"You're more nimble than I expected. For a pickpocket."
Matthew and Ferris were both at least Aura User level in strength.
In an empty street, they could've grabbed a lowly pickpocket like him in a single breath...
But the market crowd was too thick to charge recklessly.
The pickpocket, on the other hand, was used to dodging through crowds and weaved expertly toward sparser areas.
"Hey, knight sir! Don't push!"
"Ah... Sorry! Everyone, please make way for a moment!"
Ferris was especially troubled wearing her Northern knight's armor.
By its nature, colliding with civilians in regular clothes would injure them...
And forcing her way through the crowd would tarnish a knight's honor.
People would complain: Is shoving citizens around just to catch one pickpocket worth it?
While Ferris was stuck, unable to act either way amid the throng...
"Sorry, Knight Ferris, but I'm going ahead. I think we'll lose him at this rate."
"Going ahead? How?"
"Hmm... The path's blocked, so we go up, right?"
"Up? What nonsense is—"
Tadak!
Matthew lightly leaped before Ferris could finish.
"Huh?"
"What's that guy doing?"
"Circus...?"
"A-An attack?!"
The crowd gasped at Matthew's sudden move.
His footwork was as nimble as a cat scaling a wall.
Having reinforced his body with mana, he reached the rooftop in an instant.
He flashed a grin and waved.
"I'll go first, so follow me, Knight Ferris! See you ahead!"
"Wait! Come back! Hey!!"
Matthew traversed the rooftops like an assassin.
Laundry lines and obstacles littered the way, but he ignored them.
He vaulted clotheslines and vaulted hurdles, vanishing in moments.
Yet his half-closed eyes never lost the pickpocket.
Just as he closed in, the thief suddenly squeezed into a narrow alley between market stalls.
They won't be able to follow this far.
The pickpocket snorted triumphantly, not slowing his sprint.
He looked like some rich Northerner tourist out for fun.
But this thief had prowled back alleys since childhood, knowing every nook.
The knight nearby was annoying, but piercing the crowd through this maze was impossible.
"Whew, gold coins... Jackpot today."
Confirming no pursuit, he caught his breath and pulled out the gold coin.
Stealing a wallet of silver would last a week, but gold?
This could stretch a month easy.
As he wiped his nose and tucked the coin away carefully...
"This is fun."
"!?"
The voice from above nearly made him drop it.
Thud! A man dropped right in front of him.
He was an ominously black-haired man.
"So the Northern back alleys look like this. A secluded lane like this in the market..."
"A-Ah..."
"Isn't it really fun?"
Thud.
Seeing the smile on that half-closed-eyed face, the pickpocket's legs gave out.
The narrow alley let in thin sunlight that illuminated only his face.
His eerily pale skin reflected it, like a dreamlike nightmare.
One you'd desperately want to wake from.
I'm dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.
No escape. Dropped right in his face, no chance anyway.
Flee now, and it'd just be quick death versus painful one.
Before picking pockets, he'd sensed something off, but never imagined...
"Now, hand over my gold coin."
"Uh, ah, uh..."
"Return it intact, and I won't harm you."
He spread his arms wide, lips curling high.
Hearing that, the pickpocket realized.
His death was already sealed here today.
"Really. I don't lie."
"Guh, uh, guh..."
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Step.
Matthew approached slowly.
Unreadable face with those half-closed eyes.
He drew near.
Death drew near.
The pickpocket scrambled back on his butt, but...
An obstacle foiled that too.
No escape.
"Are you okay?"
Finally, Matthew's face loomed right before him.
"Hah...!"
"Oh?"
Plop.
Like a puppet with cut strings, the pickpocket slumped.
His eyes rolled back, whites only, and a hiss accompanied his pants wetting yellow.
Ultimate terror had knocked him out.
"Ah... Dear me."
Matthew finally realized.
"Looks like you really needed the bathroom. Sorry for holding you up... My bad."
He bowed apologetically to the fainted thief.
While taking the gold coin still clutched in his hand.
"I'll forgive you since I got my gold back."
He slipped the coin back into his chest pocket and twirled his cane.
Met the pickpocket, reclaimed the gold—now back to the market to meet Ferris.
"...Oh dear, this is trouble."
He leisurely scanned the alley left and right.
"How do I get back to the market?"
Left or right, both paths looked identical.
Big problem for directionally challenged Matthew.
Maybe wake the thief for directions? Just then...
"...What the hell are you talking about!"
"Hm?"
An odd voice echoed from afar.
