Chapter 4: Daylight Thievery II

The inside of the storeroom was significantly bigger than he’d expected, nearly as large as the front of the store. Tall stacks of boxes lined the walls all the way up to the ceiling, leaving very little space to maneuver. Other assorted wares were kept carefully assorted on the shelves or organized into crates and bins. Despite how packed it was, there was very little dust anywhere.

Leo shut the door behind him and locked it again. He turned his head, searching for any hidden entrances. He got down on the floor, pressing his uninjured hand over the floorboards and knocking lightly. Nothing.

His brows furrowed, and he kept searching. The conversation at the counter was muffled by the door, but it would probably be stopping soon. They’d agreed on Allan leaving after Leo made it inside. That way, if he was caught, there was a lower chance of the owner putting two and two together and realizing the [Rickshaw Puller]’s own role in the thievery.

Leo straightened, frustrated, and made his way along the walls. It had to be a place that the owner could easily access, he told himself. His eyes scanned the space wildly for any sign of a secret compartment.

There.

The row of shelves to his right was just a little crooked, he realized. They came to a corner with a line of boxes tilted at an angle. He stepped closer and, after bracing himself, he carefully shifted the shelf all the way over until it hit the wall proper like the others were positioned. The [Thief] gritted his teeth as the action put more pressure on his injury, but it was worth it. A grin spread across Leo’s features.

There, nestled behind the false corner, was a plain wooden door.

Leo restrained his excitement and slipped into the gap, pushing the shelf back into its former crooked angle with a combination of his uninjured hand and a leg. He inhaled and pushed at the hidden door, and it gave way easily. He stepped inside, and his eyes widened.

A thin back section of the storeroom had been separated out, and here, long wooden shelves ran from one end of the wall to the next. There was only enough space for one person to step down, but that wasn’t what Leo focused on. His heart raced.

Lining those shelves were class crests.

The [Thief] stepped forward, carefully picking one up. He’d never seen one so close before.

The badge was small, its looping metal edges cool to the touch. Embedded in its center was a single crystal clear stone that looked like glass at first glance. Unlike glass, though, its surface was matte, and when Leo tilted the crest, he could make out a few swirling, shimmering pieces of light caught in its center.

This was it. This was what they’d been working for for five years now, living on the bare minimum, taking whatever jobs they could scrounge up And now, all of that effort was there, condensed into the tiny little badge in resting his hands. He could almost laugh.

Leo replaced the badge and moved to the end of the room. He’d take two from the back, where the owner was less likely to notice them missing. Then, all he had to do was wait out the night and get out in the morning.

The [Thief] carefully placed the two badges into the pouch tied to his belt, tightening the drawstring securely and knotting it again for good measure. He glanced around. Inside here, he couldn’t hear what was happening at the counter. He hoped Allan had left already.

[You have successfully stolen [2] Tier 1 class crests]

[You have gained experience! Experience shared with [1] other party member]

[You have leveled up! 200 points awarded]

[Progress towards next level: 23%]

Leo grinned at the notifications. Level 18 now. Stealing these crests gave a lot of experience. He’d have to think about what to do with the points once he’d found a hiding spot. The constant dull pain running through his right hand was making him consider using the points to raise [Renewal] to level 2, but that would cost half his points. With the leftover 100, he’d only be able to raise 2 stats higher.

Leo pushed the hidden door open, poking his head out. Between the gaps in the boxes and shelves, the store room looked undisturbed. Out here, he couldn’t hear Allan or the guards’ voices. Aldas must be alone at the counter.

He turned his head, searching for a good place to hide. Aldas would definitely check the storerooms before closing, given how meticulous the man seemed, so it would have to be both fairly well hidden and also somewhere he could realistically remain in for a whole night.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Leo placed his hands on the crooked shelf, readying to move it aside again. Just as his fingers touched the wood, however, he heard the lock click.

The [Thief] jumped aside, pressing himself against the wall and making himself as small as possible. Through the thin gaps in the shelf, he could see the doorknob turning, and he shrunk in on himself even more, allowing himself to blend into the shadows between the shelf and wall. He could feel the wood biting into his skin, but he ignored it, too focused on watching the door slowly swing open.

