Isekai Assassin: Volume 1 Page 10

  And if they find out I lied, that’s just going to complicate matters even further. This is not how I do things.

  Anonymity was paramount. Even at the height of my career back on Earth, I was still considered a myth by most. Even if my name got around, my face was only known to a select few.

  Papers, licenses, and documentation were not how I operated.

  I flashed my most harmless smile and passed the papers back to her. “I’m afraid you were correct, and the registration fee is a little out of my price range at the moment.”

  She didn’t bat an eye as she took the parchment and stowed it back under the counter. “Of course, sir. Please return as soon as your finances allow.”

  Yeah, I doubt that.

  After the very unhelpful conversation, I made my way to the bar.

  An older gentleman in a well-tailored suit stood behind the rosewood counter, which was stocked with a variety of high-quality spirits.

  I slid into an empty stool and waited for the bartender. It took him a few minutes to be done with the other patrons and to come over to me.

  “What can I get you, sir?” he asked.

  “Information.”

  He smiled without showing his teeth. “You have expensive tastes, sir.”

  “Need to find a man named Bradley Loren. I was told he frequents this place.”

  The bartender nodded. “That he does, and I’d be more than willing to tell you where he is right now, on two conditions.”

  I just stared him down, waiting for him to continue.

  “Payment. Twenty-five vahn. And the promise that you take whatever business you have with him outside.”

  I dug a single gold vahn from my purse and slid it across the counter. “Done.”

  He swept the coin into his hand and thumbed over behind my shoulder towards a table with a group of rugged looking men. “He’s the brutish lad with more hair than sense.”

  As I turned, I found him immediately.

  He was indeed brutish, with thick muscles and a wide face. He had long, chocolate hair that came down past his chest. All the men at the table were rambunctious, laughing too loud and drinking too much.

  “Thanks,” I said and stood, drawing my hood over my face.

  I didn’t think people seeing my face would be a problem, but I’d rather play it safe than sorry, especially if things were going to get violent here.

  I slid through the throng of tables and patrons getting up to get more alcohol and swiftly reached Bradley’s table.

  Everyone looked up as I approached, glassy eyes all around.

  “Bradley Loren?” I asked.

  “Who’s asking?”

  “A messenger. Shall we step outside? We have business to discuss.”

  He scoffed and spat on the ground. “Like hell, anything you need to say can say it right here.” He hiccupped and chuckled as his friends laughed at him.

  I fought down the urge to stab him and, instead, plastered a false smile on my face as I raised my coin purse and shook it, jostling the coins.

  “Please, sir, I’d much prefer to discuss business in private. I can promise you’ll be well compensated for your time.”

  Bradley’s eyes lit up at the sound of money. He grinned wide and began to stand.

  “Of course, where are my manners? If this was about a quest, you should’ve just said so. Lead the way.”

  Your Persuasion skill has increased by 1! [Persuasion: 1 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

  The drunken man followed me out of the bar and through the door to the patio. A few of the adventurers eyed us as we passed, but most were too absorbed in their conversations to take note. Bradley stayed on my heels as I led him away from the Adventurer’s Guild and into a side alley away from prying eyes.

  “The hell we goin’?” he asked, slurring his words.

  “No worries, I just wanted some privacy so we can discuss this in peace.”

  He hiccupped again, scratching his cheek. “Mus’ be some fuckin’ fancy quest, you leadin’ me way the hell out here.”

  As the shadows of the alley crawled over me, I stopped and turned sharply. I brought my leg up and straight into Bradley’s groin.

  All of the air in his lungs expelled towards me, bathing me in a fetid miasma of alcohol and whatever he had for lunch. He doubled over and vomited, clutching between his legs as he sank to his knees.

  I backhanded him across the face and stepped behind him as he lay in a puddle of his own vomit. I grabbed his right hand, his sword hand from how he carried his weapon and the calluses on his palm.

  In one smooth motion, I had his arm trapped and a hair's breadth from being dislocated. I put pressure on his back with my leg and ensured that if he moved at all in retaliation, I’d break his arm.

  Bradley screamed in pain as he tried and failed to stand.

  “Fuck!” He whimpered in pain. “What do you want?”

  “To teach you a lesson about paying your debts.” I opened the letter and read it aloud. “According to Terrance Ironblood, you owe his shop a sum of six hundred and ninety-four vahn for a custom order and maintenance.”

  “Don’t know what the fu─” he screamed even louder. “Okay! Okay, okay. The money is in my coin purse! Take it and get off me!”

  “Gladly.” I let go of his arm and kicked him in the face.

  He slumped to the ground with a low groan.

  1 Knock-out (Human): +50 Exp!

  When I was sure he was out, I flipped him over and took his purse. It was heavy. Likely he’d just gotten paid and was celebrating when I found him. From a glance, it seemed like there was a good bit over the six hundred vahn he owed Terrance.

  I took the purse and left the letter next to him.

  “Pleasure doing business with you.”

  Alright, time to get back to Terrance.

  My plan to join the Adventurer’s Guild was a bust, but that might be for the best. It didn’t seem like the place for me, especially considering the number of sharp-eyed adventurers around. I’d rather not have that level of scrutiny on me.

