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Chapter 81 - Market

Chapter 81: Chapter 81 - Market

Lucien tugged at his collar.

"Thousand-Skill Luke? Sounds formidable," he muttered... but there was a gnawing unease in his chest.

Something about the name stirred a strange curiosity within him. He couldn’t let it go.

"Based on the name... does he really have a thousand skills?" he asked.

Edric glanced at him then gave a slow shake of his head.

"No one knows for sure. The Assassin’s Guild gave him that title. But one thing’s certain... he’s a man with a terrifying arsenal of skills."

Lucien’s eyes narrowed. His thoughts were now racing.

’Did he crack the code to learning skills? Or... did he once possess the Skillpedia?’

Goosebumps crept across his skin. The possibility was both terrifying and exciting.

But he pushed the thought away for now.

Thousand-Skill Luke.

Lucien made a quiet promise to himself.

He would uncover the truth about that man... sooner or later.

Lucien turned to Edric once more.

"Then why didn’t he kill the Golddusts?"

Edric exhaled slowly.

"He may be an assassin but he’s not a mindless killer. He never moved without reason... and never without proof. Every noble he assassinated... he left behind evidence. Documents. Confessions. Proof of their crimes."

He paused as his eyes darkened.

"But the Golddusts? Nothing. No traces. No wrongdoing that anyone could find."

He looked Lucien in the eye.

"And if he had tried to kill a high-ranking noble without just cause... the King himself would have had to intervene."

Edric leaned back and sighed as if recalling something from long ago.

"But the truth is, no one knows what happened. The legend vanished over a decade ago. Maybe thirteen years now or something? That’s why I say... you can’t blame the new generation. They’ve never heard of him. And in that silence... evil found its way back into the kingdom."

Lucien opened his mouth to ask more but...

"Oops, we’re here," Edric said with a grin. "Welcome to the noble district market, Nephew."

Lucien let out a soft sigh as he turned to the window.

He looked out at the street.

His eyes lit up with wonder.

Towering buildings lined the road. Their elegant exteriors were polished to a shine.

Ornate balconies.

Gilded signboards.

Marble columns.

Everything here screamed luxury.

Seeing Lucien’s awe, Edric chuckled.

"Let’s park and start buying whatever catches your eye. Don’t worry about the cost. I’ve got it covered hahaha!"

Lucien gave a small nod, hopeful.

Maybe something would catch his interest.

Soon, they stepped down from the carriage.

Lucien took in the surroundings. The streets were wide and clean, flanked by expensive shops and decorated parks. Every detail seemed meticulously curated for wealth and status.

But something felt... off.

It wasn’t as crowded as he expected.

He slowed his steps.

"Uncle Ed... there aren’t many people around. Are you sure this is the market?"

Edric laughed.

"Of course! This is the market but it’s in the noble district. That’s why we got here so fast. It’s near the academy."

He clapped Lucien on the shoulder.

"Let’s look around. If you don’t find anything that suits your taste, we’ll head to the commoners’ district. The market there... is a whole different world."

Lucien nodded... though his hopes were low.

This wasn’t really his scene.

Nobles sought jewels, perfumes, rare luxuries...

None of which appealed to him.

He glanced around.

Men and women dressed in fine silks strolled leisurely. Bags in hand.

Nearby, noble ladies sat beneath parasols at a tea shop. Their stifled giggles echoed like practiced melodies.

Flowery words drifted through the air. Sweet and artificial.

Stern-looking guards stood by every storefront. Stone-faced and still like statues in armor.

It was undeniably a luxurious street.

Edric had mentioned that commoners were allowed here too but then only the wealthy ones like rich merchants and well-off families usually comes.

Lucien sighed.

There weren’t even any open-air stalls like he’d hoped for. Every vendor had an actual shop, complete with polished glass displays and gold-lettered signage.

They walked for a while but nothing caught Lucien’s eye.

Until...

He heard something.

Music.

They followed the sound of music.

Up ahead, a bard stood at the edge of a small plaza strumming a finely crafted lute. A crowd had begun to gather, drawn in by the rhythm.

Lucien stopped and watched.

The bard’s voice rang out clear, weaving a tale of courage.

"Through storm and steel he carved his way ~

No fear could turn his heart to clay ~..."

Lucien was just beginning to appreciate the performance when—

A shiver ran down his spine.

His instincts screamed.

"Uncle Ed," he muttered.

"Stay calm, Nephew," Edric replied. His voice was equally quiet. "Act like you haven’t noticed."

Lucien didn’t need to be told twice.

He kept his expression curious. His gaze wandering casually as if still captivated by the music.

But his senses were sharp now.

