Chapter 38
Isnt he someone from the Black Tortoise?
Yi-han carefully observed what the student was doing.
The boy was a demihuman from the rat race. Though he was short and had a slightly hunched back, his footsteps were completely silent.
Yi-han wondered if the boy had received some sort of special training.
Arlong, the elderly knight, had previously told him that the way people walk could give insight into their identities.
Knights, mages, hunters, and thieves all walked differently, and the boys movement was like that of thieves.
If Im not wrong, rat demihumans arent really welcomed within the Empire.
All races were said to be equal in the Empire, but the reality was different.
Some races were naturally more popular than others.
Unfortunately, the rat race wasnt well-liked as many of its members were known to be thieves, vagabonds, pickpockets, and scavengers. Hence, people often had misgivings about the rat race whenever something happened.
I shouldnt jump to conclusions. Its not like all of them are thieves.
Yi-han didnt let prejudice cloud his judgment.
Just because he was from the rat race, it didnt necessarily mean he had been trained as a thief.
Tick, tick-
However, that was when the student took out a crudely made key, fiddling with it and trying his best to open the locked door. It didnt require a genius to know his intentions.
Oh well, who am I to criticize him.
Yi-han was also breaking multiple rules right now trying to secure an escape route, so he wasnt in a position to criticize anyone.
In fact
It might be a good idea to cooperate with him.
Since the student had even prepared a key, it was clearly not his first time coming here.
It went without saying that Yi-hans group wasnt the only one trying to escape.
For the time being, Yi-han slowly crept toward the student. Hed be in hot water if the student noticed him and let out a scream, alerting the authorities.
He quietly stepped behind the rat demihuman who was still busy picking the lock. Then, he equipped his staff, pointed it at the students neck, and whispered.
Dont shout. Youre dead if you do.
..!!
***
Ratford had been a professional thief and a member of the prior to his admission into the academy.
He had been completely floored when he first received an invitation to Einroguard. He didnt think the academy would accept thieves, even if they showed a lot of potential.
Fortunately, he didnt face any discrimination once he was in the Black Tortoise.
Nevertheless, he felt like there was some distance between him and the others. While he was a thief that was active in the streets at night, the others were mostly children of wealthy merchants.
As such, he felt the need to prove himself to others.
Just like the huntress Nilia, he wanted his friends from the same tower to acknowledge his abilities (He, of course, had no idea that there was someone else like him).
Since the academy is so large, theres bound to be a kitchen or a storage room somewhere. Ill rob them blind and get all the food and daily necessities well ever need!
While the others went about their daily lives travelling between classrooms, he had cautiously investigated the keyhole that would give him access to the region behind the central stairways.
Using the tip of his fingers, he had probed the inside of the keyhole and made a makeshift key. This was an impressive feat that an average thief could only hope to achieve, but after pouring in numerous hours of work, he succeeded.
Glory awaited him at the end of the tunnel, but someone ambushed him just as he was about to cross the finish line.
W-who
The answer was obvious. It had to be the academys security guard.
As a professional thief, he was prepared for such scenarios.
He slowly raised both arms and spoke while cowering in fear.
P-please dont hurt me. I surrender.
The number of beatings a thief received was different depending on whether he violently resisted capture or quietly surrendered.
Since hed been caught, it was better to remain obedient.
Hush. Im here for the same reason as you.
?!
It was only then that Ratford turned around to look.
A robust-looking boy in a priests uniform was keeping an eye out, and the staff in his hand was no longer pointed at Ratfords neck.
A freshman!?
Ratford was stunned.
Because the threat had been so ruthless, he had assumed that the one behind him was a security guard.
He wouldve never imagined that such a bloodthirsty threat came from a fellow freshman.
Who
Lower your volume.
who are you?
Even as he asked, Ratford had a rough idea of who he was facing.
The boy before him was tall and well-built, and he had just now wielded his staff like a weapon.
All clues pointed at him being a student from the White Tigers.
Dont know where he got the priest uniform from, but I guess hes pretty clever.
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