A voice—still carrying a hint of childish softness—came from behind Jasper Cole.
Under normal circumstances, he might have thought it pleasant.
But the moment he remembered the boy who had been with her earlier, that voice sounded less like curiosity and more like a death knell.
So Jasper made a decisive choice.
He pretended to be dead.
"What's your name?" the girl asked cheerfully. "I'm Sherry. You're hurt really badly… do you want to come rest at my place?"
Jasper didn't move.
"Don't worry, I won't charge you~"
Still nothing.
"Ohhh—I get it now!" Sherry said suddenly. "You're mute! Poor thing~"
Jasper's face darkened beneath his hood. He turned his head away and continued ignoring her.
Footsteps approached.
The boy from earlier walked over and crouched beside him. "Hello. I'm Snow Lin, Sherry's older brother. Judging from your injuries, you've been through a serious battle. How about this—you come to our place to recover, and your payment will be the clothes you're wearing."
His gaze lingered openly on Jasper's assassin combat outfit.
From the severity of the injuries alone, Snow Lin judged that the attacker must have been at least Bronze Tier, Rank 6. Yet Jasper's outfit, though stained with blood and dirt, showed no damage at all.
A high-grade defensive item, he concluded.
Sherry tugged on Snow Lin's sleeve and whispered, "Brother, that's not very nice… I just wanted to look at his clothes and ask the forge to make me one like it."
Jasper heard every word clearly.
So that's it. She wants the outfit.
Not a chance.
Jasper pushed himself upright using his short sword. "Not for sale."
Snow Lin froze, suddenly awkward.
Sherry laughed. "Oops, sorry for calling you mute earlier! …Though you did ignore me first."
Her smile was genuinely bright.
Even Jasper paused for half a heartbeat—then quickly looked away, ears faintly warm, before limping deeper into the forest.
Snow Lin sighed. "Let's go back, Sherry. We came out to train your willpower, not to mess around. You're still only Bronze Tier, Rank 5. Your talent is better than mine—I'm already Rank 7. You're a Spirit Body. The family's future rests on you."
Sherry's expression dimmed. She followed him in silence.
Jasper stopped once they left the range of Eagle Eye.
From their conversation, it was clear the two were members of a powerful family on an external training journey. And that meant one thing—
They'll have healing supplies.
After a brief hesitation, Jasper turned back.
Using Eagle Eye and his willpower perception, he followed them from a distance. No traps. No sudden movements. They hadn't noticed him.
Night fell.
The siblings entered a courtyard-style inn guarded at the gate—clearly a family-owned property.
Jasper vaulted the wall with practiced ease. When his injured leg struck the stone, cold sweat burst from his skin. Gritting his teeth, he climbed using his good arm and leg.
He slipped in through a window.
The boots absorbed nearly all sound. The patrol passed by without noticing anything.
Leaning against the wall, Jasper entered the nearest room.
He activated Eagle Eye to confirm safety, then went straight to a cabinet and yanked open a drawer—
"…Huh?"
Women's underwear.
A lot of it.
Damn it.
Jasper shoved the drawer back in a panic.
Bang.
Too loud.
He turned sharply.
The person on the bed had woken up.
At the same time, footsteps approached outside.
Jasper lunged forward, clamped a hand over the person's mouth, and flicked out his wrist blade, resting it lightly against her neck.
"Tell them to leave," he whispered. "I don't mean any harm."
A knock sounded at the door.
"Miss? Is everything alright?"
A calm voice answered from Jasper's arms. "It's fine. You can go."
Only then did Jasper realize—
The girl he was holding was Sherry.
And she had clearly recognized him as the "mute" from earlier.
An awkward silence followed.
Jasper withdrew his blade and stepped back. "Do you… have any healing potions?"
Sherry tilted her head. "I could've helped you for free, you know. Why steal?"
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her flushed face and silver hair swaying gently in the night breeze. Her pink eyes blinked curiously.
She wore a white sleeveless nightdress, bare arms exposed. Her hands shifted slightly—
Wait. What's she holding?
She smiled innocently.
In the next instant, a white cord snapped tight around Jasper.
Bound.
Sherry hopped off the bed, now wearing a short white skirt. She walked closer and noticed Jasper staring at her legs.
Her expression darkened.
She yanked his hood down hard. "Perverted thief."
Jasper struggled—
No strength.
The cord was terrifyingly strong. Judging by resistance alone, Sherry was at least Bronze Tier, Rank 5. His physical strength rivaled Rank 4, yet he couldn't break free.
…I messed up.
Sherry crouched in front of him, fingers resting on his hood. "Why hide your face? Are you ugly?"
She reached to pull it down.
No—
If she saw his face, it would mean endless trouble.
Desperately, Jasper opened his system inventory.
A Blast Talisman materialized in midair.
BOOM!
The explosion tore a hole through the wall. Most of the force hit the structure, but the shockwave disrupted Sherry's control.
Jasper seized the moment.
Using willpower, he controlled his short sword and slashed at the cord.
Snap.
Free.
He dove through the blasted opening without hesitation.
In the chaos, Jasper also swept the medicinal items from Sherry's cabinet into his inventory—no time to check what they were.
Behind him, Sherry stared blankly at the hole.
The explosion hadn't hurt her—just startled her.
On the floor lay four gold coins.
She blinked. "…What a strange person."
"He had money, but still stole."
"He stole… but paid."
"And even overpaid."
Her pink eyes sparkled with curiosity.