The Phantom Thief's Mistake
I had spoken the absolute, unvarnished truth in response to Bernice's question about her appearance. Ever since my reply, she had become incredibly quiet. She simply kept her head bowed, cupping her cheeks and taking deep, shaky breaths. It was only when Ines's voice began to echo from down the hallway that we hurriedly said our goodbyes and parted ways.
I had done my best to raise Bernice's favorability today, so she must have walked away with a highly positive impression of me. Since she had taken an interest in me, keeping her pleased seemed like the safest way to avoid any future complications.
Only after Bernice had completely vanished from sight did Sierra finally emerge from the Demon Blade.
[What of This Lady? Do you not have things you wish to know about This Lady as well? For instance, what the Purple Moon, Sierra, looks like...]
Sierra took my hand, placing it gently against her own face... mimicking Bernice's actions perfectly. She then proceeded to describe her own facial features in the exact same manner Bernice had.
Once her explanation finally came to an end, I opened my mouth to speak.
"Master is beautiful as well."
[...As well?]
At my response, Sierra's eyebrows shot up. She coldly slapped my hand away, her eyes turning frosty as she parted her lips.
[My disciple, I must ask... which of us do you find more beautiful?]
"..."
Faced with such a question, I was utterly speechless. Whether it was Bernice or Sierra, both possessed peerless beauty, making it an incredibly difficult task to declare one superior to the other.
"Without a doubt, it is you, Master..." I replied, scratching the back of my head.
Since Sierra was the one standing right in front of me, praising her seemed like the wisest course of action.
[...Why did you hesitate? A lie! You dare speak a falsehood before This Lady...!]
Eventually, Sierra pointed an accusing finger at me and began to glare. ...I had already told her beforehand that Bernice possessed the ability to distinguish truth from lies.
"Haha, of course not..."
Despite my defense, Sierra's narrowed eyes showed no signs of returning to normal. In fact, she was emitting a faint trace of bloodlust, remarkably similar to the aura she directed at the Sword Saint. Leaving the disgruntled Sierra behind, I cleared my throat and began to walk. In situations like this, changing the subject was always the best remedy.
"Ahem... Before we head back to the dormitory, there's something I need to take care of."
Sierra immediately trotted along beside me, poking her head close to mine.
[Something to do? At this hour...?]
"Since the lights of the entire city have gone out... I have a certain suspicion. Wouldn't a thief strike at a time like this?"
[Hmm... Ah, you speak of the 'Phantom Thief' called Yorphang. Indeed, in a situation such as this... But tell me, did such a rumor truly spread?]
"Of course. Hearing rumors... is not that difficult."
Sierra stared intently at my ears. Well, even though this was information I knew from the game, it was true that rumors had been circulating, and it was also true that I could hear them. Catching faint whispers amidst a massive crowd was normally an arduous task, but my High Senses, which had reached level 10, made it entirely possible.
Sierra crossed her arms once more and spoke.
[...And how do you intend to find the scoundrel's whereabouts?]
"From what I've gathered... they sent a notice warning that they would steal something 'precious' to the Academy."
The Phantom Thief Yorphang possessed the classic cliché common to phantom thieves in media—sending an advance notice of her crimes. However, for this particular heist, she hadn't specified exactly what she would steal. Or rather, she couldn't.
To Yorphang, this was a massive blow to her pride, but she had judged that she wouldn't be able to steal what she wanted otherwise.
Thinking back, it made perfect sense. The nature of Innocence Academy, combined with the ongoing public classes, was a major obstacle. Out-of-specification monsters like the Archmage, the Sword Saint, and the Saintess were casually roaming the campus. Even Yorphang would want to avoid a direct confrontation with them at all costs.
[Something precious... I know not of what is precious, but if it is something of value to outsiders, the armory is the first thing that comes to mind.]
"The armory is certainly plausible. But..."
I trailed off as I kept walking. Just as Sierra said, raiding the Academy's armory, which was packed with all sorts of mystical armaments, would yield an astronomical fortune. In fact, the Academy, well aware of this, would be guarding the armory with absolute vigilance.
And that was exactly what Yorphang was counting on.
