Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 8 - An Astonishing Petty Thief

Chapter 8 — An Astonishing Petty Thief

 

“Marlin. To give you an honest assessment… Your future as an explorer is rather bleak.”

“…Isn’t that a little too blunt?”

Marlin frowned, repeatedly glancing back, evidently worried about Abel, whom they’d left at the house because of his injury.

She had a point.

My explanation had lacked a bit of tact.

I rephrased my words more gently before continuing.

“You’re a pitiful bluebird. You have wings, yet you can’t fly because you’re trapped inside a cage.”

“…Please just say it bluntly.”

“Why are you so picky? First of all, your class is the problem.”

 

[Marlin (Tiger Beastkin, age 14), the girl you intend to employ as your assistant. Through years of burglary to survive, her soul has already been engraved with the destiny of a ‘Thief – Thief.’]

 

“Do you know how a person’s Class is determined?”

“Not at all.”

Having never attended school and instead learning only theft from other thieves, Marlin lacked common knowledge.

Her Knowledge stat was only 2, after all.

It wasn’t much of a flaw.

If there were things she didn’t know, I could simply teach her.

“A Class is engraved upon your soul through repeated combat, training, or work. And you’ve already become an experienced burglar. I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself an experienced master thief…”

She didn’t deny being experienced.

“I assume you’re a pure tiger beastkin? Any other beastkin blood mixed in?”

“No.”

“Then your greatest strengths are your Strength and Vitality.”

“That’s right. I’m confident I could easily beat you in a contest of strength, Kar.”

Marlin proudly flexed her arm, showing off her muscles.

“Being stronger than an unfortunate Class like a Cultist isn’t something to brag about. And now isn’t the time to celebrate. Your Class has already been fixed as a thief.”

“That actually sounds pretty cool.”

“It isn’t. You’re just a petty thief.”

Like any common criminal, its performance was mediocre.

Still, compared to Cultists, it possessed overwhelming superiority in the race for last place thanks to its access to countless miscellaneous Mysteries and sleight-of-hand techniques.

“To truly excel as a Thief, you need Agility and Dexterity. But you’re a tiger beastkin whose strengths are Strength and Vitality. You’ve completely gone down the wrong path.”

In other words… A jack-of-all-trades.

Its overall performance wasn’t bad, but its ceiling wasn’t especially high.

“Can’t Classes be changed once they’re decided?”

“No.”

“…”

Marlin quietly thought for a while before her expression dimmed.

“…Then there’s no hope for me.”

“No.”

“But you just said my future wasn’t bright.”

“If you faithfully follow your sponsor’s teachings instead of ignoring them, it’ll shine as brightly as the stars. So don’t worry.”

Even a tiger beastkin Thief could become an outstanding explorer if developed properly.

After all… When a jack-of-all-trades became truly competent, didn’t that simply make them versatile?

Besides… Marlin’s starting Sense stat was an incredible 19.

Once a stat exceeded 21, it entered the realm of superhuman ability.

In practical terms, she’d already reached the highest level attainable in the lower leagues.

And with the help of various items…

“You can become an astonishing petty thief.”

There was no chance Marlin would grow into an ordinary Thief.

I intended to pour every ounce of knowledge in my head into giving her top-tier support.

‘I’m already excited.’

Once again, I silently thanked Lidni for allowing me to experience the joy of personally raising exploration companions.

Though… He could’ve at least asked for my consent before dragging me here.

Or waited until I’d finished the coffee I’d just opened.

“No matter how amazing… I’m still just a thief.”

Marlin muttered with an awkward laugh.

Still, judging by the way her tail gently swayed, she didn’t seem entirely displeased.

“There it is.”

As we walked, I explained the basics, and we eventually arrived at one of the stores I’d frequented constantly in the game.

 

[Sinister Gaze]

 

A shop exclusively for Cultists, stocked with every kind of exploration supply.

The prices were low, and the quality wasn’t bad either, so I’d visited often.

“Welcome, customers!”

I gave a slight nod to the canine beastkin owner, who reminded me of a golden retriever, before browsing the shelves of alchemical reagents.

Basilisk eyeballs.

