| Thief of The Cobblestone Street

Arc 1 | A Detectives End

Phase 1 | The 13th Star Etched In History

"OI, GET BACK here, thief." A man bellowed with angst and frustration, hurling an apple in a busy district square. The apple missed its target, hitting a passerby instead. People around him gasped in surprise as the man continued to chase after the thief, determined to retrieve his stolen belongings.

"Getting thieved by the best ain't all bad, right, mister?" a petite yet scruffy-looking girl said with a naughty smirk.

The infuriated man could hardly hear her, as expected in a busy market with commuting civilians. "Why is it always YOU?" The man shouted, his voice filled with exasperation and desperation. The girl shrugged playfully, her mischievous eyes glinting with amusement. "Guess I just have a way of finding trouble," she replied, disappearing into the crowd before he could respond.

Dammit, those apples weren't easy to crop out last season!" "Curse you, Riven," he muttered under his breath, his frustration evident in his clenched fists. He knew that dealing with Riven's mischievous nature always resulted in chaos and unexpected challenges. As he watched her disappear into the crowd, he couldn't help but wonder what trouble she would stir up next.

The thief dashes off from one roof of a building to another. "What's his problem anyway?" The Riven let out a sigh of tiresome awe. Welp, with these apples, I'll get through the day with no problem," Riven thought to herself. "Seriously, I can't catch a break here; being a thief for anyone else would be a gruesome job". Especially if they don't possess my Divine Aptitude of Swiftness," Riven muttered under her breath. She leaped gracefully onto the next rooftop, her nimble movements a testament to her exceptional skills.

"Let's see here... nope, already robbed him, already robbed her... seriously, that guy has nothing?" The girl was exasperated by the complaint. She pretty much robbed everyone on Cobblestone Street, the marketplace that lies on the outskirts of the infamous Dragon Heart city. She lay down on her back with her gaze facing upwards in a hollow abandoned shack she takes refuge in. Her face was covered by a large sheet of paper that had information on the people she robbed and potential heists.

However, "there's nothing else on here." Either people I've robbed before have left this dumb place or they hired city guards, and since I'm famous in these parts, other people have been spreading awareness about me. Riven let out a cry of annoyance. She then got up to snipe at any potential threats from her vantage point in the shack. With her skilled marksmanship, she carefully scanned the surroundings, searching for any signs of movement or suspicious activity. Riven knew that staying vigilant was crucial to ensuring her safety and success in future heists. potential victims for a good robbery.

(That was days ago.)

Since then, Riven has managed to lay low and avoid any confrontations. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched, a constant reminder of the attention she had inadvertently attracted. Determined to maintain her reputation as a skilled thief, Riven continued honing her skills and devising new strategies to outsmart her adversaries. Crap, I'm just about to run out of bread and meat". "Come on, anyone would do at this point; since it's the 'holy' season, everyone with the good stuff has left town."

Just as the hopeless thief was about to lose all hope and settle for garbage, she spotted an unusual character in the distance. "What weird clothes that girl is wearing!" Riven held a glimmer of hope when she finally saw someone to rob. "You know what they say, people with weird clothes have gotta be packed with cash!" Riven got up and set her eyes on Tsubasa. "Ha ha ha, sorry child, today you'll have the honor of being robbed by the Thief of Cobblestone Street!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Giddy up!" After a strange encounter, Tsubasa regains the energy needed to venture on with her proclaimed answers. The horse left behind did leave Tsubasa in a spiral of confusion. "So horses exist in this world?", "Nothing out of the ordinary; I mean, it really is just a 'horse". She continued to examine the hoofed mammal as if something unforeseen were to happen. "It's nice that he's well domesticated, but was it really okay for the owner to leave him here in my care?" Tsubasa had literally just met the man, and he offered a horse so abruptly.

She didn't understand the value of objects and animals in this world, yet even without her great intuition, she could tell that horses must have decent value, especially coming from someone who looks like he can barely live on his wages (no offense, old man). While Tsubasa was in heavy thought over something trivial, The horse began to poop itself where it stood. "How putrid and unpleasant!" Tsubasa shifted her head away from the direction of the pooping mammal, yet her gaze still lay on it as she was still curious as to how horses excrete waste.

The smell of the waste could not be compared to anything unpleasant that Tsubasa had smelled. Either this entails that she lived quite a lavish and solitary lifestyle... Or simply, the smell of the horse is plain repulsive. "Ok. I can see why he left me with such an inexplicable organism". After being left in a daze, she finally let go of her thinking pose and proceeded to mount the horse. Oh, sweet mercy, it's even worse up close". No matter how hard Tsubasa tried to conceal the horrid smell of the horse's poop, it still had no adverse effect.

