#deceptivemage

                     { 欺く --- 利便性 }

He had s l i p p e d.

   A glance had been enough to doom him.    Years of experience, a mind set on achieving    one thing;    not getting caught.

   The guild in question had committed crimes, earned    punishment exceeding that of the culprit his position    within the Council served to get him closer to, and    he had let those evil-doers capture him.

   They dubbed him a rat, ‘council scum’ as he had    been dragged into the shady alleyway in town. Not    a first, not a last, but never a pleasant situation.

   Kicks would be dealt, punches in between, and he’d    only now and then feel his grin slipping. There was    nothing amusing about the circumstances, but he    somehow could not help but feel light-hearted.

   The kicking came to a sudden halt, allowing the young    wizard to take a breath. He did so through a light grunt,    the pit of his stomach itself aching intensely enough to    send a shiver down his spine. Without glancing back up,    he gave a husky chuckle.

                          Was there already a drop of blood on his lips?