The Kingdoms Robbed Blind

Odo, a silver-ranked knight, strode down the bustling streets of Elowen City, the grand capital of the Elowen Kingdom.

He was a member of the Silver Guard Corps, the most elite force under the kingdom's command. Comprising 1,000 Silver Knights, 10 Silver Mages, and led by 25 Golden Knights, their might was so overwhelming that other nations dared not even cast a sideways glance at Elowen. Of course, the true deterrent of the kingdom lay in the presence of its two legendary knights, but the Silver Guard Corps was still a force to be reckoned with.

 "Hey!" Odo waved at a passing noblewoman, a smirk playing on his lips as he recalled their last night together. 

She gave him a polite smile before walking past, escorted by a man who shot Odo a puzzled glance. Unbothered, Odo simply continued on his way.

After a few minutes, he stopped in front of a shop. The sign above the entrance read, in large, bold letters: "Bill's."

Though the shop itself was small, its wares were nothing short of impressive. Silver-grade weapons, armor, and even magical items filled its shelves. 

It was said that Bill's had been established over 600 years ago by a Golden Mage and had remained in control of the same family ever since. Despite the passage of time, the shop had never expanded, maintaining its original appearance and size. It had become a landmark of the city, an enduring presence amid the ever-changing streets of Elowen.

Now, however, the shop was run by a mere Silver Mage.

The Bill family was known for its unique lineage. Like many highly talented individuals, the original mage, Bill, had taken multiple wives, fathering hundreds of children—not out of personal belief in large families, but because he saw it as his duty to pass down his exceptional talents.

Even now, centuries later, his descendants still included Silver-ranked mages. But that was only because sheer numbers had increased the odds of someone inheriting a fraction of his gift.

In contrast, families that refused to follow this practice—those who let their bloodline thin out—tended to vanish within a generation.

...

Opening the door, Odo stepped inside.

He had come here today for one reason—after a long time, he had finally saved enough money to buy the silver rank weapon he had wanted for so long.

The Silver Guard Corps provided standard silver-grade equipment, but few knights actually used them. Even within the same silver rank, the quality of weapons could vary greatly. A knight with a well-crafted silver sword would easily overpower one wielding an inferior one.

Behind the counter sat a man—not the shop owner, but a simple knight hired to watch over the place and handle customers.

Not that the store needed much guarding. Elowen City was incredibly safe, and Bill's itself was protected by Golden-tier defensive formations. Even if left completely empty, no one would dare to steal from it.

This part of the city was restricted to nobles, meaning no commoner could just stumble in.

Though the Elowen Kingdom was highly centralized and had no landed nobility, there were still clear distinctions between different classes. Nobility here was not tied to land but rather to status and connections.

There were several ways one could be considered noble:

High-ranking government officials and their direct families automatically held noble status. Anyone related to the Elowen royal family within three generations was considered noble. Knights—including Great Knights, Silver Knights, Golden Knights, Legendary Knights, and Mages—along with their close families, were all nobles. Noble status could also be granted under specific conditions set by the government. This included paying a yearly fee, achieving notable accomplishments that benefited the kingdom, or receiving a special decree.

Being a noble came with many benefits:

Access to restricted areas of the capital. Exclusive entry to elite shops, restaurants, and establishments. Easier access to loans and financial privileges.

The system of the Elowen Kingdom was built to keep the wealthy and powerful wealthy and powerful, while ensuring commoners remained at the bottom. Only the most talented of them had any chance to rise into nobility.

In a world without magic, such an oppressive structure might have led to mass uprisings. But here? The elite were guarded by Silver Knights, Golden Knights, and even Legendary Knights. Any rebellion would be crushed before it could even begin.

That said, life in Elowen was not unbearable for commoners. The government ran orphanages, provided free food programs, and ensured that while inequality was rampant, no one starved to death.

...

The man behind the counter brightened at the sight of a customer. This shop relied on just a few sales per week, making every visitor valuable.

"Knight Odo! Hello! Welcome, sir!" the knight behind the counter greeted respectfully.

"What's up, baldy? I finally saved enough for the Silver Snake Cleaver!" Odo grinned.

"Sir, I've told you—it's Baldric! Please call me that!" the knight huffed as he went to retrieve the weapon.

Unfortunately for Baldric, his name was so fitting it practically begged to be mocked. Despite a few overgrown strands desperately clinging to his scalp, he was, for all intents and purposes, bald.

Even male knights weren't spared from the curse of baldness. Sure, they were healthier and lost their hair later than common men, but most still ended up bald. Of course, some were naturally resistant to it, and rich nobles could afford magical solutions to keep their hair. Baldric was clearly not one of them.

