The Perfect Knight and the Illusionist (BL)

MARIUS

The festival square was bustling with people making final preparations, although some diligent sellers had already finished setting up their stalls and were selling drinks to the thirsty workers on this hot late summer day.

Since our little chat with the old lady earlier, Skylark had seemed downcast. I was rather bothered by it as I had been looking forward to Skylark enjoying today.

He had physically recovered since our survival mission and the inexplicable breakdown. He also integrated back into the daily routines of the Academy rather well. Just the week before, we found a suitable club for him—the arts club activities were to start next week.

So I expected that this mission we were on today would be a welcome occasion that could remind him of the good times from his hometown and help him adjust to life in the capital and the Academy better too. But instead, he was just quietly lagging behind the group as we patrolled the area.

Another thing that bothered—or rather, that I couldn’t help but notice with caution—was Dorian. He did not involve himself in any of our prior encounters with civilians before. He said nothing when we were moving the three boys along from the entry point, and he simply stood back and let us do all the talking when we reminded the old lady that she couldn’t engage in unauthorized sales activities today. There were no snide remarks or mocking speech.

But this passivity didn’t seem to come from his usual attitude of disinterest. He didn’t neglect his duties. If anything, he seemed unusually sharp and vigilant. Whatever he was thinking, judging by how he constantly scanned the area, it was hard for me to say that he wasn’t taking the mission seriously.

Maybe there was some good in him after all.

He surely didn’t join the Royal Knights Academy just to pick fights with me. He must have had his reasons too, and maybe he recognized that this was his first step in realizing those goals as well.

Just as we were about to leave the square to patrol the streets behind it, Dorian stepped in closer to me and whispered,

"Marius. The same three boys from before. Seven o’clock."

I turned to look and saw that, indeed, the same three boys we moved along from the entry point were by a stall selling various sweets.

"I suppose Skylark made their day," I said with quiet satisfaction.

"Don’t be silly. That’s not what I’m talking about," Dorian said.

I looked closer, and that’s when I noticed.

While two boys were talking to the seller, picking various candies and perhaps asking for their price, I spotted one boy grab something from the display, unnoticed by the seller, and put it into his pocket.

"A thief spotted. Eleven o’clock," I announced to the group.

Isabelle and Beatrice immediately turned in that direction, while Skylark was alerted by the word ’thief’ but asked,

"It’s eleven o’clock now?"

Isabelle gently grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him toward the right direction.

"Oh, those are the three boys from before," Skylark said happily.

"I just saw one of them steal from the stall," I said.

"No way!" Skylark exclaimed.

"Keep watching. They are still at it," Dorian said.

And just as Skylark was about to protest, the same boy from before stuffed his pocket with yet another item while the seller was distracted.

"Report now?" Beatrice asked.

"No time to report. They will be gone by the time the Sergeant hears about it," Dorian said.

"You are right. We catch them first and then we will bring them to the Sergeant," I said, quickly deciding.

"But Marius, we were told not to take any actions ourselves," Isabelle spoke up.

"But we can’t just watch and let a crime take place. That would be wrong," I insisted, which earned a nod of approval from Beatrice and made Isabelle go quiet.

"Skylark, approach them and talk to them," I ordered.

"Huh? Why? What do I say?" Skylark asked.

"Just be friendly and chat with them. Dorian, go with Isabelle and approach them from the right. I will flank with Beatrice and approach them from the left."

"Tsk, giving me orders," Dorian grunted, but he was already on the move with Isabelle, swiftly.

"Wait—what are we going to do to them?" Skylark asked, his voice trembling a little.

"No time to waste, Skylark. Go now. Beatrice, come with me," I said and started to move in the other direction with Beatrice.

As we were making a big circle to approach the boys from different directions, I saw that Skylark was still hesitating, but thankfully, he began to walk toward the boys in the end.

"Good that he’s onto them now," I said to Beatrice.

"I don’t think we should be attacking them in any sense," she said cautiously.

"You are right. No magic of any kind. I will grab the thief, you grab the shorter boy on the left. I trust Dorian and Isabelle should be able to catch the remaining one."

"Got it."

By the time we got into a good position, close enough to dash in and catch them but far and hidden enough that they would not notice us yet, I exchanged glances with Dorian, who had also found a good spot. I then looked at Skylark, who was now talking to the boys. I then looked over at Dorian, who saw me, as if he knew I was about to give the go-signal.

Seeing that we were all ready, I raised my hand slightly, and we were supposed to run in once I dropped my hand.

Then suddenly, I saw Skylark saying something to the boys while pointing at the direction we had just come from. The boys seemed startled, looked around in panic, then saw me and Beatrice.

The boys immediately took off, running toward the direction Skylark pointed at—the one direction that we could not cover from our current positions.

Skylark, what have you done...?