The night was more alive than ever. The bluish night sky was illuminated by the sea of stars that dominated it, while the city below glowed with the unexpected night festival.
Through the streets of that small countryside town, people of all kinds gathered to celebrate and party until morning, before returning to their own cities and villages.
Rumors spread among the crowds about the reason this festival had even been created, after all, it wasn't a special date or anything that could justify it.
The most common and also the most likely reason people thought of was because of the war, which had ended several months ago, but many, especially the families of fallen soldiers, still felt melancholy about its events.
The citizens were already used to war, and though there were always those who cried over it, most people usually celebrated their nation's victories. But not this time.
A defeat after so long undefeated. A blow so strong that it left even those who were against the war and against the empire's urge for domination disoriented.
So what better way to cheer up a population than through a festival? It wasn't held in every city, since some nobles known for their stinginess wouldn't spend money on such a thing, but according to the news, many cities did host it.
Under the bright lights, people danced, others got drunk, some joined competitions, and many simply ate and bought as much as they could from the stalls spread across the small town.
Everyone was happy, especially those whose eyes gleamed at seeing such a large number of outsiders gathered in one place. And I'm not talking about the merchants.
Hidden inside an alley, dressed in rags, his dirty white shirt and torn shorts barely holding together, a certain child was happier than ever, clutching the money in his hands.
"Who would've thought a festival could make me this happy? Heheheheh." He whispered to himself.
The boy, who barely looked ten years old, was rather peculiar.
At first glance, he seemed like just another street orphan, surviving on petty thefts like so many others, but upon closer look, one could get confused by his appearance.
Even though his skin was dusty down to the pores, his nails dark with grime, and his hair tangled and messy, his eyes and hair still stood out.
A shade of purple, bright, deep, and vivid like a genuine amethyst, with his eyes shining more than ever in the alley's darkness, his thin lashes standing out even among the shadows.
"One, two, three... seven silver coins! Just three more and I'll finally get a superior silver coin for the first time in my life! Who would've thought the empire's defeat would profit me this much!" he celebrated, still barely believing the amount in his hands.
And best of all! In the end, I only need to hand over a few superior copper coins, trick the adults, and keep all these silvers to buy as much food and clothing as I want!
The plan was simple but effective, since he was just a kid, it was easy to be underestimated by the local gang members and lose only a few superior bronze coins while hiding his real treasure.
Well, the night's just starting. Better stop daydreaming and get back to stealing. he thought, smirking before his face turned serious again.
He picked up the cloak he had left on the ground and put it back on. The greenish hood hid most of his face in shadows as he stepped out of the alley.
I don't know who threw this cloak away, but thank you so much. It doesn't smell great, but I'd be easily recognized by my hair and eyes without it.
His eyes were trained, his hands agile, and his mind well-used to these situations, making it easy to spot potential targets.
Running, bumping into people, hiding the coin pouches in his cloak, and apologizing while acting like a careless child to gain sympathy from the outsiders.
As easy as taking candy from another kid.
Since the festival had already been going on for a while, most people's coin pouches were lighter by now, carrying at most a few superior copper coins if they weren't wealthy, forcing him to steal from more people to reach his goal.
Greed? Maybe. But the little orphan didn't stop after one or two thefts, no! He was determined to gather the three silver coins needed for a superior silver coin.
If there was one thing he had learned in his short life, it was that to survive alone on the streets, you needed a bit of cunning and greed.
Thefts followed one after another, mostly from the most careless people who barely paid attention to their surroundings and seemed like kind souls who would pity him. Occasionally, he'd stop in an alley to count what he had.
"Hm... it's taking longer than I thought. Even after all these thefts, I only got one silver coin and a few copper ones. I need to find a faster way to get the rest or I'll be stealing until morning... but who'd be stupid enough to carry that much money carelessly around here?"
So he kept going, stealing from one person after another, always moving farther away from each scene to avoid being recognized if someone noticed the theft, when finally, he found what he'd been looking for!
His trained eyes could easily recognize a perfect opportunity when it appeared.
No attention to surroundings? Check!
Heavy coin pouch exposed at the waist? Check!
