs' exact level, but they had the strong bodies of mid-level combatants. One of them—Tobacco Chewer—met my gaze for a fleeting moment. His eyes narrowed as if sensing something amiss in the rooftops. A moment later, he pulled out his tobacco pouch and put a generous amount in his mouth like nothing had happened.
My heart hammered against my chest.
I hid behind the chimney and maneuvered over the rooftops to get in their blind spot. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of Kili through a window. She was climbing into the second floor. I circled the building, following the direction of the staircase. Kili’s messy hair appeared again. She reached the third flood and disappeared behind a door.
“Let’s not rush,” I whispered.
There was a non-zero chance that at least one thug was a high-level combatants.
I continued circling the den until I found a window that looked into a large room with a throne-like chair and a wide desk. Something didn’t feel right. Why would a crime lord have a window with a clean shot into their office? Either they were stupid or felt confident nobody would attempt—or could—attempt on their life. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the walls and windows of the third floor had a reinforcing spell. It wasn’t strong enough to stop my mana blade, but it should stop the attack of a Lv.20.
I jumped onto the den’s roof. Nobody seemed to notice me. Then, I buried mana hooks into the main beam and dropped on a ledge designed to plant flowers beside the open window. It was filled with cigarette buts and withered leaves.
A middle-aged man sat on the throne. His curly red hair reminded me of the Herran kids, but that’s where the similarities ended. His clothing was well-tailored, probably at the level of a baron, but it was utterly tasteless. The tunic was made of a shimmering red fabric that attempted to mimic silk. The sleeves were puffed to an absurd size, and the embroidery decorations were exaggerated to the point that they seemed to fight for attention. Each of his fingers had several rings to the point he could barely close his hand. Worst of all, his boots were yellow.
I didn’t need [Identify] to know his leather jacket was enchanted for protection, while his cloak was imbued with a fireproof enchantment. On his belt, I noticed an enchanted flail with a star-shaped ball the size of a bowling ball. It was a strange choice of weapon, but the right enchantment could turn a piece of metal into a deadly gun.
“Your payment is late, Mouse,” he said.
“Cut me some slack, Red. Have I ever let you down before?” Kili replied, her voice almost cocky. Still, I noticed a hint of fear well hidden behind her bragging.
Red rolled his eyes.
“It seems to me you are under the wrong impression, Mouse. You and your street rats offer me nothing but spare coins, so don’t act all important in my house. In fact, you should be grateful I allow you to work in my territory, and yet, you ungrateful brats do nothing but alert the guards. Do you know how much I have to pay them for their services? Pray I don’t raise the tax again,” Red said.
Unlike Kili, he was grinning like he was having a great time.
“Show me the goods.”
Kili stepped forward and handed her pouch to a slender man with enough knives strapped to his belt to supply the whole dining hall. He opened the pouch and passed it to Red, who pulled out a bronze circlet with a huge green stone in the center. I recognized the piece.
Aeliana’s circlet.
“Karid Jade. That should cover the next payments at least for a year,” Kili said.
Red examined the circlet.
“Karid Jade the dentures of my grandma,” he said, throwing the circlet to the floor. “That’s nephrite and bronze. Worth less than what you owe me.”
Kili froze as the thugs blocked the entrance.
“G-give me one week,” she pleaded, suddenly trapped. “I swear I have the rest by the end of the week.”
Red shook his head.
“No, you won't,” he said, his voice hardening. “If you try something stupid, you’ll get caught by the guard and give me more trouble.”
Kili looked for a way out like a trapped mouse.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to kill you. A dead woman can’t pay her dues, so let’s talk about payment options,” Red grinned, seemingly savoring each word. “Salt mines in the Blacksmokes always need workers this time of the year. Be grateful Mommy made you ugly, kid.”
Suddenly, a woman jumped to her feet and drew her sword.
“There’s someone outside.”
Even if it was for a split moment, my mana had flared.
The thugs drew their weapons and surrounded Red’s throne.
“The Sound Bandit?” one of them asked.
“Don’t be stupid, the Sound Bandit isn’t real,” Red replied. “Go check the window!”
My mind went into overdrive. There were eleven of them, plus all those on the first and second floors. Most were humans, although I noticed a couple of half-orcs and half-elves. I couldn’t tell how many Lv.30 and above were inside and if there was only one Lv.40, I’d be in trouble. Even in this world, I couldn’t ignore the advantage of numbers—and experience. They must know all the tricks to fight other humans.
