"How dare you!!!"
A scream rang out from the dark corner of the street. Then a short trickster in a tattered gray robe rushed out, grabbed Oleg by the hem of his clothes, and cried bravely, "How dare you kick a wizard's mushroom!"
Oleg stopped and looked down at him in confusion.
The short trickster was somewhat hunchbacked, with grayish-white pustules hanging from both cheeks, sparse brows, narrow eyes, and slightly drooping outer corners. It gave his gaze an inexplicably vicious look whenever he looked at people.
Oleg recognized him as one of the North District's down-and-outs. He usually made a living staging accidents and extorting people. If someone was willing to pay him a few Copper Coins, he would even lick the soles of boots that had just stepped through mud.
Alcohol had dulled Oleg's wits somewhat, but no matter how slow he was, after being grabbed and tugged twice by this down-and-out, he understood—nothing more than the wizard who had "created" these sunlight-bubble-spitting mushrooms being nearby. This fellow wanted to curry favor with that wizard and earn a little reward money.
So he looked around.
Very soon, he spotted two young wizards more than ten meters away. One was a handsome young male wizard in red robes, probably a student at First University. The other was a cloaked witch wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Her face could not be seen clearly, but by the sparse sunlight bubbles around her, he could vaguely make out a pair of bright, curious eyes.
"Disgusting little bug." Oleg spat viciously in the down-and-out's face, then sent a flying kick into his chest. "Since you're so eager to kiss a wizard's ass, get closer and kiss it..."
The down-and-out screamed as he flew through the air in a twisted arc, finally landing not far