I walked the streets of Milgard, the capital of the Maia Kingdom.

I've thought about it before, but it's like an expanded version of Schirnberg.

The people here seem to be so focused on surviving from magical beasts that they don't seem to have much interest in art.

No matter which city you go to, the scenery is pretty much the same.

There must be a shady side to this place too, just like Schirnberg.

If you only go down the alleys where the light doesn't reach, you'll soon arrive at the underworld.

And since the scale is different, it's only natural that it's much larger than the back alleys of Schirnberg.

I heard that there are bosses who rule each district...

Well, that's none of my business.

Since this is the capital of the Maia Kingdom, the city is large, but there is a factor that differentiates it from other cities.

There are three city walls.

The largest city wall located on the outermost side is the 3rd.

A little further in from there, the second city wall that grew in a circle along the central circle is the 2nd.

And finally, the first city wall draws the smallest circle in the innermost part.

Naturally, there is a reason why the city grew in this form.

They probably didn't build the city according to this design from the beginning.

I heard that...

They first built the first city wall, and then as people gradually gathered and it became saturated, they built a larger city wall on the outside to expand the city. This is the second city wall.

And then as more people gathered, they thought it was the last time and built a large third city wall around it.

But the more people there are in a city, the more people gather.

When even that couldn't accommodate everyone, they realized that further expansion was not efficient, and satellite cities began to spread around.

In the case of large cities, there are sometimes two city walls, but this is the only place with three.

And so this huge city, which was naturally divided into three districts, was arbitrarily divided by the powerful.

The commoners in the outermost 3rd district, the nobles in the 2nd district, and the royal family in the innermost 1st district.

From the perspective of the noble people, it was already unpleasant to breathe the same air as the filthy commoners, so how nice it must have been that the districts were naturally divided?

They wanted to enjoy a sense of privilege that was appropriate for their status and differentiated from the commoners anyway.

A city divided into three districts like a three-tiered status system, where the closer you get to the center, the nobler you become.

To them, who were desperate to show off the specialness of their bloodline, it must have been like a dream city.

Even within that, the competition to live in the inner circle, that is, closer to the first concentric circle, is said to be fierce.

The relatively high-ranking people are on the inside. The nobles with relatively lower positions are on the outside. In this way, the hierarchy is divided according to where they live.

Even in the 3rd district, the commoners secretly divide themselves by how close they live to the central circle...

It's a truly beautiful sight.

This is all thanks to the excellent nobles who set an example.

To think that the goal of their lives is to struggle to get into a smaller circle.

It's a sigh-inducing matter.

After the interview with Venter.

I first asked a guild employee in charge of magic orbs to contact the Milestone branch.

A message sent to the Sherwood Mercenary Corps. The content was simple.

A month later. Gather in the north.

After that, Schmitt was looking at the request forms at the mercenary guild, so I left him to play there, and I threw the sleeping Linda into an inn and am now roaming the streets alone.

I walked the streets, talking to the Heavenly Demon.

[Hmm... it's quite a lively place.]

"Because it's the capital of the kingdom."

[I can see a city wall on the inside too. A city wall within a city wall.]

"That's the 2nd district. This is the 3rd district."

[Is there a difference?]

"I don't know. I've never been there, but I heard the streets are much cleaner and quieter. It's only natural since our noble nobles reside there."

The Heavenly Demon laughed lowly.

[You seem dissatisfied.]

"Sometimes. Every time I come here, I get the urge to tear down all these city walls that separate the statuses."

[Why?]

"If we all run away from magical beasts together and get bitten and torn apart, I think we'll all realize that we're just fugitives who are desperately running away from death, without any difference."

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

[That's a strange idea, just like you.]

"I just think that sometimes."

I walked the streets silently for a moment.

"Ah, come to think of it. I still haven't named that ultimate skill."

[What ultimate skill?]

"You know, that. The side effect that occurs in the process of mixing blue flame and snow branch. Chijijik. Bingle bingle. Bang!"

[Ah, that?]

"What's a good name?"

[You're good at coming up with ideas, so feel free to say whatever you want.]

I thought for a moment and then blurted out whatever came to mind.

"Um... it was a small ball with great potential. A ball that was going crazy inside. When it exploded, the enormous light, sound, and destructive power made it feel like the sky was turning upside down every time."

[It was.]

"Come to think of it, it would be fun to throw that thing into the very center of this city, right?"

The most solemn and magnificent place, surrounded by three layers.

The most secret central circle where the royal family resides.

I imagined a small sun flashing blue and white falling into the center of that concentric circle.

The sun slowly sets... and in an instant, a flash of light that covers the sky and the ground. A loud noise. And an explosion.

KWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!

"Hehe."

I couldn't help but laugh and walked the streets, giggling.

I could feel the people on the street flinching and avoiding me.

The Heavenly Demon thought for a moment and then suggested.

[To turn the sky upside down... Come to think of it, that ball of light was the result of going against the natural order.]

"Hmm."

I didn't know what he meant, but I nodded anyway.

[Not the natural order, but going against heaven. A ball of light that shatters all the laws of the world and turns everything you don't like into ashes.]

"Umm."

