Police Interview: "Raven? That Thief?"
Rachel's reaction was unmistakably hostile. "Raven? That thief?"
Anyone would respond that way, really. No matter how famous Phantom Thief Raven had become or how many fans he gained, he was still a thief at heart. Haters would always outnumber admirers.
That made Sharon's reaction even more baffling.
The real issue was our team leader, Yulia, who also seemed pretty favorable toward Raven.
"Hmm... He might actually be a good choice."
"What? You're serious? Better than Merlin?"
"I told you already. Merlin's too mainstream and predictable—too much risk of overlapping with other groups. But Phantom Thief Raven is the hottest topic right now, and super fresh."
Her reasoning sounded plausible enough, but Rachel wasn't convinced.
"That's weird. If he's such a hot potato like you say, doesn't that mean other groups might pick him too?"
"That's exactly why most people won't go for it—too many think like you."
"What do you mean, 'like me'?"
An unexpected verbal sparring match broke out. I hadn't thought Yulia would dig in her heels so stubbornly.
"...Fine, I'll admit it. The public's view of Phantom Thief Raven sucks. Picking such a sensitive topic could tank us completely."
"You know that and still want to do it? Yulia, are you a phantom thief fangirl or something?"
Phantom thief fangirl. A term the newspapers and radio hammered relentlessly. It referred to those who defended and glorified Raven's crimes. Naturally, the state despised them, so even official media trashed the fangirls publicly.
"No, it's not that. It's just..."
Yulia trailed off, hesitating. I knew why. She'd received a personal favor from Raven that others wouldn't understand. Not weird at all. But bragging about it would be odd.
"Actually, the opposite."
Sharon, who'd been silently watching, finally spoke up.
Rachel squinted and turned to her. "What? The opposite?"
"Proposing Raven as our topic isn't fangirling. It's to criticize him."
The longest sentence I'd ever heard from Sharon. (We'd ignore that her target was sitting right next to her.)
"His actions are wrong. We need to let people know."
"Uh... since when were you that type?"
Rachel looked flustered. Honestly, I agreed with Sharon too. I'd pegged her as aloof and cool since she stayed so quiet, but she had a stronger sense of justice than I'd imagined.
Anyway, Sharon's intervention flipped the mood completely. Rachel didn't seem eager to keep fighting it. Yulia, meanwhile, looked like she had plenty more to say.
"Sharon, explain exactly how you want to criticize him."
"No personal feelings in the presentation. Just objective facts."
Leaving the judgment to the audience, then. Rachel grumbled, looking displeased.
"Why bother making it complicated? Like our leader said, just avoid sensitive stuff and pick some random wizard. Way easier."
It was an awkward spot. Hard to call Rachel uncooperative—she was just voicing a valid opinion with solid reasoning. Sensitive topics were best avoided, after all.
"I'm for it. If we stick to purely objective info like Sharon says, I don't see a big problem."
Surprisingly, Yulia sided with her. I'd figured she'd back off once she heard it was for criticism.
"So that's two yeses and one no so far."
"Hey, nerd. Say something."
"Kro, what do you think?"
All three girls turned to me. Intense pressure.
As a phantom thief, you must endure the gazes of a harem!
Quiet. You're distracting me while I think.
How mean... *sniffle*
I ignored the Goddess's fake crying and pondered deeply.
Safest bet was to vote no. Getting tangled up with Phantom Thief Raven could risk exposing my identity if things went south.
But one thing nagged at me. Couldn't I turn this presentation into an opportunity to gauge things?
After much deliberation, my answer was...
"I'm yes too."
And with that, our group's presentation topic was officially Phantom Thief Raven.
The flower of group projects: role division. (Note: here, "flower" means corpse flower.)
Proper delegation was essential for efficiency and avoiding grudges—it wasn't optional.
Yulia got presentation duty. Easiest role to assign; the rest of us had too many flaws for public speaking.
Sharon handled the report and slides. The unsung hero of group work—crucial for balance. True to her word, we'd need objectivity, and the rest of us were too biased toward Raven (for various reasons).
Me and Rachel drew data collection. No real reason; it was what was left.
"Sigh. Why do I have to hang around a nerd like you?"
Hey, that's my line.
We had to stick together even after class under the guise of "research."
"Hey, you should be thrilled. Dating a cute girl like me one-on-one."
"......"
"Ugh! Answer me!"
"Just zoned out for a sec."
Pretty face or not, this violent type was not my style.
"Why's the police station so damn far? Such a hassle."
Indeed. We were headed to the police station—not to turn myself in, but for project research.
Ridiculous when you think about it. The criminal personally asking cops for intel on himself.
What would anyone think if they saw this?
They'd praise your phantom thief audacity.
You're not human, Goddess.
True, but the phrasing stings. Feels hurtful.
No way I'd get caught, though. The only cop who'd seen me was that cool big sis from the sewers—and only my back, since I smashed the lights before she could ID me.
"Oh, finally here."
A hefty building, bigger than a neighborhood station. Made sense, with the Academy in Britannia's capital.
Inside, officers asked our business. We flashed our student IDs and explained briefly.
"Interview? Hmm... One moment."
The cop left for somewhere. Alone with Rachel, we whispered.
"What's with that pissed-off look?"
"Probably annoyed. These requests aren't rare."
How many reporters hounded them about the hottest thief? If we weren't Academy kids, we'd be 99% turned away.
"Saw his face change when we showed the IDs?"
"Academy badge has that effect."
Hard to sum up, but the Academy's prestige was immense—for better or worse.
Regular folk didn't just idolize mages. There was fear, unease toward the mysterious. The Academy got that baggage too.
The cop returned, gruff. "They say it's possible if it's quick. This way."
"Thanks."
Guided to an inner room that looked like a cramped office. A woman sat waiting.
That's the woman.
As the Goddess said, I recognized her instantly. The scary detective from the sewers last time.
She looks even prettier in good light.
Black bob hair, beauty mark, mature vibe. Only her stern expression detracted from her stunning looks.
Your next target?
Don't say weird stuff.
I'm not that shallow.
"You two are the Academy kids requesting the interview."
"Yes. Hello."
"Sit. You hate dragging this out, and I wanna wrap up and relax."
Blunt and rough, matching her looks perfectly.
Glancing around as I sat, I spotted something I couldn't ignore. Staring at it, she noticed and explained.
"Oh, that's alligator hide."
"Whoa..."
Holy crap. They'd actually caught that monster?