  “Yeah, I’d much rather find a different way to make some coin,” I muttered.

  As I made my way back to Terrance’s shop, I thought about my next move.

  I knew I needed to increase my level and improve my abilities. That was obvious and probably the smartest plan I had right now, but no way in hell was I working for the guild.

  I’d find another way to level up.

  Maybe Terrance knows how to find this city’s underworld?

  It took me less time to reach his shop as I backtracked; some of the streets I remembered as I made my way to Ironblood’s Weaponry.

  Terrance was polishing a well-made steel shield when I returned. He glanced up, and a smile crossed his face.

  “Well, now, that was quick.”

  I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m persuasive.”

  He chuckled, and I quickly tossed him the coin purse. Terrance caught it with the hand holding the polishing cloth and dropped it on the counter as he moved the shield. He dumped it out and, with practiced efficiency, counted out the coin he was owed.

  As he took the coin, the quest was completed.

  Quest: Debt Collector: Bradley Loren Completed!

  Rewards: 38 Exp+347 Vahn

  I blinked it away and pulled up my status.

  Name: Elias McKinley

  Age: 29

  Race: Human

  Level: 1

  Exp: 2138/9247

  Terrance put the rest of the coin back in the small canvas bag and tossed it back to me.

  “Was about a hundred vahn more in the purse than I was owed.”

  I caught it and shook my head. “Keep it, put it toward my payment.”

  “Oh no.” He held up his hand. “It’d be a crime against fashion to let you keep wandering around in those shabby clothes. Use the coin to get yourself a new outfit.”

  “But─”

  “Nope. You proved yourself trustworthy, so I’ve already wr
itten up the order. It goes out first thing in the morning as soon as the courier stops by. If you perform the rest of your work as quickly as you completed this, then I know you’ll have no trouble with paying on time, but you can’t earn work if you look like a beggar.”

  I acquiesced with a small nod and a smile. “Fair enough. Guess I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

  Terrance grinned. “Looking forward to it.”

  I was about to leave when I remembered what I wanted to ask him. I turned around and leaned against the counter.

  “I thought about applying to become an adventurer, but it wasn’t really for me. I need money, and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. Do you perhaps know where I can go if I was looking for work?”

  Terrance’s smile fell from his face, and he shook his head.

  “Sorry, Elias. That sort of thing, you’re best heading to Odra or Weir.” He glanced to the side, biting his lip. “Can’t help you.”

  What are you not saying? Obviously, there was something he wouldn’t or couldn’t tell me. Which only piqued my curiosity even further.

  “Come on, Terrance.”

  He held his hand up. “Nothing I can help you with, not my call.” He sighed and scratched his bald head. “Look, maybe head southwest, toward the slums and Pleasure District. Maybe someone there can be of better help.”

  I wanted to push the issue, but as soon as I opened my mouth, my brain caught up to what he’d said. I closed it and smiled. I think he just gave me what I needed to know without actually saying anything.

  My plan formed almost instantly. I just needed to find the right person, and they could tell me everything I needed to know at once.

  “Alright, I might just do that. Thanks, Terrance.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  With that, he bid me farewell, and I left the shop.

  He’d given me the basis for what I needed. All I had to do was find the city's seedier side, and the underworld would come to me.

  With my plan in mind, I turned and headed back to the markets.

  I knew just what to do.

  Chapter 9- A Chance Meeting

  Before I could begin, I needed one thing.

  New clothes.

  My clothing was subpar for the job at hand, but my green cloak was at least decent. It had probably even been fine once upon a time, but age and a few moths had eaten away its glory.

  To begin my search, I needed a crowd. I would have to blend in while also making myself as juicy of a mark as possible.

  Which meant I needed to be better dressed.

  Considering I was about to dangle fresh steak to a horde of wolves.

  I stopped off at a shop about a ten-minute walk from Terrance’s and bought some cheap clothing. They were nothing terribly fancy, but they were much, much better than what I was currently wearing. It was a charcoal gray tunic with a pair of black cotton trousers. I even bought a pair of boots that actually fit me.

  It ate well into the money Terrance had given me, but I had to admit that it was worth the price.

  Alright, time to see which wolf tries to take a bite.

  I donned my cloak once more after readjusting my weapons and pulled it tight, drawing my hood over my face to shroud my features. I shifted it precisely so my coin purse was visible and clinked with the remaining vahn I had left after paying Terrance. It wasn’t a lot, but it was probably more than a pickpocket or cutpurse would usually earn.

  It would have to be enough. And if it wasn’t, then I would readjust my plan.

  As I got back on the main street heading toward the Pleasure District markets, I shifted my hips, putting a slight limp in my step to make myself an even more tantalizing prospect.

  Even I thought it was a good attempt.

  Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 1 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

  It would’ve worked on me back then. Hell, it did work on me. I got emboldened and got my hand caught in a snare.

  I chuckled at the memory. It’d been a long time since I’d thought back to the days when I’d been a street rat.

  When I met my master that fateful day, everything changed. I was a lot different now. Too many years and too many bodies separated who I was from the naïve kid I used to be.

