3500 GOLD

     "Hey! Hey stop!"

I ran after her, trying to keep my footsteps quiet was no longer an option as we both sprinted through the streets. I could fence that ring for at least 150 gold; I couldn't let her get away with it.

She put her foot on a window sill and launched herself upward, climbing to the next window. I could've easily caught up with her by using Shadow Step, but revealing that I could use spells would draw her attention. I had to let her think my mana was close to zero, or she would cause all sorts of trouble for me.

"Stop it, you idiot!" I yelled, climbing the window after her. "Stop! Give that thing back, or you'll regret it, I swear!"

"Scary." She said, pulling her hood up to conceal her identity. "Whatever will I do? I just got threatened by the one and only Shadow Dancer!"

"This idiot…" 

I pulled myself up to the roof and continued chasing her. People outside watched us with curious eyes, and some were already informing the guards about two thieves running on the rooftops, causing trouble.

She jumped over to the next building and placed a spell-based trap where she landed. I didn't know what kind of trap it was and didn't want to risk it. Instead of jumping after her, I leaped off the building, catching a window sill and pulling myself up, entering through an open window. The man who was still awake yelled in fear and tried to attack me. I just ran and ignored him, then emerged from another window, launching myself to the next building's second floor.

I climbed on top of a wooden structure where a flag was tied. I could hear Haruko still running on the rooftop, trying to shake me off.

"Fuck! Stop! Give me that back!"

I finally reached the rooftop. Just as I was about to push myself up, that weirdo kicked me in the face, and I began to fall. Since the ground was close, I didn't use Shadow Step and took the impact.

Grunting in pain, I got up and held my back. Haruko's footsteps were getting further and further away. There was no way I could catch her without casting a spell.

"Shit… fuck!" I yelled. "Fuck! You bitch!"

"Oi! He's there! Thief!" A guard entered the back alley I was in. "Halt! Show us your hands and face!"

"Not you too…"

I ran away. The guards were not as fast as me, so I knew losing them wouldn't be a problem.

     I had made twenty gold from the earrings. In total, I had 493 in my pouch and 180 gold in my inventory. Since I had recently paid Sura's monthly carriage service, I was in a good spot for a while. But, if we wanted to move out from this mess of a district, we had to have more gold.

I entered through my window and was startled to see someone lying on the couch. Then I realized it was the duplicate I had put there and sighed in exhaustion. The sun would probably start to rise in about two hours, and I was sleepless, barely able to keep my eyes open. My body was sore from the fall; a good night's sleep was all I needed.

"I just got scared by myself… damn."

I ended the spell, lay on the couch, and shut my eyes. Not long after, I was asleep.

[Quest Failed: Stop The Thief.]

    I ate the last piece of the pie and got up from the bench. My body was still aching so much that I thought of skipping school today. I was pretty sure I had broken a few bones from that fall.

"Hey, first-year," Haruko said, slapping me gently on the shoulder. "You look like a ghost. What happened?"

"Where's the ring?" I asked, my voice tired. "I need that."

"Why? What kind of sentimental value does that ring hold for you?"

"Don't try to act like you're so high and mighty. You agreed to steal a corpse... Mia's corpse, mind you."

"We all have a gray line," she replied, walking beside me toward the school building. "You don't kill people; I don't steal from the poor."

"You know what –" I opened the double doors of the building. "I'm not going to discuss this with you. Good on you for helping that widow."

I closed the doors behind me without waiting for her to step inside. She really was getting on my nerves. As if I didn't have enough things to worry about, like Mia's heart or my sister Sura, now there was this idiot.

Entering the classroom, I sat down at my desk and buried my head in my arms on the table. Mira was late, which was unusual because she was such a punctual girl. Seeing her late to school was strange.

"Where's Mira?" a girl asked. "The class is about to begin."

"Maybe she couldn't wake up?" her friend replied.

"Or maybe..." the girl leaned into her ear. "Axel did something to her?"

"You're right... should we tell Mr. Vlad?"

'Wow...' I thought to myself. 'Just wow.'

Mira entered the classroom and sat next to me, her eyes full of sleep and dark circles under them. Her shirt was buttoned wrong, and her hair was a mess. She didn't even say good morning to her friends; she just buried her head in her arms like I did and shut her eyes. Since Barton was an alcoholic mess, it seemed like she had to work instead of her father. I could smell beer on her, and I was sure others could too.

I leaned back, turned my gaze to the ceiling, and sighed. I wanted to talk to her about what happened, but talking to her would tarnish her reputation. So I just kept quiet and hoped her friends would say something.

"Mira?" The girl next to her began. "Are you good? You look so bad."

"Huh? Oh, I'm good," she said without lifting her head. "Sorry, just a bit tired, that's all."

"You smell like a – like a tavern. Did you drink alcohol or something?" another of her friends said. "You're too young for that. It's dangerous for you!"

"I'm good, really. Sorry for concerning you two. I really am sorry." She faked a smile and yawned. "Just gotta catch some shut-eye. Then I'll be good as new."

"Okay, class everyone to their seats," Mr. Vlad said, holding two books in his hands. "Are we good? Okay, so, we're going to learn a new spell. It's called Axuha. Do any of you know what Axuha is?"

A student raised her hand. "It's a water spell, sir. People who show affinity toward Elemental Mastery can use it with ease."

"That's correct," he said. "You can cast water and shape it into anything of your liking. A sword, a shield, maybe even a bow. It's a hard spell to learn, so watch carefully."

    Of course, I wasn't able to use Axuha. One could cast a spell by saying its name or just making a hand movement and channeling their power into it. I failed at both...

I glanced out the window and saw the two students fighting in the arena again. The girl who almost killed me with a fireball spell was losing. She was wasting her mana early on, and then when she was gassed out, the second girl attacked her relentlessly, until the first girl found an opportunity to step back and catch her breath.

"That's it, students. You may all go home now," Mr. Vlad announced.

"Sir, why are those two fighting against each other?" Mira's friend asked, pointing at the window. "Aren't they students too?"

"Yes. They are fourth-year students and top of their class. They are trying to decide which of them will represent our school in the All-Round Academy Tournament."

"All-Round Academy Tournament?" a student asked. "What is that, sir?"

"As you know, there are twenty academies in Gravif. Each school will choose one of their best students to participate in the tournament. The winner will get 7000 gold, half of which will go to the school, and the other half to themselves."

'G-gold!'

"3500 gold!" I blurted out, rising to my feet. "I want to represent our school, sir!"

"I…" Mr. Vlad coughed and scratched the back of his head. "It might not be the best idea, young Axel. These two students you see in the arena? They have the highest mana and have been trained by the best –"

"If I beat them in a one-versus-two, would you give me a chance, sir?" I asked, practically seeing gold coins in my eyes. "Would you?"

"You... you would get hurt. I'm not saying you are weak, Axel. But you are –"

"Do we have a deal?" I nodded, my eyes locked onto Mr. Vlad. "Could you be our referee, Sir?"

Students began to laugh, murmuring and giving me side-eyes. But I didn't care. 3500 gold? That gold would help us move out of this disgusting district! Maybe we could even buy a house in the Idemi district!

"Okay, Axel," Mr. Vlad said, still hesitant. "But I'm warning you. You're trying to take on two fourth-year students who are the very best in their classes."

"Thank you for the warning, sir," I said with a smile. "Now please... let me fight with those two."