Ch 385: What’s It Like To See The Baal Family From Another Perspective? （part 3）

I am a shopkeeper at a shop under a Merchant Guild. My name is irrelevant; nobody calls me by it anyway. I’m thirty-one, unmarried, and return home before 8 PM every day. I don’t smoke, and I only drink lightly. I go to bed between 1 and 2 AM, rarely getting a full eight hours of sleep. Before bed, I drink a cup of hot milk and do 20 minutes of stretching exercises to relax before sleeping, which usually allows me to sleep until morning. When I wake up, it’s like I’ve been beaten; I’m incredibly tired and my body aches.

Shopkeeper is just my public identity. I have another identity: Orton’s Night Thief. Some might ask why I steal despite having a proper job. I’m not sure myself. I’m not like ordinary thieves; after stealing something, I play with it for a while before returning it. I feel I haven’t caused anyone any losses, so I don’t feel guilty about stealing.

Recently, a rich family moved in opposite my shop. Initially, I wasn’t interested; they were just another Nouveau Riche from the Continent. A casino used to be there; last year, it was smashed, and the shopkeeper was arrested. Afterwards, the place was deserted; occasionally, I’d hear noises—probably homeless people. Later, I learned someone bought and renovated it into a residence. Ah, being rich is nice.

They moved in one night. I was preparing to close the shop when I saw eight people standing at the door of the house opposite. The White-Haired Woman unlocked the door with a key, and they all moved in.

“Home, home, time to go off work.”

After cleaning and closing the shop, I headed home. People tend to take a second look at things they haven’t seen before. I vaguely saw that the opposite family’s child seemed to be holding a monster? And a Woman with Pink Hair had a wyvern perched on her shoulder?

“As expected of rich people, they keep such strange pets.”

I quietly complained about their pets and went home. I still had several Nightlight Cups I’d stolen a couple of days ago from a Noble’s home vacationing here. I don’t drink, so I use them for milk.

“Ugh, I’m tired of playing with them. I should return this cup and find another target.”

I raised the Nightlight Cup, finished the milk in it under the moonlight, changed my clothes, and prepared to go out. As a thief with almost no failures, I have my unique skills. I usually scout targets based on orders from the storehouse. Customers with large orders have a higher chance of becoming targets; after all, wealthy people who can place large orders often have some rare items. I don’t sneak in in the dark; that’s too risky. I usually observe first, then infiltrate under a disguise. My disguises are always real people—I simply knock them unconscious, change clothes, steal the items, and send the person back. This method has always worked perfectly.

After returning the Nightlight Cup, I returned home.

“Ah, I should have grabbed some late-night snacks.”

Looking at the empty plate on the table, I remembered I forgot to buy bread. Oh well, I’ll grab something outside.

After eating street food, I returned home, washed up, and checked my pocket watch.

“It’s already 1 AM.”

After drinking hot milk and doing stretching exercises, I fell asleep.

I have to say, mornings after staying up late are awful. I have to go to work early, so I can’t sleep comfortably. However, my current savings aren’t enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life, but at least I’m not starving.

“Time for work.”

I opened the shop’s gate. Good, it’s the same as when I left last night.

Then the Big Boss came for his routine inspection. How troublesome. He’s a nice person, but he likes to do everything himself, making him very bothersome.

I took the account book for the Boss to check. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t steal from my workplace.

After checking, the Boss asked about recent events. I answered honestly, even mentioning last night’s events at the house opposite. As soon as I finished, I saw a beautiful Maid from the house opposite opening the door and walking into our shop after looking around.

Hey, Boss, I remember you have a wife! Control your expression; your saliva is about to drip. If the Boss’s Wife finds out, you’ll be in big trouble.

Wow, a large order! I was stunned when I saw the list from Miss Maid. I only saw eight people last night? So much food, won’t it spoil? But the customer is always right. I have to go to the storehouse to count the goods and ask for help.

What is this? The Maid directly dragged the trailer that normally requires several people to move back by herself? Is she really just a Maid? Isn’t she some kind of humanoid robot?

The Boss seems interested in the house opposite. Ugh, a capitalist. So, I spent the day with the capitalist observing the house opposite. That family doesn’t seem to like going out, even though the scenery here is beautiful.

I seriously suspect the family is abnormal; I hear shouting from their house frequently. The Boss said not to worry.

One afternoon, two Green-Haired Noble Women who looked like twin sisters came to the door of the opposite house, presumably looking for someone.

The next morning, the Boss asked me to fetch the best wine from the storehouse. He seems determined to build a good relationship with the family opposite.

“Heidel Manor Wine! So the Boss has this kind of good stuff.”

I carefully packaged the red wine and gave it to the Boss. Under our watchful eyes, he went into the opposite house. He didn’t stay long. When he came out, he looked pleased; it seems he succeeded.

Over the next few days, I finally saw someone from their house go out. He’s a handsome guy, although I don’t want to admit it, he’s quite handsome. This handsome guy usually goes out alone, around 10 AM, and returns around 5 or 6 PM. Target acquired. Next, I’ll steal from that house. I’ll just disguise myself as this handsome guy.

I immediately asked the Boss for a paid day off. I followed the handsome guy during the day. He’s quite cautious. I need to keep my distance to avoid alarming him.

Finally succeeded! Although he seemed to have noticed me following him, he’s really quite weak. I chose the right target. I picked a soft persimmon.

I carried the handsome guy across the rooftop. Before reaching his house, I put him down and hid him. Now for my performance. I bet his house has some good things.