Human skills are scary

When we got to walls of the capital city, we went right through the gate, without the guards even checking our legimitation. Seems easy going for nobles. The line of merchants and common people was without a doubt two kilometers long.

„So this is the capital city? It looks lively,“ I said when I looked out of the window.

But something was wrong. The faces of people were not smiling, like what I saw in previous cities.

„Keep your head hidden Leo, in this city is very strong crime guild.“

„Crime guild?“

„An organization that conduct illegal stuff. During my stay in academy, they were backed by some nobles, but after purge four years ago they lost their backing and were hunted down. Back then the crime guild had around third of capital population under their thumb.“

„So, when the nobles were purged, some of the people suffered from it as well.“

„Yes, they were made into criminal slaves and send to mines.“

In other words they were send to death. Working in mines is dangerous, becouse you never know when you hit monster nest. And when the nest is opened the monsters overflow the mine, killing anything that came in their way, and without permision from their owner, slaves couldn't exit the mine.

„So, the people have strong distaste for nobles right now.“

„It’s hard for the king, as he always tried his best to support the people and tried to improve their livelihood…“

We quickly made our way to noble district and went right to our house, where I met my siblings again.

„So tomorrow's the day, Mina, you nervous?“ Hina said teaseingly.

„Not at all! I’ve studied for this with Leo!“ Mina replied unfazedly.

„UUU, you’re no fun~ What about you Leo? Are you nervous? Your debut is closer then you think~“

„That is true, tomorrow I’m going to tailor shop with mother and Kiira. And how goes your relationship with sir Lasten? You’re not forgeting about him while studying with thirteen wands riiiight?“ I answered with same teasing voice as Sis Hina did.

„You are really something brother! So how’s your space magic training going?“

„Already level 5. I can cut through trees like sheets of paper,“ I smiled and continued: „And how’s your Void magic reaserch going?“

Void magic is belived to be counter to Space magic, which can create barriers that can’t be passed even by space magic users. Last time I was helping my sister to run tests with it, I cut through on my first try, I said that it took all my magic to do so, but in reality it only took about two percent so I think there is some bias against space magic.

„You won’t cut through it again brother. I devised new spell with help of my friends in thirteen wands that is called [Absolute defence Mk II]!“

„Becouse Mk I failed misserably?“ I said teasingly.

„YOU!“

„Uh, you really are siblings…“ mother sighted.

Later that night I took some ragged old clothes on me and alongside similarly dressed Kiira we left for the downtown. With combination of  [King of wisdom] skill and Space magic skill I devised [Search] I found out where to find criminals and we assault some of them.

„That one is murderer with magic resistence skill,“ I whispered to Kiira.

„So you’re taking him?“

„Yeah, sure.“

I used Petrification gaze to turn his legs to stone.

„Huh? Why did I­– stone? How did my legs became stone?“

Next I turned his shoulders into stone and waked to him soundlessly.

„A-a kid?!“

„Shhhh,“ I said as I put my hand on his heart.

„You are a very bad man, for that reason I will now take away your skills.“ I snucked away the magic resistence skill and turned him completly to stone in order to end his suffering. Just before that happened, the man looked like I cut of part of him. Maybe skills are like parts of one's soul?

That night gave name to a myth of a child with golden eyes which turn criminals to stone no matter their rank in crime guild.

The next morning we both had three new skills: Magic resist, Magic power armor and Marksmanship for me, Spearmanship, Marksmanship and Mana recovery for Kiira.

„So this is the shop you were talking about Mother?“ I asked before three stores high building with highly extravagant decorations indoors and outdoors.

„Yes, all you need can be found here. First floor is for high class commoners, but on the third floor you can find the most fashonable clothes in royal capital!“

Today, I was accompanying mother to tailor shop in order to get us new clothes for Royal debut. I chose light blue set with some gold embrodiery.

„So this is the shop?“ familiar voice ringed through the main room behind doors of our current location.

I sprung from my seat as I was finnished changing back to my normal gown and entered the next room.

