The night had been restless, with memories of earlier events dancing through my mind like a storm of chaotic emotions. When morning finally broke, I awoke feeling exhausted, with every muscle in my body aching as if I had been trampled by a stampede of wild horses. My entire being felt like a shipwreck, battered by relentless waves of pain and fatigue. "Seriously, I need to figure out a way to deal with this curse. It's annoying as hell," I thought to myself.

With a groan, I forced myself to sit up, my vision swimming like a school of fish as I did so. I managed to pull myself together enough to stumble to the nearest clothing store, where I purchased a simple black shirt and pants. "Nothing beats black clothes," I muttered to myself. The transaction left me with only a couple of bronze coins to my name, the weight of my near-empty purse heavy in my hand. "Couldn't she give me a bit more?" I thought, though I knew that a TSI was worth a platinum coin, so I couldn't really complain.

I stopped at a nearby food stall and bought myself a meager meal. The aroma of the food only slightly soothed my gnawing hunger. As I ate, I grumbled to myself about my dwindling funds. "How am I going to manage until Eira contacts me again?" I wondered.

Finishing my meal, I began the journey uptown, leaving the commoners' market behind me. Though I was heading to a slightly wealthier area, it was still a far cry from the opulence of the true upper class. As I walked, the pain in my body continued to torment me, each step a challenge to my resolve.

Suddenly, a commotion nearby caught my attention. Turning to investigate, I saw an irate man shouting at a guard, his face flushed with anger and frustration.

"A thief! A damned thief just took my belongings, and you're doing nothing about it!" he exclaimed, his voice like a blade slicing through the air.

The guard appeared disinterested, his eyes glazed over with apathy. "Sir, there's not much we can do. Thieves are common in these parts. You should have been more careful with your belongings."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the man. While I was no stranger to the darker side of life, I knew the sting of losing something valuable all too well. As I continued to watch the scene unfold, I felt a growing sense of unease. In a world where even the guards offered little protection, it was becoming increasingly clear that I would need to rely on my own wits and strength to survive.

"At least I know he's nearby. Now, how am I going to talk to that little rascal?" I mused. "Knowing his personality, he's not the type to sit around." I decided to turn my sword into a necklace with a beautiful black gem in the center of it. "Knowing that kid's personality, he won't be able to resist, but I better lead him into an alleyway to talk to him," I thought to myself.

I casually strolled through the busy streets, my hand resting on the newly transformed necklace, making sure it was visible to anyone with a keen eye for shiny trinkets. As I walked, I deliberately chose a path that would lead me toward a quiet, dark alleyway, away from the prying eyes of the crowd.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, I sensed a presence behind me. I could barely sense him if it wasn't for the sword of Umbra, I'm sure I would have never noticed. A quick glance confirmed my suspicions – a small, nimble figure was tailing me, his eyes locked on the gleaming gem adorning my necklace.

As soon as I stopped in the alleyway, the figure dashed forward, successfully snatching the necklace from around my neck before I could react. I grinned to myself, knowing I had prepared for this. The necklace swiftly transformed into a black net, ensnaring the young thief before he could escape the alley.

"Amazing how useful this sword can be, turning into so many things. Truly a unique item," I mumbled to myself as I walked toward the struggling boy.

He glared at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and anger. I crouched down next to him, keeping my voice calm and friendly.

"Hi there, I'm Kael. You've got quite the talent, seriously, I mean it. Though your concealment needs some work, I think we can work on that later. So why don't we help each other out and make a ton of money?"

He scoffed, clearly on guard and upset by his current predicament. "Yeah? Well, I don't need your help, so just turn me in or sell me, you bastard!"

I raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer. "Really? Do I actually look like someone who would sell kids? But you know if you work with me, you could have enough money to send your elder sister to the academy. So what do you think?"

The boy's eyes widened, his anger momentarily replaced by shock. "How do you know about my sister?" he demanded, his tone full of suspicion.

I offered a mysterious smile, keeping the details to myself. "I know lots of things, Asher. The point is, if you work with me, you'll both benefit greatly. I can promise you that, and you'll no longer need to be a petty thief." what am I even saying? I'm pulling this out of my ass, if things progressed as the original story, in the future he would've become the king of thieves.

