Published: September 2, 2025
Satou here. I wonder if con artists pitching get-rich-quick schemes have the same vibe no matter the world?
Though, in this world, just having a deception skill might get you arrested...
â—‡
A red dot suddenly appeared on the radar that had only shown white dots before.
It was very close.
The man staggered as if drunk and charged straight at me, clutching a box wrapped in what looked like expensive velvet. More of a blackmailer or extortionist than just a con artist, probably.
Normally, the distance and speed would make him impossible to dodge, but I slipped aside naturally.
From the outside, it must have looked like the man suddenly tripped and fell on his own. Which was exactly what happened...
“Ahhh! My family heirloom vase!”
He shouted that, but we were already gone.
After I dodged, I walked on without even acknowledging the man. Liza and Arisa followed closely. Arisa apparently noticed something with her Malice Perception (Sense Evil).
“Hey! Don’t run away!”
The man lunged at me, still clutching the broken heirloom vase.
I timed a strike perfectly and knocked him out. From the outside, it probably looked like he fainted from anger.
When I only had combat skills, I couldn’t pull off something this natural, but since learning the abduction skill, I’ve gotten better at neutralizing people without drawing attention.
I carefully propped the unconscious man against a wall in the alley. Before leaving, I checked his status—he didn’t appear to be part of a criminal guild.
He might get robbed of his belongings before he wakes up, but his life should be safe.
“The security here is really bad, huh.”
“Yeah, when I first came to East Street, my wallet was gone in no time.”
Speaking of which, despite this district’s bad reputation, there are quite a few shops handling expensive goods. I wonder how their security holds up.
Watching more carefully, several burly men headed in groups were clearly watching people, not the merchandise.
Checking the AR display, they belonged to groups like the East District Vigilante Corps or the Guard Dog Guild. It seems a few organizations cooperate on security here.
â—‡
Right now, I’m in the flea market area that mainly deals in pottery. I bought bottles for medicine and lidded containers for ointments. The bottles weren’t glass but unglazed clay. They’re the same type as those in the starter set, but I wonder if the medicine can spoil in them?
Come to think of it, I haven’t read a single page of the alchemy set’s manual I bought.
A little ahead, a crowd has gathered.
“What’s going on?” Arisa said, sneaking into the crowd but coming back looking bored after a while.
“What was it?”
“They said it was a magical toy, so I got my hopes up... turns out it’s a spinning top that spins once you pour magic power into it. And it costs one gold coin each. That crowd’s just watching out of curiosity.”
What?
“How do they pour the magic power?”
“The disc part looks like the magic item itself. You hold the disc with both hands, channel magic from your right hand to your left, and when a blue line on the disc lights up, you place it on the stand and let go quietly.”
The magic power needed is about 2 points to charge it.
I ignored Arisa boasting about being a “kid” and headed to the crowd. The demonstration had just finished, and people were leaving.
On the stall was an item named “Spinning Disc (Rolling Ring)” by appraisal. The description was the usual vague stuff, so I didn’t bother reading. With a diameter of 20 cm, it’s quite large for a spinning top. The going rate is two gold coins.
The shopkeeper refused a child’s request to spin it more, saying the magic power had run out.
“Hello, would you like me to charge it with magic power?”
“Sorry, brother. Try holding the disc with both hands and channel magic from right to left. When the blue line lights up, put it on the stand and quietly let go.”
I poured about 2 magic points, and the charge completed.
I watched the timer closely and let go at just the right moment.