The man is quite understanding. It seems I'm not the only one surprised by the admission fee, or rather how much it is. A whole shilling? That is about as much as a decent piece of used gear as far as I can tell. I guess it helps make sure that only those join that have decent gear and will be able to maintain it. In a way it helps maintain quality standards.

I'm still not too happy about it. Never mind though. That isn't something I can change right now. It is what it is. I'll either have to do some serious work, maybe down at the docks at either waterfront, or help myself to some stuff I can sell at the Paws and Pawn.

Well, I could borrow the money. I'm almost certain that the guild could accommodate me. And if they don't, some merchants in the city sure aren't above a little usury. There is always someone like that and I really wouldn't feel bad about leaving them with a pile of bad debt. I'd need to figure out a way to mask my status first though in addition to my [Change Shape] power.

I don't really want to get into actual debt though. Yes, I'd really rather avoid it. Not for a sum I can earn with just a few hours, or days at most, of hard work loading or unloading ships anyway. It's not worth the hassle.

No, I'm better off either doing some hard work or cutting some purses. Maybe the former, as I really don't want to be caught doing the latter while working on joining the adventurers' guild. Although going through other peoples attics in the dead of night might still be an option. There have to be a few forgotten treasures hidden in between the inevitable clutter, right?

Yes, that is what I'll do. Until then I have some time to kill though. Should I earn some coin with honest work in the meantime? Or should I practice some of my skills until then? The question really isn't one though. I, of course, can do both, which is a good enough reason to actually do both.

I start by taking the easy way back out of the inner city. Traffic leaving the city isn't nearly as tightly controlled as people trying to get in through the gate. No, people leaving usually barely garner a glance by the guards.

It isn't too hard, but I do my best to blend in with the rest of the people leaving through the gate anyway. I take another precaution too. I wait for the guards at the gate to change. Thankfully they aren't working full shifts there. No, instead they switch with others from the gatehouse pretty regularly. Maybe because standing there in full armor is tiresome. More likely though to make sure everyone on their actual shift has a chance to fill their purse with other peoples' coin.

It doesn't really matter to me, except it makes it unlikely that any one guard will question my presence within the walls. I might have gotten in while someone else was on duty after all. What matters is that my [Stealth] improves a little further.

Somehow it feels liberating to be back outside the walls, even if I can't exactly say why. The back alleys inside the walls certainly aren't all that different, except they have plaster instead of the mud that is pretty much omnipresent out here. It may sound weird, but it is what it is.

As I make my way to the downstream waterfront this time around I decide to practice my purse cutting a little. That's not quite as easy as it sounds though. It starts with picking the right target. It has to be someone with a full purse after all. And they shouldn't be too alert and on guard either. At the same time I can't waste too much time watching the people either though. Most people tend to catch on eventually, when someone watches them too intently or too long after all.

My [Perception] improves anyway, as I watch out for prospective targets. Even better, this time around it is enough to earn me a notification via divine whisper!

[*Ding!* Your skill Perception has leveled up to level 8!]

It's one of my best skills so far. Even better, as it reaches an even level it's governing attribute improves a little too. In this case it's my agility that improves some. And that on its own already can come in quite handy. Never mind that improvements like this improve my combat prowess in the long run too.

Well, while that might be nice, I don't need to cut people right now. Purses or purse strings will do. Thank you very much!

In the end I settle on a nicely dressed woman of middling age. A tailor catering to those a little more well off than most, as far as I can tell, considering her shop and her own clothes.

Like many others she wears her purse in such a way that it is easily visible. Well, she wears one purse that way. I'm pretty sure she has another hidden somewhere within the folds of her skirt. The one she wears out in the open is probably a distraction, or possibly a lure, for people just like me. It contains at least a little coin though. Otherwise it wouldn't work. Yes, judging by the way it sways and jingles, it contains at least a few pennies. That is good enough for me.

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I palm my especially sharp little purse knife and get in position to pass her when she'll be about to cross another busy street. I steady my breathing too. I have practiced this with Wiktor in the practice parkour above Beldrogar's shop, but I'm still a little nervous. At least I know the neighborhood well enough to make a fast getaway should anything go wrong.

Wiktor, or any of the other guild members I have gotten to know so far, might have called my execution a little clumsy still. Well, any of them maybe except that numbskull Barandon. It's a good thing that none of them are around to notice. Probably.

I manage to cut the purse fine enough anyway and the woman never even notices. Her attention is on the people moving along the street crossing the one we are following. It probably helps that the purse cutting knife is insanely sharp. It doesn't so much as tug on the purse as it parts the soft leather of the purse.

