Fishing

Ritzy wanted to ask more since it sounded exciting with a rampaging experiment. But the old shopkeeper had already closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Ritzy shrugged and turned around. He had other things to deal with.

Instead of some odd experiment, he wanted to focus on expanding his army so that he could use it to gather the materials necessary to revive or pseudo-revive Talia.

But before that, he had to deal with the consequences of his actions.

The shop had become ominously empty following Ritzy's display of wealth.

Ritzy let Unholy Avatar take the lead as he left the underground black market shop with an excited smile on his face. However, it seemed no one was taking action in the black market alley.

Ritzy was a little miffed, but maybe it was for the better since that might invite even more trouble, which would make it difficult to ascertain Avie's skills.

Mognog realized what Ritzy was doing and what he had planned. He sighed, but he kept an eye out for anyone stalking them or lying in wait to ambush them as soon as they left the alley.

"Not here either, huh?"

Ritzy was yet again disappointed that his materials weren't throwing themselves at him after they left the black market and returned to the ordinary one. However, launching an attack to try and take Ritzy or the treasures he carried in the middle of a crowded street wasn't good for anyone.

"Yeah. If you want to catch as many fish as possible, you could find a deserted back alley, get into a light scuffle there, and then drag the rest with you outside the city."

"Do you think I need that, considering how they drooled over my treasure?"

Ritzy tilted his head at Mognog's suggestion. He considered it, but, at the same time, the bait he had thrown out should be more than enough.

Mognog would have shrugged if he had shoulders.

"You might catch the fish who have yet to see the bait."

"That's true."

"What are you two talking about?"

Ritzy nodded as he turned to the side and entered a narrow street with barely any windows, doors, or other things that would attract anyone to it for anything other than passage.

"Perfect!"

It didn't take more than a couple of seconds before two masked figures dropped down from the roofs and blocked both exits to the cross-street.

"Come with us quietly, and we will spare your life!"

"Kid, if you want me to save you, just say the word. And prepare the payment."

A third figure spoke while hanging upside down from the eaves of one of the nearby houses.

Ritzy glanced at the three figures, the three sources of materials, before gulping audibly.

"Y-you will never take me alive! Avie, charge!"

Ritzy pointed at one of the two people blocking his path as he ordered the Unholy Avatar to take the lead.

The Unholy Avatar obeyed soundlessly and charged with quick and powerful steps. He was like a train as he rammed straight into the masked person and slapped them into the wall.

Ritzy raised his eyebrows in appreciation.

"Oh, right."

He quickly hurried after Avie while stuffing the poor, insta-killed would-be robber on a Deathbed. 

The masked corpse's companion and the third figure realized that they might not have the qualifications to try and take Ritzy down if he was capable of controlling such a powerful undead. Just because they were the quickest in tracking and ambushing Ritzy didn't mean they were guaranteed to succeed.

In fact, it was more likely they would fail since they hadn't properly assessed their target. Their greed made them shallow and short-sighted.

Anyone with a lick of experience and understanding of how the world worked would know that someone with that much treasure and a way to store all of it with ease wouldn't be a target as easy as picking apples from the neighbor's overgrown tree.

Those who knew what they were doing also knew that they would need a bigger stage with more freedom and less organized interference to ensure Ritzy's treasure didn't escape.

If necessary, the first and best option would be to wait until Ritzy was alone in a deserted part of town during the night. But the most optimal scene for attacking and robbing Ritzy would be outside the city, where the guards had no jurisdiction.

Hopefully, Ritzy would realize that the city was crawling with people itching for his loot and decide to leave. And that's what he did.

He left the narrow street passage with a blood-covered arm and a limp. Ritzy hurried to the city gate with uneven steps. No one opposed his tactical retreat out of the city, though Xiotal was still a little confused about what was going on, including why Ritzy had stolen some blood from Avie's victim and faked a limp. But she held tight for the ride.

Eventually, shortly after leaving the city, Ritzy left the road and stepped onto a field, the perfect stage for what was about to go down.

Shortly after, several different groups of people made their approach from different directions, making sure not to get close to one another while encircling Ritzy with an inescapable formation, not that Ritzy had any plans on escaping.

"Kiddo, you sure we got this?"

