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I lay on my side atop a tattered bedroll.

All traces of pain were gone.

When Rysef offered me a room in his manor, I didn't think it would be this place.

The quaint but decrepit room, where the sweet scent of old books and dusty fabric danced merrily within the chambers of my nose.

Torn-up wallpaper, creaky floorboards, busted bookcases, and antique-looking paintings.

It was the first place I'd awoken in following the whole sewer spectacle.

Thinking back, there wasn't a real explanation for why they would prank me. It did result in Rysef gauging and taking an interest in me, but otherwise, it was entirely useless.

Ah—Melyn ended up telling me it was a "slum dweller joke" but...

What the hell is a slum dweller joke?

It was clear that these slum dwellers I ended up with were completely out of their minds. They were violent, neurotic, and undeniably cunning.

It probably would have been better if I had admitted myself into an orphanage. Free food, a proper bed, a safe environment, and the possibility of getting adopted by a rich family.

The only threats would be a potentially evil mistress or a coalition of rugrat bullies forming against me.

Instead, I let myself get swept along by a little market thief's exploit.

The epitome of irrational...

I tossed and turned in my bed, recalling every poor decision I made throughout the day, before settling on a conclusion I was happy with.

「All in all... these Sentinels... they're not bad people...」

I thought to myself out loud.

Sure, they were eccentric maniacs with a few off-putting quirks. But as a cohesive unit, they worked extraordinarily well.

Melyn was a skilled and agile rogue who was both nimble and well-spoken.

Rysef was a strong but laidback thief who was both knowledgeable and talented in many areas.

Weaseling my way in between two powerful individuals was certainly going to be tough, but would ultimately result in the betterment of my own skills.

This is the path I chose. I can only choose to move forward.

With that, I was ready to face tomorrow. I learned a lot and I was positive I was going to learn more.

I closed my eyes, ready to end the first day in this new life. However...

Creeeaaak...

I heard the door quietly swing open. I hastily got up only to have a rough voice whisper into my sensitive ears.

「You up already kiddo?」

「AAAAAAAAA—」

Rysef quickly shut me up with his oversized hands.

「Ssshhh, it's me you brat. Don't you go waking up Mel in the other room.」

I slightly calmed down, but still shouldered a bit of unease. The Ashen Thief uncovered my mouth and sat down cross-legged beside me.

「The hell do you want at this hour, old man?」

「I told you to call me 'Master'. Don't make me remind you.」

「I'll call you whatever the hell I want to call you, you middle-aged pensioner....」

「I have the power t' crush yer nuts worse than Mel did. Remember that.」

「I'll keep that in mind, Master...」

I was both sleepy and exhausted. Waking me up and threatening me was not a great start to the conversation.

What's this guy's problem..?

「So? What's this about?」

「What? Does a master need a reason to speak to his new apprentice?」

He was starting to piss me off. I angrily lay back down and pulled the bedroll covers over me.

「If you've got nothing to say, then don't bother—」

「Please become friends with Melyn...」

I turned around to see the Ashen Thief bowing earnestly. I'd never seen such a genuine act from him.

It was off-putting seeing someone so strong lowering himself before me.

「What's with her anyway? She suddenly started treating me like a sibling within minutes of our encounter...」

Rysef kept his head down as he spoke.

「That girl... She has a complicated background...」

「Can you tell me about it?」

「No... For that, you should ask her yourself.」

I didn't feel like aggressively pursuing the subject, so I allowed him to continue at his own pace.

「What I can tell you is... that she once had a younger brother. He too was a well-spoken boy. That's probably why she quickly grew attached to you.」

「Is he... gone?」

The Ashen Thief continued to keep his head low. The lack of any real answer told me it was something I had to learn from Melyn and Melyn alone.

「Refrain from directly bringing it up kid. There's some trauma involved...」

「Well... that I figured...」

I held a premonition that beneath Melyn's cheerful and witty exterior, was an indescribable gloominess—I could just feel it from the way she spoke.

There was more to these people than the typical NPCs you'd encounter in fantasy games...

「I beg of you Lorenzo—can you continue to play along as her little brother for a while? I'm sure she'll move on as time passes.」

Was that really something he needed to see me for?

It was a strange request, but one I was planning to adhere to anyways. I wasn't the type to spoil someone's fun.

「Okay, I can keep make-believing I'm her little brother. You didn't have to sneak in and ask me you know? I would've done it regardless.」

「Haha, I was just making sure. That girl's been my apprentice for six years now. We've been all over Velatya. Seeing her smile is enough to keep me going...」

Wait a minute... that name...

A memory resurfaced from the depths of my consciousness. I kept quiet to avoid complicating things.

「By the way... speaking of Melyn.」

Rysef raised his head.

「Would it be alright if I had a look at those pile of books Melyn was talking about?」

The Ashen Thief's eyes widened before he stifled laughter.

「Hehehe... you really are one interesting kid, Lorenzo. Sure. You can have a read of them after your training tomorrow. Exercise your brain a bit.」

「Sounds good.」

I swiveled away from Rysef and closed my eyes. Our talk was short, but I managed to get good info out of it.

Especially one vital piece to the puzzle that would confirm my suspicions.

The large man stood up and quietly made his way to the door. As expected, he managed to make his footsteps dead silent. Even I couldn't tell where he was in the room.

「Kiddo...」

The Ashen Thief stopped by the exit.

「From now on we'll be working together. Let's learn to trust one another, okay?」

His final words were clearly aimed at my wary nature—I paid no heed to them. After all...

Trusting people can only get you so far in the real world...

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