Golden City

It’s already been a week since I left the capital.

I’ve been running non-stop during that time. I had to evade not only Aris’s magic and Sylvia’s spirits, but also Iris’s surveillance network.

“We’ve finally arrived, nyang.”

A golden horizon filled my vision. Golden Haven, the Empire’s greatest commercial city.

True to its name, the entire city shone brilliantly, as if it were cast from gold.

Three massive gates surrounded the city. The point where the northern mountains, the southern sea, and the eastern plains met. This golden city was truly the hub of the continent.

‘This is just the beginning.’

From the northern gate, carts laden with jewels mined from the mountains, from the southern port, merchant ships carrying spices and silks, and from the eastern plains, endless caravans streamed in.

“What are you so surprised about, nyang? Nia’s been here over a hundred times, nyang!”

Nia’s voice came from over my shoulder. Her black ears stood proudly erect.

“A hundred times, huh… You probably came to steal every time.”

“That’s obvious, nyang! This is paradise for thieves, nyang!”

Nia’s golden eyes sparkled. Her black tail swished excitedly.

“But can we really find them here? The things I told you about…”

“Don’t worry, nyang! This city has everything, nyang.”

Nia was right. Those rare magical ingredients were essential to strengthening my power. Just running away from the party members wasn’t enough. I had to become stronger.

“Alright, then let’s plan for the future.”

“Trust Nia and follow me, nyang!”

Watching her black tail tremble with joy, I sighed. To think I’d end up with this cat burglar. But right now, I’m glad to have her.

“Let’s go inside for now. It’s too conspicuous here.”

The moment I took a step, the city’s vibrant noise filled my ears. The haggling of merchants from all over, the sound of cartwheels rolling, and the sound of Nia’s small footsteps in between.

New sights unfolded with every step I took.

From the northern gate, carts carrying minerals mined from the mountains lined up.

“Those are the Mountain Faction merchants.”

“That’s right, nyang! The one you see there is the Diamond Blade merchant guild, nyang. The Empire’s best jewelers. But they’re only flashy on the outside and rotten on the inside, nyang!”

The slight twitch at the tip of her ear suggested she had some bad memories. Though, it was probably just a memory of failing to steal something.

At the southern gate, merchant ships filled the harbor. The scent of various spices and silks stimulated my nose.

“That’s a fleet belonging to the Azure Dragon Society, nyang. They monopolize maritime trade, nyang! I heard they used to be pirates… so it’s legal to rob them blind, nyang! Nia is a righteous thief, nyang!”

Through the eastern gate, caravans stretching across the plains continued endlessly. Merchants from all over were bargaining in lively voices.

“The Golden Caravan… the strongest among the Plains Faction, nyang. Those three are dividing up this city, nyang!”

Nia’s explanation continued. As expected of the legendary master thief, her intelligence was solid.

“But the city is so complicated… how do we hide here?”

“Don’t worry, nyang! Nia has a secret hideout, nyang!”

I stopped walking and looked around. There was a good chance that those chasing us would come to this city.

“Will Aris’s intelligence network reach this far?”

“The Dragon’s Eye is scary, nyang… but the merchants are scarier, nyang! Even dragons lower their tails before money, nyang!”

Nia was right. This was a city ruled by gold. A place where even dragons couldn’t act recklessly.

“First, we need three things.”

I counted on my fingers.

“First, a safe hideout. Second, establishing an intelligence network. Third, securing an escape route.”

“As expected, Haru-nyang is smart, nyang! Nia has prepared everything, so don’t worry, nyang!”

But before she could finish speaking, hurried footsteps were heard. Guards were running towards us.

“Wait, there’s fur flying around here? Could there be a cat burglar around?”

“Nyang?! Have I already been found out, nyang?”

Nia hurriedly grabbed my hand.

“Follow me, nyang! Nia knows every alley in this city, nyang!”

In an instant, we disappeared into the maze-like back alleys. The guards’ shouts grew fainter.

“Did you… steal something as soon as we entered the city?”

“Well… the watch that guard was wearing was so shiny…”

She proudly shook the watch.

I sighed. I guess you can’t help a cat burglar’s habits.

“I told you not to do that without my permission.”

“Uuu… I understand, nyang. Next time, I’ll get permission from Haru-nyang first….”

Nia’s ears drooped. But her eyes still sparkled playfully.