Mognog looked around at the dozen or so people. He couldn't help but feel that a lone Unholy Avatar might not be enough to take them all down and protect Ritzy at the same time.

Ritzy nodded confidently.

"Of course. Mos—Xiotal, you're in charge of defense. Avie, you can go wild. Moggy, keep an eye out."

"Got it."

Mognog was already watching their surroundings, and there wasn't much else he could do, considering his lack of body.

"Hey! I didn't agree to this!"

Since Unholy Avatar didn't have a proper consciousness and mindlessly obeyed Ritzy's orders, the only one opposing it was Xiotal.

"Yes, you did."

"Grr."

Unfortunately, Ritzy and Mognog had already baited her into promising them her magical services.

A breezy veil of magic formed a dome around Ritzy, letting him take cover from the would-be robbers' fierce, greedy, hostile gazes. 

The Unholy Avatar was about to initiate his charge when someone who appeared to be the leader of one of the factions of Benin interested in Ritzy's treasure stepped forward.

"Kid, I'm Grunge of the Rough Belt Gang. If you hand over your treasures, I promise to protect you from these other lowlives."

"Don't listen to him, kid! He might keep you safe from us—if we let him—but that won't save you from him!"

A gruff man with a fluffy beard stepped out and interrupted before Ritzy could answer the man with a wide-brimmed hat and long overcoat.

"Yeah! That Rough Belt Gang is infamous for toying with children!"

With the combined efforts of Benin's underground, it didn't take long for everyone to find out that Ritzy wasn't from Benin. Thus, he wouldn't know the local players he had enticed.

The third person who spoke out to prevent Ritzy from siding with Grunge was a woman who spearheaded the third largest group after Grunge and the bearded man.

Several smaller groups had also taken an interest in Ritzy and his treasures. But they were taking a more careful stance, hoping to fish for opportunities about the rumored legendary treasure in Ritzy's hand.

An entire Deathbed filled to the brim with shiny treasures oozing with value and mana had apparently been enough to whip the entire underground of Benin into a treasure-hungry frenzy. So, even if the three big factions had targeted Ritzy, most others were also interested in a piece.

"Kid, you aren't from around here, so you don't know this. But…."

Grunge spoke with a throbbing vein on his forehead, poorly hidden by his hat.

"Those two can't be trusted."

He pointed at the man with the beard and the woman in a red fur coat and black dress.

Ritzy looked at the three people who led Benin's dark side in what was clearly an unstable balance. He could tell that the woman or the man with the beard would throw back another round of dirt to Grunge, so he stopped that.

"I can tell that just by looking at them. But you're not any better, Baldy."

Ritzy looked at Grunge with a calm gaze as he stopped pretending to be a meek, injured boy.

"But Beardy and Blondie's followers are at least loyal to them. Your right-hand man there…."

Ritzy pointed at a short-haired man with a scar across his eye and a rapier strapped to his waist.

"...Has been plotting your murder for the last two weeks. The rest aren't as bad. But if I'm honest, all of them would stab you in the back if given the chance."

Ritzy ended it with a shrug, as if he was just chatting casually.

Baldy glanced at his one-eyed coworker before turning to Ritzy again.

"Don't be ridiculous, kid. If you don't want my help, if you want to be swindled by those buffoons, just say so. There's no reason to say shit like that about Yuger. We've been working together for years. Why would he ever want to kill me?"

Ritzy shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know. Did something happen two weeks ago? Or maybe it was longer ago, but Bladey just found out two weeks ago? Any ideas? Here's a hint. There are only three things that drive people to kill: the three M's, money, madness, and women."

Ritzy smiled as he used his fingers to list Bladey's possible motives for plotting Baldy's murder. At first glance, his smile looked cute and endearing, thanks to his naturally cute features. But Ritzy's smile was anything but cute. It was insidious and filled with malice.

Baldy's eyes flashed in realization. He shot Bladey a wary glance before taking a step away from him.

"Grunge…? Are you seriously believing that brat?"

Bladey took a step closer while questioning Baldy's wariness.

"Wait…."

Bladey stopped walking and put a hand on his hilt.

"There's no way you would believe him for no reason."

Bladey fastened a sharp glare on Baldey's shifty eyes.

"Right…?"