---

「I said sorry already Zozo, you can get out now...」

I continued to face the wall and sulk beneath the weathered wooden desk—ignoring everything the thief girl had to say.

Beside her was the legendary figure himself, Rysef, looking down at me with his arms folded.

---

Minutes prior, I had awoken to find myself in a quaint but decrepit room. The repulsive smell of crap had no longer violated my nostrils (although it did subtly linger for quite a while).

Only the sweet scent of old books and dusty fabric swayed merrily within the chambers of my nose.

Torn-up wallpaper and creaky floorboards told me this was an abandoned house. The walls were lined with broken bookcases and antique-looking paintings.

A lantern by the doorway warmly embraced the cold room with a familiar orange light.

For a little while, I felt safe.

Did I die? Is this heaven? Hell? An endless limbo stuck between the two?

I slowly got up, only to realize the presence of two other people.

「Zozo you're awake!」

Melyn's cheery voice filled the room as I felt her arms wrap around me. It was a comforting hug, but one that brought a lot of questions into my mind.

「Y-you're alive? 」

I could hardly get the words out. I was in utter shock.

The girl I saw lifeless and bloodied was talking to me as though nothing had happened.

Was that all a dream then?

「Bwahaha! I like this kid, Mel!」

My stress-alleviating reunion was short-lived—interrupted by a loud husky voice.

I swiveled my head and was greeted with a well-built man donning a big grin, posing menacingly at the corner of the room.

His curly undercut was as gray as a foggy evening and a Stygian black cloak wrapped around his ashy sleeveless leather armor like a king's mantle.

His outfit was just as intimidating as his physique.

He stood over six feet tall. As the man lumbered towards us, his shadow swallowed half the room, leaving me with only a sense of dread for what was to come.

「W-who are you..? Another slum dweller?」

「You're speaking to the slum dweller, Zozo.」

Melyn gently pushed herself away from me before jumping to her feet to join the large slum dweller's side.

「Wait a minute... you're Rysef?!」

The man's grin grew tenfold.

「Ah—you've heard of me? In that case, I'll make it short...」

The towering figure grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up, much to my displeasure. His muscular arms were riddled in scars, yet sturdier than an oak tree.

「My name is Rysef! District Master of the Lakua District—also known as the Ashen Thief! Nice to meetcha, Lorenzo!!!」

My legs dangled as I contemplated his words.

This guy's the leader? Seriously?

I had expected someone more stoic to uphold such an important position. Not to mention, his whole demeanor wasn't very thief-like.

Loud and boisterous with a conspicuous appearance. Things undoubtedly worked differently in this world.

「C-could you let me down, I need to process all this...」

「Oh certainly! A young lass like you wouldn't want a bruise on your fair and delicate skin haha!」

「W-wha—?!」

Suspended mid-air, I looked down at Melyn, who giggled quietly. With so many emotions bottled up, I snapped.

「I'M NOT A GIRL YOU MEATHEAD!!! LET ME DOWN!!!」

I kicked my legs and thrashed about in his hands until I broke loose.

Quickly, I made a beeline for a table on the other side of the room and climbed it, picking up a metal candlestick on the way.

I was finally equipped with a viable weapon—albeit an improper one. As I wielded it, I faced Rysef bearing feelings of irritated bewilderment.

「Zozo what are you—?!」

「ZIP IT MELYN! I'M THROUGH STAYING IN THE DARK LIKE THIS! I WANT ANSWERS NOW!」

Melyn was shaken and flustered—her crimson eyes gravitated towards her master, who maintained his smiling front.

The Ashen Thief stood upright and crossed his arms.

「Haha, feisty one are we? Alright! I shall give you the answers you seek. But before that...」

In a blink of an eye, Rysef suddenly appeared in front of me and grabbed my candlestick. It was so instantaneous I had no time to react.

W-was that magic he used?

「There we go! Now we can speak like civilized folk.」

This guy had me under his thumb. It was too unpredictable to go picking fights with him, or anyone for that matter.

I shuddered to think what would've happened had he been less forgiving...

「Now, what would you like to know son? Religion? Politics? Magic? Where I keep my underwear perhaps? Haha!」

「N-none of that. At least for now, excluding your undergarments of course.」

「Oh? Then, would you like to know what happened back in the sewers?」

「Yes..! Please..! And where I am right now.」

Rysef fell silent, gesturing deep contemplation. He repeatedly banged the top of his head with the metal candlestick in his hand.

「Hmmm... put it briefly...」

I crossed my legs and intently waited for his explanation. His words had the potential to clue me into the world of magic I remained ignorant of.

I nervously gulped at the thought.

「...you were pranked!」

I fell to the ground in disbelief.

「WHAT?!」

「Nonono, scratch that... you were unconditionally fooled.」

「THAT'S THE SAME THING!!!」

The large man guffawed heartily; even Melyn stifled her laughter.