„Lulu!“

„Leo!“ Lulu exclaimed and jumped over to me in one big jump, not caring about her skirt or what ever.

„You made it to the capital sooner then I expected, welcome!“ I smiled at her.

„Yeah! The party is in two weeks, but I wanted to come as soon as possible, also, there is a dungeon two hours worth of walking to the west from the east gate,“ she whispered to my ear.

„Young lady, allow me to remind you that you promised your mother to study etique in meanwhile of our trip. The following days you are to spent training etique befitting of young lady of Seawed family. Remember that you need to make good impression before nobles of other territories.“

„Then, why don’t you help your friend, Leo?“ Mother said.

I don’t like how you said friend there, mother.

„L-lady Netrose?“ the attendant said supprisedly.

„Yes, it’s me and my youngest son, Leo,“ Mother said with slight threat in her voice.

„It’s nice to meet you miss attendant. If you don’t mind I could teach some little tricks I thought myself while learning etique myself, we know each other for quite some time right Lulu?“ I said smiling. What I really meant to say by those words could be also said as: I, son of duke, am willing to help you with your problems. If you say no now, it would be like spitting on noble’s face, so you better agree to it right away. Plus I’m friend of your master, so can you really go agains that?

„Yeah, that’s right! We are friends!“ Lulu smiled broadly, clearly not understanding what I meant by those words.

„The attendant is from Lulu’s mother side of family. They are from Duke Varill's faction,“ mother whispered in my ear.

„And those don’t want us to get close right?“ I whispered back and mother nodded.

Soon after that I was given address of Lulu’s mansion in lesser noble part of Noble district.

The next day after getting the address, around three in the afternoon, I headed to the lesser nobles part of noble district. For a practice I activated sence presence skill as we were going down the town, when suddenly…

„Ruzu stop the carriage and get in here!“

„Uh? Yes!“ Ruzu from coachmens seat stopped the horses and through small window jumped in.

„What is happening Leo?“ Kiira asked.

„It seems we are ambushed,“ I said matter-of-factly.

„What?! How many?!“ Ruzu exploded with anger.

„Six. Three in front, one in back and two from sides,“ I said.

The group of six men came closer and closer.

„Now! Don’t let a single one of them escape!“ familiar voice said coldly.

„„Yessir!““ Kiira and Ruzu shouted as if responding to attacker and jumped from both sides effectively taking down the hooligans on sides.

From here on, Kiira jumped and used Fire binding on the man in the back. Ruzu went against the three, but one escaped to side alley. Sadly for the attacker, I knew a handy spell called Transfer and I used it to get right in front of the attacker.

„Where are you going in this fine afternoon, miss attendant,“ I said coldly.

„Gurh… you monster!“ she lashed out at me with sword.

„Too slow,“ I said as I passed her and knocked her out with my fist.

„Master!“ Ruzu shouted and I returned to them with miss attendant in hands.

„I’m fine, what about you?“

„Yes, I’m fine, it’s just…“ Ruzu poited at necks of the attackers

„They have Black stone slave collars… unlike you, they are illegal slaves.“

„Yes,“ Ruzu answered.

„It seems like duke Varills faction have quite underhanded techniques at their disposal,“ I said sadly and glanced over the five guys before me…

I checked their statuses. One of them was actually beastfolk girl of thirteen years of age. And boy, her skills smells like muclehead! Strenght increase, Increased stamina recovery, iron skin, Hand to hand combat, beastification, those were her skills.

„Well, let’s inform father about this. Kiira, I will leave it up to you. This one have some wounds on her so take her to our home.“

„Yes!“ she said as she transfered away with one of the prisoner I pointed at, which was the beastfolk girl. She got the hang of it huh?

„Master, what about us?“ Ruzu asked.

„I will take some of their skills and then we will continue. This attendant will go with me.“

I breefly touched all the people and took some of their skills. The skills I took were Fire resistence, Keen hearing, Iron skin (which overwrote the Harden skin skill) and lastly Deffence shell.