"Here it is, sir!" Baldric placed the Silver Snake Cleaver on the counter. Under the store's magical lighting, the blade gleamed—but it didn't look poisonous at all, despite its name.

It was massive, over two meters long and heavy. Fortunately for Odo, he was a Silver Knight, able to carry it with ease. He picked it up carefully, his fingers running along the blade's sharp edge. He smiled in satisfaction.

"This is it. Here—take my credit card." He handed over a magic card for payment.

Just as the transaction was underway, the shop's door swung open, and someone else entered.

A young man stepped inside. He had fiery red hair and piercing green eyes, appearing no older than seventeen or eighteen. His build was slim and frail, lacking the muscle of a trained warrior.

Baldric glanced over and immediately straightened his posture. Everyone in this district was a noble. There were no poor people here—anyone who walked into Bill's was either rich themselves or had wealthy parents.

"Welcome, young master!" Baldric greeted him with a polite smile.

"Bring me a list of your magical items," the young noble demanded while casually scanning the shop's shelves.

Odo didn't say a word. He simply sheathed his cleaver, retrieved his credit card, and left the store.

Time to Test the Blade

"I should test it in a real life-and-death battle," Odo thought as he made his way toward the Golden Cage prison.

Finding a true life-or-death opponent in Elowen was nearly impossible. The kingdom had been too peaceful for too long—all bandits and potential threats had long been eliminated. No one dared to stir up trouble in the capital.

For knights like Odo, there were only two real options:

The City's Fighting Arena – A grand coliseum where warriors clashed before tens of thousands of spectators. However, it wasn't always open, and it wasn't the best place for serious, deadly battles. The Golden Cage prison – A hidden training ground where knights could fight convicted criminals who were already on death row or serving life sentences.

There was technically a third option—asking a friend or comrade for a true life-or-death duel—but no matter how serious the fight, neither side would ever truly try to kill the other.

For Odo, the Golden Cage prison was the best choice.

The prison housed several silver-ranked prisoners, men and women who had once been warriors, mercenaries, or criminals skilled enough to survive. These prisoners were regularly used as training opponents for knights.

The prison even had a resident Silver Mage who could heal most injuries and prevent death if necessary. Fatal wounds, like decapitation or a pierced heart, were beyond saving, but such unsavable injuries were rare in these fights.

For the prisoners, these battles were a twisted opportunity. Winning a fight earned them better food, improved living conditions, and even "companions"—either women or men, depending on their preference.

Odo clenched his fists, excitement rising in his chest.

"A real fight... That's what I need."

With that thought, he quickened his pace toward the Golden Cage prison.

...

Edric scanned the list of magical items the shopkeeper had handed him.

"What's your name?" he asked without looking up.

"I am Baldric, young master!" the old knight responded with a respectful bow.

Edric glanced at his bald head and smirked. "A very fitting name."

Baldric froze. His expression darkened as he realized the boy was mocking his baldness.

With a loud bang, he slammed his fist on the counter. "I understand if a dignified Silver Knight mocks me, but you—a teenage boy—how dare you speak to me like that?! Who is your father?!"

His knight's aura surged, filling the shop with heavy pressure as he glared at Edric, trying to intimidate him.

Edric, however, simply watched him with mild interest.

The difference in power between them was so vast that Edric didn't know whether to laugh or cry in the face of the threatening aura. It was like an ant crawling on his arm—insignificant, something he could crush in an instant.

Yet, he felt reluctant to use force.

He exhaled lightly and said, "My mom killed my dad, so he should be in heaven. Or maybe the abyss? Who knows where souls go after death?"

Baldric blinked. "...What?"

Edric didn't bother explaining. He folded the list of items and handed it back.

"I want everything on this list."

Baldric frowned. "Everything? That would cost over 100 million silver!"

Even in this wealthy district, that was an enormous amount. Few nobles could produce such a fortune on short notice.

Without a word, Edric flicked his wrist.

Clink!

A pile of shimmering coins appeared on the counter.

They weren't ordinary silver or gold coins—they glowed with a silvery-blue luster.

Baldric stared at them, confused at first. Then, as realization struck, his body froze.

His mind dredged up something from old legends, something he had long forgotten—coins made from a legendary metal.

Each one was worth a fortune.

"These are...?" Baldric's voice trembled.

"Yeah," Edric said casually. "They're Mythril Coins. Each one is worth a million silver." He leaned forward, resting his hand on the counter. "Now, my items. Please."

He could have easily controlled Baldric's mind and taken everything by force—it would've been effortless.

But for now, he resisted the urge.

Deep down, he knew something was wrong with him.

He wasn't sure when it started, but lately, his thoughts had grown darker, his self-control weaker.

He didn't want to let it spiral further.

Lately, Edric felt his urge to commit evil for pleasure growing stronger.