“But Haru-nyang, look over there! It’s the secret hideout, nyang!”

At the end of a narrow alley, a shabby warehouse was visible. It looked like an ordinary warehouse on the outside, but…

I gave her a suspicious look.

“Could it be… a hideout for thieves?”

“It’s not, nyang! …Only half of them are thieves, nyang! The other half are information brokers, nyang!”

I sighed again. But this was probably the best option right now.

“Alright. But are there any precautions I should take?”

“Hmm… you have to tolerate cat allergies, nyang! There’s a lot of my fur around here, nyang.”

“You…”

Nia smiled playfully and opened the door. The inside was completely different from the outside.

A cozy space greeted us.

“Now, this is where the real fun begins, nyang! Haru and Nia’s city exploration!”

I sighed and looked at Nia. Nia is noisy, but her skills are certain.

Better than being alone… I guess having a cat around is okay.

“The first rule of a thief! Hide the tree in the forest, and the person among people, nyang!”

I nodded at Nia’s words. Surprisingly, her city survival methods were surprisingly systematic.

“And information is gathered in pubs, and deals are made in back alleys… that’s the basics, nyang.”

We took a seat inside a shabby pub. Nia wagged her black tail as she looked at the grilled fish.

“Wait, let’s decide what to do first.”

I spread a map on the shabby table. A list written in red ink and a rough map of the city glowed faintly like moonlight.

“First, we need… basic equipment, supplies, and information.”

I spread out a piece of paper on the table and started making plans. Based on my knowledge from the original work and my practical experience, I thought about what we really needed.

“First, rare magical ingredients… among them, the ‘Crystal of Chaos’ is essential. I need it to strengthen my power.”

A drawing of a red gem was drawn where I pointed.

“This is ‘Moonlight Dew’. It’s a material for an elixir used by the ancient elves. It’s necessary for stabilizing the crystal.”

“Wow! How does Haru-nyang know all this, nyang?”

“Well… I saw it in an ancient book.”

Nia looked at me suspiciously, but then nodded.

I continued to write the list. ‘Veil of Wind’, ‘Shadow Seal’… it would be nice to have these artifacts too.

“But you can’t buy those things no matter how much money you give them, nyang. The merchants keep them locked up in their vaults, nyang!”

“Then what do we do?”

Nia gave a familiar smile.

“…Don’t tell me.”

“That’s right, nyang! We have to steal them, nyang!”

“Wait, that’s a bit…”

Nia held out a black mask in front of my hesitant self.

“Haru-nyang knows too, right, nyang? You can’t get these things even if you pay a fair price.”

She was right. Even in the game, these items could only be obtained through quests or events. And those were complicated and annoying grind quests with dozens of steps.

“Wait a minute, but still, stealing is…”

“Stealing? Nyangnyang…”

Nia wagged her black tail and laughed softly.

“Haru-nyang, what we’re trying to steal was originally stolen, nyang. The Azure Dragon Society were pirates, and the Diamond Blade mines jewels from the mines… how much blood do you think they saw in that process…”

Nia’s claws scratched the table. The hatred in her voice was clear.

“The Golden Caravan is the worst, nyang. Nia saw the documents directly in their vault, nyang. They buy entire poor villages, and the people inside… the ledger only lists them as products, nyang.”

Silence fell for a moment. Nia’s tail puffed up like a fierce cat.

“So every time Nia robs their vault, she brings the contracts with her too, nyang. And burns them, nyang!”

I could feel a rage in her voice that I had never heard before. Her usual playful tone was gone.

“I understand.”

I received the mask. Nia’s eyes widened.

“Really… really, nyang?!”

“We’re fugitives anyway. We can’t be clean from the start.”

Nia’s ears trembled with joy at my words.

“Good, nyang! This is the beginning, nyang! Haru-nyang and Nia’s first theft!”

“Let’s call it an operation. ‘Theft’ is a bit…”

“Alright, nyang! Haru-nyang and Nia’s first operation, nyang!”

Nia’s tail trembled with joy.

“Good, nyang! Nia will make a perfect plan, nyang!”

*

A night when the moon was hidden by clouds. The Diamond Blade’s headquarters pierced the sky like a giant shadow. The massive building, built of jet-black marble, was like a fortress.

“Alright, let’s start, nyang!”

Nia’s cat ears peeked out from the black mask.

