In the end, I got myself recruited into Levi's gang.
It wasn't my intention to be this involved when I was reincarnated into this world.
But alas, after a series of unfortunate events, it's ended up this way.
Besides, I haven't forgotten my original aim, which is to convince Furlan to allow Isabel to join the gang and then swiftly make my exit.
But when I mentioned her, they reluctantly agreed to let her join alongside me, on the basis that she would be talented enough.
I knew beforehand that it would be difficult to convince them, so I already thought of a compromise.
If they determined that she was not talented enough, then we'd both leave.
Of course, I know Furlan values my abilities quite highly.
Whilst Levi is technically the leader on the surface, the actual brains of their operations is Furlan.
And he is not one that would pass on the opportunity to acquire more skilled members.
Anyways, in terms of Isabel's skills, I don't lack confidence, since I already know from the anime that she was naturally talented enough with the ODM gear to have it recognized by the Survey Corps.
Despite Furlan's agreement on the matter, Levi was still against it, arguing that it's not a daycare and how they're already low on cash.
But fortunately, Furlan's word was the final say in the matter.
When I returned to my house to inform Isabel, I found her lying on the floor exhausted.
"Huff, huff, Lucian, I did it…"
Wow. I didn't expect her to actually follow my training plan.
"Haha… Well done. I'm quite surprised that you managed to follow through with my training regimen."
She began pouting.
"I'm not weak, you know! And now that I've done what you asked, you have to teach me how to fight!"
"—Sigh, it's only been a day... And I don't have time anyway."
"What?! Why?!"
"Because we're going out somewhere today, so get ready. I've found a gang to join, and I convinced them to bring you along with me."
"Huh… A gang?! Aren't you too strong to join something like that?"
"Actually, I managed to get myself into a fight with someone stronger than me, so I decided to join his gang."
"You got into a fight?! And lost?"
"It's true… but hey, at least I almost won."
Isabel ran up to me and began inspecting my face.
"Aren't you too close?"
"Sorry!"
She got flustered and stumbled back.
"A-anyways! You didn't get hurt, right?! And how can we even trust him? He already beat you up!"
"He didn't beat me up… And don't worry, I know they're trustworthy. If we join them, we can make a lot of money and use the 3D Maneuvering Gear."
"Eh? It's the guys that fly around all the time?!"
All of a sudden, her mood lifted up.
"Well…. I guess since you're not hurt, it's not a problem, right? I always felt envious of them flying around."
Didn't she change her mind too quickly…
"I did tell them you're talented, so I'm sure they'll let us use it."
"Y-you really said that about me?"
"Yup. And I truly believe it, so don't disappoint me."
When I said that, she suddenly jumped up and shot me a beaming smile.
"Don't worry! And I'll make sure the guy who beat you up pays for it first."
***
"So what are your names?"
Isabel decided to ask the group a question.
We already made our way inside and settled down.
"I'm Furlan Church, that's Levi Ackerman. You must be Isabel Magnolia, right? Lucian mentioned you. You're quite talented."
"Of course I am! Lucian taught me, after all."
She puffed her chest out enthusiastically and stomped on the floor.
…What is she talking about? I only told her Saitama's training routine.
"You're getting the floor dirty, kid."
Levi suddenly spoke to Isabel with a hint of anger in his voice.
"I'm not a kid! And you're the one who fought with Lucian, right? Judging by your size, you don't look all that strong. He was probably going easy on you!"
"Isabel! What are you talking about?!"
"He beat you up, didn't he, Lucian? He needs to learn a lesson before we join."
Seriously.
How did this happen… I thought they would get along well since in the anime she looked up to Levi.
Turns out my involvement has changed the nature of their relationship a lot.
After some mediating (cleaning the whole building), Levi eventually calmed down.
By that point, Furlan had already introduced the rest of the group to us. They consisted of the lower-ranking members, including one named Jan, who had weak legs due to the lack of sunlight.
"Now that you guys are part of the gang, I guess it would make sense for you to learn how to use our gear."
"Huh? Do you really mean it?!"
Isabel jumped up in excitement.
"Of course. Since most of our jobs rely on using the ODM gear, you guys will have to learn it. We have a big score planned soon, so you'll have to be quick."
"Hmph! Don't doubt Lucian. He will probably learn it faster than any of you did."
***
"Lucian… It's fine, I'm sure the gear is just malfunctioning. Here, let's swap!"
Isabel was consoling me after I failed to gain my balance with the ODM gear multiple times.
Turns out that without any assistance from the system, I'm pretty useless.
On the other hand, Isabel has already mastered complete balance and was already moving on to swinging around.
That's a named character for you.
"You're pretty good at fighting, but who would've thought you would be this useless when it came to the ODM gear."
Levi decided to taunt me.
"Hey! Don't badmouth Lucian. You probably gave him a malfunctioning one on purpose."
"Isabel, calm down. I'm just gonna take a break for today."
"…Okay, if you say so."
After taking off the gear, I made my way back.
"…Are you sure about this? I heard the security in his hideout is tight."
"My sources aren't wrong. They told me he keeps a lot of his wealth inside that safe."
"…But that's Yakun you're talking about. He practically runs the Underground."
"Jan… with the amount of money it will cost to pay the stairway toll and find a good enough hospital on the surface, there's no other way. Also, if you don't take risks, we'll never get our citizenship above ground."
"…You're right."
I somehow found myself eavesdropping on Furlan and Jan.
"Who's at the door?"
Ah, Levi caught me.
