Steal In The Nutshell

After a long while, I finally mustered enough strength to stand and face the aftermath of what I'd done. The entire guest list of nobles, my whole family, and all the servants - wiped out. The mansion and a massive chunk of land around it? Vaporized without a trace in mere minutes… Just how much of my lifespan was shaved off to pull this off?

『Based on the mana consumed and conversion ratio, the user's remaining lifespan is 40 years, 1 month, and 20 days. Actual lifespan may vary significantly due to the user's body being unable to handle the high-intensity mana flow just now.』

"Real smart, huh? Now you've got 40 years to live like a homeless, useless nobody… Why the hell am I such an idiot sometimes?"

Putting that aside, what I did was seriously, seriously bad. The unexplained disappearance of everyone there will definitely make others - especially the royal types - dig into this until they get answers. Why did I have to lose it and go off like that…?

Thinking back to my past life, I was always a bit of a "problem child" when it came to controlling my emotions. From childhood to adulthood, I had these random, uncontrollable bursts of rage, like a kettle boiling over. Most of the time, I was pretty chill, but those outbursts gradually turned me into a kid nobody liked, nobody wanted to befriend. My parents were hotheads too - both sides of the family, actually - so it's probably genetic. But for it to carry over to *this* life? That's a bit much. Damn dominant genes…

Truth is, the reason I never controlled my emotions - or rather, didn't want to - was because of my first love, one of my biggest regrets. She was the one who helped me express my feelings honestly after 14 years of bottling them up. She gave me the courage to grab a meter-long electrical cord and beat the crap out of one of my bullies, making sure the rest never messed with me again. Sure, after that, I couldn't rein in my emotions as well as before, and she left me because our families got in the way, but deep down, I'm still grateful. She showed me how to use negative emotions as fuel to move forward, for better or worse…

I hope she's found - or finds - someone who can love her freely and genuinely…

For now, I've got to get the hell out of this cursed place. Five years cooped up in that house was more than enough, and I don't want to stay here a second longer…

…

Surviving is way harder than I thought, especially when I'm stuck in the body of a five-year-old.

After the incident that obliterated the ducal mansion ruling this area, this place is a total mess. The parts for commoners or the wealthy weren't hit too hard, but the slums - where I'm crashing - are… chaotic, to put it mildly. Theft, murder, every kind of crime runs rampant down here, making it a nightmare just to scrounge up something to eat.

Back in my old life, I was a pro at distracting people to swipe stuff from Circle K, strolling in and out like I owned the place. But stealing here? Totally different. If I screw up, it's not just paying a fine. When I succeed, I get a few tiny loaves of bread that barely fill my stomach. When I fail - which is most of the time - I either bolt to avoid a beating or get caught and take punches and kicks instead of a meal.

What can I do? In these slums, everyone's like a starving demon. There's little trading and a whole lot of robbing, so what I'm doing isn't exactly wrong - it's just survival…

Days are spent scraping for food, nights searching for a place to sleep. It's exhausting, but at least I'm learning from each failed theft. I feel a bit of joy knowing I'm less hungry today, not stuck in that monotonous hell of emotions back at that damned mansion…

And, best of all, I finally have… friends. Well, not exactly friends - more like "gangs." My group and I are basically Robin Hood knockoffs, though we're a mess and mostly focused on "stealing from the rich to share with the fam" - the "fam" being us. Sometimes we score a proper meal or help each other avoid starving in this hellhole. Learning from my past life, I keep things casual with them. I've had enough of being used or depending on others. Helping out here and there, splitting the loot fairly - that's good enough…

Partly out of curiosity, partly unease, I've been digging into things on my own and figured out this janky "system" isn't just helping me recall my past life's memories - it's also letting me process everything since I was born in this second life. No wonder I was so aware of things right from birth… It must've been there from the moment I arrived in this world, but I couldn't recognize it before, so I thought this world's logic was just trash…

…

"Great, just perfect. How the hell did I get lost?"