The headquarters building’s walls were higher than expected. It was a place I had crossed with a single click in the game, but it was dizzying to see in person. A wall at least five stories high blocked us.

“How do we climb this? There’s probably a magic barrier too…”

“Don’t worry, nyang! Nia has already checked everything, nyang!”

She took out a blue powder from a small pouch. When she scattered it in the air, an invisible magic circle faintly appeared.

“The barrier is renewed every 30 minutes, nyang. Until the next renewal… 12 minutes!”

Before she could finish speaking, Nia started climbing the wall. Her movements were so light that it was as if she was ignoring gravity, leaving me speechless.

“…How is she doing that?”

“Haru-nyang, hurry up and climb, nyang! There’s no time, nyang!”

I couldn’t help but admire her. Her black tail swayed enticingly from the top of the wall.

“How did you even climb up there?”

“Because I’m a cat! …Or should Nia give you a piggyback ride, nyang?”

“Just throw down a rope.”

A black rope fell in front of me. Nia’s plan was perfect. The angle, the timing, even the position of the moon seemed to be calculated.

The black rope fell. As I quietly climbed the wall, Nia giggled from above.

“Haru-nyang, your movements are too slow, nyang! Even a turtle is faster than that, nyang!”

We slipped inside like shadows. It wasn’t easy to follow Nia’s movements, but I tried my best to imitate her. It would have been impossible if I didn’t have the physical abilities of a hero.

“Shh! Patrol, nyang!”

Nia suddenly stopped. The light from a magic lamp began to shine at the end of the hallway. We quickly hid behind a pillar.

Tac-tac-

The sound of leather boots hitting the marble floor grew closer. I held my breath.

“All clear!”

The guard’s voice faded away with his footsteps. Nia’s ears twitched.

“Heading towards the 3rd floor hallway, nyang. Now’s the time!”

We moved quickly. Nia led the way, and I followed behind her. My heart pounded with every hallway we passed.

“We have to crawl through here, nyang.”

Nia pointed to a small vent. It was just big enough for the two of us to barely fit through.

“Don’t tell me…”

“This is the only way, nyang. There’s no magic barrier…”

Before she could finish speaking, she slipped into the vent. Only her black tail wiggled last.

Cold sweat ran down my spine as I crawled through the narrow passage.

While crawling, Nia’s black tail kept tickling my face. Once, twice… it was bearable, but…

“Nia, stop…”

“What are you talking about, nyang? Nia is just moving forward, nyang!”

“…Don’t do it.”

“Nia is very serious right now, nyang!”

Contrary to her words, there was a playful tone in her voice. Her tail began to tickle my nose more aggressively.

“Hachoo-!”

The sudden sneeze echoed through the vent. Nia’s ears perked up.

“Is someone there?”

A guard’s voice was heard from below. The sound of footsteps grew closer.

“Haru-nyang, really…”

Nia sighed and suddenly took out a small pouch. She took something out and threw it out of the vent.

Squeak-squeak-

“Looks like a rat got in.”

The guard’s footsteps faded away in another direction. Nia gave a victorious smile.

“It’s a hallucination marble I brought from the Imperial Treasury, nyang. I prepared it for times like these, nyang!”

“You… when did you steal that again?”

“Shh! We’re stealing right now, nyang!”

Her tail tickled my face again. This time, more subtly…

We moved faster. When we came out of the vent, a huge vault was in front of us.

“This is the vault room, nyang. But there are a lot of traps, so you have to be careful, nyang…”

Nia took out a small tool from her waist. The way she dismantled the complex lock as if it were a toy was amazing.

Click-

The first device was unlocked. Nia’s hand movements became even faster.

I’m glad I picked up the cat. If I was alone, I would have only thought of breaking it with the Holy Sword.

“Nia, you’re really…”

“Shh! Save the compliments for later, nyang!”

But her ears stood up proudly. Nia was a cat who was weak to compliments.

Clunk-

The last lock opened, and the vault door slowly opened. All sorts of gold and silver treasures shone inside, but our goal was different.

“It’s over there, nyang!”

Nia pulled up the carpet on the floor. Another door was hidden underneath.

“This is the real vault, nyang!”

Shh-

When the secret vault opened, legendary equipment poured out. Not only the ‘Crystal of Chaos’, but also many rare items shone next to it.

“Wow… you really are a thief.”

“Of course, nyang! Nia is the legendary master thief!”