Distracted, chatting with friends? Check!
But isn't this too good to be true? I don't know, I've got a bad feeling. I remember hearing stories about guards pretending to be rich travelers to catch street thieves...
Those people did look strange, they were also hooded, just like him, yet the situation was too good to pass up.
...You know what? Fuck it. Sometimes you have to take risks to get bigger rewards! And besides, they don't seem to be carrying any weapons under those cloaks.
Was it risky? Absolutely. Normally he wouldn't do it, but his excitement and determination to get that superior silver coin tonight made him reckless.
With a sharp, subtle smile, he took a deep breath, aiming for the person on the far right of the group, and went to do what he did best.
Superior silver coin, here I come!
The little thief decided to use his empathy trick, showing a fragile side instead of simply grabbing the pouch and running. Who knew how fast those strangers could chase?
He ran, passing behind the hooded person, and in just a few seconds, swiftly and silently, he took the pouch without the person noticing and hid it under his cloak.
Nice! Almost there!
Hiding his excitement, he threw himself to the ground, pretending to trip on his own foot and bump lightly into the hooded person.
"Ouch! I-I'm sorry for bumping into you, sir! I... I didn't mean to..."
His trembling voice made it sound like he was about to cry from the supposed pain in his knee.
The young boy started to get up slowly, still apologizing, but then he noticed something strange.
Normally, he'd already be helped up by the person he bumped into, or at least hear some forgiving words, but when he looked at the group, they said nothing. They just stared at him for a few seconds before turning back to their conversation, completely ignoring him.
During that brief moment, a chill ran down his spine, raising every hair on his body, but he decided to ignore it and walk away as quickly as possible.
Weird folks... at least they weren't guards, I guess.
Unlike usual, he decided to run to a farther alley, feeling that the best thing to do was get as far as possible from that strange group.
"Well, anyway, let's see how much I've got!"
His worries vanished the moment he grabbed the coin pouch and felt its weight, the leather stretched tight as if begging to burst open.
Please don't be copper! Please don't be copper! Please don't be copper! Please don't— Holy shit... I can't believe it...
When he untied and opened the pouch, what he saw weren't copper, superior copper, or even silver coins, no! They were all superior silver coins! Probably enough for him to trade for two, maybe even three gold coins!
"Fuck yeah!!! Fucking awesome!!! Hahahahahah!! Oops!" He quickly covered his mouth, barely containing his joy.
I can't believe it! Was that guy a noble? But if so, where were his guards? And how the hell does he walk around with this much money so carelessly in an unknown town? Thank the heavens for sending such a stupid rich guy to my little city!!
He kept celebrating internally, even thanking the heavens, the same heavens he usually cursed for his poverty, when suddenly, he felt a hand touch his shoulder.
Huh? He froze, not daring to look at who had touched him.
One of Victor's men!? Or they were guards after all!? Shit, not now... Tsk.
A mix of anger and despair filled him. After finally getting such an incredible opportunity, he was about to lose everything, either to one of the city's gangs or worse, to the guards.
Nervously exhaling, he slowly turned around, ready to run if he confirmed his fears, if running was even possible at that point.
"... Wait! You're... no... you're not one of them! Who are you!?"
The hooded man he had just stolen from was the one who touched his shoulder, and how he got there became clear a moment later, as his hooded companions emerged one by one from the deep darkness of the alley.
"Shit!! I... I..." Should he run? Apologize? Lie? What the hell was he supposed to do in a situation like this?
Those were the mages he had always heard about! And not just any mages, mages who controlled shadows! Dark mages? It was hard to believe even with them standing right before him.
A strange odor filled the air, and before he could react, the boy's body relaxed, collapsing into the mysterious man's arms.
"Shi... t..."
"Hm... With this child, we've captured enough in this region." A woman's voice echoed, also emerging from the darkness.
"A thieving child... I hope he can at least pass the first test when he wakes up." A man said beside her.
Shit... who are you people, and where are you taking me? was what he wanted to say, but he could only think it as his consciousness slowly faded, until he finally passed out completely.
"Enough talking, let's head back to the..."