7 The fate of a thief

"Interesting, to think someone would steal from me!"

As Mike yelled out the camp gradually came awake, Ole was the first to exit his tent and quickly asked Mike.

"Benefactor Mike what's missing?"

Mike pointed to the tree he had been sleeping in to the trunk where there was a mark on the bark before he spoke.

"My weapon, a knife about 30 centimeters long I stuck it into the tree as I always do before I go to sleep and now it's missing."

Ole gave a slightly strained smile before he asked.

"Are you sure someone stole it? Surely it's possible it's just missing, no?"

"That's not possible, after all it's a magic weapon."

Ole's eyes widened before he before he quickly roared.

"Everyone out of their tent now!"

The other adventures quickly scrambled out of their tents when they heard Ole's roar, they knew that when they're usually mild tempered leader was angry something was very wrong. The five adventures quickly lined up in a row, Ole walked in front of them and asked.

"Benefators Mike's weapon is missing, who knows anything about it?"

The five adventurers, three men and two women all looked at Mike and each of them showed different expressions before they all gave a sigh and soon one of the women spoke.

"Leader?"

"Yes Jasmine what is it?"

The woman named Jasmine looked to be in her 20's and had short brown hair, she used two knives herself and thus asked.

"Can't we just compensate him for it?"

Mike narrowed his eyes, from the sound of it she knew who stole his weapon but didn't feel like saying it despite Mike having saved them all yesterday, he took a step forward and sneered at her.

"Can you afford compensating me for my weapon?"

Jasmine gave Mike a disdainful look before she spoke.

"Who are you? Just some level 0 hillbilly, how much can your weapon be worth anyway?"

Mike gave a faint smile and spoke.

"Well I am actually level 1, besides that my weapon is a magic weapon."

Jasmin looked at Mike like he was stupid.

"A magic weapon you say? Ahahahahaha who would believe that!?"

Mike looked over at Ole and asked.

"Who do you deal with thieves normally?"

Ole gave a sigh before he bluntly said.

"We chop off their right hand."

Mike gave a nod and put his hand forwards while he spoke.

"I gave you a change to hand it over without trouble now it looks like it's going to cost you a hand."

Mike called out inside his mind.

'COME..!'

Inside one of the trents, deeply packed inside a backpack the knife moved slightly before it flew out of the backpack tearing a hole while letting out a whistle it flew through the air and landed in Mike's hand, he opened his eyes and looked at the five adventures that now looked pale, especially Jasmine that muttered.

"It's really a magic weapon…"

Her thoughts quickly spun

'It really is a magic weapon! I must stay on his good side after all anyone that can hold on to a magic weapon is no simple character! Besides if the opportunity presents itself I can just steal it for myself!''

Jasmine's eyes shone with greed for a moment before she stepped forwards and spoke

"I am sorry for not believing you benefactor Mike, the one you are looking for is James he stole your weapon!"

The man that got injured in yesterday's fight paled before he yelled in anger.

"Jasmine you bitch!"

Then with his uninjured right arm he drew a dagger and attempted to stab Jasmine with it, nobody expected James to act in such a way thus nobody was prepared for it except Mike of course that kicked off the ground and slashed out with his knife directly cutting off James' right hand.

"AAAAGGGGRRRRHHHH!!!!"

James howled as his hand flew through the air along with the dagger he was previously clutching, Ole then woke from his daze and yelled.

"Restrain him!"

The other adventures quickly restrained him while Mike looked on with cold eyes, next Ole turned to Hans that was watching the commotion and asked.

"Does your Kampane company deal in crime slaves?"

Hans gave a thin smile before he gave a nod.

"Yes it does, but I am afraid you won't get much for a one handed thief"

Ole clicked his tongue before he spoke.

"We split the price equally, any objections?"

Ole waited for a bit before Jasmine spoke up.

"Benefactor Mike can get my share"

Ole gave a nod before he looked at the other adventures and then turned back to Hans and asked with a glint in his eyes.

"How much?"

Hans still carried a thin smile on his face before he spoke.

"100."

"That's too low, how about 150?"

"110."

"...125?"

"....115, that's the highest I can go."

"Deal."

Ole and Hans shock hands, Mike walked over and asked Jasmine.

"Jasmine what's a crime slave?"

Jasmine gave a smile and looked over at James with disgust.

"A crime slave is a slave for a limited time unlike normal slaves which are slaves for life, but judging from James here he'll probably be a crime slave for the rest of his life."

"Why?"

"Well because he tried to steal and then attempted to attack a fellow adventure, nobody will want to buy a crime slave like that, so he'll end up in the mines."

Mike gave a nod, he could imagine what James survival changes in the mines would be like and gave a faint smile as he looked at James while a red glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.

'That's what you get for trying to steal what is mine!'

Hans walked over and handed Mike a small pouch with his shears from the crime slave sale, a total of 38 small bronze coins was in the pouch, Mike gave a nod and looked at Jasmine at his side and gave a faint smile.

"I'll buy you a drink when we reach Morkove."

Jasmine gave a smile.

"Thanks, I'll hold you to that."

After the group packed up the caravan began moving again, given that they only were half a days travel from Morkove the escorts beagan relaxing a bit as they were within the regular patrol routes of the guards of Morkove, Mike walked along with Ole just like yesterday but a new addison was Jasmine that also chatted with them from time to time, they were currently talking about leveling.

"So what level are you Ole?"

"I am level 1 just like you Mike, have been for about a year and will probably also be this time next year."

"What about you Jasmine?"

"I am also level 1."

"Okay… I wonder what happens when I reach level 2…"

Jasmine gave a smile before she spoke with a slightly enchanted look on her face

"I can't tell you that, but I can tell you what happens if you managed to reach level 3 in your lifetime."

Ole also showed an enchanted look when Jasmine talked about level 3, Mike gave a slight frown and asked.

"What's so special about level 3?"

Both Ole and Jasmine gave a sigh before they looked at Mike like he was from the bonnies, eventually Jasmine spoke.

"You get to choose a class."

Mike widened his eyes, he had played his share of RPG's and thus knew the importance of having a class but quickly asked.

"Hey, is it true that a person with a class can face 10 level 2's and kill them all?"

Ole gave a nod.

"Yup and without receiving a single starch at that!"

Jasmine quickly followed up.

"Yeah and it would be over in an instant too."

Mike felt essatic, he once again got the feeling that leveling up would help him secure his own life as well as elevate his status in the society and thus quickly asked to gather more information.

"Then what happens when one reaches level 5?"

Jasmine was about to speak when Ole quickly interrupted her and spoke with an enchanted look on his face.

"Mana! Once gets to wield mana and use magic!"

Jasmine quickly followed up.

"I once heard that the mayor of Morkove is level 3 while the governor of the province we live in is level 5 and rules over dozens of cities and countless small nameless towns!"

Mike gave a nod and tightened the grip he had on his knife while he thought to himself

'I need to level up fast and get strong enough to the point where I don't have to worry about being exposed, like what happened in that town… Anyways getting stronger should be my top priority, as for returning home… Screw that world, this place is so much more fun!'

A red glint flashed in the depths of Mike's eyes as he looked at the approaching city walls of Morkove as a small smile crept onto his face.