Someone was watching them.

No... more than one.

Eyes lurked in shadowed corners.

Behind crates.

Near alley entrances.

Some blended perfectly, pretending to be passersby or nobles simply enjoying the performance.

Lucien maintained the act of an excited boy marveling at the city then quickly activated INSPECT.

And froze.

Their affiliations flashed in his mind.

He leaned closer to Edric and whispered, "They’re from the Assassin’s Guild."

Edric’s brows furrowed. "Assassin’s Guild? Hmm... Well, if that’s true, then they’re not probably here for us."

He chuckled under his breath, trying to lighten the mood. "False alarm."

Sure enough, the watchers’ attention soon shifted. One by one, their focus slid away from Lucien and Edric... and toward a different group nearby.

Lucien let out a quiet breath but his curiosity had only just begun.

Just then...

Lucien’s eyes locked onto someone within the crowd watching the bard.

One man stood out.

He wasn’t watching the performance at all. In fact, he looked distracted and uninterested...

But he still remained where he was. Lingering.

Something about him felt off.

Lucien cast INSPECT.

"Golddust."

Dorian Golddust.

Lucien’s expression darkened.

He was just about to alert Edric when—

Movement.

An assassin peeled away from the shadows.

This one blended in perfectly, dressed in noble attire, even tapping his foot lightly to the bard’s rhythm.

He appeared harmless.

An ordinary young man enjoying a song.

But Lucien’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t fooled.

The assassin made his way casually toward Dorian.

Then it happened.

Their eyes met.

Dorian and the assassin.

And ever so subtly, Dorian’s expression shifted. A faint light flickered in his gaze, barely noticeable.

Then, he opened his bag, pretending to search for something inside. The action looked innocent... like a man checking for coin or handkerchiefs. Nothing suspicious on the surface.

But Lucien’s instincts screamed otherwise.

The angle kept him from seeing what was inside the bag...

But the timing.

The precision.

None of it felt random.

Dorian showed something to the assassin.

He was sure of it.

But then...

The man kept moving.

Slow and deliberate steps.

He was heading straight toward Dorian.

And then... he walked past him.

At least, that’s what it would’ve looked like to any normal onlooker.

But Lucien didn’t miss it.

In that brief moment... As the assassin brushed by, his hand slipped into Dorian’s open bag with practiced ease... depositing something.

A sealed envelope. And... a wallet?

The motion was fluid, almost elegant. Like a move rehearsed a hundred times before.

If Lucien hadn’t been watching with focus, he would’ve missed it entirely.

Beside him, Edric remained focused on the bard. His expression was unusually soft. He looked genuinely moved by the song, unaware of the silent exchange happening just meters away.

But Lucien caught everything.

Then...

A different movement drew his attention.

Another young man approached from the crowd, walking straight toward them.

Lucien’s eyes sharpened and he quickly activated INSPECT.

A breath of relief left him.

Not an assassin.

A thief.

The man passed by without drawing attention.

Casual.

Unbothered.

Like just another face in the market.

But Lucien’s hand shot out and clamped around his wrist.

"Uncle Ed," Lucien called out calmly while still gripping the young man’s wrist.

The thief began to panic.

"Did you lose anything, by chance?"

Edric blinked, pulled from the bard’s song and back into the present.

He looked at Lucien, confused. "Lose...?"

He checked his pockets.

Then his eyes widened.

"Damn. My Spatial Wallet is gone!" He turned sharply to the restrained young man. "Nephew! Did this guy take it? I didn’t even notice!"

He stared in disbelief at the thief. A Tier 3, no less. Edric hadn’t sensed a thing.

Lucien nodded slightly, amused. "No wonder. This one used a skill."

Edric let out a sigh, both impressed and irritated.

The thief, meanwhile, looked like he’d seen death itself.

His hands trembled.

Sweat trickled down his temple.

He’d never been caught before.

Not once.

His skill was supposed to be flawless. Untraceable.

Yet here he was... caught by a boy.

Lucien studied him with mild curiosity. ’Even Uncle Ed didn’t notice. Not bad.’

Then he released a controlled wave of Sovereign Aura, pressing it directly onto the thief.

The young man went pale instantly, knees wobbling.

"Oh no... I’m dead," he muttered. He looked ready to collapse.

But to Lucien’s surprise. He didn’t struggle.

Instead, with shaky hands, the thief reached into his coat and produced the missing Spatial Wallet.

"I’m sorry," he muttered with his eyes downcast... and handed it back to Edric without resistance.

Lucien blinked. Edric raised an eyebrow.

Neither of them had expected the thief to fold so fast... or so decisively.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Lucien’s mind.