Miss attendant was sleeping before me and the four guys with slave collars were in the back with luggage.

As we entered the mansions front gate, I could already see Lulu and her father with the mother on the staircase.

„I’m here, sorry you had to wait…“

„I’M SO SORRYYYYYY!“ Lulu’s mother practically flatten herself on the ground before me.

„Huh?“

„Leo… I’m sorry for the trouble my family costed you…“ Lulu lowered her head.

„So you knew?“

„M-my father told us about the attack moments ago…“ the mother continued.

„Ah, I see. And Lulu reacted, that’s why I sense priest from the building,“ I said. From what I could tell, Lulu probably lushed out and cut off his legs or hands.

„Y-yess… I’m so sorry,“ mother rubbed her forehead against the sandstone-paved floor.

„Okay, please rise your head. Only thing what happend was that I wasn’t on time due to this incident. I don’t plan to hold you responsible. But you sould take a look at what I brought with me.“

With those words, Ruzu dropped the four man and the attendant on floor.

„What?! Rizeena?! She pardoned herself with feeling ill! I will not let this slide!“ Baron Seawed yelled.

„Oh, don’t worry about her, she’s just an extra. The main reason is here, these guys,“ with gesture of my hand I had Ruzu show the Baron family the slave collars.

„Black stone slave collars?!“ the family gasped.

„Yes, I wondered what they were needing illegal slaves for, but now I know who their master really is and who leant them to your grandfather, Lulu.“

„Y-you don’t mean…“ the mother’s eyes widened.

„Yes, the owner of these slaves is Gen Varill, if my memory serves me right, he’s the first son of the Duke Varill.“

„For that to be…“ baron pondered.

„The Varill duchy it going through some serious famine right now, I wouldn’t be suprised if they were using some underhanded techniques to lower their population and sell the food aid to surrounding countries to make some cash..."

„Like turning their people into slaves…“

„Well, I can’t do much as kid so I will leave this matter to father and you Baron Seawed,“ I smiled at the family to put them at ease.

*

„Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! What the hell?! That kid’s using space magic? Like, what the hell is that?“ duke Varill threw his cup with wine on the ground as he read the report.

„Father,“ said scrawny-looking man around 17 years, „You should have let me do this, after all, my older brother is incopetent.“

„And you’re stupid!“ the duke yelled and then continued: „He learned about our illegal slaves and slave collars! If he continues to do what he’s doing he will learn about the embezzlement!“

„Yes, I also thought that the Netrose family is dangerous, but I didn’t tought that their youngest son would be so profficient with his spellcraft this this extent. He must’ve aquired a lot of skills in his young age. Noel and Gavin are really dangerous, but I never though that this guy could even compeate with them… It would be bad if he gained title of his own. We need to eliminate the Netrose family starting with him.“

„Tsk, if it were that easy! …I will get to you… Flik Netrose, and I will kill you.“

„Well that’s all I needed to hear,“ a childish voice rung through the room.

„Who’s there!?“ the duke spitted out angrily and his son redied his sword. But it was alread too late for them.

Flames sprung up from all walls around them and illuminated single little girl with red hairs and eyes.

„You’ve said that you will kill my darling… and his father, and family... know that that is the most unforgivable sin in this world,“ the girl said in low, monotone voice.

„I order you to speak shrimp!“ the duke shouted.

„Order? I take orders only from one man, and even he doesn’t know I’m here right now,“ the girl said in same monotone voice and waved her hand lightly.

In that moment, the second son’s head flew of his body.

„You decided to stand in his way, that is another sin you’ve commited.“

With another wave of hand the duke’s head flew off.

Kiira, now completly satisfied collected documents and some expensive wine and walked through the room. She stopped before human sized portrait on wall.

„Passageway?“ Kiira said as she opened the door behind the portrait.

She walked down the stairs and entered a secret treasury.

„I can at least get something from this… I can get some funds for my wedding…fufufu fufufu… yeah, it’s soon right? I know it, dar~ling!“

Kiira collected all valuables inside the treasury to her Item box and left the mansion to burn.