Chapter 72: The Great Corinin Vault Heist

"When I offered to help you find a mana pool," Razz said, "I had absolutely no intention of engaging in criminal conspiracy. But here we are."

They sat in a private room of a different inn where they had all met. Zae Zin Nim still looked a bit weak, but she had appeared like a ghost. By contrast, Razz seemed barely able to contain himself, constantly toying with items in the pouch he'd brought with him. Kai just sat back and waited to finally hear what he was planning.

"How illegal this is depends on whether we get caught." Razz spread his arms and smiled sheepishly. "It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is. The Corinins can send their mercenaries after me because I can't prove anything, and I have to live with it. But that means that if we can take from them, they won't be able to retaliate. If we do things right, they won't even suspect us."

"How are you going to steal from the most powerful clan in Rayakan?" Kai asked. "I assume it will be during this party, but they must have extra security then."

"Yes, but that's also going to be their weakness, because they don't know how well-prepared we are."

Razz triumphantly pulled a map from his pack and spread it out on the table. Kai leaned forward and didn't understand at all for a while before he realized it was some kind of drawing of a building from above. Given the size and the context, it had to be the Corinin estates.

"The mana pool is in the basement here." Razz tapped a point on the lowest level. "Because of that natural formation, they built their family vault around it. They open it rarely, so if we can get in and get out cleanly, they won't suspect until too late."

"Great, unless they have reason to suspect us." Kai gestured at the entire map. "Where did you get this? Won't buying maps of their estates make you the prime suspect?"

"Not at all!" Razz didn't let his grin waver for a second. "Thing is, this isn't a map of the Corinin estate. You see, the building used to be owned by the Orgoron clan, before the Corinins took power. I found the old information in archives a while back, so I've just been trying to get to the point where I could take advantage of it. They can't move the mana pool and I have good reason to believe they haven't moved the vault either."

"Can we break the vault seal?" Zae Zin Nim spoke up for the first time. She had seemed entirely uninterested, but now she was poring over the map.

"That's the least of our problems. The Corinins rely on layered security, so the inner vault door is only to prevent clan members from stealing. I've purchased a clever Krysali device that can neutralize it... the problem is getting through the outer two layers of security."

This had been planned for even longer than he'd expected. Kai leaned closer, trying to read the unfamiliar chart. He noted that several new lines had been added more recently than the base ink. Their effect was to cut off a significant portion of the estate from the rest, dividing it into inner and outer sections. Just as he was about to ask, Razz traced a line around the exterior.

"There are so many Corinin hunters on guard that it's impossible to sneak in during ordinary times, which is why it needs to be during the celebration. With our invitations, we can walk in." His finger slid inward to the inner region blockaded by old and new lines. "The inner clan areas will be especially well-guarded while they have so many guests. It's possible to get a personal invitation from a family member, but you'll be checked and would never be able to make it to the vault."

The obvious solution was to fight their way in, but apparently Razz didn't think that way. Given the strength of Barroguk and Iroaki, Kai would have to accept the subterfuge route. "Alright, that seems fool-proof if you play by the rules. I assume there's a weakness?"

"We can get through if we split up the roles. All three of us enter as normal guests, separately. Kai will be the only one to get access to the inner section and you won't even try to access the vault. No, your mysterious friend can smuggle the vault piercer inside her robes. They'd never check a woman too closely for the outer party. Instead, Kai will drop his inner invitation off this balcony, leaving her to collect it and then sneak through both via a different route."

"And what will you be doing this entire time?" Zae Zin Nim asked.

"Being conspicuous in the outer party. Since they won't trust me out of their sight, I'll draw a significant amount of attention and leave the rest of the estate emptier for your work." Razz lifted both hands. "I know, I'm taking on the least risk. But all I'm asking is for you to find the financial records in the vault. Your rewards should be far greater."

"Presuming that I can use the mana pool within the time limit and emerge without attracting attention." Her attention had been focused on the plan, but she looked directly at Kai, so he answered first.

"The Class awakening process is almost instantaneous," he said. "It will be more of a problem for you to learn how to prepare the pool and search the records."

She sat back, her face giving almost no clue what she thought of the plan. Still, Kai suspected that she would already have raised objections if she had any.

For his part, he was a little uncertain. Since Zae Zin Nim could move quiet as the night, he had no doubt that she could sneak in. It struck him as a bit more of a gamble that the financial records would be in the vault, but that wasn't his risk. All of that left him with one much bigger question...

"You rushed through the middle part," Kai said. "Earlier you just claimed that I'm going to acquire an inner invitation... how, exactly?"

