Adventurers and soldiers often have a higher level than those who reside in kingdoms due to expeditions, monster infestations, and dungeon formations. But why are criminals and bandits considered so much more dangerous? Simple; it's because they mainly kill people, not just monsters. How many people would one have to kill in order to reach their first-class milestone? Dozens, at minimum. Their abilities and experience make them dangerous due to their understanding of how to hunt and kill fellow humans, making them that much more lethal in comparison to a person combatting only against beasts. This makes them weaker in certain situations, such as dungeon-exploring and against monster hordes but overall proves useful in all other aspects. An adventurer or soldier would have to be of a higher level to take down a criminal who gains levels through murder. Levels are not gained equally and some classes are more viable than others for different types of combat, but in the end, experience is a decisive factor during battle more than anything else.

~ An excerpt from 'Combat Classes for Dummies' by Simon Katufman

Damien's class, Shadow Knight, emphasized endurance and strength. He slowly adjusted his skill points distribution accordingly and transformed his fighting style from graceful to forceful. As the vanguard, he had to be strong and able to take a hit.

In doing so, he acquired the Juggernaut Armor, Helm of the Iron Sentry, and Gravite Shield. The powerful equipment further developed his combat style, but it came at a cost.

Reduced speed.

It was inevitable. There was always a sacrifice made when choosing any kind of armor. For protection that could sustain nearly any attack, he lost a great amount of speed and mobility. Every move was made with dozens of pounds weighing on his body. Damien persevered and even learned how to minimize that weakness, battling against speedy opponents like his curly-haired companion regularly The longer he went, the stronger and faster his movements became despite carrying over a hundred pounds of equipment. It would've been difficult for a trained soldier to even walk with the weight he was carrying.

But with every piece of equipment he put on the floor, a resounding thunk could be heard as though someone dropped a lead ball on the ground. And it revealed the vampire's body which had grown accustomed to wearing and training with said armor. Limbs like corded pythons, and robust muscles that looked ready to burst from his skin.

The bald thug charging at the front only saw a blur before he was flung into the wall. His body made an indentation on the brick-and-mortar surface, putting him out of commission within a single hit.

Damien's fist was still outstretched, and his eyes turned to the other two who clearly knew they were in deep shit.

Before they could even think of running, a dog materialized from the boy's shadow and leaped between the walls and landing gracefully on the opposite side, blocking out the only escape route they had while growling menacingly. The canine's eyes glowed with mindless ferocity as a low, guttural sound came from its throat. Trapped between a hulking man-child and a shadow hound, the thugs had no choice but to shake in their boots, paralyzed to the ground.

The bandits wondered what sins they had committed to deserve such a fate.

As the youngest blood of the Rose clan descended on his would-be attackers, he spoke in a soft voice.

"Don't worry, I try not to kill people when I can."

The citizens of Garbrandt could hear screams and shouts even louder than usual but ignored it all the same. Curiosity always killed the cat, after all.

Damien didn't realize how cathartic it was to release all his built-up stress in the form of vicious beatings. He had the expression of someone who was truly at peace for the first time in a long time.

The bandits who were on their knees and prostrating themselves had bruised faces and various bumps along their heads, trembling as they did so. The bald one who had been pinned to the wall was viciously awoken and included in the ensuing beatdown, being used as a chair while their perpetrator sat leisurely on top of him.

"Lucas."

"Yeth thir!" Lucas said through a lisp. His bald head was no longer a smooth surface, and his clothes were torn in various places. The Twilight Bandit member looked like he was hit by a horse carriage. Then ran over multiple times.

"You're the most senior one, tell me something; how many vampires are in the territory?"

It didn't take long for them to connect the dots; an abnormally powerful entity, pale skin, black eyes with red irises. They all inwardly cursed their luck after having pissed off a member of the nocturnal race.

"Uh-uh, I haven't heard of nuthin'! Please don't kill me!" The bald man's arms were shaking while he was being used as furniture, making for an uncomfortable experience. "We're only in charge of the street markets and collecting protection fees!"

Damien got up and the man flinched, anticipating another strike. But all the bald thug felt was a soft hand on his shoulder. The vampire child gave him a small smile that chilled him to the core.

