Training had been put on hold for a week, while my claws recovered. After getting them coated, Paladin Stormsong hand shoved my paws into a vat of oil. After that, I had my claws and paws completely wrapped up, with strict instructions to keep the extended for the next week.

Now I truly was Mittens, with large bandages wrapped around my paws. My father had helped me back to the car and to my room. The next day, he had to feed me with a grin on his face. “The boat is coming Mittens. Open wide,” he said teasing me. I opened my mouth since I was hungry and ate my fish.

“Who fed you?” I asked.

“A poor creature assigned to suffer, Mousethief. I am only helping you this morning. But you will be getting a trainee today. They will be helping you out. Consider it a bonding experience.” I glared at my father, but he was immune to my glares. “Now open up, the car is coming, vroom, vroom,” he said.

I opened my mouth. He was going to suffer for this. If my paws weren’t wrapped up in countless bandages, I would have lunged at him. I was still considering it as I petulantly ate my fish cursing my hunger.

“And the teasing?” I asked with a glare.

“Important to smile. If you keep glaring, it will ruin your pretty face,” my father said. I just glared harder trying to stab him with my eyes. He just smiled and kept feeding me wish while making little kitten sayings while he fed me. It was utterly and completely humiliating.

When he finished, he smiled at me. “Not thinking about the pain now, are you?” he asked me. I realized it had lessened. Still, that didn’t make it okay to tease me like that. I looked away, not wanting to agree with him. But the lack of an answer was answer.

Evil father, I now see your true nature. “Fine. Let’s go meet my technician,” I replied.

“Normally you would get to interview creatures, which is what Knaves is doing today, but the choice this time was easy,” my father said. There was a knock on my apartment door. I didn’t have paws I could use, so he got up and opened it.

“Surprise!” Mousethief said with a grin as he entered the room. My eyes went wide. I hadn’t been expecting him.

“What, but I thought, he and you?” I asked confused.

“While he is a terror and an annoying creature. Mousethief is the absolute best. And he doesn’t want to retire just yet. He plans on buying an island and starting a harem. But you better not give my daughter any ideas!” He said and extended a paw at Mousethief with his claws extended.

“Never. You can trust Mousethief. Hello Mittens.”

“I am leaving you two alone now. I am trusting you Mousethief. If anything happens to her, I will gut you regardless of the consequences,” he replied.

“Don’t worry, you know I am the best,” he said with a cheeky grin. My father lowered his paw and left my apartment. I could hear him moving away.

“Ah, I remember when this happened to your father,” he said. I narrowed my eyes at Mousethief. He was clearly up to something. “You like my gift?” he asked me.

“What gift…” I trailed off as he kept up his grin. “What. You sent that gray scratching stone.”

“Indeed. It wasn’t from your father.”

“But why?!” I asked confused.

“I want to retire and live in luxury. So, I was requested to pass it on. I get to keep my skills. Driving is my favorite by the way.” My eyes went wide at that as I tried to accept it all.

“I am glad it is working out for you. As for being your technician. Well, your father would never give me money, but you owe me. I want my island and my harem,” he said with a grin. He was blackmailing me! Or was it asking for a favor given to be returned. It was hard to tell.

“You have been working so hard and making such amazing progress. You wouldn’t begrudge Mousethief some cheddar?” he asked.

“Don’t technicians get paid like assassins?” I asked. He let out a scoff.

“No, they don’t. Completely unfair if you ask me. We get a very comfortable salary. I get a quarter of a million credits per year. But a proper island paradise with beautiful female mice, well it isn’t cheap. I plan to die content and happy.”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“And my father won’t help you out?”

“Would rather give money to get cats moved into the good column and says it is a waste,” Mousethief said with some bitterness. “So that is where you come in. I get half of whatever you earn. Trust me, I am worth ten times that much with my Skills.” I could tell he was talking about skills from Mes. Unique abilities. That was why creatures ignored him summoning cookies.

“Wouldn’t people be able to tell,” I asked.

“I went with a stealth build. Simple actions I can force others to ignore and overlook. Also, the Inventory feature. But you can’t use that without all the hiding and stealth skills. I am guessing you went a combat route,” he asked me, and I nodded mutely, still in shock.

“Well, I am an ex-user. I get to keep the skills I have and am content with them. But no new skills for me.”

“Not even healing?” I asked, wondering why he didn’t want immortality.

“Who says I don’t have the features needed. Just need enough money to live a long time and in comfort. A lot of money. I don’t plan on working ever again once I retire. Get some good investments lined up and live off the interest. Just pretend to be my child. Other creatures can do the killing,” he replied.

