Chapter 24 - Maliel

Chapter 24 - Maliel

"Okay listen, we both started off on the wrong foot. My name is Maliel. "

She looks at me expecting me to introduce myself, but I don't. If she's there, it's probably to make a deal with me and I don't want to.

"Look, I just need to start my Survivalist training. It is already the third time that I come and that I stand in line like this. "

- My teacher told me to come in the evening when there were fewer people.

- Yes, there are fewer people in line. But the workouts are longer and the wait too.

-…

- I just need to go through the door and have my own teacher, once you're part of the class, the system makes the entrance more fluid. If you do this for me, I'll be in debt to you.

I look at Maliel and sigh. I should have been clearer about my refusal and now I'm getting screwed. I look at Micha and stroke his head. She looks back at me and nods, understanding what I want.

- How long have you been in the tower?

- Something like two weeks.

- And you really need the survivalist class now?

- I have no choice if I want to catch up with a friend of mine, but you're the same as me, aren't you? How long have you been in the tower?

- Oh, four days in total.

Maliel is looking at me now as if this conversation could get her what she wants and it probably does. I'm not going to refuse my help, but I would like to talk to him a bit beforehand.

- What class do you have in the thieves tower? I intend to return, and I hesitate on the class between thief and Assassin.

- You ?

Maliel then starts to stare up and down at me with a huge mocking smile on his face. That's also why I didn't want to have this conversation. She totally denigrates me. I rub my face, hoping this conversation ends quickly. The more I hear him talking to me, the more I realize that I like Micha.

Maliel is a very pretty girl, considering the fine features of her face, her dark curly hair below the hood of her cape that falls down her neck and over her face. Or her gray eyes that I could quickly see in the alley when I had tackled her to the ground.

But her personality… I can't help but look at her, feeling nothing for her other than indifference. Even though we seem to be the same age, Maliel feels superior to me in many ways and it shows in the way she looks at me. It didn't bother me in the alley, but during a conversation it's much more awkward. She then spoke again.

"I have been a thief since I arrived and if you want my opinion you don't look made for the thieves tower, but if you are stubborn I would at least tell you not to choose the thieves class . It's much more complicated than being a Assassin. A thief must absolutely know how to play with the senses of his opponent and be methodical, since a theft technique can work on one person, but not on another. The most important thing is finesse and discretion and you don't seem to be made for that. An assassin has only to kill the person and then run away, it's much easier. "

I look at her, sighing inwardly, she can't even be objective. I have the impression that she is defending her favorite sports team without really thinking. I then tell him that the first lesson for survivalists is to make a fire and that I will help him to return. I grab my firestone from my wallet and show her, telling her it'll probably come in handy if she doesn't already have one. I then put it away in my wallet, helping Micha to get inside after she had done her forfeit. Mission successful according to the link.

"Okay, I'll help you get home." "

I have no reason to continue talking with her any longer. Considering the quality of the information she gives me, I'd better go on my own, but I had already planned to do it a little later.

I get up from the bench and decide to accompany him to the door of the survivalists. We pass in front of the line and the guard, seeing me arrive accompanied, says nothing and just opens the door. I let her pass in front of me and wish her good luck. She then turns to me with a sadistic smile, the same one I had seen in the alley.

"Thank you for your gesture and don't worry about the parts I leave them to you without worries." We'll meet Again. "

I look at her in surprise. How does she…? The guard closes the door in front of me and tells me not to stay here if I don't want to come back. I go back to the bench and sit down. I retrieve Micha who is still in my wallet and put it back in his leather pocket. Then I lean under the bench and retrieve the necklace covered with coins.

During the conversation I asked Micha to try to steal coins from her as discreetly as possible which she managed to do without a problem, at least I believed him since Maliel noticed it and didn't say anything. . She preferred to laugh at me by telling me about the discretion and finesse that are necessary for thieves. Her only goal was not to queue and she managed to pass.

There are about ten pieces on the necklace and I expected this to be a nice sum since there is apparently only one per person and it represents ten successful thefts.

If I am to believe Cyrus, they are used to collect prizes in the Thieves Tower. It is also the only item thieves can steal outside of their tower block and cannot be stored in their inventory.

I thought I was playing a trick on her, but in the end she just let me do it. She had already planned to achieve her goal, no matter the cost. I got screwed a second time.

I stroke Micha's head, smiling nervously. I really got screwed, but hey, at least I got the necklace back and I didn't do it out of charity. In the end, this girl seems a lot more interesting to me than I thought when I saw her in the queue.

I put the coins in my wallet and decide to head in the direction of the Tamers wing. I walk through the door and since Fae isn't there, I decide to go to the classroom. Inside, Fae who was lying on the sofa sleeping straightens up, stretches and tells me to get into the desk to start class.

She finally gets up and tells me what we are going to do today.

"Today, we will start by working on your management of the link with Micha so that you stop fainting. You will stay installed at the office and I will go to the next room to play with her a little. For your part, try not to collapse and mark everything you feel on this sheet in as much detail as possible. It'll take you a while, but the goal for you is to get to know what I'm doing in the next room without needing to be there. If you get there, you should be able to reach the next level. "

She then gives me a sheet and a pencil, then reaches out and picks up Micha before leaving for the next room.