A Day with the Thief

Maria wakes up. His body hurts. He groans, blinking blearily. He tries to clear his sleep blurred vision, Despite his aching body however, he was rather... comfortable.

He was sleeping upright, his rear was being supported and he felt his head was resting against something. It was firm, and warm too. Sleep was threatening to drag him back down. He hears muffled voices and before sleep took him fully, he sees a blurry side profile of a man's face. A man with red hair.

The next time Maria wakes up, he is lying on a plush carpet. It was red and it smelled clean. Maria sinks into the softness. It's been quite a while since he managed to rent an inn with such a soft bed. Maria sighs contentedly.

"Took you long enough, human. Now get up and walk on your own."

The voice jolts Maria fully awake. He blinks, lifting himself with shaky arms, and finds himself sprawled across the massive back of Enanon's wolf form. He vaguely remembers limping behind Enanon, barely keeping up as his leg throbbed with every step.

"On your feet, human. I have tolerated contact with your filthy garments long enough. Consider it mercy that I carried you after you collapsed pathetically last night, barely a mile into the walk."

Oh, so that's what happened.

Maria flushes in embarrassment. Excuse him, he was injured, okay? No need for insults so early in the morning. What a jerk.

With a huff, he slides off the giant wolf. He would have ripped a clump of fur off this asshole if he could. But he values his life a little too much to risk it. Even if that life now comes with a burden he never asked for.

As his feet hit the ground, pain shoots up his leg, making him wince. His thigh is wrapped in what looks like… bandages? Who did that? His face feels just as bad, swollen and sore, like he's been on the wrong end of a bar fight (which, to be fair, he kind of was). At least his lip doesn't seem to be split anymore. And someone's draped a robe over him. Nice touch, actually.

They set off again. Enanon leads the way, walking silently in his wolf form, while Maria hobbles along behind him. They're on a forest path, the thick trees towering on either side. Maria limps along, grumbling under his breath, because naturally, Enanon moves like a ghost, not even a twig snapping under his paws.

Soon, a city comes into view. Maria sags in relief. Finally he can rent an inn and he can rest! Finally! He can almost taste the soft bed and hot food.

It's Kaanit City. Beside him, Enanon shifts to his smaller form just before they reach the main path leading to the city gates. Maria squints, trying to recall that hazy dream from earlier. He was definitely sitting upright last night, right? And his legs felt like they were being cradled or something? He remembers red hair… was that Enanon? Enanon can shift his form easily, it wouldn't be a stretch that he can shift into a human too.

Curious, Maria asks. What's the harm? And besides, wouldn't it be better if Enanon walked the city in human form?

Enanon affirmed. He however refused to transform into his human form. He says he has no use for that form as of now. He only took upon that form last night to inquire for directions. Typical. All business.

As they near the city gates, still out of earshot of anyone else, Enanon commands, "Take out the city passes from the pocket of the robe you're wearing."

They were getting close to the city gates but still a distance far enough for no one to hear a talking wolf familiar. "Prepare the adequate amount of money for entry" Enanon commands.

Maria winces. He may have spent all the divine money he had yesterday on... well, indulgences. But no big deal! He stole that lady's purse, so he's fine. He digs into it, pulling out the coins. But, not wanting Enanon to see, he turns his back while counting it out. If Enanon knew where this money came from, he'd never hear the end of it. Enanon insulted him constantly last night, especially every time Maria stumbled, and Maria was in no mood for another round of "disgusting" or "filthy" slander.

Once inside the city, Maria is back in his element. Kaanit is known for its water attractions, glass products, and—most importantly—its horse racing tournaments. Gambling central. Maria's eyes light up as he considers sneaking off to enjoy some of the… entertainment. Maybe place a bet or two, nothing major. Just a little fun. He won't get into trouble this time. For sure.

As they walk through the bustling crowd, Maria's sharp instincts for spotting easy marks kick in. There were at least five people he could rob on the spot. But with Enanon right beside him, radiating judgment, Maria holds back. He doesn't want to get roasted alive by insults again. He found himself wishing Enanon had actually just abandoned him yesterday. Life was much easier without a divine watchdog constantly breathing down his neck.

Soon, they come to a stop. Maria looks up, finding himself in front of an adventurer's guild.

Huh?

"Uh… what are we doing here, Enanon?" Maria asks, confused.

"We are here to get you a job."

"What? But we still have money!"

