11.3

Eve had built her Zun with a characteristic that some would find wrong, but which she quite enjoyed. Every disguise has a single characteristic that stand out overshadowing the discrepancies.  It was a character failing that many of the best rogues had, and she played it to the hilt.

Zun Eve loved to steal, or more specifically pickpocket.

As she moved through the market Thousand Ghostly Hands worked overtime lifting purses, rings, amulets, trinkets, food, and more. Markets in the City of Gold were nothing like those in the western world on Earth. Every possible space, including overhead, was covered in potential merchandise, advertisements, or the smiling face of merchants hawking wares. Eve had started small before learning that the moment loot was outside the small mana field a person generated it was stolen goods due to Looting, and could be placed into Storage. Moving through the crowds was akin to placing a kleptomaniac in an all you can eat buffet. She acquired anything that caught her eyes, and since they were in one of the more expensive markets most things glowed with various mana colors.

Her four charges, Purple, Red, White, and Glitter seemed tense for unknown reasons every so often. Most likely some sort of Danger Sense being triggered by the occasional assassin that showed up. Eve decided not to inform them of the eighteen assassins that had so far failed. There was a fine line between training, and torture, which the special forces of her home world had taken decades to learn. Witch’s Dust moved about the four teenagers discreetly devouring poisons, darts, wire nooses, and other pathetic tools of the bloody trades. She didn’t know who or what the assassins were after, but since they targeted her future minions it was a moot point.

Best to just kill them all and collect the meager mana in Eve’s Library.

While the contracts she had issued to the teenagers only had a few permanent terms such as the standard secrecy clause to name one, they also stipulated that she was required to defend those under her educational leadership. Eve checked each assassin’s mana level to make sure she didn’t accidentally attack a hidden powerhouse while cleaning out the surroundings. After enough testing while strolling in the marketplace it was easy to tune Detection to passively alert her to the unique ambient mana vibrations of a higher Tier individuals. Setting the threshold at peak Tier Five made sure she didn’t accidentally kick any adamantium boards. While it would be possible for someone to conceal their mana in theory, they couldn’t conceal the way ambient mana reacted to their presence.

There might be false positives, but once I get eyes on them I can be sure. Eve thought. Even if it means a beefy lower Tier bodybuilder escapes, that’s a decent trade to me.

Eve allowed her dust to carry the whisper of her voice to all four teenagers as she said, “Everyone will acquire three items that can further their advancements. You cannot pay, nor can you have another steal the item for you. Theft is the most basic manner of acquiring resources when at rock bottom and learning it will never be useless.” A quick glance at the light showed they were just approaching midday. She had spent the previous night sleeping in the Guild temporary housing quarters instead of her Hut.

“How long do we have to complete the task?” Purple replied in a murmur.

“You all have until the sun sets below the horizon, understood?” Eve said while crafting small paper talismans using Paper and Ink affinity. The talismans would link with the Witch’s Dust around each member protecting them in her absence.

“Understood.” replied all four young adults.

After the young teenagers split from her Eve used Spatial Step to move up to the roofs overhead the bazaar. A soft sigh escaped her as she saw the number of mana outlines using concealment Skills or Spells. There was no way to be sure if all these people were tracking her minions.

Eve didn’t like people trying to kill her minions, not one bit.

Witch’s Dust expanded across the rooftops covering a ten kilometer radius in a fraction of a second. The Library of Dust III made it possible with Consume on the Element of Air, among others, feeding into Manipulate for Multiply to take effect. She checked to make sure Detection found no Tier Six individuals before Eve flexed her will stripping the physical containers of the enemy’s bodies from their mana structures. It was an instant painless kill for those who died inside her dust field. Looting shifted all the mana structures into the Library for holding. Even though she couldn’t gain levels from the mana, it was still possible to create talismans with Paper and Ink affinity. Taking another glance around, Eve nodded. It was a harsh lesson, but hopefully it would stick.