  A crowd formed around me and rushed past like I was a stone in a river. My appearance and limp made people give me a slight berth to not knock over the decrepit old man I was pretending to be.

  The clank of coin jostled with every heavy step I took, and I hadn’t been walking five minutes when a shiver traveled down my spine and my hair raised.

  I had eyes on me.

  As I searched for the source, I found a set of gray eyes and a small nose peeking at me from a thin-framed person in a beige cloak. They leaned against the wall of a stone side alley, and I was only able to get a glimpse of their features because a stray cloud overhead parted to allow a burst of sunlight to bathe the entire street in light.

  As soon as the light touched their eyes, they shifted, drawing deeper into the darkness. Just before their eyes were hidden in shadow, they flicked to the coin purse at my waist.

  They hadn’t noticed my noticing them, and they certainly didn’t see the small smile that lifted my lips.

  Took the bait.

  Not letting them know I was onto them, I got off the main street and began making my way to a more secluded section of town. It was easy to tell that I was getting closer by the buildings I passed because each one was shoddier than the last.

  The well-kept buildings turned to neglect as the pristine stone chipped, and the freshly stained wood fell to rot. Even the cobblestone street wasn’t spared. It was cracked and even had whole stones missing from the road.

  It alone told me I was heading in the right direction.

  My newly gained shadow kept pace well, staying far enough back that most people wouldn’t have noticed. They kept back, only as close as they needed to keep me in sight.

  After a few minutes of walking, we reached a secluded area, and the other citizens had all but disappeared. My tail was liable to make their move soon.

  Then, let’s speed things up a tad.

  A small alley opened to my left, and I took it.

  It was between a brothel and a house that I was almost certain was either abandoned or claimed by the homeless as a squatting shelter. I slowed my pace and put even more emphasis on my limp. I wasn’t walking along for more than a minute before soft, nearly silent footsteps approached me from behind.

  They were good, timed almost perfectly to match mine. If I hadn’t been expecting it and listening for them, I’d have almost certainly missed the slight reverberations on the stone.

  Fingers brushed my coin purse, and I smiled.

  Caught you.

  As the thief’s hand went to the drawstring, I whirled around. I grabbed the wrist of the pickpocket who’d tried to steal my purse and quickly forced their arm behind their back in an arm lock. They let out a high-pitched scream as I held tight and maneuvered around behind them. I shoved them roughly against the alley wall.

  Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 1! [Hand-to-Hand: 5 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

  A blink wiped away the notification, and I focused on my captive, applying pressure.

  “Ow! Hey, let go of me, you bastard!” she cursed in a soft, feminine voice.

  With a quick tug, I turned her over and shifted my grip. My fingers closed around her pale throat, squeezing just tight enough to hurt but not enough to restrict airflow.

  I couldn’t see her face from the beige cloak she wore, but she was short, barely reaching my chest. I tugged the hood off and received a thick gob of spit in my face for the trouble.

  Short, choppy, red hair spilled out around a thin, slightly malnourished face. She had a tiny hint of freckles on her cheeks, and the same brilliant gray eyes that I’d first seen back at the markets stared up at me with hatred.

  I wiped the spit from my face and applied pressure to her
airway. I shoved her back against the wall, holding her in place.

  “That was rather rude, considering you just tried to steal from me.”

  She glared at me and attempted to spit on me again.

  I shifted my hand and clamped it over her mouth while letting my eyes grow cold.

  “None of that now.”

  She shivered as the blood ran from her already pale face.

  Your Killer’s Stare skill has increased by 1! [Killer’s Stare: 2 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

  As soon as my point was made, I dropped the stare and lowered my hand back to her neck.

  “Kill me, then, if you’re going to.” She sighed as her eyes dropped. “Knew it was gonna happen sooner or later.”

  I chuckled at her defeated tone. “I’m not going to kill you…well, as long as you don’t spit on me again.”

  Her eyes widened, and her shoulders straightened slightly. She cocked her head to the side, quizzical. “Why not? I tried to steal from you. That’s as good as a death sentence.”

  “Because I wanted you to try to take my purse, I set up the perfect mark so you would try to steal from me. Killing you for doing something I wanted would be…wrong.”

  She shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “Then what do you want from me? Why go through something so elaborate for just one lowly thief?”

  “Information.” I smiled. “I’m new here, and after talking with a friend, I was pointed in this direction. There are a few things I need to know about the city, and if you provide me with that, I’ll let you go and even forget that you spat in my face.

  “How’s that sound?”

  Hope filled her eyes, but she quickly glanced away, refusing to meet my eyes. To give away that she was going to take the deal.

  “Will you pay me too? Doesn’t have to be much, just a few vahn so I can eat.”

  Her words caused me to chuckle, and I grinned wide. “You have the guts to ask for money when I literally hold your life in my hands. Quite bold of you.”

  She has spunk. I’ll give her that. Besides, a few vahn for what I need to know is a cheap deal.

  “Fine,” I said and eased off her, stepping back a pace or two and leaning against the opposite wall. “You tell me everything I want to know, and I’ll pay you. Fair?”