Ogre hearts.

Sea-Origin Elf heel calluses.

All sorts of rare reagents used mainly for magic and alchemy sat on display with temptingly affordable prices.

“…Wait. Volcanic Troll blood is only 3 silver?”

“Is that cheap?”

“Not merely cheap. It’s the kind of outrageous bargain that doesn’t just violate business ethics… it destroys them.”

When I examined the transparent vial filled with blue blood more closely, words slowly appeared.

 

[Blood of a volcanic troll infected with plague. Drinking it may infect you, making it an excellent gift for someone you hold a grudge against.]

 

It was blood taken from a diseased troll.

No wonder it was so cheap.

I was about to look away without hesitation…

Then paused.

‘This might actually be even better.’

Infected blood would surely have a unique flavor different from ordinary blood.

Perhaps something with a sharp, tangy kick.

Perfect for Lidni, who despised the monotony that came with familiarity.

“I’ll take three bottles.”

“What excellent taste, sir!”

Marlin accepted the vials from the shopkeeper and automatically placed them into our leather bag.

Efficient. I liked that.

I patted her on the back before continuing our shopping.

“…Huh? What now?”

Another item so unbelievable it made me question my eyes caught my attention.

 

[Bundle of Canine Beastkin Teeth] – 5 Silver

[Slightly defective canine beastkin teeth. If served alongside an offering, the One Who Delights in Infinite Knowledge would probably enjoy them!]

 

“Other shops sell these as premium reagents for at least 1 gold each. He’s selling an entire bundle for only 5 silver.”

“Teeth are worth one gold?”

“Some of those are canines. Those usually start at 5 gold each.”

Marlin’s tail stiffened until it practically pointed over her head.

“Shopkeeper… Why are these priced like this too?”

“My son has been losing his baby teeth lately. He snacks way too much, so most of them are rotten.”

“The Magic Tower and the alchemy workshops won’t accept low-quality materials like these.

“Then I’ll buy every last one.”

What a windfall.

Watching Marlin happily collect the teeth, I moved toward the Tools section.

This time, there was no joy in window shopping.

I’d already decided exactly what to buy before coming.

“Marlin. Grab a pickaxe. And two of those things were shaped like seashells. Also, a set of candles and three Vitality Recovery Potions.”

“What are we using all this for?”

“What else? Exploring Labyrinths.”

Next, I purchased two books with dark crimson covers from a bookshelf filled with volumes of every color.

Shopping complete.

I headed toward the reading corner tucked away in one side of the shop.

“Why does an exploration supply shop sell books?”

“You really know nothing.”

The books I’d just purchased weren’t ordinary books.

“Mystery Tomes. You’ve heard of them, right?”

“Ah… I think so. Aren’t they incredibly expensive?”

Even Marlin, who knew almost nothing about labyrinths, vaguely understood how valuable Mystery Tomes were.

“Why do you think they’re so expensive? Because the stories inside are exciting? Reading these lets you learn Mysteries.”

A means of learning skills.

Since Mysteries were treated as precious assets in this world, the value of Mystery Tomes was beyond imagination.

“They have unlimited uses. As long as your Class is compatible, anyone can learn the Mystery. Isn’t that incredible? Then of course they’d be expensive. You have no idea. Explorers dreaming of striking it rich risk their lives entering high-ranking Labyrinths just to obtain a single one.”

Depending on the rank, a single tome could easily exceed the 1,000 gold tribute demanded from the siblings.

“Then if I want to get rich, I have to enter high-ranking Labyrinths too?”

“That’s right. Some explorers intentionally challenge only Rank B or higher Labyrinths, hoping for a complete reversal of fortune.”

Marlin’s eyes sparkled.

There was greed in them rather than innocence.

But what did it matter?

“You’re starting to feel motivated about becoming an explorer, aren’t you?”

“Yes!”

“Still… Our goal for now is growth. The serious money-making comes later.”

“What about the guild tribute?”

“Forget the Thieves’ Guild for the time being. I’ll handle it myself.”

That thief guilty of abusing his authority had already been reserved as an offering.

“They can’t enter the Cultist District anyway. So relax.”