The inside of the secret vault was more than expected. Not only the ‘Crystal of Chaos’, but also legendary equipment was full.

“Wow… this is really ‘Mythril Silk’, nyang! The price is worth a city…”

“Just take what you need.”

“Ehh? That’s a waste… this is a giant’s bone fragment, and that’s a spirit stone…”

Nia’s tail wavered with regret. But we didn’t have time.

That’s when it happened.

Thump-

The sound of footsteps was heard.

“Who’s there!”

The magic lamps turned on with the guard’s shout.

Nia’s movements changed in an instant. The playful cat disappeared, and the legendary master thief awakened.

“Haru-nyang, follow me!”

We quickly hid. There was no time to think. I clenched my fists. Should I fight like this… but that would be like spreading the rumor that the hero is here.

Thump thump thump-

The sound of footsteps grew closer. My heart was pounding in my ears.

“Seal off the entire 3rd floor! Catch them!”

The emergency bell started ringing. Red magic lamps lit up everywhere.

“This way, nyang!”

Nia led the way. We sprinted down the hallway. But the guards were also coming from the front.

“It’s a dead end, nyang… Upwards!”

We headed to the rooftop via the emergency stairs. One floor, two floors… the sound of the guards’ footsteps grew closer.

“Stop!”

A magic arrow grazed my ear. Nia’s black ears twitched.

“Haru-nyang, get down!”

At that moment, she threw a small marble. Smoke spread like an explosion.

“Damn it, I can’t see!”

“Call the mages!”

The guards’ shouts were heard from below. We kept running upwards.

Finally, we opened the rooftop door. A cold night breeze hit my face. There was nowhere else to go.

“What do we do?”

When I looked down, it was so high that I felt dizzy.

“Nyangnyang! Haru-nyang, hold on tight to Nia, nyang!”

Nia wrapped her arms around my waist. Her black tail wrapped tightly around my arm.

“Wait, don’t tell me…”

“Leap of faith, nyang!”

We jumped into the air. The wind brushed past my ears. A dizzying sense of falling washed over me.

“Nia? Nia?!”

But instead of an answer, I only heard a playful laugh. The ground was getting closer.

‘This girl, don’t tell me she’s playing around…’

3 meters to the ground… 2 meters…

At that moment, Nia’s eyes flashed. Our shadows began to move.

“Now, nyang!”

Whoosh-

We were sucked into the shadows. A cold sensation wrapped around my body and then released.

“Successful landing, nyang!”

The next moment, we appeared in the shadows of an alley. It was a perfect landing.

“You… you’re really crazy, aren’t you?”

“Nyang? Haru-nyang won’t get hurt even if you fall, right, nyang?”

I sighed at Nia’s playful expression.

“Still, there’s going to be a commotion.”

“Now everyone will be looking at the rooftops, so we can escape through the underground shadows, nyang!”

“…You’re smarter than I thought.”

“Of course, nyang! Nia is a genius cat burglar!”

While moving from shadow to shadow, Nia’s breath touched my neck. It was strangely ticklish.

No, she’s really licking me. I could feel the prickly sensation of a cat’s tongue.

“Phew… finally escaped, nyang!”

“You smell like spit!”

“Nyangnyang! Cats lick what they like, nyang!”

Nia let go of me when we arrived at a safe zone. Her golden eyes sparkled with victorious joy.

“Haa… haa… we’re safe now, nyang…”

Nia proudly raised her tail. But soon her face turned pale.

“Ugh… Shadow Leap uses a lot of stamina, nyang… I need to rest for a bit…”

As I caught her, I checked the stolen items. The Crystal of Chaos and some top-tier artifacts.

“Thank you, Nia. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

“So, what should we steal next, nyang?”

“That’s it for today.”

“Ehh? Why, nyang!”

“We got what we needed for now.”

“Uuu….”

“No way.”

“Haru-nyang is too inflexible, nyang… there are so many treasures…”

“Ssshh!”

“Still… I stole for the first time with Haru-nyang today, nyang! Nia feels good, nyang!”

Suddenly, she came close to me.

“S-so… as a reward…”

Nia folded and unfolded her ears shyly. She tilted her head slightly towards my hand.

“…Will you stroke my head?”

I sighed and raised my hand. Black ears trembled between the soft hair.

“Grrr…”

Nia made a small, satisfied sound.

I never thought I’d end up stealing with a cat burglar… well, it’s not bad.