After the guard slammed the guild's heavy doors shut, Sushi stood in the middle of the street, casually dusting off his new clothes. The heavy pouch of coins tied to his waist weighed down his movements, but his heart was still bleeding—not from a wound, but from his own sheer stinginess.

  ?"Let's see now... Dammit, I'm officially homeless!" Sushi muttered, glancing at the sky as it began to drape itself in shades of ink and shadow. "The first night, I slept at the old tailor's place as a servant. The second, I shared the dirt with green chickens... But now? Where do I go?"

  ?He wandered through the city. Hotels gleamed with polished signs, and rental rooms looked invitingly cozy. In reality, he had enough gold to rent a royal suite for months. But to Sushi, paying money for "sleep" was nothing short of a crime against humanity.

  ?"Pay 50 silver coins for eight hours of unconsciousness? Impossible! I'll find another way."

  ?A Shady Encounter

  ?As he roamed the streets, cursing the high cost of living, he spotted a narrow alleyway emitting a faint, flickering light. There, he saw a vagrant living in a makeshift shack—a pathetic pile of scavenged wood and tattered cloth. The man was desperately trying to heat an old tin of food, barely enough to satisfy a child.

  ?Sushi looked at the poor man, then felt the tightly bound money pouch at his waist. For a brief second, Sushi's gaze softened, looking almost emotional, as if he were about to pull out a gold coin and hand it to the wretch...

  ?But that look vanished instantly, replaced by a wicked, devilish smirk.

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  ?Sushi headed to the nearest late-night eatery, bought a lavish, grease-dripping meal that perfumed the entire street, and returned to the alley.

  ?"Hey there, old-timer!" Sushi chirped as he approached.

  ?The man jumped in terror, his face turning ghostly pale. "You lot again?! What do you want from me this time? I've already given you everything I own! Leave!"

  ?Sushi paused. 'You lot? Who is this old man talking about?' He thought quickly, but he didn't miss a beat. He immediately slipped into the role of a "pitiful victim," dropping his voice to a heart-wrenching tone. "Calm down, uncle... I'm not who you think. I'm just a miserable traveler, a stranger to these lands with no place to rest my head. Would you be so kind as to let me spend the night here with you?"

  ?"Get lost!" the man barked. "There's no room for strangers here!"

  ?Grumbleeeee...

  ?The sound of the man's empty stomach betrayed his pride instantly. Sushi smiled slyly, lifting the bag of hot food. "Oh... what a pitiful soul I am! I'll have to sleep in the cold with all this rich, delicious food... The smell of grilled meat is practically killing me, and sadly, I won't be able to finish it alone. If only there were a generous soul to share my meal in exchange for a roof to shield me from the breeze..."

  ?Sushi cracked the bag open slightly. A plume of steam escaped, dancing under the vagrant's nose. The man's mouth watered like a waterfall as he battled his instincts.

  ?"Fine... damn you!" the man said in defeat. "Give me the food and get inside, quickly!"

  ?The Golden Thread

  ?Sushi entered the shack, which reeked of dampness and rot. While the man inhaled the food like a starving beast, Sushi began "interrogating" his prey with calculated precision.

  ?"You... you're not just a traveler, are you?" the man asked, wiping his mouth. "I saw that look in your eyes. You look just like those bastards who took my home."

  ?Sushi leaned his back against a rotting wooden beam. "Uncle, I made a fair trade. As for those 'bastards'... who are they? And what could a vagrant like you possibly have that would make them chase you?"

  ?The man lowered his voice to a whisper.

  "They want the 'Title Deed.' This cursed alley is in a strategic zone the Guild wants to turn into warehouses... and I'm the only one with the documents proving this land has belonged to my family for a hundred years."

  ?Sushi's eyes glinted in the dark like a cat stalking a fat mouse. 'A title deed? An entire alley? And the Guild is involved?' Oh my! 'I went looking for a bed and stumbled upon a gold mine!'

  ?Sushi leaned in, placing a hand on the man's shoulder with artificial tenderness. "Uncle... how about another trade? You keep the deed, and I'll take care of those thugs and the Guild too... in exchange for, let's say, half the land's value once we reclaim it?"

  ?The man stared at Sushi in stunned silence. Meanwhile, Sushi was grinning to himself: 'Welcome to the world of real estate, Sushi. Scimming individuals is fun, but scamming the Guild? Now that's true art! Hehe.'