---

Knock, knock, knock.

After bidding Nago farewell, we were directed to a rundown wooden two-story building by the city walls. It unnerved me how close it was to the sewer entrance that lead to the Warrens.

「Melyn... did you notice that..?」

「Yeah... only one person in the building right? The breathing techniques don't lie.」

These drug peddlers were cunning.

Instead of risking the lives of multiple lackeys, they assigned only one to each transaction spot. Or at least that's how it seemed to me.

Then, from behind the door...

「Who's out 'ere?」

The shrill voice of a younger boy. Younger than both Melyn and I.

He would either turn out to be an easy source of information or an unimaginably tough nut to crack. I hoped it'd be the former.

「I'm here for the goods. I have the payment with me.」

I brought out my coin purse and shook it around. The chinks caught his attention for sure.

The boy opened the door and took a good look at us.

「Ya sure ya have th' right place? Ya don't look anythin' like th' client. Besides, ye're a whole ten minutes early.」

「The client sent for us. They're caught up in some business and can't make it in person.」

He inspected us head to two bearing blatant suspicion—but ultimately let us in.

The interior was absolutely deserted, say for a few cobwebs and dust bunnies. It was the perfect place for these types of illegal activities.

The Jazgan boy was half our height and wore ragged clothing. He reminded me of myself when I first woke up in this world.

「Let's make this quick. Five silver pieces fer a bag o' Nixie.」

The thief girl slowly swiveled my head towards me. I could tell she was reluctant to give up the cash. Even I balked at handing him my hard-earned bread.

Alas, in the heat of the moment, I couldn't think of anything else that wouldn't garner even more scrutiny from the dealer brat.

So... I handed him my coin pouch, much to Melyn's disapproval.

It's only temporary until I can pinpoint those bastards' headquarters. We haven't lost anything yet.

「Oi, can ya not count? This is double th' askin' price.」

「Think of it as payment for an answer.」

「An answer?」

「I have a question for you, kid. Who are you working for? You can keep those five silver coins for yourself if you answer.」

「F-five silver coins..?」

I activated my Hu breathing technique in order to determine his answer as either truth or falsehood.

But what came afterward spoiled the entire plan.

「Oi! Kid, it's me! I'm here fer th' dust. Five silver pieces like last time right?」

The boy's eyes immediately sharpened. He dropped the coin purse and rushed towards the stairs behind him.

The bastard just had to come earlier than planned...

「Melyn!」

「Got it!」

The thief girl gave chase as soon as our eyes met. I nabbed the pouch up off the floor and followed close behind.

Well... close may be an overstatement. The two were practically gone by the time I looked up.

Reaching the second floor, I found no trace of Melyn and the boy. That's when I felt a draft from an overhead window behind me.

「C-cut me some slack...」

I grabbed hold of the windowsill and pulled myself up.

I was greeted with rooftops, stretching across the city. The dealer had darted into the distance with Melyn in hot pursuit.

The night sky showered the frantic scene with calming moonlight.

A fifty-yard gap separated us. I knew I was in for one hell of a marathon.

Slipping through the window, I landed on a balcony attached to a neighboring building. From there, I climbed onto the roof and hit the ground running.

「Melyn! Immobilize him already!」

I yelled at the top of my lungs as I hastened my pace to keep up with theirs.

「I've got no weapons on me! And I can't concentrate on creating a new one while sprinting! Got anything you could throw my way?!」

「Crap! I left my cudgel with those thugs back at the market!」

Just my luck. Nago's advice backfired on us big time.

As I hopped from building to building, I came to notice just how agile I'd grown to be. Lia's training regimen worked miracles on my scrawny body.

Parkouring through Yarzon was nothing compared to five hundred laps around the chamber.

At this rate though, I still won't be able to catch up to them... unless...

I'd been saving a secret weapon from the beginning. My hesitance in pulling it out during the whole black market ordeal paid off in the end.

Put it simply, it was my ace in the hole.

「Melyn, move out of the way!」

She looked over her shoulder and realized my plan. The dealer brat had no idea what was coming to him.

---

「Yo, kid!」

I had bumped into Asthos on my way back home. A week had passed since the purple steak incident and I hadn't seen him since.

Without any introduction, he presented me with an object wrapped in cloth. I couldn't make it out from the shape alone.

「Here. As a token o' me apology.」

「A-apology? What for?」

「Th' Therobyx steak o' course! And uh... stormin' out on ya without warnin'. I should control me temper better 'round ya youngsters.」

I worriedly accepted the item and kept staring at him—hoping he had an explanation for the mystery gift.

「Hm? What's wrong?」

「Can... I unwrap it?」

「Sure! It's yer's now anywho.」

I carefully removed the cloth and found a weapon I could only describe as compact.

「H-holy moly...」

「Ahaha! Congrats on the ballistette kid! Now yer an honorary huntin' team member!」

It resembled a pistol-sized crossbow, or rather, that was what it was.

「A-are you sure I can have this..? I have no experience with ranged weapons...」

「Exactly! Which is why I'll teach ya when I got th' time! Can't let th' beautiful Lia outdo me now can I? It's a dent on me pride as a man haha!」

---

The musclebound oaf couldn't find the time to train me, but I'd pretty much grasped the basics from appearances alone. All I had to do was aim and pull the trigger.

I had five bite-sized arrows ready in a pouch by my waist.

I loaded the first shot and aimed for the boy. Keeping my hand steady while aiming proved to be challenging.

「Zozo! Make sure you don't hit any of his vitals!」

「That's a tall order Melyn!」

「Just don't! You wouldn't want to kill a child right?!」

The thief girl was correct. Murdering a kid was the last thing I wanted. I'd have been no different than the Viridescent Queen had I gone through with it.

Not to mention, God was watching...

So, I aimed lower for his legs and pulled the trigger.

Schtunk!

First shot missed—it wasn't even close. The arrow hit the roof behind him, causing a shingle to pop off.

「Nice shot Zozo! You really showed that roof!」

「YOU TRY AIMING THIS THING THEN!」

I dismissed her snide remark and reloaded. This time I'd definitely get him.

Right as I'd set up my next shot however, he disappeared from my line of sight.

「Where did he—?!」

「Down here sharpshooter!」

Melyn waved at me from an adjacent building and jumped onto the balcony directly below. The kid must've retreated inside.

This strained breathing... he's reached the end of his stamina.

I followed the thief girl and kept my weapon up. The breathing techniques may have pinpointed his exact location, but I had to stay vigilant.

Ambushes shined indoors.

Melyn and I entered and crept through an unlit hallway. The dealer was undoubtedly hiding in one of the rooms lying prone.

「Check beneath the furniture Melyn and brace yourself. We can't dismiss the possibility of him being armed.」

「You're the one with the weapon. If he charges us, it's up to you to stop him.」

「Can't you construct a cudgel now before we meet him?」

「Ah... right...」

The thief girl chuckled at her absent-mindedness and quickly formed a wooden cudgel from her palms—as always she mysteriously enchanted it with something.

「By the way... what do you infuse the cudgel with? You did the same thing during the Seyna fight...」

「Oh? I never told you? I always enchant my cudgels with increased density.」

「Y-you make them heavier..? Why..? Shouldn't you prioritize speed?」

「Speed is useless without power Zozo. Heavier cudgels mean more devastating blows. Besides, I can handle the extra weight. I do train directly under the Ashen Thief you know?」

「S-so you do...」

We closed in on the first door to the right. His frantic breaths so clearly echoed from the room.

I let go of my breath and gripped the doorknob. Melyn clenched her cudgel in preparation for what was to come.

As the door creaked open, another noise caught my ear.

Schink!

---