"Relax, I wouldn't hurt you over something like that. I'm not that unreasonable."

He told the man to rise and placed a small bag of silver coins in his hand. The act confused the thug greatly, making him even more cautious than before.

Damien bent over and began putting his equipment back on. Starting with the lower half, the greaves and boots clicked into place with practiced ease. Unlike most armor sets, this one didn't require any leather straps or buckles. The design was truly ingenious, and even further refined by the efforts of the master blacksmiths at Welton. The vampire talked in a leisurely tone and even turned his back, giving them a perfect opportunity to attack or even run away.

Maxwell sat obediently a couple of meters away, his ethereal fur melding in with the darkness. The thugs were not keen on finding out whether they could contend with the magic beast and stayed in their positions.

"Use that money however you like. But I'll need you to find a certain person."

Damien gave them a detailed explanation and even allowed some leeway in the sort of information he expected. As long as they found anything regarding his race, they'd be off the hook. They'd be rewarded handsomely if they discovered anything about his brother or his whereabouts. As he finished clasping the Juggernaut Armor around his upper body. The pauldrons were huge, but they were well hidden under his baggy robe.

"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention; don't even think about running." The vampire's piercing stare kept the men in check. "I memorized your faces and names. My companion over there has your scent. Even if you run to the other side of the continent, I will find you."

"We won't! We'll find the guy!"

Damien nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Meet me here, same time next week."

The men ran as hard as they could, flinching when they passed the growling canine which tracked their every move. Watching them flee, Damien scratched his companion under the chin absent-mindedly. He hadn't used intimidation tactics so extensively and knew how necessary it was in Garbrandt. Being seen as a vulnerable target due to his shorter stature and youthful face was annoying, and his patience was running thin.

But the idea of becoming a ruthless thug didn't sit right with him. He preferred peaceful negotiations first and foremost. The idea of resorting to intimidation and blackmail on first instinct made him feel guilty.

"I should be careful. Before I know it, I'll be just like Chester..."

Satisfied with his progress so far, he made his way back to Strofil South with a new map in tow.

The horizon was dyed a beautiful purplish-orange, and the temperature was beginning to drop with every passing week. It wouldn't be long before winter crept in. Damien couldn't believe the progress he'd made in the past year. He finally understood why his father wanted to send him on an independent journey. But he still sought after his brother's advice.

"What do I do in the next four years?" Damien said softly to himself. Maxwell's ears picked up his mumbling and nuzzled him with his snout, sensing his master's inner turmoil.

Arriving at the children's house, he knocked and waited patiently until someone opened the thin slot installed on the front door. A familiar, brown pair of eyes recognized the boy immediately.

"What was the name of the red-haired lady with the fat ass from Welton?" Chester asked from behind the door. The question made Damien's brain short-circuit for a brief moment.

"Red-haired lady with a-you mean Cardinal Helen?"

The door swung open to reveal the illusionist with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"So you do think she has a fat ass. I gotta admit, I thought you were a eunuch or something since you never showed interest in women."

"What in Pernatia's name are you saying?!" Damien didn't know whether to be appalled at the assumption or enraged at being called a eunuch. "Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Don't be so stiff, come in! What'd you do while you were gone?"

The vampire almost always got dragged into the man's pace and just simply decided to follow him in. The children were all doing their individual tasks, preparing food or practicing their pick-pocketing skills on each other. Alvis and Bentham greeted him with a small bow which Damien returned. Turning his head to the illusionist, he pulled out the map and placed it on an empty portion of the table.

"We need to plan out how we'll move. The Twilight Bandits' territory is only a small portion of Garbrandt; Braham could be anywhere, and we'll need to spread out our operation accordingly."

"Oh! I can cover the neutral zone! Those kidnappers I interrogated mentioned some sort of information broker there. I can look into it."

"The neutral zone?"

Upon Damien's visible confusion, Chester did his best to explain it. Circling a good middle chunk of the map, he pointed at the area and continued to speak.

"This spot here doesn't have any gang affiliations whatsoever. None of them touch it. The kids don't know why, but it's to the point where if they're being chased they run off to the border where the neutral zone starts for protection."

