He seemed completely panicked. I pulled my hands away.


    — Why should I help you? If you’re not a thief, you have nothing to fear, right?


    — Alright, alright! I did steal something from them! But I needed it… I promise that afterward, I’ll do whatever you ask me to!


    Desperate, I could see he was sincere. If he promises to do what I ask later, he could be useful. However, I don’t know him, and I’ve learned to be wary of empty promises. At worst, I’ll make sure he honors his word.


    The three men, each holding an iron bar, were now staring at the boy behind me.


    — There’s no point in hiding! Give us back what you stole, and we’ll only break your bones. The boss will take care of you afterward.


    — Yeah, right! You really think I’m going to buy that? the teenager shouted.


    — Well, you’re right. We admit it, we’re here to beat you up. So stop hiding behind your chick and step up if you’re a man.


    I really wonder what I’ve gotten myself into. Judging by their similar tattoos and way of speaking, I’d say they belong to a gang. Which one? No idea. Better to settle this amicably—I have no desire to fight, and I need to leave as soon as possible.


    When the one who seemed to be their leader pointed at him, his face filled with hate, and threatened him with death, the teenager backed up a little more.


    I stepped forward to handle this peacefully.


    — Is fighting really necessary? We can settle this amicably.


    — Amicably? Ha! What do you think? This guy stole something from us. We don’t give a damn about settling this peacefully. He has to pay for his screw-ups.


    His two lackeys, as stupid as him, showed their approval. I sighed.


    If there was one thing I had learned from "living" at the manor, it was that there was something that could resolve any conflict.


    I searched my bag and opened a small sewn pocket, pulling out a gold coin that I tossed to the group. Their leader, noticing something shiny in the air, lunged to catch it. He bit into the coin and gasped in amazement:


    — This… This is gold?!


    — Of course.


    — How is that possible?


    — Someone gave it to me.


    Since the destruction of the Old World, many metals and resources no longer existed, and gold was one of them. In reality, what they held in their hands wasn’t real gold—just a perfect imitation. They looked so gullible and greedy that they wouldn’t notice the difference. I hoped it would be enough for them to leave us alone.


    — Wait! If someone gave it to you, that means you can get more, right? Give us two more! One for each of my buddies.


    Without protest, I tossed the coins to the ground, and they scrambled to pick them up.


    — Is this enough to settle his debt? I asked them casually.


    The leader called his lackeys, and they whispered among themselves. I sensed a shift in their aura. Something bad was forming on their faces. And I was right.


    All three lunged at me, arms outstretched, trying to grab my bag, convinced it was full of gold coins. I did a backflip, landing in a slide with one hand on the ground.


    That was it—my patience had run out.


    My sharp, glowing gaze looked down on them. Gripping their metal bars tightly, they prepared to attack us. Tilting my head back, I addressed the kid still lingering behind:


    — Maybe it’d be best if you didn’t watch? Oh, and don’t try to run away—you owe me.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The teenager let out a nervous laugh and abandoned his escape plan. I allowed myself a faint smile. Honestly, no one here was reliable…


    I barely had time to think before the men, who couldn’t have been more than twenty years old, charged at me, fully intent on breaking my bones. I dodged each of their attacks and swiftly maneuvered between them, snatching their weapons in the process. They were shocked to see their bars disappear from their hands, only to watch them bend effortlessly in mine. I hurled them so far that we didn’t even hear them land.


    They then pulled out knives.


    The edge of my hand struck the first one''s neck. The second took a spinning kick to the ribs and was sent flying against a wall. As for the leader, I took particular pleasure in striking between his legs, and he collapsed, hands clutching his crotch. I prevented them from crawling toward their knives by crushing their legs as they gasped for air.


    I dusted off my cape and black cargo pants. I wasn’t particularly proud of what I had just done, but they were getting too aggressive.


    The thief I had just saved stared at me, eyes wide with awe.


    — Wow! That was amazing!


    The boy mimicked the fight with unsettling enthusiasm.


    — Bam! Pow! You moved so fast they didn’t see it coming! By the way, are you on drugs or something?


    He crossed his arms behind his head.


    — I mean, your eyes were so bright they looked like yellow neon lights.


    He was starting to ask too many questions I couldn’t answer.


    I changed the subject:


    — Alright, you owe me now.


    He nodded.


    — Of course! I may be a thief, but I always keep my promises.


    — I’ll believe you only if you prove it to me.


    — Cool! That means we’ll be traveling together, and you can teach me your techniques!


    — You talk a lot, I sighed, a slight smile on my lips.


    The boy stood in front of me, beaming, hands behind his back.


    — Oh? But you smiled! And here I thought you were just a robot.


    I lightly struck the top of his head with the edge of my hand. He immediately crouched down, whining in pain.


    — Hey! That really hurt! Do you have steel hands or what? And why do you hit me every time I say something nice about you?


    I continued walking, ignoring his complaints, and he ran to keep up with me.


    He wasn’t very tall—maybe 1.75 meters at most—slender, with dark brown hair, dimples when he smiled, and slightly slanted, mischievous eyes.


    — By the way, what’s your name? he suddenly asked.


    With all the commotion, I hadn’t told him.


    — My name is Rose Warren.


    His face lit up with naive enthusiasm. "Rose" was supposed to be my new identity, even if it was a complete fabrication.


    — Oh, cool name!


    Then, he held out his hand, waiting for me to shake it.


    — I’m Rohwan. Rohwan Soichi. Nice to meet you, Rose.


    Seeing my hesitation, he took the initiative and shook my hand.


    My heart skipped a beat.


    A sort of halo of light surrounded Rohwan. I could perceive faint, innocent sparkles all around him. I was mesmerized, unable to shake off this strange sensation. I felt like I was floating.


    — Wow, your hand is super warm! he exclaimed.


    — Huh? Oh, sorry! I quickly withdrew my hand. Does it hurt?


    Rohwan scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.


    — Nah, don’t worry about it!


    Just as we were starting to get to know each other, my hearing picked up suspicious noises. My pupils contracted, and my muscles tensed.


    They were coming.


    I grabbed my new travel companion’s hand firmly and asked:


    — Can you run fast?


    Surprised, he furrowed his brows for a moment before relaxing.


    — Run fast? I spend my time running from criminals, so I’d say I have the skills! Why?


    — Because I’m being chased too. So you better put those skills to good use, I warned him, slightly uneasy.


    From here, I could hear the roar of engines and their harsh voices.


    The motorcycles of my pursuers were closing in dangerously.


    And we both took off running.


    END OF CHAPTER 4