Chapter 4

A brown-haired woman in her early thirties, dressed in a crisp butler uniform that clung neatly to her frame. But what caught Xain's attention wasn't just the uniform—it was the shoes. Instead of the typical polished flats, she wore heels designed to mimic butler footwear, a strange blend of practicality and opulence. *Definitely upper-class,* he thought. This was his target.

Normally, Xain avoided stealing from women—not out of any moral code, but because they were simply harder to pickpocket. Most kept their coins tucked safely in purses, guarded and out of easy reach. This woman seemed no different, likely carrying the purse of whoever she served. But Xain's trained eyes picked up a subtle bulge in her pant pocket, the unmistakable outline of a coin pouch.

"That's a first," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. "Why is she wearing that?"

As curious as he was about her wearing a butler's uniform, Xain's focus snapped back to the task at hand—her coin. He maneuvered through the dense crowd, weaving between clusters of people shuffling toward the ticket and registration stalls, drawing closer with every step. His heart quickened, not from nerves, but from anticipation. *Alright, you haven't done this in a while,* he told himself, his mind sharpening with every pace. *But you've got this. You've got this.*

He was just a few steps away when, out of nowhere, "I got it!" A younger woman with flowing blonde hair approached the butler. She wore a flowing dress, delicate yet expensive, and held something small in her hands that Xain couldn't quite make out. He paused mid-step, forced to pivot awkwardly, turning away to avoid suspicion. He tried to blend back into the sea of people, his movements casual, like he'd never been interested in them at all.

"Hopefully it wasn't much trouble," the butler said, her tone polite but tinged with formality.

The blonde woman beamed, practically radiating pride. "See? I told you I'd be able to get it on my own."

The butler nodded, holding out the purse in her hand towards the aristocratic woman. "Here."

Just as the blonde's fingers reached for the purse, a figure shot out from the crowd like a streak of shadow. Dressed in a hooded outfit that concealed their features, the stranger snatched the purse in one swift motion, shoving the butler aside in the process. She hit the ground with a startled yelp, while the blonde aristocrat stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock.

"My purse!" the blonde shrieked.

"Someone stop that person!" the butler barked from the ground, her voice cutting through the chaos.

"Stop right there!" Xain and another man shouted in unison, their bodies reacting before their minds could catch up. They bolted after the thief, weaving through the crowd with practiced speed.

*I just can't help myself, can I?* Xain thought dryly, annoyed at himself, his legs pumping as he gave chase.

The snatcher, meanwhile, hearing the shouts behind them, glanced over their shoulder. "Oh, for crying out loud!" From the sharp, exasperated tone, it was clearly a man. A cloth masked the lower half of his face, leaving only his narrowed eyes visible.

To shake off Xain and the other pursuer, the snatcher veered sharply to the right—so abruptly he nearly lost his balance. He staggered but caught himself, shoving through the crowd with reckless force. People yelped and stumbled out of his way as he barreled forward. Within moments, he broke free from the press of bodies and darted onto the open street.

*Crap, he's fast!* Xain thought, weaving through the crowd as quickly as he could, slipping between startled bystanders. The other man matched his pace, both of them pushing hard until they finally burst out onto the street as well—only to find the snatcher already a considerable distance ahead.

"Ugh, I didn't want to tire myself out today!" the other man groaned before suddenly surging forward, his speed kicking into another gear.

Xain made a sputtering sound of disbelief, watching as the man pulled away with ease. *There's no way I'm catching up like this!* But then an idea struck him. *Erkie, please help!* he called out in desperation.

A sigh of pure annoyance echoed in his mind. *What the fuck are you doing right now?* Ercale asked, his voice flat.

*Trying to chase a thief! But I think he's using some sort of magic to speed up. Can you please help me?*

*No.* The reply was curt, followed by silence.

*So mean!* Xain grumbled internally, forcing his legs to pump harder even though he knew he was falling behind.

Up ahead, the snatcher stole another glance over his shoulder. His eyes locked onto the man gaining ground, and he let out a frustrated grunt. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" he barked, his irritation spilling over. In a panic, he made another sharp turn around a building, his momentum almost sending him sprawling once again as if he struggled to control his own speed.

The other man reached the corner seconds later, his movements far more controlled as he rounded the turn smoothly. Xain, trailing behind, caught up just enough to see what was ahead. Scaffolding lined the side of the building. The snatcher now sprinted on the sidewalk, his breath ragged and uneven.

Then, the snatcher suddenly skidded to a halt and spun around mid-stride. "You want this so bad? Then take it!" he shouted, hurling the stolen purse high into the air.

The other man's eyes widened, and he twisted mid-run, expecting to catch it—but the purse sailed clean over his head. Xain, catching up just in time, leapt forward and snatched it out of the air. "I got it!" he called, his voice ringing with triumph.

But the snatcher wasn't done.

"Hold this as well!" the man snarled, extending his hand. A sharp whoosh filled the air as he launched a blade of wind, slicing through the space between them, aimed directly at Xain.

Xain barely managed to roll out of the way, hitting the ground hard as the gust tore past him. "Holy crap, that was close!" he gasped, kneeling to steady himself.

But there wasn't time to breathe.

"Get out of the way!" the other man's voice rang out urgently as he ran towards him.

Xain blinked in confusion, turning his head just in time to see the real danger—the snatcher's wind blade hadn't just been aimed at him. It had sliced clean through several of the scaffolding's supports. The structure groaned ominously above him, then gave way entirely.

"Ah, darn it," was all Xain managed to mutter before the entire scaffolding came crashing down on top of him.