“—useless guards,” the store owner was saying, shaking his head with a deep scowl. “Hardly any decent folk left these days.”

Aldas grumbled some more, peering around the dim storeroom. He adjusted his spectacles and stepped further inside, past the boxes and crates, studying them for any signs of tampering. Leo remained still, activating [Fade into Background] and hoping it would be enough. He didn’t have enough mana after this to use it again.

“…I know I heard something,” the shopkeeper muttered. He raised his head, studying the upper row of shelves lined with glass ornaments and wooden decorations.

Using the brief moment the man was turned away, Leo grabbed a folded fabric clustered on the bottom of the shelf he was hiding behind, quickly draping it over himself and leaving enough of a gap to see what was happening.

Aldas lowered his head. The floorboards creaked as he circled the space, finally coming to a stop at the false corner. Leo held his breath.

The shop owner grabbed the edge and pushed the shelf further in, and Leo pressed himself as flat to the wall as he could. The shelf dug into his chest, and he sucked in his breath. Any further and he would notice the resistance. The [Thief]’s heartbeat quickened, beating so loud that he was sure Aldas could hear it.

The shelf came to a stop. Aldas leaned forward through the gap, just enough to press open the hidden door and glance inside, then lean back out. Leo froze, not even daring to look out the gap beneath the cloth as the man’s eyes briefly swept the corner.

Seconds ticked past. Leo heard nothing but his own breaths.

And then, finally, the floorboards creaked and he heard the rumble of the shelf being pushed back, the weight against his chest lessening. Leo didn’t dare celebrate yet, but he did allow himself to peer out from the cloth and through the shelves, where Aldas was giving the store room a final glance, a deep frown etched onto his face.

“Maybe I am hearing things,” he muttered. Through the doorway, the muffled sound of the store’s front door opening slipped through, and Aldas yelled, “I’ll be there in a moment!” to the customer.

The man turned, his back to Leo, and the [Thief] finally allowed himself to relax just a little. He’d gotten lucky, he thought. He would need to make sure he found a very good hiding place after this, or the store owner would easily find him when closing time came and he gave the place a more thorough look.

The [Thief] quietly activated [Mana Recovery], which would help boost its natural recovery speed. He had enough mana left over to use [Judgement], which thankfully didn’t cost much, but he’d like to have enough for more [Fade into Background] as soon as possible.

Aldas reached for the doorknob, and Leo silently willed the man to leave faster.

His hand touched the metal. Leo tensed.

And then the world shifted.

A sharp pain suddenly burned in Leo’s head, and his hands flew up to grip it. It felt like his skull was being split open with a screw and then twisted and turned and drilled deeper and deeper.

He vaguely felt his knees hit the floor, and he thought he heard something crash and a scream, but he could barely make anything out over the piercing cracks resounding in his ears, one after the other, crescendoing into a final snap that sent him careening forward.

Pain blossomed from his hand as he landed on his healing fingers, but Leo didn’t focus on that. All he could see were the notifications rapidly flashing across his vision.

[ERROR: System Administrator not found]

[Reconfiguring System to run automatically]

[Administrator class functions have been condensed into a class crest]

[ERROR: Administrator class crest has been broken]

[System scattering fragments across continent]

And then, at the end of the long line of notifications, there was a single, final message, written entirely differently from the previous ones in a voice that was at once unknown and yet deeply familiar.

[Greetings.

Some of you may know me as a god, others as the [Administrator]. Regardless of how you choose to address me, this is my final message.

I have grown weary over the years. This world has evolved at a rapid pace. The Ancients have fallen. Kingdoms have been built and broken and built again. In this ever changing world, I believe someone new is needed to maintain it.

Any moment now, the fragments of the [Administrator] class crest will be randomly distributed across the continent. Each fragment contains a portion of the System’s power, though this amount will vary.

Some of these fragments will embed themselves directly into those of you lucky enough to receive them. Others will remain unmoored, waiting to be claimed.

To those of you who desire power, I advise you to seek these fragments out. The more you gather, the more of the [Administrator]’s abilities shall be relinquished to you.

And perhaps, should one of you gather enough, you may prove yourself worthy enough to take my place.

Thank you.

Goodbye.]