"Indeed. Money that you stole after you squandered all the funds you were provided with. Do not think I am unaware of your indulgence yesterday, and the theft you committed afterward."

Maria sucks in his lips. Of course Enanon saw all that. He must've followed Maria around the whole time. Probably watching from the shadows while Maria got beaten half to death. A "lesson," as Enanon would call it. Sadistic bastard.

"You will learn to earn money in a decent manner," Enanon declares, his tone brooking no argument. "Your way of life is abhorrent. Cease your filthy occupation once and for all."

Maria groans internally. This is going to be a long day. He just wanted to rest dammit. His leg aches.

Maria and Enanon approached the reception desk, where the receptionist greeted them with a polite nod.

"This is your familiar, Mr. Maria?" she asked.

"Uh, yes. That's right," Maria answered, his voice betraying his nerves.

He shot a quick, pleading glance at Enanon, hoping for some sort of guidance, but all he got was an annoyed look before Enanon turned his head away. No help there. Maria sighed internally. This whole adventurer thing was way out of his comfort zone. He was a thief, not some sword-swinging hero-for-hire!

Trying to push through his anxiety, Maria turned back to the receptionist. His brain scrambled for something cool and confident to say, but instead, he blurted out, "Okay! I want an adventuring job!" His own voice sounded way too cheerful, too eager—he felt like an idiot the moment the words left his mouth.

*What the hell was that?* he thought, mentally kicking himself. *You're better than this!*

Normally, Maria could charm the socks off just about anyone. Being a thief required him to be a top-tier actor, blending into crowds, befriending his marks, and making them trust him completely before disappearing with their valuables. He'd even gone as far as comforting people who'd just realized they'd been robbed–he was their robber–playing the role of the concerned friend.

This time however, he wasn't working on his own. There's his jerk of a companion after his ass, insulting everything he does. That does wonders to a person's confidence Maria's mind sarcastically supplies. Plus, to be fair, right now all Maria wants to do is rest. Sue him for being unable to focus and act properly. His brain keeps conjuring images of lying on a bed and dozing away. He could practically feel the phantom sensation of sinking into a mattress, the enveloping softness a balm for his sore body. Instead, he was stuck here, pretending to be something he wasn't.

Sure enough, as soon as the words left his mouth, the guild hall filled with snickers and whispers. Adventurers nearby exchanged amused glances, and some of them didn't even bother hiding their laughter.

"I don't think this one's gonna make it past his first quest!" one of the older adventurers called out.

Another leaned back in his chair, chuckling. "Kid, you sure you're cut out for this? You look like you'd faint at the sight of a goblin."

"Better rethink it before you get yourself killed," another added with a smirk.

Maria clenched his jaw, forcing himself to hold back the flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck. 'Don't react' he reminded himself. They're not worth invoking more barrages of insults from Enanon if he did act out.

Thankfully, the receptionist seemed to sense his discomfort. She gave him a sympathetic smile and gestured toward the mission board.

"Since you're just starting out, you can choose from the F or E-ranked missions. Take your time."

"Thanks," Maria mumbled, grateful for her kindness. He and Enanon made their way to the mission board. There weren't many options—just two missions for beginners: subjugating a few low-level slimes or gathering Linmail leaves.

Maria took the mission that was less... sticky. He honestly didn't want to do either. Both involved strenuous movements that would definitely aggravate his injuries. But with Enanon practically breathing down his neck, he had no choice.

He tucked the mission sheet into his pocket and followed Enanon toward the exit. Just as they were leaving, they passed one of the adventurers who'd laughed at him earlier. A stocky, muscular guy who seemed to be the leader of his group. Maria's eyes narrowed as he noticed something—the guy's pouch was hanging loosely from his belt, practically begging to be stolen.

'He's one of the assholes that made fun of me earlier' Maria thought, weighing his options. He hesitated, but the temptation gnawed at him. 'Why not? Serves him right.'

Careful to keep his movements concealed under his robe, Maria sidled closer. His hand slipped out, quick as a shadow, and plucked the pouch from the man's belt without so much as a jostle. The adventurer, slightly tipsy from whatever he'd been drinking, didn't notice a thing.

Maria hid the pouch beneath his cloak, a smirk playing on his lips. 'Let's see how he handles paying for his next round of drinks' he thought with satisfaction.

Unbeknownst to Maria, someone in the guild had seen him.