There are many kinds of heist. People steal wealth, fame, power, and in Ric’s case; identity.

Amongst the various reasons and excuses, the most heartbreaking or, in Ric’s perspective, “despicable,” cause is to steal to fill one’s stomach. Nothing wrong with such a basic need, but it twisted the demon king’s stomach the wrong way.

Ric ate other hard-earned food all the time. He couldn’t cook if his life depended on it, yet that wasn’t stealing. It was simply his food on a stranger’s plate.

Everything below him belongs to him, which includes their food.

In the last war, if everyone stopped cooking, Ric would’ve left the throne for some gourmet food at some point.

Ric hated the idea of stealing a basic need, so he expanded his perimeters. He required other’s help to pull it off and his general curiosity played as a perfect cover to keep his true motives hidden.

“Okay, listen and understand fast. We don’t have the time.” Ric urged.

“You were the one who kept stalling for information.” Henzo countered.

Before The group added their useless opinions, Ric hushed them by scratching the table. The sharp screech made them cringe away and focus.

“Listen. Understand.” Ric repeated, then pointed at Henzo, wasting more time. “Information required to keep all of your sorry asses alive.” Next, he points at Yanko. “Stay and retrieve any more information you can find here. I don’t care if you think it’s not useful, if it’s information, tag it, bag it, and take it to the base.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re old, slow, and smell.”

Yanko sniffs himself and recoils. “Could’ve stopped after the first two.”

“Would’ve if I couldn’t.” Ric covers his nose. “How are you worse than a corpse?”

“It might be the corpse.” Yanko countered.

“Nope!”

“We are already off topic.” Rika rolls her eyes.

“Ahem!” Ric clears his throat and continues. “Get closer... except for you!”

“Awe!” Yanko complains and gets to completing his task.

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They go out of context a couple more times before they memorize the plan. Ric takes the initiative and starts the plan with the first wrong step.

“He isn’t taking off his clothes,” Henzo complained, tugging on Tenson’s pants.

“Get off me, you weirdo.” Tenso struggled to keep his pants on.

“Treats and bribes aren’t working on him,” Mae reports.

“He is a bad influence on them,” Rika complains to Wrilo.

“Repeat that a few times. Maybe you will hear yourself in one of them.” Wrilo shakes her head in disappointment and heads closer to Ric.

“He is not the kind to think of himself.” Ric’s devious smile returned, signaling the group that they were about to plunge themselves deeper into a hole from which they might never recover. “When was the last time you provided a proper meal for your family?”

“I keep them alive.” Tenso countered with gritted teeth.

“If you won’t side with me, there won’t be any sides to pick from,” Ric warns.

“That’s a bit harsh,” Henzo interjected.

“It’s the truth.” Ric steals Henzo’s stamina back. “And you know it!” He eyes Tenso.

The farmer strips to his birthday suit and tosses his clothes onto Ric’s face. “What good are my clothes if you can’t have my powers?”

Ric hands the clothes to Faso, who is the polar opposite of Tenso’s physique, nature, and everything else. “Until you behave like one of them, they won’t realize the difference.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because everyone cares for what’s on the outside. Inward you can be as rotten as you like.” Ric slaps Henzo out of his stupor. “Be a better slave, would you?”

“You mean friend?” Henzo croaks a reply.

“I said what I mean,” Ric said and turned to Faso. “I don’t have to tell you what to do twice, right?”

“I am you, you tell me!” Faso chuckles.

Ric chuckles alongside Faso. “Double of whatever they might pay you to betray me. Triple, if I get a name.”

Faso crosses his legs for a slight curiosity bow, similar to the ones farmers performed during a nobleman visit. Any hope of them being caught got washed away from Tenso’s heart alongside that bow. Tenso understood he was dealing with professionals, and nothing could stop these two liars for a long time.

Faso headed out to carry out the first stage of the plan, while the group helped Yanko secure the items Ric deemed important on a cart.

Time passed by and, seeing the discomfort on Ric’s face, pushed Ravi’s ego to speak. “That’s what you get for trusting a dishonest man.”

Ric ignores Ravi and frowns at the sun. Something was wrong with this world. Something he couldn’t place his finger on. “Dishonesty is the only constant factor...” Ric says, pivoting to Ravi. “...in any world.”

“What a sad world you live in!” Tenso let out a low growl.

“We.” Ric corrected with a smile. “Or at least your family.”

“What did you do?”

“Me! Nothing.” Ric casually moves closer to Tenso. “The dishonest man...”

Tenso lunges forward, but the group bars his path, using their combined strength to hold one farmer in place.

“What is he doing?” Tenso lashed out.

“Shh...” Ric places a hand on Tenso’s forehead, pulling it up and staring straight into his teary eyes. “He’s making sure dumb fucks in there remember your name, so stay calm. You don’t want dumb fucks to think you can be in two places at once.”

The realization struck harder than any blow and Tenso shrunk to the floor, his raging emotions turning to exhaustion.

“When did you plan that?” Ravi asks.

“Didn’t.” Ric shrugs. “I just predicted how our new ally works.”

“Using his identity as a decoy.” Wrilo realizes, peering at Tenso. “Same tactic you would’ve used.” She turns her gaze to Ric.

“Good.” Ric pats Wrilo. “Now find a female mule to pull the cart.”

Before The group could contradict Ric again, Wrilo spoke up. “Might not be efficient, but with a male and female mule we can get milk and more livestock in time.” After shutting the group, she turns to Ric and nods. “I’ll get one.”

“I would say don’t be greedy, but I perceive you won’t,” Ric winks back. “Take me to all the sleeping guards.” He ordered.

“Everything you build will collapse,” Ravi warned.

Ric interjected before Ravi could ramble on for more curses. “If heaven exists, it’s built by dark people, mate. I, for one, choose hell.” He finishes by tapping his foot, showing they are already there.

While Faso gathered children’s clothes from Richie Lane, Ric snuck around the guards’ barracks, zapping everyone’s stamina and eatables.

Before Faso returned, Ric fed the group from a plate full of scraps to keep their energy level elevated. The way they devoured the scraps made him think they considered this a feast.

“Desire is the first step to greatness. Keep your expectations so low, and people won’t even consider you human.”

After Faso returned, Ric boosted everyone’s stamina beyond their wildest dreams, keeping most of the power between himself, Henzo, and Faso; for they had the biggest part to play.

Clothes make the man, it doesn’t matter which world you’re from. Yet even after dressing them up in a rich folk attire they still seemed filthy to Ric’s eyes.

“All of your aura stinks of defeat. No bath or cloth in the world can cover that up!”

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