Like always, after a failed day of pickpocketing, I'm looking for a place to crash and regain my strength for tomorrow. My usual spot was taken, so I wandered off to find somewhere quiet to sleep, but how the hell did I end up here?

Unlike the crowded, rundown slums, this place is eerily empty, with crumbling, desolate architecture and a strange stillness, made even creepier by the soft breeze blowing through. For others, this might be unsettling, but for me, it's not bad at all. I got used to quiet, people-free places back in college and always wanted to live like this since coming to this world. Guess I was reborn into the wrong family, since it took me this long to find a place this peaceful…

But I was wrong - *dead* wrong. A few minutes later, a ton of soldiers show up, forcing me to hide before I get into serious trouble.

"How the hell are there so many soldiers?!"

Peeking out, I see them in shiny armor, swords at their hips - definitely noble troops. But why are there so many gathered here?

As I'm wondering if I'm the cause, a dagger suddenly presses against my throat, catching me off guard. I didn't think anyone else was here besides those soldiers.

- Stay still. Don't move!

Okay, that's crossed my line. I didn't bother anyone, so why are they messing with me? If they're gonna threaten me like this, they'll see what I'm made of. Judging by the grip and stance, the person behind me is bigger but still just a kid, so "act first, talk later" is easier than dealing with the "pros" out there.

Maxing out Shadow Enhancement, I slam my elbow back with all my strength to teach this punk a lesson for messing with a friendly-toxic guy like me. As expected, I land a full-force hit, hearing ribs crack clearly as they collapse in pain. But, to my surprise, it's a girl, maybe seven, dressed like high nobility - fancy picnic dress, gem-studded shoes, platinum hair, and striking blue eyes. She's a solid 9/11, objectively, but so disheveled it's no wonder all those soldiers are out there.

She's sobbing, and I want to explain, but I can barely string a sentence together…

- This… was… self… defense…

I had to say it because, in this feudal world with its rigid, pyramid-like class system, only the higher-ups can mess with those below, not the other way around. Hurting a noble, especially one from a ducal house like the one I obliterated, could mean instant execution. Even a lower noble could get me the same fate.

The soldiers outside are getting louder and more chaotic, so leaving things like this won't do. This girl needs to stay quiet - permanently…

Looking at her, I'm torn about whether to do it. If I kill her, I'm likely screwed. If I don't, same deal. Man, I'm really in deep…

Honestly, I don't want to do anything right now. My body feels like it's on strike, and my consciousness is fading fast. I haven't eaten in days, I've been beaten constantly, and I just used Shadow Enhancement at full power. If I pass out here, the guillotine's probably waiting when I wake up. I've got to stay conscious, at least to get through this…

…

"Uh… Why am I here again…?"

I don't know how I ended up back in that pre-reincarnation space. That guy's still here, looking like he knew I'd show up and was waiting.

- The "trial version" didn't go so well, huh? Seems even worse than before…

Before I can react, he opens another portal with his bare hands, shoves me in, and says:

- Don't worry, this time it'll be fine.

- YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!

I wake up instantly, feeling like I want to punch someone badly… But where the hell am I?

The surroundings - a damp room, no windows, no bed, just a pile of straw and a huge barred gate - scream prison. When did I end up here?

Putting that aside, this situation feels absurdly like some anime I watched, except instead of being framed, I actually assaulted a noble, so I'm definitely cooked. Early or late, doesn't matter. I've died once, so I'm not scared of dying again. The only thing I regret is my "short lifespan" and checking out a bit too soon…

Just as I'm steeling myself, the cell door opens, and that girl I knocked out walks in, her face annoyingly punchable. She's probably here to gloat or torture me for breaking her ribs. Whatever it is, I don't care - just get it over with…

But instead of the grim scenarios I imagined, she just drags me out without a word…

"What the hell is going on?!"