Matthew headed slowly toward it.
Lady Heckenroze had warned against back alleys, but he needed help to exit.
Help from someone 'kind' enough to point the way.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Deep in the plaza's back alleys.
A lawless zone even homeless avoided...
Two men conversed.
The older-looking one bellowed.
"The Lady came back alive? You stuck skilled mercenaries in with the bandits!"
"Shh, sir, voice down. Calm first."
"Calm? With our money on the line, and you botch it?!"
The bald young man groveled before the middle-aged roar.
Hard to guess their relation.
But the middle-aged man's clothes and noble bearing screamed aristocrat over commoner.
After venting, he rubbed his forehead.
"Hoo... Trusted your mercenaries, and our plan's ruined. Knight Commander Philip's pinning blame on me."
"Think of our side too. What about that weirdo who popped up? You heard."
"That sleazy-looking kid?"
"Yes."
The bald man wiped sweat from his head.
A guy who should've beaten any knight easy...!
He felt wronged.
They'd scoured the North for a greatsword user skilled against people, disguised as bandit.
Even bought him artifacts with their fee.
But the investment died suddenly.
To some freak dropping from the sky.
"Act of God. We're wronged too."
"Shut it! How do we fix this?"
"...One way."
"What?"
"The Lady will take a carriage back to the capital anyway. Entrance exam's soon, as you know."
The Lady Heckenroze headed to the capital for the Academy entrance exam.
Delayed slightly by the carriage attack, but she'd left two weeks early, so time remained.
They'd surely depart within a week with a new carriage.
"We target then."
"You got a decorative head? After one failure, they'll bolster guards!"
"True, but it's our only shot. We must remove the Moderate Faction Lady fast for your Radical Faction to—"
"Sorry to interrupt."
"!?"
Step step.
Someone emerged from the alley shadows.
Black suit like the darkness.
Hair matching the suit perfectly, and...
A face with unreadable half-closed eyes.
"I got a bit lost."
"Y-You...!?"
"Hah!"
Both froze at Matthew.
The man who'd wrecked the Radical Faction's plan...
The 'mysterious expert' who'd entered the fortress with Heckenroze.
Standing before them boldly.
As if he knew everything.
"Y-You stalking us?!"
"Huh? Stalking?"
"Finding this maze-like alley... The Lady sent you!"
Shring!
The bald man drew a dagger.
How'd he find us?
Back alleys too dangerous for normals.
This was the deep core—a extreme maze where newcomers lost themselves.
How'd he track here?
He'd come via sewer, no footsteps.
No pursuit then.
...He tailed Count Hüben!
Unlike him using sewers.
The elderly noble, Count Hüben, walked openly with a map.
Tailing the Count made more sense.
He'd have noticed if tailed himself.
The bald man gripped his dagger, glaring.
"You figured our scheme!?"
"...Scheme?"
"Don't play dumb when you know! Bastard!"
"Dunno. Never thought that..."
Matthew shrugged exaggeratedly, eyeing the elderly man.
"Just asking directions. No need to tense up. You too, sir."
"Sir...? No way!"
The bald man's eyes flashed.
Not tailing Hüben... He lured me here?
He was already half out of Philip's favor.
Everyone knew of the mysterious force targeting the Lady now.
Digging in revealed it wasn't mere bandits.
In this mess, Hüben's survival play: one option.
Sell out the mercenary he'd hired... Him.
"You filthy old fox!"
"Wh-What!? You madman!"
Swoosh!
The bald man slashed at Count Hüben with his dagger.
Tail cut off—no mercy for nobles.
Hüben barely dodged the graze.
And thought:
This ugly mercenary scum teamed with that guy... To screw me?!
Suspicious since the mysterious expert appeared here.
A place where you'd lose without a map—yet he shows?
Hüben had used invisibility artifact to avoid tails.
No reason he'd be followed.
Which meant...
"Daring to backstab me?"
He reached a conclusion.
His hired bald mercenary.
This punk stabbed him in the back and flipped to the Lady's side quick.
Crunch!
Hüben backed off, manifesting magic.
Simple icicles flung at empty air.
But many.
"Taste noble magic!"
"Think I'll die here? You think you're fine?"
"So you sold me?"
"You sold me first!"
"Bullshit!!"
Boom!
The dagger-wielding mercenary clashed with the spell-slinging old noble.
Ice and blade ravaged the alley.
"Everyone? Why the sudden fight...?"
Matthew tilted his head at the abrupt brawl.
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