Neil admitted he felt a bit whimsical. Truth be told he was having a lot of fun, and all of it was due to this girl who had popped into his life. Perhaps he should be a bit more careful considering she was a con woman, but that only added to the mystique. He gave her a wink, beaming like a fox. "I'm used to cheating death, but this is kind of new for me." he quipped, and disappeared into the gunnery shop. 

They had timed it right when Neil knew Master Gunter was on shift, the man meticulous but predictable in his habits. It was mostly due to Neil's respect for the man that tolerated him (and the fact he wanted to graduate) that kept Neil from stealing from him when he went to lunch half past noon, or used the latrines four times a day unless he had dinner with his ex-wife the night before, which would lead him to use it five times. Those days were interesting, since he tended to mumble to himself twice as much as the average day. 

Neil heard the small clinking of his hammer, and the small talk of other students who seemed to be working on a small engine at the corner of the hall. Gunter was at his desk, his right eye encased with a telescopic goggle as he gazed at a strange cylinder with a brass nut on either end. Neil didn't wait or announce himself; he simply walked in and stepped past the students. Most didn't recognize him or realize he had been missing, but a brown haired girl he had once shared a kiss with gasped, whispering, "Neil?" 

Neil smirked at her, planting his feet just behind Master Gunter, who had heard the gasp and turned just at the correct moment, for his right eye was filled with the visage of Neil's face. 

"Sigmar's fucking hammer!" He sputtered, tearing his goggles off and for once in his life showing enough surprise to be nearly mistaken for fear. Neil just smiled, and the Master shook his head. "This is not possible..." 

"Hey so, yeah the lord left me for dead. He also left the rest of the soldiers for dead too. They didn't make it, but I did so...yeah, I kind of feel like I'm owed something..." 

Master Gunter was stern and unyielding, but he wasn't stupid. It was fairly hilarious watching the implications dawning on him. This wasn't a matter for grief, but Neil could see the five stages of it in his face. The thief crossed his arms, steeling his resolve. He quite liked the Master, in all honesty. Conning him wasn't something he enjoyed. But he hadn't lied yet, nor would he need to (very much). He was simply glad he had the idea, and when he was making love to Emmaline no doubt. Gods, she was really just sinking her claws in him.

The negotiations were short. Neil was told he would receive his diploma by the end of Black Powder week, and a small sum of gold to keep him from pressing charges on the Guild. He was not planning on it anyway, since it would have cost Gunter his position. But the dean wanted to be careful. By the time he had left the Gunnery School, he was two hundred krowns richer, and due for a diploma within days. Now he needed only to find Emmaline, and once Neil stepped onto the steet, he went south, going where they had agreed to rendezvous; atop the small wall bisecting the river Reik, so they could get to their boat at their leisure.