Tsubasa had used the ropes on the horse's saddle to secure herself tightly, hoping that the ride would distract her from the overwhelming stench. However, as the horse began to trot, she realized that no amount of physical restraint could mask the nauseating odor that seemed to permeate every inch of her being. the horse to get them moving toward the peculiar city. The average racehorse speed is approximately 40 to 44 miles per hour, but this horse seemed to be moving at a snail's pace.

Tsubasa couldn't help but wonder if the horse's sluggishness was a result of its exposure to the foul stench or if there was something else going on. Regardless, she knew she had no choice but to endure the agonizingly slow journey toward the city. mph (64 to 70 km/h). The rigidly trained animals can reach it in less than 20 seconds. However, most of them can't run faster than 20 to 30 mph (32-48.5 km/h) on average with a rider on their back.

Tsubasa had heard stories of horses reaching incredible speeds, sometimes even faster than cars. She couldn't help but compare those tales to her current situation, where this horse seemed to be barely moving. It made her wonder if there was something wrong with the horse or if it was simply exhausted from the foul stench in the air. Regardless, she knew she had no choice but to endure the agonizingly slow journey toward the city.

So why doesn't this horse move even a quarter of that speed?" Tsubasa expressed her complaint about how unbelievably slow this horse is. To be precise, this horse best describes itself as being a 'crock' (broken down horse). It looks like it's been through a lot. She noticed a lot of slash wounds and scars left on the horse. She was so fixated on her situation that she couldn't spare the thoughts of others around her. "Even I have an ounce of compassion to empathize with a horse".

She said this as she attempted to slowly unmount herself. She slowly tried to unfasten the seat buckle tied around the horse's neck. And as she did, the horse began howling in obstinate agitation. This caused it to move at high speeds. WAHH!" Tsubasa yowled alongside the shrieking animal. The horse and Tsubasa dashed off towards the city at great speeds beyond that for a 'crock'. Tsubasa hung from the handle of the seat, letting her legs circle backward through the turbulence caused by the horse.

"That's the spirit!" She remounted and gave the horse a few compliments, still feeling bad for causing him grief. But the horse didn't seem particularly offended. All Tsubasa did was leave with a satisfied smile. Moments later, she entered a place that seemed to be on the outskirts of town. "So this is the so-called Dragon Heart City of Ryuken..." She said with a serious tone. In a new world, Tsubasa knew that nothing could be overlooked so lightly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"So this is the so-called Dragon Heart City of Ryuken..." What lay afoot was an enormous-looking structure that appeared to resemble an ancient gate. The reason Tsubasa suspects it's archaic is due to how outlandish it looked compared to everything else. With no knowledge of this new world, how could anyone assume anything? To further clarify and solidify her point, Tsubasa touched the gate with her index finger and started to slowly loiter her whole hand. Her point in this is to reaffirm what the old man from earlier had mentioned. "Four centuries. This gate was made four centuries ago.".

A proper estimate of the word 'few' would lie between numbers three and four. "The gate should last another five to seven centuries". The gate sure was old; it had ailings of rust and moss, which were noticeable but not enough to describe the gate as its main feature. The gate contained sigils engraved into it. Tsubasa could not make anything out of it since these sigils weren't like anything she had seen before. Tsubasa never doubted what the old man said, even though he wasn't too interested in the specifics per se.

She was so curious about the gate that she didn't even notice that right in front of her was a parade of civilization. "So that's what that noise was." As sharp as Tsubasa is, she fails to see the most obvious of things; she is very bound to discover knowledge until she knows everything she could possibly gather herself. If not, she would always confine herself to her study or a library. Once Tsubasa took notice of the crowd of people in front of her going about their lives and commuting into business, trade, and travel, she said, "Oh right, the gate wasn't even closed, to begin with".

Tsubasa realized that she had been so absorbed in her studies that she hadn't even noticed the bustling city outside her window. She marveled at the diversity of people and activities, feeling a sense of excitement and curiosity. It was as if a whole new world had opened up before her eyes, and she couldn't wait to explore it further.

Tsubasa enters the city

The bustling streets were filled with a diverse array of people, each going about their own business. The vibrant atmosphere and energy were infectious, leaving Tsubasa with a sense of anticipation for what lay ahead. She couldn't help but be drawn to the various shops, cafes, and street performers that lined the sidewalks, eager to immerse herself in the city's unique culture and experiences.

