"No, I just got here."
The man, Midas, shrugged.
"I expected that would be the case. I am one of the seven Crime Lords of the Underworld, and I have heard a lot about you, and I have taken and interest."
My heart froze. A Crime Lord? Even with my upbringing, away from the Underworld, I knew what the Crime Lords were. I knew that they were rich, and fought each other for control where the government failed. Why would a powerful person like him take an interest in me?
"Where have you heard of me? I just got here."
"My contact on the train that brought you here says that you committed six hundred seventy eight sins, which is impressive. He also told me who you were and where you live, Regis. I know its late, but do you want to go for walk? So I can explain some things to you."
The contact must be the shifty man. I guess I only thought I lost him, only for him to find out where I live. In this point of the conversation, denying his offer meant he would make my life hell, so I have to agree.
"Sure, you lead the way."
Midas handed me a coat and strode out the door. He led me down to the street and started walking, occasionally waving at gawking people, and flipping them copper coins that turned gold as they spun through the air.
He turned to me with a questioning gaze.
"How did you end up with six hundred and seventy eight sins? I only had five hundred and twelve when I got here, and that was a rarity!"
"I dunno. I guess the Judges made a mistake."
"Kid, the Judges make a lot of mistakes, but the Judging results are never wrong. You must have accidentally sinned while unaware of it. After all, people sin without thinking about it, but the Virtues require conscious thought."
"Why are you interested in me? I'm just a kid."
"Because people with more than five hundred sins before Judging are rare, and very useful."
"Useful? How? The Gods won't listen to me and give me a Blessing if I'm a sinner."
"Technical, they could listen, but their Blessings to sinners are more for curses. You're useful because you can wield the full power of a Deadly Sin."
"A Deadly Sin? I get get power from that! Only the Gods give power, and only the sinless get that power!"
"A quote straight from the holy text. And yet they lie. The seven Deadly Sins grant more raw power, with a price."
He smiled, and flipped a coin.
"And people with the full power of the Deadly Sins are very useful to me, and the other Crime Lords."
His expression turned serious, and he placed his hand on my shoulder.
"You haven't, by any chance, met any other people with powers... besides members of the God-force, have you?"
I thought back to the mystery girl on the train, with her long pink hair. About how she tricked my mind into nearly forfeiting all my possessions.
"Yes, there was a girl on the train with long pink hair. She tried to mesmerize me into giving her all my stuff. But she was young, was she dangerous?"
Midas looked away and spoke in a soft tone.
"Damn it! Mesa found him first. But why not recruit him? Is she baiting me into a trap of some kind?!?"
I was about ask who Mesa was, and why would he think it was a trap, but as I opened my mouth, dozens of figures appeared out of the darkness. All in police uniforms, with Sela in front of them. They surrounded us in a tight circle, and Sela stepped forward, her sword drawn.
"Midas! You're under arrest! We have you surrounded!"