If the watchers don’t get the hint now, I might need to take more excessive steps. Eve thought. Teaching is such a difficult profession, I certainly don’t need constant lesson interruptions.

Now that she was finally in a civilized location, it was time to do one of the most critically important function of society.

Shopping.

While she wasn’t an addict of the shopping cult her mother was, and thus a younger Eve had been forced to learn the secret arts. Bargain bins, coupon cutting, haggling, and others were drilled into her youthful mind. She had managed to handle her mild shopping issues with proper therapy on Earth. However, exposure to the Goblin Bazaar near the Southern Guild Branch was in the process of causing a small relapse. Thousand Ghostly Hands could also let her get the vaunted five-finger discount, too. Eve had tears almost fall from her eyes as she looked out at all the wonderful fat sheep below!

She could indulge right after she dropped by the Adventurer’s Bank to deposit her funds.

Before the fun could start though, Eve took the time to head back to the Adventurer’s Guild to make use of their extensive library. A quick application of Witch’s Dust after flashing her plate allowed Nota to drink in the accumulation of centuries of education after a few hours. Thanking the librarian, she left with casual grace.

Eve used Spatial Step to quickly cover distance before reaching the Adventurer’s Bank. While the building itself was separate from the guild, it was within easy walking distance. This served as both a security measure, and simplification of effort for Adventurers. Were anyone insane enough to attempt robbery they could be easily dealt with by contracted security guards who had a tendency to be retired Guild members. Dropping off both the encrypted letters for the two merchants was easy enough using the bank’s mailing service. Once both Jeffery and Francisco got their letter, the contract would push them to deposit her gains into the coded bank account linked to her Adventurer’s Plate.

Providing a cutout between both merchants was in the best interest of all parties. Now that she was at Tier Six and part of the Adventurer’s Guild, it wasn’t possible to solve all her problems with killing. However, being forced to gain power from the death of others had tilted her worldview deeply into a trigger happy mentality. It was for this reason that Eve had joined the Adventurer’s Guild. She could have both a stable job to slowly integrate with society, and a legitimate reason to kill may things.

Before she could move forward in the teller’s line, Detection came up with something interesting. Turning to the side Eve saw the very same brick that had been sitting calmly in Guildmaster Bookworm’s collection. Narrowing her eyes she directed a small bit of Witch’s Dust at the innocent appearing object. There was a flicker of spatial transition in her senses before the brick vanished to appear in the distance by the bank door.

Eve raised one eyebrow at the brick before turning her attention back to the line as it moved once more. Flying bricks that didn’t know their place could be put to the side until her finances were in order. The next several minutes were spent ignoring the impotent oddity as it constantly attempted to strike her. Her strategy would have been completely successful if it were not for the fact that the demon brick changed tactics.

When there was only a single person left between Eve and the teller, the brick struck a cunning blow. It was a surprise attack that she had no possible defense against, especially due to the fact that it was not aimed at her. As the individual in front of her turned around with an angry expression on his face Eve realized her error.

“Guards! This person struck me!” said the older man in front of Eve.

Eve flashed a look of confusion and said, “What?”

“Don’t pretend innocence you Zun hooligan! I might be old, but my fighting instincts are undiluted by age!” said the elderly man pointing his finger at Eve as his liver spotted skin grew darker in anger.

“Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou, please calm down. If there is a problem, we will handle it.” a thin reedy man said arriving promptly from the offices to the side of the teller's stations as if teleported.

“Ping Chun, I want this ruffian thrown out!” Mr. Zhou said turning his fury on the new arrival. Eve noted the finger shaking didn’t seem to be a technique that distinguished between one person or another.

“Of course, Elder Zhou, of course. We just need to confirm guilt first, you understand, right? It would be terrible if a young woman managed to be slandered by accident.” Ping Chun said with a glance at Eve.

