Before heading out on my little “business trip,” I decided to visit some stalls and shops.
I wanted to see what people were buying and selling, get a better feel for local prices, and, while I was at it, ask around.
Maybe someone would be interested in hides or other parts from local animals.
Some merchants really were interested in adding unusual furs and hides to their displays, and the local pharmacy would even accept the fangs and bones of certain animals.
After Zeref, Life Magic had become almost forbidden, so there were very few healers among the mages.
The locals had to make do with various potions and remedies.
The problem was that I didn’t know how to properly skin anything or prepare the other useful parts.
Hmm.
I wonder what they’d say if I brought them an entire carcass and let them figure it out themselves?
Then again, the Fairies weren’t all that far away, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d already received something like that before.
I simply couldn’t imagine Natsu sitting around skinning a carcass.
And with that, I could consider my stay in Onibas more or less finished.
The only other thing worth mentioning was that someone tried to rob me.
That was unexpected.
Here’s how it happened.
There were magicians performing in the town square.
Although, according to the local classification, they were E-rank mages.
Their “magic” was actually nothing more than sleight of hand and misdirection.
The crowd loved the performance, and I have to admit, I got caught up in it myself, trying to figure out some of the tricks.
You never know what might come in handy.
All right, the two twin gymnasts were pretty nice too.
Anyway, while everyone was watching the performers, several skinny-looking individuals were making their way through the crowd, sometimes getting closer to the stage and sometimes moving away from it.
The guys were professionals.
If my pockets hadn’t literally been part of me, I never would have noticed the cut they made with such flawless precision.
But hypotheticals are useless.
So the boy’s arm somehow ended up twisted behind his back, and the unsuccessful thief was forced to follow me.
I tossed a hundred-jewel coin into the performers’ hat and left the square with my new trophy.
The boy wisely remained silent.
I didn’t know whether that was because of my smile, which had become genuinely “kind,” because of the locals’ attitude toward thieves, or because he was hoping the two large men who had somehow started following us would help him.
Oh, there’s a suitable alley.
Quiet and deserted.
I released the boy.
He looked about fourteen at most.
What an interesting catch.
I’m curious.
Do you work with those magicians, or did you simply take advantage of an opportunity?”
“You’d better let me go, or the Thorn Crown guild will kill you no matter where you hide.”
My hand somehow found its way to my face.
Did I mention how much I love overly dramatic names?
“I’d let the kid go, pal, and toss him some money for emotional damages.
Otherwise, this looks bad.”
And here came the two big guys.
I was starting to wonder whether people in this world simply didn’t have a survival instinct, or if I was just incredibly lucky.
What if I was a mage?
Ah, not my problem.
I didn’t bother answering.
I simply accelerated and struck both men on the back of the head.
There.
They wouldn’t bother anyone for at least forty minutes.
I turned back toward the boy.
“Hey, kid.
Want to make a little money?”
Four hours later.
Not a bad acquisition.
A very good one, actually.
The ability to quietly empty someone’s pockets might come in handy someday.
The boy never quite understood what had happened to him.
He simply assumed I was a mage with a few screws loose.
Even by the standards of this slightly insane world, mages were…
strange.
So there weren’t any particular problems.
Along the way, I also managed to dig up a little information about the Thorn Crown.
Another gang of bandits, led by a mage who was apparently as high as B-rank.
Now that was serious.
Someone like that could probably tear apart a couple of city districts without too much trouble.
They were based in the outskirts, in a fairly quiet and peaceful area.
Well, that wasn’t surprising.
Who would make trouble right in their own backyard?
The most delicious part of the whole story was the price on the leader’s head.
Five hundred thousand jewels didn’t exactly grow on trees, but neither was this going to be an easy target.
No.
I’d leave him for later.
First, I should practice on some lower-quality gangs.
I wasn’t worried about what would happen to me afterward.
The former pickpocket had left the city very quickly, not without a little “persuasion” from me, of course.
And the two big guys weren’t going to tell anyone anything anymore.
That was that.
The sun was already setting, and I wasn’t particularly interested in spending the night outdoors.
Not that I actually needed sleep, but wandering through an unfamiliar forest after dark?
No, thank you.
I had to spend another five thousand jewels on a hotel.
Yeah…
I was starting to think the Toad might kill me before I even made it to my room.
Fine.
Time to rest and develop the new skill.
The little thief had also known how to pick locks to some extent.
With my ability to shape myself into a key of practically any type, the skill wasn’t particularly necessary, but you never know.
I didn’t want to reveal my abilities unnecessarily.
So I’d keep it.
Tomorrow, I would head into the forest and visit the Dark Ones who had become so dear to my heart.
Hopefully, they’d have something worthwhile.