Because the armory was so vast, a massive number of personnel had to be deployed to guard it. Consequently, security elsewhere would inevitably grow lax.
What Yorphang was actually targeting was none other than the magic stone responsible for the entire city's mana supply, known as the 'Dew of the World Tree'. Located somewhere deep in the city's underground, this single magic stone possessed immense value, as evidenced by its ability to power the entire city. Of course, money wasn't particularly important to her.
From the Academy's perspective, so few people even knew of its existence that they hadn't paid much attention to it, likely thinking, 'Surely no one would come to steal this.'
To begin with, even as someone who had played the game religiously, I didn't know the exact location of the Dew of the World Tree. Since the mana supply had been cut off a while ago, it was safe to assume Yorphang had already successfully stolen the item.
Even so, the reason I could remain so relaxed was because I knew Yorphang wouldn't leave the Academy immediately. She would first head to the main building to steal a certain painting. To her, it was like a little bonus.
That ancient painting was famous among students and instructors alike, though none of them knew its origin or why it was hung there. In truth, it was a painting depicting the legendary Hero's party from the past. It had likely been hung there by a sage a very long time ago.
And that painting of the Hero's party was located just a few steps away from where I had parted with Bernice—incredibly close by.
Everything was proceeding exactly as calculated.
In truth, even if I didn't catch Yorphang, no major disaster would occur. For some unknown reason, in the game, both the Dew of the World Tree and the painting of the Hero's party would be returned to their rightful places within a single day, along with everything else she had stolen. Although no news of Yorphang's capture ever surfaced, it was highly likely that someone within the Academy had quietly resolved the matter.
However, I had a different goal in mind.
In the game, if you managed to capture Yorphang, you could plunder her belongings, and among them was a rather excellent item: the 'Subspace Pocket'. To players who already possessed an 'Inventory', it was merely an item that expanded inventory slots... but since I didn't have a system inventory, this item held immense significance for me.
'The question is, how do I knock Yorphang out...'
In the game, you couldn't kill Yorphang. Or rather, it was more accurate to say you weren't allowed to. Even if you managed to deplete the health of Yorphang—who was always busy running away rather than fighting—to zero, she would only enter a knocked-out state. Because she was a famous phantom thief, perhaps for the sake of recovering the stolen goods or handling the aftermath, the game prevented her death.
'But in reality, if I slash her with a sword, she'll probably just die.'
Yorphang excelled at escaping, but her actual combat power was quite weak. No matter how I thought about it, if I tried to slash her neck like in the game, I would likely end up witnessing a fountain of blood spraying from her decapitated body. I didn't possess any convenient tools to bind her, either. The best idea I could come up with was using Reverse Heaven to swiftly slash her ankles... but I preferred not to draw blood if I could help it.
I decided to ponder the matter a bit more as I walked toward the painting with Sierra. Sierra quietly followed me, her gaze fixed on me as if she knew I was about to cause some sort of trouble again.
"Hum~ hum~ hum~"
A woman was walking down the corridor, humming a light tune. In her hand, she held a gem about the size of a fist. The Dew of the World Tree—she had heard that was the name of this magic stone. It was hard for her to believe that this tiny object had been responsible for lighting up the entire city.
The woman slowly scanned her surroundings. The entire city was currently plunged into darkness. This was the direct result of her handiwork.
The world referred to her by a specific name: 'Phantom Thief Yorphang.'
Yet, even that name was only known because of the advance notices she sent out. No detailed information existed regarding whether Yorphang was a man, a woman, or an elder. Yorphang was just that skilled of a thief.
Having grown up in the slums as a child, Yorphang had resorted to pickpocketing on the streets just to survive each day. She possessed a natural talent for it, her dexterity far surpassing that of other orphans her age. After she accidentally acquired 'magical threads' that she could manipulate at will, a grander ambition began to take root within her. She no longer wanted to merely survive... she wanted to possess everything she desired.
Perhaps it was a form of compensation psychology, but Yorphang simply had too many things she wanted. As she grew to understand the world, her desires only multiplied. She knew no satisfaction. Or rather, she was incapable of feeling satisfied.
After acquiring the magical threads and obtaining material wealth far more quickly and easily than before, Yorphang realized she had lost something: the thrill. The sheer, heart-pounding excitement she had felt in abundance while pickpocketing in the slums was gone.