Still unconvinced, Marlin hesitated before looking into my eyes.

“The guildmaster is dangerous. Will you really be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m not going personally. I’m asking a friend.”

“…You have friends?”

“What kind of question is that? We’re not friends yet. But before long… I’ll have the opportunity to become close friends with him.”

Even if I hadn’t encountered the tiger beastkin siblings, there was someone living in District Six I’d planned to befriend anyway.

“Save your questions for later. Hurry up and read. If you’re only learning the Mystery, just skim through the words and flip the pages.”

“Buying something this expensive… just for me… Kar, you’re a little strange… But I think you’re a good person.”

After offering a compliment mixed with a small amount of slander, Marlin began reading the two Mystery Tomes one after another.

I had no intention of simply sitting there doing nothing.

So I took out the silver book from my belongings and placed it on the table.

Apparently already growing bored with reading, Marlin immediately became interested.

“That book… It’s the Hidden Piece reward from the Ghoul Labyrinth, right?”

“That’s right. It’s the Mystery called Ghoul’s Mobility. It’s exclusive to Priest-type Classes, so you can’t learn it.”

“What does it do?”

“It lets you move as quickly as a ghoul.”

A ghoul’s Agility stat was an incredible 15.

Among monsters below Level 5, it was practically unmatched.

Used in lower-ranked Labyrinths, you could safely say you’d never lose in anything related to Agility.

“So if you learn that Mystery… Can you keep moving as fast as a ghoul forever?”

“No. Only for one minute.”

“…Only one minute?”

“Only? At our current level, one minute is an incredibly long time. If you put this up for auction, it’d probably start at 300 gold.”

At low levels, Ghoul’s Mobility was practically invincible.

However…

For a Cultist, who couldn’t properly capitalize on high Agility, moving quickly simply turned you into a fast target.

It was a Mystery better suited to Holy Knights, Monks, or Druids among the Priest Classes.

Besides…

Thanks to the curse placed upon me by the God of Nature, my Agility was permanently fixed at 1.

Under normal circumstances, it was completely useless to me.

‘Which is why I’ll use it in an abnormal way.’

Ghoul’s Mobility only revealed its true potential when combined with the proper synergies.

Using the Hidden Piece in the Labyrinth I’d be visiting next would allow me to complete roughly half of that combination.

“Focus on reading now.”

“Yesss…”

While my curious student returned to her book, I opened the silver Mystery Tome.

The writing was strange.

It resembled an ancient epic poem.

Back in the game, all I’d had to do was click a button.

It was less convenient now.

Yet I didn’t mind in the slightest.

If anything, I enjoyed it.

The text inside Mystery Tomes was entirely new… something I’d never been able to experience as a mere player.

 

[The Mystery [Ghoul’s Mobility] has taken root within your body!]

 

After successfully learning the Mystery, I sipped the tea the shopkeeper had served.

Soon afterward, Marlin finished reading as well, though she looked somewhat unconvinced.

“…Kar.”

“Why are you looking at me like that again? I bought you something expensive.”

“Expensive?” Basic Daggersmanship and Basic Throwing Techniques. They both seem like pretty low-level Mysteries.”

“So your Sense really isn’t high for nothing.”

Clicking my tongue in admiration at her razor-sharp intuition, I closed my book and continued.

“You’re right. They’re just cheap Mysteries.”

If this were a martial arts novel, they’d be equivalent to the Three Talents Sword Technique.

Nothing extraordinary.

Not some peerless cultivation art.

Just techniques easily found anywhere.

Still… They were a hundred times better than learning nothing at all.

Solid fundamentals were the foundation of true mastery.

“For someone like you whose Class doesn’t properly match her race… These basic Mysteries are actually far more helpful.”

Even after my explanation, Marlin, still too young to appreciate the importance of fundamentals, puffed out her cheeks.

“Read them thoroughly whenever you have time. The more you do, the higher your proficiency will become.”

“…Okay.”

“Now that we’ve both learned our Mysteries… Let’s go.”

“We’re heading home to rest, right?”

“No.”

Who had time to rest?

“We’re heading straight to another Labyrinth.”