[A power with the mystery of going against heaven...]

I cautiously suggested.

"Then..."

[Speak.]

"Sky Breaker?"

[Tsk.]

"...."

[I was foolish to expect anything.]

"No, what's wrong with Sky Breaker..."

I muttered in a slightly dejected tone.

[A light that turns heaven and earth upside down. Reverse Heaven Light would be good.]

"Sky Breaker or Reverse Heaven Light..."

I grumbled and kicked a stone on the street.

But the name Reverse Heaven Light stuck in my mouth the more I thought about it, so the grumbling didn't last long.

The Heavenly Demon was a man who was also skilled in naming.

I walked the streets, repeating the name Reverse Heaven Light in my mouth, and then I loitered around a pub on the street for a moment.

[Come to think of it, where are you going? You just glanced at the inn where the guys were drinking and then came right out.]

As the Heavenly Demon said, I had gone into the inn where the members were welcoming me, and then I had thrown Linda into a room and come right out.

I had pushed away the hands of the mercenaries who were trying to hold me back, saying I had some business to attend to.

I peeked inside from the window of an inn with a restaurant on the first floor and answered.

"I have a place to look around for a moment."

[Is the place you're looking around another inn?]

"You could say that."

I smiled and waved at the lady who was startled to see me while eating at the window, and then I walked the streets again.

Looking for large-scale pubs and inns in the vicinity.

[Is there a reason?]

"Of course. Because I have to go meet the leader of our Jilentine Task Force, Dofang."

[But why an inn?]

"He announced that he would steal the queen's tiara tonight, so after the job is done, he'll come somewhere to eat, drink, sing, and dance, right? I'm just taking a look to see if there's a pub that our Brother Do would like."

[Hmm... I thought he said he would steal the queen's treasure.]

"That's right."

[It doesn't seem easy, so why bother announcing it?]

"Ah, the advance notice? That's a fake."

[A fake?]

What idiot would announce the time, place, and item to be stolen in advance?

Brother Do is not an idiot.

He's a man with a brilliant mind. Of course, in a bad way.

"The first advance notice. At that time, he doesn't steal a precious treasure like the queen's tiara, but something of moderate value. For example, a viscountess's cherished earrings or necklace."

[Hmm.]

"At first, most people think this way. What idiot would announce and then steal? So they either ignore it or, just in case, they only set up a simple guard."

Our talkative former assassin, Dofang, is the one who preached the theory that the more an assassin talks, the stronger he is.

In fact, our Brother Do talks a lot. So much so that people who know him call him the talkative Dofang, the boastful Dofang.

That means he's that strong. As a strong assassin, it's only natural that he's familiar with the darkness. A master of infiltration and assassination. That's Dofang.

Since he's the founder of that talkative assassin theory, what more is there to say?

"He steals the item as announced. Then what happens? The next day, the house that was robbed will be turned upside down."

[Umm.]

"The rumor spreads like wildfire. The news that a phantom thief who announces his crimes has appeared spreads... and after making them realize that he was a skilled idiot who really stole the announced item... he lays low for a while and waits for things to quiet down."

[And then?]

"And then he announces another crime. This time, a very big one. Then what happens?"

The Heavenly Demon smiled.

[It'll be a mess.]

"That's right."

People don't doubt that he'll really steal it this time.

Because he showed them with his own actions.

Therefore, the owner of the treasure that has become the target of the crime defends it with all his might.

This time, since the target is the royal palace, they'll have an iron-clad defense. So that not even a mouse can get in.

But this is a fake.

During the second crime, he doesn't even go near the announced item.

While all eyes are on that place, he steals a completely unexpected other treasure.

Of course, it'll be turned upside down again.

Then he usually spreads a third advance notice to throw the city into chaos and then leaves.

The worst of the worst. The phantom thief of phantom thieves.

That's our proud Brother Do.

The Heavenly Demon was impressed.

[Huh... in a way, he's amazing.]

"Right? Isn't he amazing?"

[If he had done that to me, I would have found him and beaten him to death.]

"No, not to the point of beating him to death."

Anyway, after briefly shortlisting the candidate sites where Dofang might appear, I waited for the night to deepen and then went around the places I had my eye on.

I had only looked at the large-scale pubs in the 3rd district, and then I had picked out the most likely candidates and memorized their locations.

"Alright."

And then I headed to the inn where the mercenary guys were waiting, with a pounding heart.

Brother Do. I'm coming to see you now.

***

That night.

The family heirloom of a certain count's family was stolen.

The people of the count's family found the heirloom, which had disappeared overnight, and a handkerchief that had been gently placed in its place.

On the luxurious handkerchief, it was written.

"It seems you don't know how to use this item. To just leave it in a corner. Can't you hear the treasure sobbing? I'll make good use of this guy."

"With sincerity, passion, and love. From the Phantom Thief, Dofang."

"Th-this crazy bastard...!"

The hand of the old count, who was reading the words written on the handkerchief, trembled.

The count, who had lost his family heirloom to a thief overnight, soon grabbed the back of his neck and collapsed.

"Ke-keuk!"

"My lord!"

"Call a doctor!"

(End of Chapter)