To ensure Kili’s survival, I needed to be stealthy.
Dispelling my mana hooks, I dropped into the alley and disappeared around the corner before they could reach the windows. I needed to get in, but I needed to use my brains. A battle could either be won or lost solely by the amount of information each side handled. I needed to trick them.
I hid behind a pile of rotten crates. Pretending to be Kili’s brother wouldn’t cut it. My appearance would betray me. I didn’t look like the half-starved serf that plagued the streets—maybe I could’ve pulled it off before my promotion to Prestige Class, but not now. Playing the weak Scholar was out of the picture. However, I did look like a swordsman, and a swordsman was a step away from a thug.
I closed my eyes and accessed my mana pool. I identified the section of runes that controlled [Intimidation] and changed the ‘target’ attribute for ‘area’. There was no time for testing, so I copy-pasted the casting dimension attributes of [Silence Dome] and hoped for the best. Then, I modified my Character Sheet, changed Sage for Soldier, lowered my level to 28, and used Raudhan Kiln’s titles, skills, and passives as a baseline and sprinkled it with [Interrogation], [Extortion], and [Coersion]. For the finishing touches, I changed my name, deactivated [Master of Languages] to add a bit of accent to my speech, and turned my blue mantle inside out to keep the Rosebud Fencing Academy hidden.
When my disguise was complete, I poured a bit of mana into [Intimidation] to make me look more menacing and walked with resolution into the den’s main entrance. Unlike with Kili, the thugs reacted to my presence almost instantly. They squared up and blocked the path.
“Who are you, Cupcake?” Tobacco Muncher asked.
My attire, although simple, was still an echelon above the ordinary citizen.
“I bring payment,” I replied, patting the coin purse on my belt.
My face remained a mask of stone.
“Payment?”
“Mister Red did me a service. Service is usually followed by payment,” I said slowly, like Tobacco Muncher was the stupidest person in the city. My character was believable, and the fact I actually believed Tobacco was an idiot helped my acting.
When the two tugs exchanged glances, I knew I had them in the bag.
“What’s your name?” Tobacco Muncher asked, standing a step away from me.
My past self would’ve listened to his survival instinct and ran away.
“Desmond,” I replied.
His breath stank.
“Haven’t heard from you.”
“Because I’m not from around here,” I said
Tobacco Muncher nodded and looked at Silent.
“Do you have any weapons?” Tobacco asked.
“I was told not to bring any,” I replied, noticing I had left the Academy unarmed. Still, I didn’t skip a beat. Being a high-level Prestige Class gave me a confidence that was hard to put aside.
The old Rob couldn't have put on the act without breaking a sweat.
“Unarmed. Good,” Tobacco said, looking at Silent. “Sniff him.”
For an instant, I froze. Silent took a step forward. He looked like the person who would kill his grandma and eat her liver, but he didn’t look like a Sniffer. He couldn’t be. I tried to reassure myself. Sniffers were a thing of royalty and dukes. [Foresight] showed me pictures of the feast at Farcrest Great Hall. Not even counts or barons had access to Sniffers; a small-time crime lord certainly shouldn’t.
I felt a pull on my chest.
“Don’t fight it,” Silent seethed.
I wasn’t fighting it—he was just too weak to pull whatever he was trying to do. Still, I relaxed. The pull happened again, like someone was introducing their hand inside my ribcage and touching my spine from the inside. I let it be. Then, my Character Sheet appeared.
“Desmond Dantès, Soldier,” Silent said, extending each syllable.
“[Interrogation] Lv.4?” Tobacco asked, raising an eyebrow.
I remained indifferent. One could try to hide things, but Character Sheets never lie—unless you were a Runeweaver. There was no reason to believe I was anything different.
“There’s no Desmond Dantèses in the city guard,” Silent said.
“Let me see the pouch,” Tobacco said.
I opened my coin purse: gold and silver. Tobacco seemed satisfied and moved aside. Of course, he wouldn’t get in between his boss and profit. Besides, if I had to guess, a Lv.28 Soldier wouldn’t be a problem for Red’s guard.
“Be quick, Dantès. Red is a busy man.”
I nodded and pushed the old wooden door.