"We should stop now, Theo."
A stubby boy, appearing to be the youngest in the group of five that gathered, looked at the slightly older boy he was talking to. He had a concerned expression on his face, a sharp contrast to the amusement that Theo and the rest of the people around him had.
"You worry too much, Edward. This is a rich sucker, just like the other ones we've been stealing from."
"B–but…"
"What are you scared of? Think he'll have an Armament or something?"
"I-I mean… maybe?"
"Pffft! He's not nearly rich enough for that! You're overthinking it!"
Theo and the rest of the group of young adults chuckled loudly as they watched the young Edward agonize over their plan to rob the residence of the rich merchant who had just settled into that part of the neighborhood.
They were currently positioned on a rooftop, the residence of their target house in prime sight. It was late at night, so even the usually busy streets of the Capital had mellowed out considerably.
From the vantage point where they stood, the city looked like a patchwork quilt of stone, wood, and thatch. The streets were arranged chaotically, having narrow and winding paths that snaked through the city like veins through a living body.
The roads were paved with cobblestones, smoothened by footsteps and horse-drawn carts, crisscross the city, connecting small plazas and market squares that surrounded the building whose rooftop the group stood.
At the far distance, the sturdy walls of the Capital were in sight, each cardinal point punctuated by watchtowers and gatehouses, where guards kept a vigilant eye on those entering and leaving—not that any of that was a concern for the five.
They weren't even worried about being seen by anyone on the rooftop that they occupied. Considering the increased crime rate in recent years, no civilian dared move around so late at night.
None except criminals, of course.
"We've done this a million times already. Nothing will go wrong." Theo chuckled as he looked at the three other comrades who were on his side.
He was the leader of this little gang, and his plans always worked.
—Always!
"Everyone knows the plan already. We just need this one final score, and we should be good for a while." Theo turned to Edward and flashed him a brilliant smile. "You'll finally have enough to take that Military Exam and become a soldier… just like you've always wanted."
Everyone around Theo laughed, and even Edward smiled sheepishly.
It was rather ironic that a criminal desired to become a soldier, but everyone understood that Edward only saw his current occupation as a means to an end. Besides, he wasn't going to become a soldier in this country, but in the neighboring one.
To do that, he needed funds—enough to pay for the exams, as well as sustain himself throughout his stay and training period. Needless to say, it was a grand dream, one that most boys of Edward's stature would have given up on.
But Edward never gave up on this, and that got him the acknowledgment of everyone in the group. Even though they all laughed at him, they respected the path he chose for himself, and they all couldn't wait till he achieved his goals.
Of course, that meant they would have to cut ties with him eventually.
A soldier couldn't be seen with criminals.
"Let's go!" Theo whispered, nearly in a hiss, and everyone jerked to life instantly.
Just as he had said, this was something they had done many times in the past—though none of their targets were as wealthy as this one. Still, with the preparations that Theo had painstakingly gone through, and the experience that everyone had… there was no way they could fail.
'I have taken all possibilities into account. It takes the patrolling officers a whole one hour and thirty-nine minutes to complete a cycle, which means we have about fifty-nine minutes to do our business and get out of here.'
Taking into account the fact that the guards had to be a considerable distance away when they started their mission, Theo had intentionally waited for fifteen minutes after watching them pass by the rich man's house.
He also had to account for their escape, which meant placing additional time in excess.
After taking everything into account, he came up with those exact figures.
'As for the guards of the building itself, there appear to only be six of them—though they appear highly skilled. Two in front, two at the back, and two inside.' Theo had calculated all of it. 'They swap positions, and those who have morning shifts are different from those in the night shift.'
It seemed like this merchant was only in town for temporary business before leaving, which explained the small number of guards and limited merchandise that went in and out of the building; all of which Theo was aware of due to his constant observation of the premises for three consecutive days.
He couldn't risk the life of his crew members, and he certainly couldn't jeopardize his future as well.
In this country, criminal activities such as stealing were heavily punished by law, and it led to at least two years in prison. Three, if the person was a repeated offender.
Five, if one was unlucky enough to receive a harsh sentence.
'But, we'll be fine. As long as everyone does their job well… everything will work out well!'
Theo was wrong, though.
