He heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. But he was under the building of an adult establishment. Why would anyone come here?

More realistically if someone was coming to this part of the building it was to get lucky with one of the maidens of the establishment. So normally there was nothing to worry about. Normally.

His attention turned back to the bag and he continued counting the coins. The footsteps got closer but there was nothing to worry about. It was just someone passing by. The footsteps soon stopped and he could finally count the bag while breathing easily. Besides their feet were grey so he was confident he wasn't in any danger. That was until he felt a hand grab his back and drag him from under the building. He was brought face to face with the man. He had dreadlocks, seemed pretty tall and was built like a brick shithouse. And more importantly, he was focused on what was in Kevin's hand.

“Damn, I should've known this place was a bust. It's next to a place where women can do nothing but drain guys of cash, of course, someone here would be an expert in finding money that isn’t theirs.”

Kevin tried to struggle out of his grip but Ezekiel paid him no mind. “Listen, kid, I know you probably have it rough with your mom working here but…”

“M-m-my mom doesn't work here.” He shouted.

“Sure ki- hmm?”

As he observed his clothing, the boy wasn't a member of high society but only the front of his clothing was dirty. The back of it looked pretty alright. Plus it looked well kept and more importantly any kid raised in this kind of place would have been calling him a cocksucker at his age.

“She doesn't?”

“N-no. My parents work in the capital. I live here with my grandpa.”

“(Thank God I don't have a kid, he'd just start yapping to the first person who asked.) Is that so… so what are you doing under this place?”

“I found this treas-” He froze up. A large man holding up. A large amount of cash is hidden away. Near an adult establishment? This was definitely shady.

He was screwed. His greed screwed him at the worst possible moment. He started tearing up and desperately tried to struggle out of his grasp.

He shouted out for help but no one answered.

“Easy kid-”

He threw the bag at his knee and Ezekiel crumpled to the floor. He wasted no time running away.

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Ezekiel rubbed his knee as Kevin ran away and cursed like a sailor as he got back up to his feet.

(“Shit, he just had to go for the injured kne- huh?”)

He limped to the end of the alleyway and… he was gone. It wasn’t a crowded street either, at this point of the day at this time of the week, the town was pretty empty.

“How'd he?”

He ran down the street looking through a few windows of nearby stores but he found nothing.

“Well isn't that interesting?” He said with a smile. “I think I found one of those prodigies I hear people talk about.”

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A day passed and Kevin decided he was going to be more careful with his actions. Follow the colours like they were gospel or he might end in the clutches of that man again. He assumed red was dangerous but grey was also a sign of danger as well.

He began looking for some more coins, undeterred from yesterday but this time he'd avoid anything grey.

But as he wandered around town he noticed something odd. Many of the coins labelled green would turn grey as he approached them.

“Why is this happening? I don't think I’ve seen this before.”

From the rooftop of a nearby building, a man was looking through a pair of binoculars. He had dreadlocks and a body sculpted of marble. More importantly, he was staring intently at a child.

“Why isn't he picking any of them up?”

Intrigued by the child and with nothing better to do, he decided to harass test this kid out.

He noticed his coin pouch had a hole in it but the strange thing about it was that it only left coins in his previous hiding spots.

(“I thought I could keep this income a secret but this kid would really make that a pain in the ass. But I am curious how he does it. Does he have magic? I gotta get him a part of the guild, even if he moves on to another parish.”)

After observing the kid some more he noticed walking with two coins in his hand after he stopped paying attention.

(“What the? Does he know I'm watching him.”)

He noticed the child look at the coins with caution and put them back.

(“Huh!?”)

He started running and Ezekiel immediately gave chase. (“Alright, I don't know who this kid is but I gotta check him out. That seems like a freaky magic.”)

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Yet again, a kid who probably hadn't even grown hair down there outmanoeuvred an adventurer. The #1 at that (for this parish at least).

Granted he would probably lose track of someone of a similar skill level to him if they tried to run away, but a kid? He'd feel embarrassed saying he lost a kid at any distance.

But he couldn't help but smile. This was the most interesting thing he'd witnessed in months.

Ezekiel was now determined to catch this little prodigy. “Heh, with the right polishing, this kid is gonna be a star, I can see. I can imagine all those snobby bastards in the capital getting shocked when they're working for him.”

His skills alone would make him an excellent scout. But if he could use that evasion for combat….

He returned to the top of the roof and decided then and there, that he wouldn't leave unless he captured that kid, no matter how long it took. And then promptly find his grandpa so he could train him without it being considered kidnapping.