As I withdraw my hand again, it's not just the blade resting in it's palm either. No, next to it rest two pennies. That's not all the coins that were in there, the cut isn't large enough for all to come tumbling out, but I'm satisfied anyway.

Almost better than the coins is the feeling of my [Sleight of Hand] skill improving a little. Curiously enough, it isn't the only one either. No, my [Blades] skill edges a little closer to the next level up too. Very curious.

I don't dwell on it though. I make both the little knife and the coins disappear instead. Now that I have been successful, it won't do to be caught just because I still have my tools and my loot out where anyone with sharp enough eyes might take note.

It's not a big haul, but for now its good enough. Especially considering that I'm not above getting myself free meals. Still, if I want to join the adventurers' guild I'll need to save up a little.

Not much later I reach the downstream waterfront. There I head to the docks first. Sadly no work is to be had right now. It seems most trade ships, the ones most likely to need help with loading and unloading leave or arrive either much earlier or later in the day. Too bad. I guess I'll have to check back later in the afternoon, before I leave to explore some attics in the inner city. If I'm lucky I might still be able to earn myself another coin then.

For now though I decide to visit the inn where Jerzy apparently tends to spend so much of his time. Maybe he has something for me. And even if not, he might be able to point me in Wiktor's direction.

If nothing else, I might at least be able to talk him into a little swordsmanship training. It's not like I plan to make extensive use of my combat skills, but it's always better to be able and ready to defend yourself should the need ever arise. Sometimes words alone will only get you so far after all, unless you are able to back them up.

My brows furrow, as I enter the inn. Jerzy isn't at his usual place. He isn't anywhere else to be seen either. He simply isn't here. Well, I guess it is to be expected. He is a busy man after all. He certainly has better things to do than to just wait for me to show up all day, every day. It probably only was lucky coincidence that I always met him here so far. Still I can't help but feel a little disappointed.

And I can't just turn around in the door and leave either. That would look bad or possibly even suspicious. Can't have that. Thus I head over to one of the tables in the back and sit down there.

The serving girl is with me almost before I'm really sitting.

“Your usual?”

The question makes me blink in surprise, at least briefly. Do I have a usual? Then I nod anyway and snip one of my few hard won coins her way.

“Sure.”

She catches the coin without a problem. She doesn't even look at it, as she makes it disappear into a pocket on her apron. Without delay she is off to fetch me my drink. A moment later she is back with a mug of beer.

“He'll probably not be back any time soon, you know.”

I look up at her and nod.

“Thanks.”

Then I take a first sip of my drink. It's good beer and I'm not exactly in a hurry, thus I decide to take my time and enjoy it. This has the additional benefit of giving me some more time to think and who knows, maybe either Jerzy or Wiktor shows up. Stranger things have happened after all.

Come to think of it, I can still head over to what probably is Wiktor's usual spot to sleep away the day near the mill. Damn. I'll have to cross the city again to get there. Well, if I keep my eyes open I might come across another opportunity to work on my purse cutting at least. With a sigh I finish my beer. Then I'm off with a nod to the serving girl.

As I walk across the district outside the wall, from one waterfront to the other, I cross the market where I have helped myself to a quick meal twice now too. I'm not hungry right now though, thus the food vendors are safe for now. I come across another curious sight though, as I'm already about to leave the market again.

It's Matylda, and she is running a little booth at the very edge of the market. I blink half in surprise and half in confusion as I take in the sight. She is all dressed up like some kind of stereotypical witch and as far as I can tell she is offering her services as a fortune teller.

Another guild member, one of the less thick headed goons from Barandon's group, leaning against a wall not too far away while he is slowly eating some kind of meat pie, suggests that this is not just her working a legitimate day job.

How does she do it? As far as I can tell the people visiting her booth are actually quite satisfied with her fortune telling. Well, some are troubled or distressed too. I guess their fortunes are not exactly favorable. As far as I know she isn't actually a magician though. Is this just a confidence trick? Or are the cards she uses magical?

I guess it doesn't really matter though. What matters is that I'm not the only one who has taken note of her and her little hustle. I'd pat myself on the shoulder for my [Perception] improving a little once again, but there is not time for that. There is not time because she has drawn the worst possible kind of attention. The attention of the guard.

Even worse, Matylda's companion still seems unaware and has thus not warned her either. No wonder since they are approaching from his blind spot. Damn it all. He really should have picked a better spot for his lazy lounging. Maybe Jerzy can teach him a lesson one of these days. First we all have to get out of this mess in one piece though.