Yorphang was, in a sense, a thrill-seeker. She hadn't realized it when her life was full of stimulation, but once that excitement vanished, she craved it more desperately than anything else.
And so, one day, she began sending advance notices before stealing her targets. By doing so, the security would tighten, allowing Yorphang to feel that exhilarating thrill once again. From then on, her exploits grew bolder and bolder. Before she knew it, the name 'Phantom Thief Yorphang' was renowned across the continent. She was no longer just chasing thrills; she was living up to the public's expectations and the weight of her own reputation.
It was during this time that 'Innocence Academy' caught her eye. An educational institution where the most promising youths of the continent gathered. It was so secretive that very little information was made public. Yorphang decided to target this very Academy during the 'public class period,' when a massive influx of outsiders would descend upon the campus.
However, even she couldn't specify what she would steal in her advance notice this time. The 'outsiders' present were simply too formidable. Her decision to strike on the third day, rather than the first or second, was entirely intentional. According to the information she had gathered, everyone would be gathered at the Colosseum until the second day. If she struck then, there would be no audience to witness her 'show.'
And so, she chose the third day.
With a wide smirk on her face, Yorphang slipped the Dew of the World Tree into her subspace pocket. Soon, the sweet sound of confused clamor from people who had no idea what was happening reached her ears. Just as she had promised, she had stolen something precious from Innocence Academy.
She had stolen their 'light.'
She found herself quite liking the view of the pitch-black city night, stripped of its illumination. Among the crowd, mages began to use their magic to conjure light, while many others resorted to carrying torches.
"Pfft..."
Finding the sight incredibly primitive, she couldn't help but snicker. As she walked, her name began to echo from the murmuring crowds around her. It's Yorphang. It must be the work of the Phantom Thief Yorphang.
Yorphang casually strolled past the whispering onlookers. Those who felt her presence and made eye contact with her quickly turned back to resume their conversations. Not a single soul suspected her.
"Hmm..."
Yorphang looked down, inspecting her attire. It was an unnamed student's uniform she had stolen from a dormitory before initiating her plan. It didn't fit her body perfectly. Particularly around the chest... there was far too much empty space.
Yorphang paused for a moment. Although she didn't have much confidence in her own figure, she couldn't help but feel that this discrepancy was simply too insulting.
Quickly clearing her mind, Yorphang resumed her stride. She had no intention of lingering in the Academy for long. However, she couldn't bring herself to abandon the 'painting' she had spotted on the first day. It was an incredibly ancient piece, and as someone with a deep appreciation for art, she couldn't bear to leave it behind.
"...It should be around here."
Yorphang muttered to herself as she rounded a corridor corner, using the moonlight as her guide. Just as she remembered, the painting was visible further down the hallway. However, there was a person standing right in front of it.
'Someone is admiring a painting in the middle of all this chaos?'
Intrigued, Yorphang approached him. She observed him under the faint moonlight filtering into the corridor. The calm-looking, black-haired man had a pristine white bandage wrapped around his eyes.
'Ah, so he's the one.' Yorphang thought.
She had heard rumors of a blind swordsman among the students, and this man seemed to fit the description perfectly. A high-quality sword caught her eye, hanging elegantly from his waist. Since Yorphang had no interest in student battles, she had never visited the Colosseum herself. She had merely overheard people talking while she was pickpocketing on the streets, which allowed her to guess his identity.
Only then did Yorphang understand why he was here. A blind man would have no way of knowing whether the surroundings had plunged into darkness or not.
However, a small curiosity arose within her. Stepping closer with cautious steps, Yorphang spoke.
"Excuse me, but what are you doing here...?"
Even for someone like Yorphang, the sight of a blind man staring at a painting was so bizarre that she couldn't simply ignore it. At her voice, the man who had been staring at the painting turned his head toward her.
"What do you mean, here?" the man asked, tilting his head slightly.
"You're just standing so still in front of the painting...?" Yorphang asked again.
At her words, the man pointed a finger forward, his voice laced with clear bewilderment as if he had no idea what she was talking about.
"...Was there a painting here?"