"Well..." Razz's face slowly spread in a grin that was none too comforting. "Since you've already proved how proficient you are at charming Corinin women..."

"No way. Absolutely not. My skills include beating up monsters with my fists and hiking around wastelands. I don't know the first thing about polite society anywhere, much less here. How am I the social manipulation part of this plan?"

"Oh, come on, you were a hit at dinner! These celebrations are practically an excuse for young clan members to spend time together, so all you need to do is get one of them to invite you inside."

Kai scowled and sat back. Razz was still grinning like it was inevitable that he would agree, while Zae Zin Nim watched him quietly. This was all for her sake, but the plan was absurd. If he refused, he thought that she would support him. There had to be some less humiliating alternative.

"The Hunters Guild should have its own mana pools," he tried first. "And they-"

"Will be preparing them for the Hunter Trials." Razz brushed away the idea with one hand. "And if you think this plan is crazy, don't even dream about breaking into the Guild. The private Corinin vault is mostly just to hoard resources, but the Hunters Guild is a matter of city security."

"We don't have to do this illegally. What about making a deal?"

"You remember who controls the Hunters Guild, right? Soeraina Corinin. You can't get around their clan no matter which way you go. The question is whether you try to attack them at their point of strength, or during a party while they're relaxed. Trust me, this is the better plan."

"Well..." Kai directed his scowl toward the maps instead. "How were you going to do this before we arrived?"

"I was planning on hiring professional thieves." Razz winced when they both looked at him. "Maybe that's underhanded, but so is what they've done to my family. Anyway, this is much better. I trust you both more than thieves, plus you won't need half the equipment. I can't tell exactly how strong you are, miss, but you're clearly better than the guards here."

"If the vault seal is so weak," Zae Zin Nim said carefully, "I would probably be able to penetrate it without assistance. I also do not anticipate difficulty evading the guards, provided that I have the necessary invitations. But I will not agree to this plan unless Kai does."

It was kind of her to say, but Kai was slowly coming to accept his fate. The Corinin clan was throwing away mana like it was water and hiring powerful foreign mercenaries to keep control. There was no way he could take them on directly without acquiring some new advantages. And if that meant giving up his dignity, well... he'd lost most of that back when fate gave him a worthless Class.

"Fine." Kai rubbed his face with both hands. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but I guess I'll try."

"Excellent!" Razz clapped him on the shoulder. "That gives us several days to transform you into the most beautiful man who has ever walked the streets of Rayakan."

"Wait, what?"

.

..

.

Kai sat cross-legged in the center of the room, trying to cultivate and ignore what they were saying. Despite what Razz had claimed, the majority of his time before the Corinin party had been spent in normal training. He'd gotten his hair cut by a barber and taken an oiled bath, but there hadn't been much beautification... before today.

"Not the rough tunic?" Zae Zin Nim said as she set it against his back. "I thought we were going for a barbarian look."

"There's such a thing as going overboard." Razz used a bolt of silk to push the tunic aside. "Putting all of this frankly excessive muscle inside the newest silk will just make him look more barbaric. An attempt at civilization only showing his true nature even more clearly."

"Hmm. I suppose."

"Speaking of which, maybe remind him not to shave tomorrow? Beards are out of fashion this year, so that would look suitably rough."

"Unnecessary. Just give him an hour before and his jaw will be covered in stubble."

Yes, better to just not listen to them. Kai couldn't tell what Zae Zin Nim was thinking, but Razz seemed to be having entirely too much fun using him as a living doll. Since Kai had absolutely no idea about this sort of thing, he had no choice but to leave it to them. Maybe he would get lucky, a blood vendetta would break out in the middle of the party, and he'd get to punch something.

When it came time for the actual attempt, Kai didn't feel like himself. He'd taken a fresh Class potion, skipped shaving, and put on the silk tunic. In the mirror of their room he really did look like a thug wrapped in a veneer of civilization. Which was apparently just what they wanted.

"It's time to go." Zae Zin Nim appeared in the doorway and he almost jumped at her appearance.

She had applied layers of makeup to cover all of her wounds and it was almost unnerving. It had been done artfully, given how well she'd been able to hide such extensive lines. Her makeup looked less caked on than Kalliay Corinin's. But it still seemed a little like a mask... he had guessed how she would look without all her wounds and this felt wrong.

It seemed she agreed, because she also looked uncomfortable. In a strange way, that reminded him of why he was doing all of this. When they had reunited, he had promised to help her break through. He had been willing to put his life on the line and fight overwhelming opponents to help her, so why shouldn't he be willing to flirt a little for her sake?

He knew which one he would prefer, but his life had never been exactly fair.

"Alright," Kai said. "Let's get started."