Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

“Hey you, this way!” Whispered words call out to me from the shadow of an alley.

I know it’s a trap, or at least I’m like ninety percent sure the owner of the voice is out to mug me, but I still decide to follow his lead. Why is that?

A wild rumble against a street rat has already proved its case once in my life as a brilliant camouflage in the slums. In the worst case, it’ll slow us down a little and help me vent some steam, or if we’re lucky help us hide until the coast is clear. There’s also the chance he’s really trying to aid us but… I was raised in a fortress, not a castle.

Lo and behold the moment I round the corner in the wake of the mysterious cloaked figure guiding us through the streets two more people emerge. Two men and a woman with knives and a clearly dysfunctional crossbow in their hands.

Seriously, the string is snapped, have at least this much attention to the details.

“It really is her, from the poster.” The woman with the ranged weapon equivalent of a stick quickly reveals their intentions and that’s all I need to act.

First off I grab Valka and hurl her at them like a bag of dirt, pushed by some wind magic coming to my aid. She finally has some use, acting as a distraction, cover, a shield, and most importantly a considerable weight no longer on my shoulder. Like what are they gonna do, stab her? What a useful person she is even in her sleep…

The amateur bunch is rightfully surprised by my move, catching the bounty and leaving themselves completely open as I close the distance in the cover of the white hair curtain. As the three people catch Valka in a group effort I slide past between their feet and find three backs turned to me ripe for punishment.

“Good night.” I giggle murderously, touch the shoulders of the two on both ends and discharge a mighty zap.

They collapse where they stand, however, the two dudes do manage to stay conscious, something a gentle stomp on their head quickly remedies.

“Ouch, just how wicked can you be?” The only one who weathers the attack and manages to sit up is of course Valka, groggy yet clearly much healthier. “What was that for? Huh?”

It takes her a second or two to digest the world around her and watching that confusion on her face is truly priceless. And when she finally looks at me while still sitting on the three lowlifes…

“You took them down in your sleep.” I manage to pull a serious face. “They were helpless and you just went Hah, hiya and puff and bamm.” Then I finally lose it.

I know we’re in dire straights but the moment I can no longer laugh is probably when my life is no longer worth living. If anyone shows up to have a go then I’ll just wipe the floor with them all the same, especially now that I’m not alone.

“Hey, doesn’t even hurt-” Valka pulls her shirt up elated to feel better and rightfully baffled at her sudden recovery until the pieces of the puzzle finally click. “Why did you…” She whispers, her mood taking a sharp turn.

“Because you looked like shit and I was afraid you wouldn’t make it.” I shrug as if it was no big deal. “It cost me quite a sum and we might be in a lot of trouble but-”

“I didn’t ask for it!” Valka snaps out of nowhere loud enough for the entire slum to hear. When she finally looks at me her eyes are watery and her lips are trembling but there’s only sadness in that gaze. “I have nothing, why can’t you understand?” Huh what is she-? “I can’t repay you so please stop giving me more kindness, I can’t take it anymore.”

To put it mildly, I think my brain just got damaged. People ask for things, demand them, or in the worst case take what they want by force. But never in my life have I ever heard a request like this.

“My conscience can’t take it anymore.” Valka’s plea however has little concern for my confusion. “You saved me from a horrible fate, fed me, showed me care and genuine attention, taught me to laugh again, you risked your life for me multiple times, gave me those potions and through your efforts alone I even received a weird gift from a god for all I care. And now this? How can I not feel like a parasite living off you?” No, you are wrong. “How do I deserve any of this while my people are probably suffering out there?”

Her voice slowly quiets as she shares with me the burden on her heart, yet even as no more words leave her mouth I can feel there’s much left that’s hurting her inside.

I truly pity this girl who’s been through so much that basic human treatment feels like an unrepayable debt weighing on her shoulders. I’d do the same things for anyone I hold even a little close to my heart. This one, the white-haired brute, did manage to carve out a special spot for herself, and seeing her like this-

“Looks like we finally have our little rats.” The owner of the voice shattering this moment doesn’t know yet but he just signed his death warrant.

