Chapter 33 - Forever Sinners

"-...Master?

-Hm?

-I have always wanted to ask you... something that I don't quite understand... You've told me once that I should never trust anybody, not even my own friends. That even a friend... can be a sinner... just like you called your own one. But I never saw him as a sinner ever since I got to know him myself.

-Everyone can be a sinner, little one. The difference is whether you choose to change this fact or remain a sinner for your entire life. But you do not need to trust my own words. Words are nothing compared to action..."

56 YEARS AGO

14.04.1586

The City of Above

36:19

For the first time, we go back in time, so far away to the point that most of the members of the Southeast Base weren't even aware of its existence, let alone some of them being even born. But we are not going into the Underground City, instead we are focusing on the City of Perfection. Just like the present, the streets aren't that crowded. Most of the people present being either soldiers or just people passing by to get to their destination.

However, somewhere on a street near the center, some kind of a street performer is amazing the citizens passing by with a few tricks. The tricks themselves are pretty much similar to magic tricks, making things appear and disappear while also being very interactive with the public and appearing rather charming as a person to get more people's attention.

But if you look at the performer himself, he looks rather familiar to a face we already know. He has a long and black hair with green eyes and a bit of a darker skin, with his appearance being just a bit younger, looking around his 20s. This man... he is...

[AL7AN]-...Now, now... since everyone is so hyped up, why don't we take a small viewer from the crowd to help me with a new entertaining show for you? Hm?

...Master AL7AN?

He was pretty confident in what he was doing all this time, with the same smirk he always gives, just like in the present. Hiding the truth from the public eye. The public, however, was pretty excited and many wished to take part in the next performance. But "excitement" is a strange word to describe the atmosphere in this city. It was rather closer to a feeling of escaping reality. From those many people, AL7AN chose one that simply didn't appeal to him as much for whatever reason.

[AL7AN]-...You! Dear Sir! Come and help me out!

He points out towards that person, making him come next to him while also making eye contact. AL7AN didn't do anything, he just looked a bit in the eyes of the citizen then back at the crowd.

[AL7AN]-Dear Sir, how are you called?

[Citizen]-I am ca--

[AL7AN]- --You know what? Doesn't matter, you will be here for just a few minutes. I mean, if you wish to stay, then that's on you. But I want to grab a drink after this. Would you like one too?

[Citizen]-N-No Sir!

[AL7AN]-Oh, but why not?

[Citizen]-I promised myself that I will be more productive this year, Sir!

[AL7AN]-Yeesh... The lies are on you, buddy. I can't help you with that.

Communicating with the citizen seems to be another way of keeping the crowd entertained as well. Some do laugh from the interaction and the citizen itself doesn't seem very bothered since it looks as if he did see a lot of performances like this one.

[AL7AN]-Now, you don't take anything personal, do you?

[Citizen]-No, Sir!

[AL7AN]-Great! That's how I want my assistants to be! Good thinking! Now, what do you think I will perform this time, hm?

[Citizen]-W-Well, I saw some of your performances before, so I would assume that you will give me some coins to make them disappear.

[AL7AN]-No, maybe I am sick of that trick. What say we try something new this time? Just the two of us.

The citizen wasn't really sure what to respond though, but he didn't have the time either since AL7AN was already starting to speak again.

[AL7AN]-No answer? Great! That means you are ready!

Right in the next second, AL7AN takes out of his pockets a small empty bag and then looks back in the eyes the citizen, showing him the bag.

[AL7AN]-What is this, dear Sir?

[Citizen]-A bag.

[AL7AN]-Good, you are a smart man!

He opens the bag to show to him that it is fully empty as well.

[AL7AN]-Now... if you observe it for a bit, you will see that it is empty. Do you see it, right?

[Citizen]-Yes, Sir!

[AL7AN]-Well, I would wish to give you the bag so you can keep it in your hands in the form of a ball or however you want so that we cannot see it from the outside. Just make sure that it is not visible from the outside. And maybe don't try to steal it. I have some other performances planned with it.

He then proceeds to give the man the bag and arrange the man's hands in order for the bag to be fully covered so that nor him nor the public can see it.

[AL7AN]-With the bag hidden in your hands, there is no kind of possibility for me to do anything to it, right? To be completely sure and to not get accused of anything, I will even stay a bit away from my assistant so that nobody says that I am a cheater. But if you still do not believe my own words, then I have nothing against showing you the empty bag again.

He shows the citizen a sign to unfold it again and to give it to him so that he can show around while also taking the assistant in this small walk. While showing the bag with a single hand, he also makes everyone sure that the assistant has no kind of relation with the performer to script the whole trick, showing the man's empty hands. They walk around the crowd, managing to show every single viewer the bag and when they get back to the initial position, AL7AN has such a weird smirk on his face that disappears instantly not long after, showing once again the empty bag for the last time to the crowd and giving it back to the citizen to make the same thing like the last time, not before he makes a strange and quick movement himself with a finger, almost impossible to be spot.

[AL7AN]-So, now that everyone has seen the bag and now that it got into his possession again, I will explain what I intend with this trick. I will ask my assistant here to tell me whatever item could fit in a bag like that and I will try to make it appear. But just so you all know, this is the first time I ever do this trick, so if it doesn't work... blame it on the assistant. He hold the bag after all.