Not only were they caught right as they were about to leave the premises—despite having more than enough time to spare—but none of them managed to escape.
All their prospective escape routes were clogged up, and every single one of their moves were read flawlessly. It was instantly obvious that the guards knew precisely what their plans were, and every single detail that was involved in it.
'How? Why?' Theo could not understand it.
The plan was perfect, and everything was precisely how he wanted it to be.
Yet…!
"Theo, now to be called Inmate F5-0921, you are sentenced to forty months in prison."
He was condemned to over three years in prison, and based on what he heard about the rest of his crew, they suffered the same fate.
… All because of his hubris.
**************
RUMBLE!
Theo opened his eyes, waking up from the dream he just had.
A sad smile played on his face as he remembered the faces of his friends, all of them still suffering for the mistake he made. Back then, he should have listened to Edward. He should have called off the mission. There wasn't a single day that he spent in his cell that he didn't regret that decision he made.
'At the very least, they'll be released in a few months.' He couldn't say that about himself, considering his circumstances, but he was a little happy that they would finally have their freedom.
No… was he really happy?
'Edward's dream of becoming a soldier is gone now.' There was no way any country around would allow someone of his status and criminal record to become an esteemed officer of justice.
'As for everyone else… where are they supposed to start from?'
He had no idea.
Everyone's lives were practically ruined at this point; having no prospects or feasible future once they were out of prison.
'But… at least they would be free.'
RUMBLE!!
The once silent rumbling sound that woke Theo from his sleep echoed within his cell again.
It shook him from his deep thoughts, forcing him to do away with the lingering sleepiness that coursed through his laid-down body.
'What's that sound?' Thinking to himself, he sat upright and looked around his cell.
The rickety bed he sat on made a creaking sound to respond to any movement he made on it, and other than the pit latrine that he could see at the far corner of his room, adjacent to where his bed was, there wasn't anything else in the room. As always, the floor was dirty, the walls were grimy, and the whole place stank. This wasn't something he was new to—even before he was sentenced to jail. The only difference was the fact that he had strong metal bars at the entrance of his room, rather than a proper door.
The other rooms beside his had similar designs and appearances, though Theo would argue that his room was far cleaner and smelled better due to how well he maintained it.
Still, trash remained trash.
"Hmm…" A bit of sound escaped his lips once he looked at the metal bars, suddenly reminded of the conversation he had with the strange man with golden hair.
RUMBLE!!!
'What was his name again?' Theo thought to himself.
He remembered the man's confident smile, his cheerful demeanor, and the last words he made that left a lasting impression on him even till date.
Most importantly of all, he remembered his name.
"Shen."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The moment Theo whispered out his name, the bellowing noise of a seemingly distant—yet somehow nearby—explosion erupted within the room.
It caused a huge stir that the remaining prisoners who were asleep jerked to life almost immediately. An instant uproar rushed from their lips—fearful groans, murmurs, grumbles, and other unpleasant sounds that caused Theo to frown a little before resuming focus on the sounds that followed.
'It seems like a lot is happening outside. The rumbling sound is coming from above, and it's causing everything around to tremble slightly…' One look at the bars, the floor, walls, and even his bed, showed that they were shaking.
The vibrations were small and subtle, but he couldn't miss it.
'And then there's the explosion just now. That seemed to come from outside.' Theo couldn't help but gulp as he rose to his feet and approached the iron bars. 'What could it be?'
For a second, the image of Shen's smiling face appeared in his mind, but he quickly brushed it off. Now that he thought of it, he still didn't know anything about that stranger, or what he was doing in a secret prison meant for Arcane Vessels.
'He said he isn't one of them, so maybe he is—'
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
This time, the sound was much closer, and it caused even more noise from the prisoners. They were already bellowing out, calling for the guards who were supposed to be stationed outside, and screaming for their dear lives.
After living in a state of constant fear and docile submission, hearing such alarming noises was enough to trigger something within everyone.
—Everyone but Theo.
Even after hearing all of these things, the boy was calm. He analyzed everything around him to the best of his abilities, exploring all the possibilities that he could think of with the little information he knew of.
'Most likely… this place is under attack.' That was his conclusion. 'But by who?'