It’s not the crooked alleyways where the enemy took up position to punish my transgression and only when I lift my gaze to the rooftops does the severity of my actions truly shine through. Twelve, And that’s just the ones I can see, armed and armored properly unlike the garbage still lying at my feet.

“Leaving without pay, threatening our poor healer and even hurting the kindhearted man…” Of course, their leader, a woman to my great surprise starts with the expected bullshitting. “Reimbursement is one thing we can solve reasonably. But the audacity to attack something that’s mine… I fear there’s no easy solution for that. We need to set an example.”

Her words promise no easy way out of this and Val comes to the same conclusion as she quickly wipes her tears, springs to her feet and we stand back to back. It’s about to rain trouble any second now and fighting our way out might be the only-

“Who told this bitch she can just march into our turf with her army of goons, huh?” This time a male voice rises above the roofs, commanding just as much attention as the previous threats. “If it’s trouble you Bloodcrows came looking for then I’m happy to oblige, otherwise you’d be wise to gather your dogs… And get the fuck out of here before I rip your throat out and shove it up your ass!”

Ah, gang rivalry, the most common cause of death in the slums only after drug abuse… Once they clash the area around them turns into a hazardous warzone where no life is spared and the unlucky souls nearby end up as collateral damage.

All in all, this is bad news but at the same time... just what we needed.

“We have no beef with you Hector or your Duskrunners, besides the usual that is.” The woman clearly in charge of Gang 1, the benefactor of the doctor tries to defuse the situation. “We’ll just grab those two and be gone in a-”

“And who gave you permission to grab anyone?” That’s right, you tell her random lowlife dude. “We have established…”

“Now, follow me!” I whisper to the only person on my side out of the almost a hundred warm bodies surrounding us.

What better way to escape surrounded by walls and enemies than through the walls?

With a wave of my arm the wall to our right crumbles instantly and we bolt through the new opening while the two sides are locked in verbal combat. We cut through the housing block like a hot knife through fresh dogshit and only when we’re on the next street do the two gangs finally decide to move.

“Keep going through!” Valka takes the lead in my moment of hesitation trying to pick a direction.

The vigor with which she bashes through the wall makes me question her true reason for going straight, she’s likely enjoying it, but instead of pondering about useless questions, I focus on blocking our pursuers.

Pulling entire buildings down, sending walls flying at the ones hunting for us on the rooftops, all the while watching the two sides descend into chaos… It’s liberating. I’m no longer the little mouse running desperately, and I’m no longer alone.

The chase goes on for a while as we demolish parts of the slums and drive our pursuer back only for them to return in numbers again. I try to aim for the limbs and avoid killing anyone if possible, but that doesn’t justify all our actions.

A quick apology is all I can offer to quivering families as we barrel through their homes leaving their little sanctuary of privacy in shambles as a result of our escapade. The destruction is significant and towards the end, I do try to avoid causing more damage if possible only to find no pursuers in sight.

“Did we lose them?” I stop to catch my breath in an alley adjacent to the city wall.

“For now. Any ideas on how we leave this crime den of a city?” Valka’s question is one that has been on my mind ever since knocking out the healer but only a few risky proposals have come to mind.

Either we climb the wall and jump down on the other end or bribe someone to smuggle us out. If they’re still here…

“We need to hurry-”

“But I’d love for you to stay.” Hector replies, or at least that’s the name I can pin to the male voice. “After all you made quite a mess and I’m sure your parents have taught you to clean up after yourselves, no?”

A middle-aged man dressed like a noble yet stroking a scruffy beard like a dead squirrel emerges from a nearby building. And he’s not alone. The pairs of eyes watching us from every corner of our surroundings pit the odds against us to a ridiculous degree.

“I’d check under your own nails if you’re looking for dirty.” I huff, to show I’m not afraid of him. The other thirty people though… “Take whatever we have I don’t care just let us leave this city already, we don’t want anything to do with it.”

Unsurprisingly my words are only met with a round of fake and irritating laughter but it’s an intimidation tactic even children often find…well, laughable.