"…Sorry."
I thought I would get scolded, but instead Furlan's confidence shot up.
"That's it! With Lucian, there's no need to worry now."
"…? Me?"
I pointed at myself, confused.
"Of course! You really think I didn't know about your reputation?"
"At first I was skeptical, but after seeing your fight with Levi, I was certain."
"Weren't you the kid who caused havoc on the Eleventh Stairway?"
"How do you know?"
"Don't worry, I have my methods. So are you in on the plan, Lucian?"
"…But I haven't learned how to use the ODM gear yet."
"That's fine. After all, this is a job that requires stealth. And from all the stories I heard about you, you're a master."
After that conversation, I was briefed on his plan.
It involved breaking into the hideout of the most notorious gang boss of the Underground.
He never would've done this before, but with me involved, he was now confident we could pull this off.
Yakun has taken advantage of his ties with rich merchants above ground to control the territory down here.
Years of this corruption have led to him accumulating the most wealth in the Underground.
The plan involves me and Levi infiltrating and fighting the guards, whilst Furlan and the lower-ranking members sneak in.
Furlan chose a date when Yakun goes to the surface to meet with his connections above ground.
He'll work diligently to crack open the safe and retrieve the loot.
Then, with the ODM gear, they'll make a clean exit.
Since I can't use it yet, I'll have to escape on foot, but I assured them I'm more than capable enough.
And so the day came.
"You guys remember the plan, right?"
Furlan whispered.
"Yeah, Levi, let's go."
We walked out from behind the corner where we were huddled up.
There was one brawny guy sitting by himself outside, smoking a cigarette.
"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing here? This is Yaku—"
Levi closed the distance instantly and stabbed his throat.
At the guard's commotion, another one came to investigate.
"You bastards killed him! What do you think you're doing?!"
He pulled out his gun and was about to shoot at us.
It was my turn next.
With one swift Backstab, he fell to the ground.
"Eurghk!"
This pattern continued, with us taking out the guards one by one.
We managed to take them out, most in stealth, though.
In the background, Furlan and Isabel entered through a back window, breaking in and managing to grab the safe.
Once they secured it, Furlan signaled to us with the sound of a gun.
And just like that, our mission was complete.
***
"Woohoo! We did it!"
We were all celebrating, drinking wine in a tavern.
Even Levi showed a rare smirk whilst sharpening his knife.
"You're not half bad, kid."
After the celebrations settled down, it was time for Furlan to distribute the earnings to all the members.
One by one, he handed us wads of cash.
I noticed he gave extra to Jan, but given the condition of his legs, it makes sense.
"I'm sorry, Jan… Looks like even with that mission, we still couldn't make enough."
"No, don't worry about it! It's fine, really! I don't deserve this much."
"Don't worry. With Lucian around, this won't be the last time we make this much money. We can take bigger risks now thanks to his skill."
After hearing that, I felt a bit guilty.
I'm planning to leave after this mission, honestly.
A few hours passed, and everyone had gone to sleep.
"It was fun while it lasted, I guess."
I opened the door but stopped halfway.
"Isabel?"
I noticed Isabel sitting on the stairway outside the door.
"…Lucian?"
"You're still awake?"
"Haha, yeah. I couldn't sleep after today. I'm so glad you brought me here. Without you, I probably would've been on the streets still."
"Haha… Really?"
"Yes. If you hadn't helped me at that time, I don't know what could've happened… So thank you!"
She suddenly yelled, turning her face away to thank me, but even then, I noticed the tips of her ears going red.
"Is she drunk?"
This was meant to be a sentimental moment, but I felt bad.
I really didn't do much because she would've ended up here anyways, right?
And her speech made me feel even guiltier.
"Maybe I should delay my departure?"
When I got back to my room to sleep, my mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts.
"Does she really need to die for the story to remain the same…?"
If I have the power to change her fate, I guess it wouldn't hurt.
It's a bit hypocritical because it goes against everything I've told myself so far, but I'll make this one exception.
And so, I decided to stay temporarily to figure out what I truly want.
The damage to the plot is already done anyways.
***
Just like that, three years passed.
My original plan to leave Levi's gang was thrown out the window.
I procrastinated leaving for so long that I could no longer bring myself to do it.
Currently, we were being chased by Military Police.
Isabel soared through the air, swinging under a bridge.
"Whoo! Didn't I look cool doing that, Lucian?"
"Sure…"
Alongside me were the rest of the crew. We navigated through the pillars of the Underground with ease.
Even me, despite my lack of talent.
After diligent practice with the ODM gear, I've managed to become as proficient as Isabel.
"We should be careful today. That merchant we robbed was quite influential. He managed to sic the Military Police on us quickly."
Furlan voiced his concern as the silhouettes of the MPs grew distant.
"It doesn't matter! We made tons of money, didn't we?! And those guys are too slow for us anyways."
Isabel was right. We escaped pretty quickly and returned to our base.
"Hey! To celebrate, why don't you make us some stew, Lucian, again?"
"Didn't I just make it yesterday? Why do you even like it so much in the first place? It tastes so bland."
Isabel began fidgeting and looking at the ground.
"Um… Because it was the first meal you made for me and reminds me of when we first met…"
"Huh? Why are you acting weird all of a sudden?"
When I said that, she pushed me away and ran out the door.
"You idiot!"
"Sigh, women really make no sense to me sometimes."
"Lucian, do you really not understand?"
"What do you mean, Furlan? Understand what?"
Furlan sighed.
"Forget about it."