11. Anna Loop I: How to NOT Trick A Powerful Swordswoman(2/4)

My movements remained silent and precise as I kept an eye out for anyone who could grab me.

I didn't want to kill market guards to escape.

I wanted money and resources.

I targeted a silk merchant next.

I watched his stall that overflowed with bolts of luxurious fabric.

I knew that silk was a valuable commodity that was easily traded for the coin I needed.

I slipped behind his stall as my green-tinged kimono blended with the grass behind me.

My fingers were nimble and swift as I untied the pouch of coins strapped to his waist as I passed by.

He never even noticed.

The sequence of events of going behind his stall and grabbing his coins lasted a single second interval.

I moved onto another luxury stall and swiftly repeated the movements.

This wasn't a natural skill gain.

The ring on my left finger shattered and my unnatural skill in theft and stealth left my mind.

It left a bit of my own adjustments and learning and an echo of what it provided, but I was no longer the best thief in a few districts.

I paused as my senses tingled.

A presence that was cold and predatory brushed against my awareness.

I turned as my hand instinctively reached for the hilt of one of my scimitar. A man who was tall and cloaked in darkness stood watching me from across the crowded square.

He smiled, a slow, cruel curve of his lips. "You're quite the nimble thief," he purred.

I could tell that his voice was a silken whisper that cut through the noise of the marketplace. "But even shadows can be caught."

I scoffed internally. He's wearing an 'Assassin persona robe.' that the witchery expert told me she often sold.

When I asked who she sold them to she demanded I not ask and just know that bad people need to look strong even if they aren't and anyone wearing the robe was weak.

She gave me good information, apparently.

I met his gaze with my expression carefully neutral. I desperately wanted to do my default mocking routine but I needed a way to follow this idiot.

So I played along.

"I have no interest in games," I said with my voice cold and sharp as if I were entreating with an equal instead of a moron who dealt in fear. "State your business."

He chuckled with a low rumbling sound that sent an illusion of a tremor through the air. "My business is with you, little thief. You possess a talent that could prove quite useful."

I remained silent.

He smiled again, his eyes glittering with amusement. "We shall see about that, little one. We shall see."

He turned and melted into the crowd.

His presence vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

I had already decided to die the required times to go all the way back. The military wasn't an option this time around, but the next loop was a sure thing.

This loop, however, presented a different opportunity.

I watched the recruiter as he swaggered away with confidence.

It was clearly a pathetic attempt to mask his weakness.

Believing he had lost me as I moved out of sight, he discarded the disguise a bit too close to me and disappeared into the bustling crowds of the marketplace.

You are supposed to move into the crowds BEFORE changing your appearance, moron!

Ignoring my disgust at his lack of ability in what he should specialize in, I followed him while keeping a safe distance.

I kept my steps light and silent. My kimono that I had returned to a pink color was a beacon in the crowded streets, so I swapped into a black color and went to the rooftops.

He led me through a maze of twisting streets and darkened alleyways.

His path was erratic and seemingly lacking in any direction, but we slowly moved towards the 'nice part of town'. Not the good part of town, but the one that shouldn't be wealthy but has something shady going on to prop it up.

I continued to shadow him from the rooftops as my movements remained fluid and graceful.

Lord Edo's training was great for this.

Lord Edo? That...

What was I thinking about?