“It’s funny.” Hector approaches us confidently. “I heard you offer us something that’s already ours… No girlie, you see, I’m a man of principles.” Highly doubtful. “And serving the people under my protection, the people whose homes you destroyed, and the brave fighters” He turns his back on us to address his people. “who offered their lives to protect our part of the city from the danger you invited… It pains me but this time I cannot be lenient.”

[Leader lvl ???]

He is the most dangerous type of person you never want to make an enemy of. One great with words and blessed with the ability to move the masses. We’re pretty screwed. There’s one silver lining though… I don’t think he wants us specifically, but we just need to wait and see.

“But I’m also a man of business.” There it is, the catch. “So if the compensation is attainable without resulting to this.” He waves a poster with Valka’s face plastered on it. “I think we could be very good friends.” Weird old man trying to befriend kids, eww. “I’ve heard you almost managed to take out the good doctor and the fighting prowess you displayed during our little innocent chase was also admirable.”

“Cut to the chase!” Bad choice of words… I’ve allowed his little show to keep going because he has the upper hand but I’ve had enough.

One thing needs to be clear very fucking clear. If he tries to subdue us by force then we’ll go down biting and kicking, taking as much with us as possible and making it a lose-lose for both sides.

“Very well.” Hector chuckles and stops a few paces from us. “Help me take this city and I’ll get you out, I’ll even arrange for an audience with the Emperor of Valeria himself if that’s what you wish for. You scratch my back and I scratch yours. But be warned, I have eyes everywhere so if you try something funny I won’t be your biggest problem. The guard captain is a stoic man and a terrible negotiating partner…”

A shitty deal but one we cannot refuse. The details are ambiguous and so is the time it’ll take to fulfill our end of the bargain. He isn’t just looking for one more goon to add to his rank of idiots to throw at a problem, and that means we have value beyond our levels.

“There are conditions.” I cross my arms. “No killing, no restrictions, no unnecessary damage, and no innocents hurt.”

“Oh, do we have a little heroine over here? A paragon of virtue?” The men chuckle again yet I stay unfazed.

“You do you, but I still have principles and parents to look in the eye without making them feel like failures.” The atmosphere turns murderous at my declaration. “The moment we topple your rival you help us leave the city and we never see each other again? Do we have a deal?”

“That pride of yours will take you to the grave one day princess, words can be just as dangerous as your fancy magic tricks.” Hector drops the sweet talks as he steps right into my face. “Your value will be put to the test and if it doesn’t exceed fifteen golds you won’t be dealing with me…” I keep his gaze despite the honest threat.” But for now, we can be friends.”

And the situation is defused just like that. Words, powerful tools in the hand of one so capable of wielding them.

“I’ll reach out when your services are needed and don’t worry, I’ll know where to find you.” The eccentric man turns to leave in style.

Obviously, he has no intentions of keeping his side of the bargain but neither do I. This is a race to who can backstab the other first but I also intend on taking advantage of every situation we face. He may have a foot on the tiger’s tail for now, but once that’s no longer the case…

“Wait!” But there’s one more thing I need. “Can you do something about her?” I point at Valka shamelessly.

One glance from a guard and we’re done for with her snow-white hair standing out as usual. I don’t think our new employer wants to lose the cards in his hand right away which means some investment is necessary.

“Hmm, sure. Igor, do your thing and be gentle with the young lady!” Hector chuckles before disappearing into one of the alleys.

The rest of the men he brought with him also pull back like a shadow following their master except for one absolute unit of a man with a massive knife in his hand and murderous eyes. Scars run across his rough face and the brown blood marks on his clothes don’t make his presence any more encouraging.

Out of nowhere he he walks into a house, returning seconds later with a chair and table cover in hand.

“Please take a seat.” His booming voice gently requests Valka’s cooperation. “Your reluctance is understandable but I fear you’ll have to go bald.”

[The Class Skill [Arcane Focus] has reached lvl 72.]

[The general Skill [Dodging] has reached lvl 60.]

[The general Skill [Martial Instinct] has reached lvl 12.]