Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 21
“I lost her.”
As Kaiden declared with a hint of resignation, the feigning-dead thug suddenly snapped open his narrowed eyes.
The Rogue Trinity had vanished.
Realizing the situation, the thug exaggerated his distress. “Oh no, I’m done for. That darn thief. Who knew she could wield magic?”
“Look at this pathetic meathead,” the other thug interjected, as the burly one whimpered. “I’m telling you, there’s no place to beat a weak, ineffectual wretch like you.”
The thug with the scarred eyes glared at Kaiden. “Mage. Isn’t magic meant to protect the citizens of the Escalona Empire?” The scars around his eyes twisted into a sickly grin. “And yet you attack weak, frail commoners like us.”
“Sir Mage, please put Trinity in her place.”
“Lock the rogue Trinity in prison to show that justice in the Escalona Empire is alive.”
Ignoring their pleas, Kaiden traced the remnants of Trinity’s presence. Remembering the sensation of Trinity’s body when he grabbed her slender wrist, stumbled off balance with her, and wrapped his arms around her head as she tried to hit the ground.
Compared to the lingering essence of Trinity’s touch on his body, the bandit currently in his grasp felt excessively awkward.
Kaiden tossed the annoying thug from his arms, irritated.
“Ow!”
Why did he bother catching that guy in the first place?
With a self-pitying sigh, Kaiden scanned the alleyway where Trinity had vanished. She flitted about as if she were about to be caught, and then took off like the wind, leaving him behind.
Kaiden swiped a hand down his face in frustration and stared up at the night sky. He let out a long sigh which dispersed into the darkness like Trinity.
Kaiden shook off the lingering effects of the fight, and stepped up to the thugs. He nudged the shoulder of the burly one exaggerating pain, who was rolling on the ground.
“Ouch! Why, again? Go catch Trinity. Why are you bothering the little guy?”
Ignoring their bewilderment, Kaiden ripped off his tunic. He reached for the thick book he had tucked between his belly and the waistband of his pants.He took it without a second thought.
The thug, with a pallid face, reached out his hand towards the book. “Hey, that’s not allowed.”
Pressing down on the thug’s shoulder firmly with his foot, Kaiden straightened himself.
“Stay still,” he said in a low, threatening tone.
Kaiden opened the book. His eyes flashed across the grubby pages.
“You’ve been targeting this book since the beginning.”
A deep, sharp knife mark was embedded right in its center. From the front cover to the back cover, it slashed through the book precisely without the slightest error.
“What kind of book is this, anyway?” Kaiden muttered, examining the book’s contents.
Under the glow of magically induced light, the numbers within the book glowed a crimson red.
He rapidly skimmed through the never-ending list – borrowed dates, borrowed money, items or people pawned, along with repayment deadlines and amounts.
The thugs looked at Kaiden and explained lamely, “Well, we’re actually running a small business.”
“It’s about providing funds for those in need, letting people breathe.”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s almost like charity work.”
Thump.
Interrupting the rogues’ explanation abruptly, Kaiden impatiently closed the book. The rough wind stirred by the book made the crimson glow flicker uneasily.
“In the end, it was about money? With that level of skill?”
For a moment, he thought he had encountered an opponent he could finally contend with evenly. A formidable presence that, even when attacked without hesitation, stood firm and unyielding, stirring Kaiden’s heart. The stimulation was so intense, it would be a shame to let the Bureau of Mages take it away.
However, using such skills for… mere theft to repay loan sharks? Kaiden was incredulous and let out a hollow breath.
“She was just a petty thief,” he muttered in disappointment.
He raised the strap he held in his hand up to eye level. It was the strap he had clutched when Trinity had tried to slip away from him earlier. Amongst all the items on Trinity, swathed in darkness, it was the only item that had color—a violet ribbon.
“A purple hair tie.”
What had he expected from a thief, after all? With nowhere for his cold, numbed heart to settle, he gripped the strap tightly.
“Get up,” Kaiden commanded, retracting his foot.
The thugs scrambled to their feet. They bent at a right angle at the waist and gave a loud salute. “Thank you.”
“Our esteemed mage has looked into our business. How can we repay this kindness?”
“We’ll serve you as a brother from now on.”
The thugs looked up at Kaiden with reverent gazes. In a hierarchy where the weak were trampled upon, and the strong were revered—it was an ingrained rule for them. Besides, with a mage behind them, they might be able to expand their business even further. Quick to recognize which way the seesaw of power was tilting, they praised Kaiden up with exaggerated politeness.
“If you visit our establishment, we’ll treat you exceptionally well.”
“We have beautiful women who will always be waiting for you.”
With a chilling gaze, Kaiden looked at them before speaking. “You should head to the guard headquarters where guards are always waiting.”
The thugs looked up at Kaiden in disbelief. “What? Guard headquarters?”
As if trying to dispel their misconception, Kaiden recited the charges in a calm voice. “Extortion, harassment of women, running an illegal business.”
He swiftly flipped through the book, revealing the deep knife mark in the center. “And on top of that, illegal usury, impersonating guards. Confessions, evidence, witnesses—everything’s here.”
Pale-faced, the thugs staggered backward, visibly shaken. “Th-that’s…”
“So, what do you say? Shall I take you in, or will you lead the way?”
Their disappointment was evident in their gaze. He’d protected them from Trinity and said nothing about the ledger, so they thought Kaiden had handed them their lifeline. They realized too late that line was a leash to hand them over to the city guards.
Realizing their predicament, they swiftly changed their demeanor and grumbled, “Aw, man. We just got caught by a damned wizard.”
“Trinity is one of us, but she abandons us and goes off on her own.”
Complaining about their fate and blaming Trinity, the rogues closed their mouths tightly at Kaiden’s frosty green glare. Resentful as they were, there was little they could do. Recognizing their fate, the rogues reluctantly dragged their feet. Kaiden’s heavy footsteps echoed behind them as they walked toward the guard headquarters.
The purple ribbon in his hand fluttered wildly in the wind.