There was a long period of silence as I slowly got over my shock. “How much?” I asked.

“A billion credits. It is a lot, but I figured with some skills, you will be a one cat murder blender.”

“And not you?” I asked.

“I could, but I want to retire. Master Assassins are always watched. They live in comfort, but they are watched for the rest of their lives. A lot more attention. This way, I can just fade away. You get my elite help for a couple of years. I get a stack of cash,” he replied.

“Creatures won’t suspect?” I asked.

“It is unusual, but not new where an assassin of the organization gives a chunk of their money to their technician as thanks. You might be giving a bit more, but people will think it is for my years of loyal service, which it will be.”

“And then that is it?” I asked.

“Yep. A billion credits will make me insanely rich. Donate a third of that to the Covenant Church as paying my taxes, and they won’t bat an eye.” Everything we earned was tax free. But I guess it was different for technicians.

“Will my father be, okay?” I asked.

“We talked about this. And he will get the best. They won’t be me, and his clear rate will slow down. But he will be retiring soon in a year or so once you get your paws under you. I will disappear for good. The snakes, cultists, and other craziness can stay far away from me,” Mousethief explained.

“You won’t get bored?” I asked.

“That is what the harem is for,” he countered. I looked away embarrassed slightly. “But no. This job is the worst. I signed up for the paycheck, but once I found that stone, well my ambition grew a bit. The problem is getting money in a legal manner that won’t invite trouble.”

“But you sent the stone years ago,” I replied.

“I did. A bit of a risk, I will admit. But you made sense. For me to transfer over and to develop your skills.”

“And my mother who died?” I asked while narrowing my eyes.

“Really was an accident. We were planning to visit when you graduate school. Your father was planning to take time off and discuss his retirement. I would have arranged things then if you hadn’t realized and dropped hints. I mean, killing and this organization go paw in paw,” Mousethief replied.

“But I came here earlier than you expected,” I replied.

“Yep, and quite capable too. Almost too capable, but you managed to get past all the scrutiny. Good job with that by the way. Now you just need to become the best of the best and kill everything the Covenant Church gives a dirty look at, make all the credits, and I can retire in bliss,” Mousethief said with a lecherous grin.

“You are a dirty creature, with a dirtier mind,” I said.

“I don’t deny it. But who wants to work for the rest of their life, fighting endlessly. After you kill the snakes, there will be something else, then another thing.”

“You aren’t curious what is at the end?” I asked.

“Curiosity killed the cats as the saying goes. I am decidedly uncurious, unadventurous, and only motivated for profit. But you do you. With my help, once your five years are up, you will be the Warrior’s Shadow,” Mousethief said.

“What, how?” I asked.

“You think that legendary fight your father had against a snake and three High Apostates was something he just stumbled over? Pffft. Your father wouldn’t find something like that in years. I was the one who dug up the information and found out about the plan. He can go from job to job as quickly as he can because of all my hard work.”

“And when you leave?” I asked.

“You figure it out on your own. I will teach you my tricks and point you to the skills you need to get and develop. While the advice isn’t bad, Mes is focused on killing,” Mousethief said and rolled his eyes. “It is a murder machine of the highest order and proud of it. So while it gives great killing advice, it is terrible at suggesting support skills that make killing more efficient. You would realize that in time, but Mes’ only goal is to kill.”

“That makes sense,” I replied thinking back on the conversations I had with it. “Should I call it?” I asked Mousethief.

“Only you can interact with the Avatar now. I am cut off. But it won’t share information about me. Your user level isn’t high enough. To ask about previous users. I just want to live my life peacefully and be super filthy rich while I am at it. I don’t judge you murderous cats, don’t judge Mousethief,” he said with a grin. He was right.

“Fine. A billion credits. Half of what I earn, will be transferred to you. Once you leave, you will be cut off.”

“Perfect. Trust me, this is the start of a great partnership. Your father wants to start off on something easy, but do you want safe and slow, or take a bit of risk?” Mousethief asked.

“A bit of risk,” I replied a bit nervously.

“Don’t worry. He was thinking about tracking down some kids messing around with a lost book or artifact. That kind of stuff pays out garbage. No one takes that kind of thing seriously. We need a good a cult. Lots of members for you to blenderize with your claws. I will find something good to start you off with don’t worry. Lots of creatures, but low threat. Maybe a weak ancestral spirit.”

“How?” I asked.

“First rule, never reveal your skills,” Mousethief said with a grin.