Black Mage is scared?
 

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that BM is afraid of Thief?

Ususally he was never afraid to take a stab at him before the class change.

Thief generally isn't very stupid, so I think BM just doesn't have much motivation for stabbing him. BM also seems to respect thief, and his cleverness and control over his money. The fact that thief is actually willing to hurt BM probably factors in heavily too.

He tried challenging Thief with his knife early on and it didn't work out too well.

Ehh, black mage could take theif, but that'd be one less destruction spell to use on the world at large. Why bother killing him when keeping him alive does even more damage the the other idiots of the world?

Fighter and Red Mage get on his nerves more.

Right, the quota of stabs BM has largely is targeted at RM and Fighter.

I imagine the combination of his fear/respect for Thief is a factor too.

Thief is smarter than black mage.

Besides, I would think that there's definitely some kind of clause in the contract that predicts some kind of awful catastrophe that befalls anybody who so much as pokes Thief.
And now, let's think about this- Before, Thief had the power of all Elfland, the law, and, let's not forget, the law ninja.
Now, he's got all that (except the ninja), and he's his own ninja.
If I recall right, and I do, the Ninja acquires a little black magic at class change.
Ok. So what. What's Fire2 compared to Hadoken? Nothing.
Thief will probably never use a magical "attack," but his capacity for magic could make him that much more dangerous in that he could have both law AND magic behind his contracts. He could write scrolls.
Thief can probably write a contract that, if broken, will have it's laws carried out by magic alone.
If there's a clause that says anybody who kicks Thief will burn to death, they'll be got on fire by unknown forces. Nobody even needs a torch.

Anyway, I think you get my point.

Also, my point is all speculation.

Also, it isn't necesarilly wrong.

Also, BM knows it isn't necessarilly wrong. BM knows that there is an infinite number of invisible threats that surround Thief. That's scary.

It might have something to do with the time/s that he tried to challenge thief and it ended badly for him. BM may be evil, but he aint stupid.

That, AND he's afraid of a swift ninja-kick in the crotch.

Not only does BM know that things never end well when he tries to stab Thief, but BM probably signed a contract saying he couldn't kill him anyways somewhere along the journey.