Eve nodded as she glanced at the manager tag on Chun’s left torso before saying, “Terrible.” The devil brick chose that moment to drop directly down to strike Manger Chun’s crown dealing a severe blow that rendered the bank manager unconscious. Slight concern tinted Eve’s face, as the Bank Manager had definitely been Tier Five.

What a vicious flying brick. Eve thought as she watched it slip away again like a spatial stealth ninja made of ceramic silence. This is all Bookworm’s fault, if you decide to collect dangerous bricks, at least keep them properly isolated in proper containment like a real supervillain would be!

Elder Zhou looked at the unconscious Ping Chun before turning to Eve who promptly displayed a look of complete innocence. She was certain it was a look of such innocence that even demons would believe in the goodness of her heart. There was a brief moment of peace before Elder Zhou immediately started shouting with the expected finger-wagging, “Guards! This person struck me and murdered Bank Manager Chun!”

Eve sighed as she exchanged an eye-roll with the teller to her right as both of them waited calmly for the bank guards to arrive. The distraught old man only managed to repeat the sentence once more before a ring of heavily armed and armored individuals encircled both Eve and her slanderous opponent. She didn’t feel much threat from any of them, and resolving this with violence would be against the Accords. Taking a patient stance, Eve shifted her clothing to the casual battle mage robes and pointy hat combination that would serve to display readiness for combat. A nice V-shape revealed her adventurer's plate with casual aplomb.

Looking around as the guards peacefully separated Elder Zhou off to the side to take his statement she took note of the bank’s interior. Jade floors, soft wooden counters, and a massive arched ceiling like that Hall in India met her eyes. Before she could start checking out the various plant species and expensive leather chairs arranged about, one of the guards tapped her shoulder politely.

“Excuse me, ma’am. I’m Guardsman Roberts, could I please get your version of events here?” the armored knight asked with a notepad and enchanted ink pen ready. Another guard nearby was holding a glowing stone green stone that Eve identified at a glance.

Truth Stone

Only the Truth may be spoken within ten meters.

Beware, Truth is subjective!

Eve nodded as she turned her attention back to the guard before saying, “Certainly. It all started with the brick.”

There was an almost reflexive look by all parties at the Truth Stone. When the color didn’t change Guardsman Roberts shrugged before starting to write as he said, “Please continue ma’am.”

“I’m not certain, but the brick appears to have Space Manipulation abilities. It was attacking me for most of the time after I noticed it, but of course, couldn’t penetrate my passive defenses. After exhausting itself fruitlessly, like any savage ceramic creature of the abyss, the vile thing struck Elder Zhou. I believe it realized that attempting to target me was a lost cause, and the blow was struck in a desperate attempt to cause me minor discomfort.” Eve said with a shrug of her strapless robe. She had taken care to have only average upper assets as a Zun, since they could be easily grown in over time. It earned her a glance from both guards when she shrugged, but she pretended not to notice.

“Are you associated with the flying brick in some manner, ma’am?” Guardsman Roberts said.

“Hmmm, I think I saw a brick similar to it when I was chatting with Guildmaster Bookworm. I might be mistaken though since that one was behind glass and under wards at the time.” Eve said as she put a finger casually to her mouth before tilting her head in mild confusion.

Both guards seemed to straighten as if struck by electric shock before Roberts dropped his writing utensils and sprinted for the section of doors Bank Manager Chun came from while he shouted, “SHIT! SHIT! CODE FIVE, I REPEAT, CODE FIVE! WE’VE GOT A DEMON BRICK ON THE LOOSE! LOCKDOWN THE BANK ACCESS TO OUTSIDE, NOW!”

There was barely a fraction of a second before all the guards followed behind Roberts as they vanished into a doorway nearby to the side of the tellers.

Was I used as a decoy to rob the bank?! Eve thought as she shifted her clothing to be more appropriate for fighting.

Eve sent a mental message to Kudzu. Do you have any spores on the brick?

No. Every jump seems to be cleaning the space around the brick at the same time it transports. Kudzu replied in a distracted tone.

