In the end, it only took two days for Billy to complete the map of the sewers. In the meantime, he didn't find any traces of anyone using them at night. So, something seemed off…
"Those are the points around the central part of the capital that we can use to enter and leave the sewers, if she is using them, we should keep an eye on those spots," Billy said while pointing to the map. "However, they are too numerous, so there is a chance that we will miss her."
"I can guard all of those at night by using my speed, during the day, things get a little more complicated since I will end up leaving traces behind," Icarus said.
Billy nodded. He also would stand out by moving around during the day in that part of the capital. Still, considering that he didn't find any traces of the female thief using the tunnels, they had to guard those spots during the day…
After thinking for a while, Billy wondered if he should change his way of seeing the situation. He felt that he was missing something, but he couldn't tell what it was.
"What is wrong?" Icarus asked.
"Have you watched the central area at night while you were looking for her?" Billy asked.
"No, I didn't know if she would be able to sense my presence, so I avoided doing that," Icarus replied. "While she didn't see or notice the times I found her, it was because I didn't use my powers."
Billy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Even if he were to approach her without using his powers, a single use of Appraisal would reveal his identity. Someone as cautious as the female thief wouldn't let anyone get closer to her without investigating them first.
"Do you know how often she acts and what kind of thing she usually steals?" Billy asked.
"I guess once a week, while I heard of her stealing a lot expensive jewelry, I also heard that many people loses gold coins here and there, but I am not sure if that was her doing," Icarus replied.
Billy was pretty certain that he didn't bother to mark the places that she attacked. Icarus didn't even have a map, after all. Still, it seemed that she hadn't killed anyone yet. Come to think of it, the reason why some people and guards looked at him like that was probably because of the female thief. They were aware of travelers. Since she killed several noble families, she still must be hunted for those crimes. It was hard to tell if anyone knew who she looked like, though.
"What do you know about the leaders of this state?" Billy asked. "Instead of just choosing random targets, she might be planning to raise funds to attack the castle or something. As far as I know, the powers that we are born with complete each other. So, the things that she gains by stealing, she must be using in addition to some other power."
"Now that you mentioned… I am not interested in aristocrats, but it seems that this state is one of the few who had been working pretty hard to expand their territory as a kingdom instead of an ordinary state," Icarus replied. "The nobles that govern most regions have blood ties with the royal family of this state, so perhaps she has a grudge against all of them."
"If that was the case, it would make sense to target the other nobles since things might get chaotic in the capital, killing the ones outside would decrease their forces and make her task easier," Billy said.
"Yes, but what if she doesn't want to take her time?" Icarus asked. "When too much power is in the hands of a few, they tend to do things at their own pace."
"... What about the history of this place?" Billy asked. "If the royal family tried to expand their territory, maybe it has something to do with her grudge."
"I didn't investigate that far… But I suppose it makes sense," Icarus said and then nodded.
"Let's watch that area during a few nights, it will be better if we work separately to cover more ground," Billy said. "If we find her, we begin contact and only call each other if things take an unexpected turn. We might end up making her get the wrong idea if we immediately call each other."
Icarus nodded again. Things got messy the last time he tried to contact someone like him, even though he got lucky with Billy.
When night fell, both of them left the inn and headed toward the upper-class area of the capital. That part was filled with guards that worked to keep mansions safe and others that were constantly walking around and preventing suspicious individuals from getting too close. While lurking in the darkness and using Flash when necessary to move, Billy avoided those guys and also searched using Earth magic for individuals that had stronger presences. As for Icarus, he did the same, relying on his speed. As long as they stayed in the darkness, it was impossible for someone to use Appraisal on them.
Regardless, the last act of the female thief had happened five days ago, so it wouldn't be weird if she did something that night. However, they didn't find anything or hear of that night. Billy knew that things wouldn't be that convenient, but he still couldn't help but sigh.
The same thing happened the next night… At least Billy managed to memorize the patrol routes of the guards. In any case, on the third night. They noticed that things were a bit livelier in that area. Some rich folks were walking on their carriage and heading to a mansion close to the castle. The number of guards increased, probably because of some party. Still, he didn't miss a certain figure hidden below one random carriage. Billy couldn't see her, but he could feel her presence.