"Hm? Why don't they just stay there then?"

"Just because it doesn't have the major gangs hanging around doesn't mean there's no crime. They also said the competition's high compared to here. More marks for themselves, fewer people with the balls to take 'em. Smart kids."

Bentham butted in to add his two cents. "Don't even get me started on the shopkeepers! They're just as strong as the gang members! I almost got whooped by this crazy old hag for trying to dine and dash. But the food was good though. I'd do it again."

The vampire swallowed all the information with ease, trying to focus on the topic at hand. "Okay, that'd be great then. Do you have any other places you'd like to keep an eye on?"

"I'm gonna take a swing by the East Star Clubs." Chester immediately tried to explain himself after seeing Damien's look. "For information-gathering! Totally!"

"Uh-huh," The boy said disbelievingly. "Right."

With the help of Alvis and Bentham, the adventuring duo established a plan of action. Chester would look in the neutral zone and the East Star Clubs through his own means. The young noble begged him not to cause trouble and he reluctantly promised to do so in moderation. The illusionist swore the boy had started getting gray hairs from stress and was worried the boy would snap and try to kill him once and for all. Damien would maintain steady surveillance in the Twilight Bandits' territory with the help of the children while operating in Magellan, located further west.

"But what about this section of the city? Who was it controlled by again...? Third World something?" The curly-haired man's finger circled over to a place in between Magellan and the East Star Clubs.

"Fourth World Order," Alvis said, shivering slightly. "It's some weird religion thing. I get the creeps from that place. Everyone there just looks too...happy."

The children explained what they knew of the place. It was run by a cult that emphasized new beginnings and rebirth. They were open to all, and those looking for refuge from the numerous territorial battles waged on a daily basis poured in constantly. However, Bentham and Alvis maintained great amounts of caution and even dubbed it as a 'place filled with brainwashed crazies'.

"One of our old mates got sick of this whole thing and moved there. I saw him once and...I don't know how to describe it. He didn't look right. They do something to you there."

Damien briefly considered it but shook his head. "I don't think my brother would stay in such a place. He was never much of a religious person. But if we can't find him, then looking there is our last resort."

With that matter resolved, the conversation was complete. The vampire was reluctant to say anything about what he did during his excursion, being intentionally vague.

'I can't just tell Chester I caused trouble after I warned him to stop doing so. I won't do it!'

Damien believed in transparency, but he couldn't stand the idea of Chester looking down at him with a smug expression. He was confident in his ability to keep things quiet and controlled and sought to pursue the lead in the Twilight Bandits' territory alone. Asking for more support when Chester was already helping in the search for his brother was shameful.

The vampire was adamant about keeping his tracks covered and wondered if staying in the base so often was a good idea. If the gang were to investigate and find he lived in Strofil South, it could only end badly for the children and he didn't want them to suffer any further casualties. But he still needed a rendezvous point so they could share information amongst each other.

"...There's something I'd like to investigate in the area, you won't see me for days at a time."

"Shouldn't we make a system to let us know when you're in danger? We don't have SMS here."

"What's SMS?"

"Don't worry about it. The fact is if you disappear for three days, how am I supposed to know if you're off doing whatever or dead in a ditch?"

"We can hash that out later. But for now, I'll just come and visit every three days or so and prove I'm alive. Sound good?"

Chester looked at him suspiciously. "Are you hiding something from me?"

The vampire fought the urge to flinch. His palms were sweaty as the illusionist analyzed his face. Keeping his voice stable, the boy spoke. "No. I'd just rather not have you mucking up a delicate operation like this."

"Really?" The curly-haired man said with a raised eyebrow. "Or are you..."

'Crap! He knows I'm up to something!'

"...Trying to visit the East Star Clubs without me?! You fucking eunuch!"

'Thank god-That asshole called me a eunuch again!'

Damien internally breathed a sigh of relief before losing himself in a fit of rage at being called a castrated man.

A brawl ensued and the children watched as Damien strangled their teacher. Alvis and Bentham hurriedly stepped in once they saw the illusionist's face turn an alarming shade of blue and begged the vampire to stop.