Tuning out the rising diatribe of Elder Zhou that started as soon as the guards departed she narrowed her eyes while consulting Eternal Memory. Eve pondered what a brick could possibly want from the bank. Besides money, there really wasn’t anything else that leaped out. Even then, for a ceramic ninja mugging drunks would give a higher rate of return. Bank robbing was extremely difficult in any day or age.

Dragon gold. Eve thought in a flash of inspiration. Normal money wouldn’t interest a sentient ceramic. No, something with mana would be more in line with the needs of a monstrous being. Dragon gold is something both the bank and me would have on hand. The most interesting point was how the creature detected her stash inside of Felix.

Eve’s musings were interrupted as the Bank Manager, Ping Chun, slowly woke up from his nap. Elder Zhou’s constant haranguing more than likely served to hasten the process as well. Upon awakening fully, the bank manager rose to his full height before casting a cleaning spell. Turning to view the now sealed entrance door, the shuttered windows, and the shielded bank tellers Ping Chun said, “Robbers?” The glowing light of active runes preventing anyone from exiting the bank was a clear sign.

“Demon brick,” Eve said while nodding.

“Ah, that would explain Elder Zhou’s mishap.” Ping Chun nodded sagely.

“Mishap? I was accosted by this female ruffian. It was no mishap. That was blatant brutality!” Elder Zhou cut in.

Ping Chun smiled at Elder Zhou and said, “You do realize your words could be construed as a challenge of honor, don’t you?”

Eve nodded with a wide maniac grin.

“N-Now see here! I’m just stating the truth!” Elder Zhou said in a flustered tone.

Ping Chun’s face showed a brief expression of annoyance before he asked politely, “Did you explain the situation to any of the guard's young lady?”

“Yes, I told everything to Roberts under the Truth Stone’s glow,” Eve said smirking at Elder Zhou.

There was a short silence as Elder Zhou came to the realization that he had been in error. Rather than apologize, he moved back into line with stiff grace. Eve raised one eyebrow at the bank manager before she received a dismal eye roll in return.

Ping Chun approached closer and asked, “Apologies for the wait, are you here for the first time?”

“Yes,” Eve said.

“Which of our services did you intend to use today, deposit only, or?” Ping Chun asked politely.

“I had a bit of wealth to deposit, and I wanted to get a crystal card issued,” Eve said. She let a small flicker of annoyance cross her face when Elder Zhou snorted nearby. A quick comparison of the price ratio between dragon gold and other currencies brought a smile to Eve’s face.

“Here’s a sample of my deposit,” Eve said pulling a piece of Dragon Gold to hand to Ping Chun. The response was everything she expected as the bank manager’s breath caught as his eyes bulged in their sockets.

The bank manager to his credit managed to keep from making any noise as he quietly handed the gold back to Eve before saying, “Please follow me, Madame. The lockdown won't affect such a wealthy client as long as you don't need to leave the bank.” Eve gave an expression of haughty arrogance as Elder Zhou gaped from the corner of her eye. She breezed past the older male with body language that screamed dissatisfaction at being forced to wait among poorer individuals before receiving her right by due. It was glorious revenge and not a single drop of literal blood was spilled to achieve it.

Ping Chun moved to enter a side door nearby slightly apart from the ones the guards entered in a rush. As she entered behind the bank manager Eve noted how sounds were muffled in the long corridor, much like how it was for expensive office space on Earth. If a piece of gold was worth this level of attention she dearly hoped the bank manager didn’t have a heart attack when she deposited a tenth of her funds. One chat with security was quite enough in Eve’s opinion.

As the corridor entrance door closed softly behind her, Ping Chun turned to say over one shoulder as he moved onward, “For those of such wealth, our bank has separate channels to handle business. There is no need to use a teller in the future, Madame.”

Eve nodded as she followed the bank manager to portion a slice of her new wealth into safekeeping.