She wasn't too fazed by what lay in front of her. Tsubasa had always had an adventurous spirit, ready to embrace new challenges and unknown territories. As she navigated through the busy streets, her excitement grew, knowing that this city held countless opportunities for her to discover and explore. She had already anticipated a medieval-like world based on the many novels she'd read. However, she is surprised to see stalls introducing magic.

She strolled past a stall that had a child juggling fireballs in more ways than one. This left Tsubasa rather perplexed; even though she read up on many novels that included the application of magic, she would never have guessed she would end up in one herself. She, of course, would like to get a better look at the fundamental usage of magic, but the ever-busy crowd shoved her away: "It doesn't matter if it's in this life or the next. Crowds are crowds!"

Tsubasa found herself extremely frustrated as she lacked the physical strength to stay in one piece. The crowd paid no heed or attention to the young, fragile maiden; not even a simple apology was encountered. With a few more of these that went on for another hour, Tsubasa finally found herself in a district that would allow her some breathing space. "I hate this place," she said aloud, not that anyone would or could notice.

"Yeah, same here, pal!" Another voice came from above, and a hooded figure dashed into Tsubasa, causing her to stumble and falter on the stone ground."Ack!" Tsubasa grunted as the strong and fast figure attacked her out of nowhere. And was shoved into an alleyway away from the crowd.

The figure in front of her had an obscure appearance; his or her face was covered by a baggy hood, and its cloak covered the body. However, Tsubasa obviously picked up that this opponent was indeed small; the size of someone isn't something anyone could hide with mediocre clothing. Tsubasa's reaction time was definitely a weakness that placed her at a worse disadvantage, especially with how fast this enemy was with such a petite body.

Tsubasa's height is 5'5, so roughly, her opponent was a few centimeters lower. Yet the difference in strength was as clear as day. When she got attacked, in a split second she noticed the abnormal vibration in the air as the speed of her opponent clearly fluctuated the orientation of the winds, meaning she was using magic. Tsubasa is powerless, as it is unknown to her whether she has any magical ability to combat anyone.

In the many novels, she's read, it's situations like this where she 'awakens' her powers. "Come forth!" Tsubasa bellowed as if something were to come out of her hands that reached out toward her current adversary.

Nothing happened

The opponent stood in front, while Tsubasa remained on the cobblestone ground in a pitiful state. "HAHAHA!" Tsubasa was very shocked to see that nothing in the slightest materialized from her reaching hand (like in most anime). All she got was a belittling amount of laughter from the oppressor. "What are you even doing, noble?" The shrouded figure unsheathed her concealed face from her baggy hood.

All Tsubasa could see was a female child looking joyful. The child continued to laugh at Tsubasa until her stomach ached, which lasted for a while before she even rolled on the ground, as Tsubasa's action was the funniest thing she experienced. "Come forth!" The child mockingly imitated Tsubasa in the same serious tone and died laughing.

This lasted for 5 minutes

Although Tsubasa could have escaped while the child was distracted, she simply had no obligation to, as she doesn't seem like a threat and would likely just get caught again. When the child finally calmed down, Tsubasa stood up and walked to her. "Finished laughing at me?" The child made direct eye contact and grinned innocently; the next moment she leaped onto Tsubasa, causing her to fall to the ground once again.

HAHAHA, STOP IT!" Tsubasa struggled to push the child off, her laughter now turning into frustration. She realized that she needed to find a way to assert her authority and put an end to this chaotic situation. Tsubasa burst into laughter as the child tickled her abdominals so fiercely. Which wasn't intended; in reality, she was just finding pockets to pick and snags to steal. "Huh? You don't have any Denarios?"

"WHAT EVEN IS THAT, AND WOULD YOU STOP TICKLING ME?" Just as Tsubasa was about to ask the child about Denarios, she noticed a glimmer of mischief in the child's eyes. The child suddenly stopped tickling and looked at Tsubasa mischievously, saying, "Denarios are magical coins that grant wishes. But I guess you don't have any, huh?"

Tsubasa demanded, and the little thief halted her tickling attacks. They both sat down idly in the alleyway in silence, waiting for one of them to speak and kickstart the odd aura of each other. Tsubasa spoke first, finally... "I'm Seijuku Tsubasa, but you can call me Tsubasa". The child returned her introduction. "I go by many names. Some people call me a runt, a rat, or a good-for-nothing miscreant, but my name is Daphne, though I'm more well known as the 'Riven' and the 'Cobblestone Street Thief!"

Daphne said in pride as she smirked to herself with both her eyes closed. Upon hearing this, Tsubasa just smirked back in glee. "Impressive aliases, Daphne," Tsubasa replied, her smirk widening. "I can already tell we're going to have quite the adventure together."