「So hold on, that entire trip through the sewer... was all a buildup to scare me?」

「Hm? Yeah, that's right.」

「Two hours used solely to spook me...」

「And we got you good too, haha!」

「QUIT SCREWING WITH ME YOU 'ROIDED BASKETCASE!」

It felt like this entire adventure so far was me yelling at other miscreants around me. I stayed on the ground with my cheeks pressed against the smooth wooden floorboards.

Annoying characters were just a reality I had to deal with from now on.

「What about the strange candle flame? How do you explain that?」

「Manipulation magic. A basic spell at that.」

「The blood trail?」

「Creation magic. Another basic spell.」

「And the zombified corpses? Was that a basic spell to boot? 」

「Yep. Illusion magic. Easier to cast since you passed out from shock early on in the tunnels.」

「ARE YOU DEMONS?! 」

Rysef continued to laugh as I rolled around on the floor in mental anguish. Melyn then decided to join our unfriendly exchange.

「Sorry Zozo, but I couldn't resist. Besides...」

I halted my tantrum and paid attention to the thief girl.

「Seeing you call out for me made me really happy...」

「Haha! That's right! He even called you Big Sister Mel! What a hoot!」

I clenched my fist and clumsily lifted myself up.

While one was laughing his ass off and the other was swooning over my moment of vulnerability, I took the chance to shamble over to a wooden desk at the side of the room.

Reaching it, I crawled underneath and curled up into a fetal position. The thief girl was the first one to call out to me.

「Zozo, what are you doing..?」

「I want to die. I want to become an earthworm and crawl into the deepest hole I can find. I want to become a microscopic speck and endlessly float through the cosmos...」

「Yeeesh! Looks like we depressed the little guy. Talk about a wet blanket! Haha!」

---

And that's how I found myself being comforted by Melyn and stared down by the so-called Ashen Thief for half an hour.

Truth be told, I was already over it. I wasn't that stubborn.

But now I was stuck in an awkward situation where I couldn't naturally steer things back on track. So, I continued staring at the wall.

To be fair, it was a pretty nice wall. Pink and beige stripes with crown patterns all over. A bit worn, but charming nonetheless.

Right as I was about to open my mouth, Rysef interrupted the needlessly heavy atmosphere with his laugh.

「Haha! I forgot! Mel...」

「O-oh... yes master?」

「You stink.」

「WHA—?! Really?」

The thief girl quickly got up from my side and began sniffing herself. I finally had some breathing room and turned to face the two slum dwellers.

「Take a bath at the springs. I'll deal with the brat in your stead.」

「A-alright Rysef. I'll leave him with you.」

Melyn unhurriedly walked towards the exit, taking a few glances before she reached the door.

「Bye Zozo. I'll catch you later.」

She then made her way outside, leaving my sight. I was both relieved and unsettled.

Relieved that she'd left, more so unsettled that I was stuck in a room with Rysef. He was someone who could easily kill me.

「Well then, now that we're alone...」

Rysef slowly closed the door as if to make as little sound as possible.

「You're not gonna wring my neck now are you?」

「Haha! You've got a good sense of humor kid!」

He picked up a fallen chair on the ground and set it up straight before sitting. It was jarring to see such a massive gorilla-like figure sit on a tiny wooden chair.

The man sat still and continued to stare at me. I couldn't tell if he was thinking about what to say or monitoring me.

Either way, I was on guard.

「You're a fascinating specimen, Zozo. You don't act like your typical child.」

And so, the inquiries began. A cat and mouse game of questions and answers. He purposely chased off Melyn to have this one-on-one duel with me.

Seemed like both of us wanted information out of each other.

Who's gonna let up first?

「Adults do say I'm quite mature for my age.」

「A credible verdict or an embellished truth?」

「What do you reckon Mr. Lakua District Master? You seem like a good judge of character.」

Rysef cracked a smile, yet his eyes stayed stone cold.

「Do I? Now, what makes you say that?」

「From my emotional display in this room so far, it shouldn't have been apparent I possess wits greater than your average youngster.」

「Oh? And what does that tell you?」

「Either you've been following us since the very beginning, or you possess magic that allows you to determine people's temperaments.」

Yes. The fact that Rysef knew I was unusual, was unusual in and of itself. We'd just met less than an hour ago, yet he had me completely figured out.

My outbursts shouldn't have been any less childish than the outbursts of a preteen brat, as degrading as it was to admit.

I didn't notice anyone following us, so in truth, I leaned more towards the magic explanation.

「Haha! Very interesting theory Zozo! You seem to be well-acquainted with the concept of magic! Surely that's knowledge no mere child should be aware of.」

「I have no idea what you're talking about. I was simply parroting what you said about magic. What was it again? Creation magic, manipulation magic, and illusion magic?」

The Ashen Thief tapped his feet on the ground. His smile grew with every word imparted through my lips.