As someone who once considered himself a modern, civilized person, he didn't want to fall into darkness completely—at least, not yet.

Across the counter, Baldric carefully picked up the shimmering Mythril Coins.

"Young master, I do not have the proper equipment to verify their authenticity. Please give me half an hour!" he said, his tone now filled with deference.

Before wealth and power, one could only bow and submit—such was the common sense of the Elowen Kingdom.

"As expected… being evil is much more convenient."

His patience snapped.

Baldric had been about to leave—to find the shop owner, a Silver Mage, to confirm whether the coins were real—but something changed.

He hesitated. His expression shifted.

Then, with an awkward chuckle, he turned back to Edric.

"Young master, I deeply apologize for doubting you!" Baldric bowed deeply. "These coins are indeed real! Please wait here—I'll bring the items immediately!"

With that, he rushed to the back of the store.

Edric smirked. "Magic really is convenient."

Just now, he had cast a brainwashing spell, forcing Baldric to believe the Mythril Coins were real.

Of course, they were genuine to begin with, and even if Baldric had verified them, the result would have been the same.

"I don't consider this an evil use of magic," Edric thought with amusement. "I didn't steal anything—I just made things go smoother."

A few minutes later, Baldric returned, carrying over 100 magical items—most were Great Rank, but a few were even Silver Rank.

"Young master! Here is everything!" Baldric said, his excitement barely contained.

He was overjoyed.

After all, he took a 1% commission on every sale—meaning he had just earned one million silver coins in a single transaction.

For a mere knight, that was a fortune.

"Thanks—I'm leaving."

Without waiting, Edric scooped up the magical items and strode out of the store.

There were plenty more shops to visit—Elowen City was massive, and this was far from the only equipment store.

Baldric called out, "Farewell, young master! Please visit us again!"

Then, he stood there for a moment, deep in thought.

"Just who is he…?"

No noble family, aside from the Royal Elowen Family, could possibly give their young masters that kind of wealth.

Or… was he working for some secret organization?

And most of all—why would a boy with no knight training need so many magical items?

Baldric frowned. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I should tell the shop owner about today's incident…"

...

Edric tossed everything into his spatial ring.

Inside the ring, glimmering heaps of silver coins, gold coins, and even a small mountain of Mythril Coins shone under the ethereal glow of mana.

The total value? Over 500 billion silver coins.

Of course, he hadn't earned that kind of wealth.

With his Legendary Knight and Mage abilities, combined with a vast arsenal of skills, he had effortlessly robbed the central banks of all three kingdoms on this island.

The Silver Kingdom, the Bloodstone Kingdom, and the Elowen Kingdom—not one had been spared.

That was why he now sat atop a fortune beyond imagination.

The central banks only stored coins; magic weapons and true treasures were kept inside the spatial rings of each kingdom's Legendary Knights.

Edric wasn't yet capable of stealing from spatial rings without alerting their owners—but it was only a matter of time.

"Stealing from the rich isn't theft!"

A smirk tugged at his lips as he admired his hoard.

For now, he had chosen to restrain himself from committing further evil, hoping to slow down the corruption of his soul—but in his eyes, stealing from corrupt kingdoms didn't count as evil in the first place.

"Who even cares if a few scraps of Mythril go missing?"

Certainly not Edric.

To him, these Mythril Coins were nothing but scrap metal—a waste of valuable material that should be forged into legendary weapons, not hoarded as currency.

With that thought, he closed his ring and stepped forward, ready to continue his journey of chaos and power.

...

As Edric continued his spree, casually buying everything in sight, the upper leadership of the three kingdoms was thrown into chaos.

The discovery was nothing short of shocking—their treasuries had been emptied overnight!

A massive blow, no doubt.

Yet, financially, it wasn't as catastrophic as it seemed at first glance. 500 billion silver coins may sound enormous, but for kingdoms that had ruled this island for centuries, it was just a tiny fraction of their wealth.

The true treasures—legendary weapons, enchanted artifacts, and priceless magical resources—were not stored in the central banks but kept inside the spatial rings of Legendary Knights.

Money could be replenished.

But the real problem?

"Who in the world could bypass multiple Golden-rank magic formations without being detected?"

Even Legendary Knights—the pinnacle of warriors on this island—would have struggled to avoid detection.

This mystery sent waves of unease through the kingdoms.

Investigations began immediately.

Each kingdom moved cautiously, seeking clues, afraid that whoever had done this could still be lurking in the shadows.

Days passed.

Then—a breakthrough.

The Elowen Kingdom was the first to uncover a vital clue.

Some of the stolen Mythril Coins had surfaced—right in the heart of their capital.

The authorities swiftly moved in, interrogating the witnesses.