Dud

"Young Master, we have arrived at Mura City. Do you wish to rest at an inn first or take a look around?"

Mencer's attendant bowed after opening the door to the carriage as he spoke.

"Hmph," Mencer scoffed. "When you say rest, don't you mean continue meditating? You've tried to make me do that the entire journey. Can't you take a break for once?"

Mencer's attended bowed deeply.

"My apologies, Young Master. But as the only son and heir of the Count, it is your duty and responsibility to live up to the Master's requirements. And as your attendant, it is my duty to make sure you do that."

"Fine. I'll set aside some time after dinner. But now, I want to take a stroll. My legs are all stiff after sitting in that cramped carriage all night."

Mencer ignored the looks of the ignorant commoners admiring the sight of an aristocrat from the Imra Kingdom. Two armed guards accompanied him around the town. Unlike Mencer, they couldn't ignore the looks of those around since they had to ensure their charge's safety. But even they missed a certain pair of bright eyes hopping between Mencer and the convoy he left behind to find a place to settle in the city.

Lu doubted he would lose the convoy of carriages in the city, even if he followed Mencer. But since precious cargo was most likely to be stored in the transport carriages rather than on the young noble's body, Lu only cared about that. Besides, it looked like the two most powerful guards had accompanied Mencer.

Unsurprisingly, Mencer's convoy ended up at the most luxurious inn in the city, with a separate stable for all the horses and a warehouse for increased security dedicated to the carriages close by but not so close it would obstruct the view from the inn.

Lu inspected the place and made his way around the place while scouting it out and looking for entry and exit points. It wasn't the first time he had considered stealing from a guest at the inn. But as the city's foremost inn, it prided itself on keeping its guests and their valuables safe. So, Lu had never thought it would be worth the trouble.

However, things were different now that he had his Blessing, which was perfect for nightly escapades that involved moving quickly from one point to another without making any noise.

Lu kept watch over the place until night fell and Mencer returned, already having eaten dinner if the drunken look on his face were any indication.

'Perfect.'

An easy target makes for an easy job.

Lu was still planning to hit the warehouse, but when Mencer returned, Lu had seen Mencer's fingers sparkle. A little extra treasure wouldn't hurt.

Lu looked at the sky. It was a little cloudy, and the full moon was a couple of days away. But the moonlight was still strong enough for Lu's plan to be viable.

First, Lu climbed onto the warehouse roof. It had lights inside, but there were also skylights to let in natural light during the day. Of course, those glass panes had iron bars on the other side to prevent anyone from breaking and entering by smashing the glass and dropping down.

And if anyone tried to break in by sawing through the bars, enough time would pass for the guards to arrive and apprehend the filthy thief.

It was a secure defense that, coupled with the guards provided both by the inn and its guests, made it difficult for thieves to enter. That was unless they could easily bypass the iron bars, of course.

Lu mounted a mirror next to the skylight before closing his eyes and concentrating. He turned into a flash of light that passed through the glass and between the iron bars before transforming back into a human on the floor of the warehouse.

'This really isn't fair.'

Lu admired his Blessing with a smile as he headed toward the carriages with Count Lito's crest.

'I guess the strain on my body is the balancing drawback.'

Unlike Hector, who could use his Blessing continuously for several hours without getting tired, Lu could only jump a few times before almost collapsing from exhaustion. So, he had to be careful and frugal when using his Blessing.

'Guess I'll have to work out a bit more.'

Lu sighed before picking the locks keeping the first wagon shut.

He also sighed after. It was a dud. It was only a bunch of clothes. While they were better and of higher quality than anything he had seen before, it wasn't easy transporting or making a profit.

Lu went through the other carriages and wagons in quick succession but didn't find anything except for a set of decorative daggers, a few pieces of jewelry, and a bottle of nice perfume. There were several perfumes, but all except one were too strong for Lu's liking.

Lu stuffed everything in his backpack before using the carefully angled mirror's reflection to flash to the edge of the skylight. Lu caught himself in midair right above the glass and climbed onto the roof again.

He looked toward the inn.

'I guess all the good stuff is in that box.'

While scouting, Lu had seen Mencer's attendant carrying an ornate box with him to the inn while protected by the guards now roaming around the warehouse. Naturally, an aristocrat wouldn't entrust their most valuable goods to the security of a countryside city's inn.

While avoiding the security perimeter and saving his Blessing, Lu made his way to the inn.

There weren't many nearby houses with several stories, and he couldn't get a good look into Mencer's room on the top floor. The moonlight also wasn't holding a good angle, so Lu could, at most, catch the windowsill.

Lu stretched his body, wrists, arms, and fingers to warm up and get rid of the stiffness he got from sitting still and watching Mencer's room like a hawk.

He could always jump into one of the lower windows and sneak up the few floors to Mencer's room. But when he thought of Mencer's scary-looking guards, most likely stationed outside his room, he decided against it. Besides, when hanging onto Mencer's window, Lu could always look into the room and decide if he should bail or not.

"Okay, let's do this."