I too began to unconsciously smirk.

「You're telling me you managed to deduce the implications of the word "magic" with a single sentence?」

「Why of course! The context clues made it clear. There's nothing in this world you can't understand with context clues.」

「Context clues? Your advanced linguistic abilities are strange given the fact that you're a young vagrant with no place to call home.」

「Is it now? Then what of Melyn? Is she strange as well?」

「You have a pile of books you read from then, Zozo?」

「A pile of books? Is that how she's so well-read? I couldn't have possibly known!」

「Ah... so you already knew about it huh? Damn that bigmouthed brat...」

「Ohoho? Either you misheard me or you just provided ample proof that you're using magic to read me. I was inclined to believe the former had this been your everyday idle chatter. Alas, the constant tapping of your feet and the big grin on your face tells me otherwise.」

Having been dealt blow after blow, Rysef stood up, knocking over his chair.

He let out a hearty laugh, so loud my eardrums nearly burst like an overfilled balloon.

「Hahaha!!! You too look like a rat in a nobleman's pantry!」

I touched my mouth and as expected, I also bore a large grin.

The rush I felt from conversing with the Ashen Thief was phenomenal. Geysers of sweat coursed down my face as I experienced an immense euphoria overcome my meager body.

It was nothing like the debates I had in Battleshift. More was at stake. Facing a deadly opponent unquestionably added to the tension.

I rose from beneath the table and stood firmly. A show of fortitude. Rysef's smile didn't falter one bit.

「Zozo! Or... should I say Lorenzo? Whatever. Brat! I have a proposition for you.」

「Give up on inquiring me eh?」

「Hehe... Fine... I lost this round! But mark my words, next time I'll get you to spill everything!」

Rysef's concession filled me with confidence. It had been a while since anyone had admitted defeat directly to my face.

The Ashen Thief, however, seemed to have other things in mind.

「Now about that proposition...」

「Hm?」

「I want you to be my apprentice. Your attitude and street-smarts are exactly what we Lakua District slum dwellers need.」

I was taken aback by Rysef's proposal. The sole prospect left me speechless.

The perfect opportunity had just presented itself, yet there was no palpable reason for this beneficial development.

His pale gray eyes stayed sharp, and his large lips stayed sealed. This definitely wasn't a joke.

「Why would you ask me—a total stranger? Won't I pose a threat to your small and vulnerable community?」

「Haha! A threat? I could snuff you out in a second. I doubt you're foolish enough to try anything.」

「Well, you've got me there.」

I nervously chuckled.

「Besides, Mel seems to have taken a real liking to you. She'd be heartbroken if I shooed her "little brother" away.」

「She told you about our little market fiasco?」

「Of course! Haha! While you were out cold, she reported everything she could about you! Especially the part about your search for information.」

So that's what she meant by "leaving all the talking to her".

Obviously, I took care not to give anything important away. But in terms of information, I was at a blatant disadvantage.

Rysef knew of my desire for the knowledge he possessed, but conversely, I knew nothing about Rysef. A losing battle I found myself in, yet one I couldn't help but see through to the end.

「Rysef...」

「Call me Master from now on, young apprentice.」

「I haven't accepted anything yet.」

「It's not really something you have a say in. You're becoming my apprentice whether you like it or not. And I can guarantee you're gonna like it.」

I sighed deeply and shook my head.

「Learn what "proposition" means you thickheaded oaf...」

「You were saying?」

I inched closer to the Ashen Thief, maintaining a confrontational stance. It probably looked silly to him, but it was better than cowering like a spineless whelp.

My head just reached his torso.

「Regarding what you said before... about how I seemed more mature than kids my age...」

「Haha! You're still caught up on that?」

「I was just wondering... how could you completely read me in those few minutes? Is it a spell? Did you follow us from the marketplace? Or were you just lucky with your judgment?」

Rysef's smile faded. He turned around and tromped towards the door, leaving heavy footsteps and setting off small quakes as he went.

As his back faced me, he briefly stopped by the exit.

「Looks like you still have much to learn, brat. Come meet me outside and we can start talking about your training.」

「T-training? That doesn't really—」

「Dismissed!」

Bam!

The door slammed without a second to reply. The wind from the impact blew out the lantern flame, leaving me in darkness once more.

Ah—he didn't tell me where I am.

「By the way brat!」

Rysef's muffled voice reached me from the other side of the door.

「YOU STINK! HAHA! TAKE A BATH IN THE SPRINGS BEFORE SPEAKING TO ME!」

「I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I AM YOU LUMMOX!!!」

Left with so many questions and very few answers, I wearily lumbered through the dim space until I happened upon the exit door.

I grasped the cold metal doorknob and tightly clenched it.

Beyond this room lies all the answers I seek. I'll be taking my first step in becoming the richest man in this world.

I took a deep breath and opened the passage to tomorrow.

---