Asher hesitated, clearly torn between his desire for a better life for his sister and his instinct to distrust me. But as he considered my proposal, it was evident that the temptation was growing stronger. Without a doubt, he was willing to do anything to get his sister into the academy. Equinox was a prestigious school where the most talented people around the kingdom were enrolled. The school itself had a long history, and even the king had no control over it. It was an independent school that relied on nobody and refuses donations. The only problem was that it cost 30 gold coins to submit an application. Every year, hundreds of people submitted applications, but 80% of them got rejected. Being a student was considered a great honor, and graduating from it pretty much guaranteed a position at any job.

I could see the conflict and distrust in Asher's eyes as he weighed his options. The opportunity to change his sister's life was enticing, but his distrust was difficult to overcome.

"Look, Asher," I said, softening my tone. "I know it's hard to trust a stranger, especially when you've been surviving and relying on no one but your sister for so long. But I can assure you that I have no ill intentions. In fact, I could use your skills for some upcoming endeavors."

I paused, watching as he continued to struggle with his decision. Finally, I decided to offer him a show of goodwill. I reached out and touched the black net, causing it to dissolve and set Asher free.

"As a sign of trust, I'm releasing you. You can choose to walk away right now, or you can stay and hear more about my proposal. I assure you, working with me will provide you and your sister with a better life than you could ever imagine."

Asher hesitated for a moment, still wary but clearly intrigued by the possibility of changing his fate. After a deep breath, he slowly nodded.

"Alright," he said cautiously. "I'll hear you out. But if I don't like what you have to say, I'm gone."

I smiled, relieved that he was willing to give me a chance. "Fair enough. It's rather simple. I can't tell you most of the details unless you agree, but I can tell you what your job is. You'll only have to do three basic things for the first one. We will be selling certain products and have someone deliver them. All you have to do is follow them and confirm that the package is successfully delivered. If not, you must steal it back. For the second task, you will have to act as the delivery boy for certain orders. All the negotiations are done beforehand, so all you have to do is go to the agreed-upon location, collect the hidden payment, confirm the payment, leave the package, and return without being noticed. And the last task is simple. All you have to do is be an employee in a particular store. So, what do you say?"

Asher stared at me, his expression as unreadable as a locked diary, as he considered my words. I could tell he was mulling over the tasks and what they might entail. After a few moments, he finally spoke up.

"I don't know what kind of business you're running, but it sounds risky," he said cautiously. "But... if it means I can help my sister, I'm willing to give it a shot."

I nodded, with a sigh of relief as heavy as a lifting fog. "Great! I promise you won't regret it, Asher. We'll have a good time working, I promise, and I'll make sure your sister has the opportunity to attend the academy. However, I'm sure you know only her skill can guarantee she becomes a student; all I'm doing is providing the finances."

"Alright, Kael. I'll trust you for now. But if you do anything to hurt my sister, I won't hesitate to leave."

I held up my hands in a gesture of surrender. "Understood, Asher. I have no intention of causing harm to either of you. Our partnership will be mutually beneficial. Oh, by the way, please don't tell anybody, and I mean absolutely nobody, about the little trick I used to subdue you earlier."

"Alright, I won't say a word. Was that magic? It was a cool trick."

"That's right, that's magic, but don't tell anyone—that includes your future coworkers. Anyways, Ash, I have more preparations to do. Let's meet here again tomorrow at this time."

"Oi, who told you that you can call me Ash? Do you want to die? Only my sister can call me that."

I couldn't help but hold back laughter at the thought of this kid threatening me. Although he was stronger than me, the way he said it was like a child. I'll have to introduce him to Eira tomorrow; they're going to work together for a long time, so it's best to make sure they don't start off fighting with each other. Despite his age, Ash is quite smart and slightly more mature, so he should be able to behave, I hope.

"Alright, Ash, there's no time to play around. I'll introduce you to my partner tomorrow. However, right now, I have more matters to attend to. Oh, and please don't tell your sister; there is a high chance she'll try to stop you."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. If she were to find out what I do, she'd probably tie me up in a basement. Oh, shoot, it's already the afternoon! Sorry, Kael, I've got to go, or my sister will be as mad as a hornet."

Before I could say anything, Ash was already sprinting out of the alleyway like a bolt of lightning, leaving me in his dust. That kid was seriously fast; I couldn't even get a word in. But it should be fine; I'd already told him everything he needed to know. Now, I'd better go look for that money lunatic; he should be in that shop I mentioned in the novel. I just hope I can reason with him.