His eyes narrowed and a mischievous smile curled on his lips.

"Hey," he said to the thief, "we won’t punish you. But... you’ll have to steal something for me."

Edric raised an eyebrow but didn’t interfere. He had already decided to let Lucien take the lead... especially after Lucien noticed something even he had missed.

Tiers seemed meaningless when Lucien was involved.

The young man nodded vigorously, still shaken by the weight of Lucien’s aura.

But he paused when he processed the request.

Steal?

His panic gave way to confusion and then... confidence.

Stealing? That was his specialty.

His eyes gleamed.

Lucien leaned in slightly, pointing subtly with a tilt of his lips. "You see that ugly man over there? Steal something from his bag."

The thief followed his gaze, spotting the man Lucien meant.

Dorian Golddust.

Edric glanced at the target and when recognition hit... he chuckled.

"Dorian..." he muttered, amused. "GAHAHA! It looks like you’re about to have a very bad day, courtesy of my nephew."

Still laughing under his breath, Edric folded his arms. He was now fully invested in whatever scheme Lucien had in mind.

The thief, now composed and slightly eager... adjusted his coat and began walking.

Calm.

Casual.

Unassuming.

Towards Dorian Golddust.

But then...

The assassins noticed the thief. Their demeanor shifted instantly.

Silent alarms flashed behind their cold eyes.

They moved.

Not toward Lucien or Edric.

But toward the thief.

"Eh?" Lucien’s eyes narrowed.

The thief noticed too.

His casual stride turned to panic and in the blink of an eye, he bolted... activating another skill.

He vanished into the crowd, weaving like a shadow.

Lucien’s expression darkened.

’Assassin’s Guild... Why would they protect a Golddust?’

Edric who was watching it unfold, furrowed his brows. Clearly, even he hadn’t anticipated this.

Lucien clenched his fist. "Tch. I’ll do it myself."

Without another word, he strode forward... toward Dorian.

Edric followed.

When Lucien was about four meters away, he stopped.

The air grew tense.

The assassins locked their gazes on him. Silent and unreadable.

They were watching his every move now, ready to intervene.

But Lucien didn’t care.

He ignored them.

Then...

Lucien activated BURROWER’S EYE.

The bag looked ordinary on the outside... but inside?

Not just the sealed envelope and the wallet...

Something far more valuable.

Something Lucien hadn’t anticipated!

His pulse quickened and his heart raced in excitement.

But his expression remained calm and unreadable.

Then...

"AUTO-COLLECT."

In an instant, the contents vanished from the bag and was absorbed into Lucien’s INVENTORY.

Dorian furrowed his brows. His bag suddenly felt lighter.

He glanced down but nothing seemed out of place. The contents hadn’t been heavy to begin with.

Still...

Something felt off.

He scanned the crowd... and then locked eyes with Edric.

His expression twisted.

"Oh my, oh my... What a surprise. I didn’t realize such an important man was here."

His tone was laced with mockery.

Edric met his eyes with a cold and steady gaze.

Completely unshaken.

He studied Dorian for a moment... then offered a small smile.

"Haha... I see you can still smile. I guess you haven’t heard the news yet."

Dorian’s smile faltered.

His gaze sharpened. "What news?"

Now it was his turn to scrutinize Edric.

But Edric only chuckled.

"Gahaha! You’ll have to find that out yourself."

The laughter rang with amusement but beneath it was an ominous undertone.

Dorian felt it.

A chill crawled down his spine.

He didn’t know what Edric was talking about but he knew one thing.

Whatever it was... it wasn’t good.

Suddenly...

A carriage barreled down the street racing straight towards them.

Dorian smirked.

"Oh-ho, looks like my family’s carriage is here. You might want to step aside. It doesn’t slow down for anyone. If you end up flat on the ground, well... that’s just nature sorting the weak."

Lucien turned his gaze.

Two majestic golden drakes pulled the speeding carriage.

Their scales gleamed like burnished gold and each thunderous step shook the cobbled street.

They looked fierce.

Relentless.

Terrifying.

Passersby cried out and scrambled out of the way, pressing themselves against walls and storefronts.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

The beasts charged forward like they owned the road.

Dorian wore a smug grin.

But Edric didn’t move.

Not even a step.

To yield would be to admit inferiority.

The golden drakes were nearly upon them now.

The air grew tense. People held their breath.

And still...

Edric and Lucien stood firm.

Unshaken.

Because...

Lucien’s eyes narrowed.

And then...

He condensed his Sovereign Aura.

Not toward Dorian.

Not toward the crowd.

But aimed directly... at the two golden drakes.