He makes a small pause to get a bit of a distance between him and the assistant to ensure the viewers that he cannot touch the bag in any way. Then, he looks again at the citizen in the eyes.

[AL7AN]-So? What item should it be, dear Sir?

[Citizen]-I will go... with an ore.

[AL7AN]-What kind of ore?

[Citizen]-It doesn't really matter, just for it to be an ore. And maybe shaped in the form of a star.

[AL7AN]-Well, that's a weird request... Are you sure you don't try to sabotage my performance with it? You know, it would be impossible for me to find such thing from the very beginning.

[Citizen]-That's why I have chosen it, Sir!

[AL7AN]-Smart man, smart man... Then, what does the crowd think? 'Cause I think that I lost my bet with my friend about me succeeding today with this new trick. *sigh* No matter... let's just see what has happened to the bag, shall we?

The citizen tends to open the hands and show a bit the bag, but AL7AN stops him again.

[AL7AN]-Oh, wait! We can't open it just like that and call it a day! We should do a small countdown! I mean, at least something has to be entertaining from this whole disaster... I will count down until we reach the number zero, and when we do reach it, my assistant shall open his hands and reveal the bag! What do you say, dear viewers?

The viewers were a bit disappointed from the performer's words since they did think that he will come prepared, but at the same time they were excited to see if even the smallest thing appeared in the bag.

[AL7AN]-Here we go then! Five! Four! Three! Twooo! Oneee...

The man was already getting prepared to open his hands, slowly revealing the bag. So when the countdown ended...

[AL7AN]-...Zero.

...he opened the bag and looked inside it, finding exactly what he said he wanted to see. It is a very small ore with the form of a star, making him so excited that the trick worked and even amazing the other viewers from his reaction.

[AL7AN]-Well? What is it, boy? Show it to everyone so that they can see!

And so he does. He takes out of the bag the star ore and rises it with his hand into the air, visible so that everyone can see it. AL7AN wasn't so excited about the whole trick, more like relieved that it worked till the end, but showing no kind of signs on that at all. The public though was sure very impressed, praising the young performer and some even giving him a few coins of Novha.

[AL7AN]-Well, if you liked this show, I am going to wait for you all to return whenever I will be performing again! I will gladly show you more, if it is your command!

He sure wasn't so sincere. Maybe he does mean it, but from the way he secretly watches the money coming to him, it makes the whole thing look like he is just trying to make everyone give him more money by being as polite as possible. Even the smirk doesn't seem honest.

But the public leaves in just a few minutes, with AL7AN only gathering everything in order to make his leave as well. Yet while nobody was looking, besides the equipment he used and the coins won, there were some bonus Novhas that didn't come from the gift of the viewers at all. He was counting all of them, smiling at the profit he made this time.

"...Oh, it sure was a good day today. How lucky I was that there were more rich people this time. I am even surprised that this old trick works at this point. Heh, ignorant perfect citizens... When will they learn to never trust someone they do not know to walk besides them?"

It seems like, while he showed the empty bag to the whole crowd while walking, he managed to take from the pockets very quickly a few portions of money only from some specific people that looked as if they weren't paying attention to what was happening around them at all, a lot so that he can get a winning and also a very little bit from each of them so that they do not notice the fact that they have been robbed. Several people suffered from this scam, and he sure seems experienced enough if nobody noticed even the slightest suspicious movement.

And when he was done with counting today's profit, he took the bag and the item taken out of it to analyse the object. He looked intrigued while also pressing some hidden buttons under his sleeves that were connected to the object. Then, the item simply transformed into such a small and unnoticeable sphere that is hard not to lose even from the tiniest mistake.

The sphere itself was also a part of the whole scam during the trick. After he showed the empty bag, he threw the sphere without anybody noticing in the bag then waited for the assistant to say a random object. When he told him the object, AL7AN only used the hidden buttons under the sleeves to program the sphere to take the form of the wanted ore, which resulted in the trick being a success.

"Now aren't you an interesting gadget... I am actually glad I managed to take you and the very papers of your creation from that childish researcher. It would be better for people like those to not own such objects, knowing their stubbornness. Though I am even more surprised that it worked the first time I tested it out in public. Even as prototype, you seem to be more useful than the last people I worked with. If it didn't work out, it would've turn out so much worse, wouldn't it, new little friend?"

After observing it at the light to admire the beauty of the new gadget, or prototype since it doesn't seem to be either finished nor something that is allowed to the public yet, he puts it into his pockets and prepares for his leave in the end. To think about it, such gadget isn't even described in the present days, which makes you think what happened to it and why couldn't it be made again.

"Oh, well. Let's just see what tomorrow brings us. I swear, if the crowd is so small to the point of not being able to do anything without being caught, I will just take my leave again... Or maybe I could try to recruit some other suckers that are willing to work for me just for 10%. Hmm, that would be an idea... But I have to come up with a new idea of how to trick them into thinking that I am giving them half or more out of the gain. I will run out of ideas if I continue like this at this point..."