Rachel's Drakan Rendezvous
Rachel and the villain's side were in an uproar. The moment I stepped out of the room, I spotted the murmuring crowd. I slipped naturally into the throng and made my way out of the auction hall. Right nearby, police were already starting to control the casino staff. Getting caught in that net would be a real headache. But it was fine. I'd anticipated every bit of this chaos from the start.
As I veered off to the side, one person immediately approached. A familiar face in a staff uniform—the usher from the entrance who'd checked our IDs earlier.
"This way, please."
I nodded silently and followed his lead down the staff-only corridor, off-limits to anyone but employees. Once I confirmed no one was around, I spoke first.
"How'd it go?"
"Success."
His voice was starkly different from before—not just the tone, but deeper and more clipped. He touched his face, and the skin stretched unnaturally before peeling away. Beneath it emerged a bizarre, bandaged visage.
That's right. The usher had been the Mimic all along.
My disguise skills weren't illusion magic; they were my original specialty. Disguising not just myself but others was a simple matter. It had been my profession, after all.
"Hold it together here. We don't want to bump into anyone."
"I know. But this skin is suffocating. Couldn't do it twice."
Fair enough. I was touched that someone finally understood my frustration. Anyway, he needed to get back to his post. If the usher was gone too long, suspicions would rise immediately.
The Mimic pulled a lustrous pearl from his pocket as he spoke.
"Still, even watching from right up front, I have no idea how you pulled it off. What's the principle behind it?"
"Trade secret, but if I had to give a hint... let's say I rigged the birdcage."
"Hmph. Not telling, huh."
I hadn't used any magic in this trick. It was a sleight relying on a custom-made birdcage. When the host covered it and stepped onto the stage, I hit the remote switch at the perfect moment, and the pearl dropped out. The key was swapping the pearl into the special cage, timing the stage entry, and retrieving it afterward. I couldn't handle all that solo, so I'd enlisted the Mimic as my accomplice.
I decided not to explain further. No need for the Mimic to know every detail—better if he stayed in the dark about the trick.
"We're here. You remember the deal?"
I extended my hand confidently. The Mimic stared at the pearl in his palm for a moment before replying in a subtle tone.
"You're giving it back anyway. Why insist on holding it for days?"
Obviously, to absorb its power. Instant absorption on touch would be ideal, but if that were possible, there'd be no need to steal gems in the first place. Of course, no need to spell that out either.
"Call it personal greed. Or more precisely, romance."
"Hmph. Hard to grasp, but expecting rationality from a petty phantom thief would be odder still."
"···Wasn't it a vulgar phantom thief?"
"One and the same."
No, they felt pretty different to me. Anyway, the Mimic tossed me the pearl. What if I'd dropped it?
"By the way, about that VIP girl with you earlier."
"Ah···. My friend?"
"You two know each other? The looks you exchanged were awfully tender."
What was this now? Turning my fated rival into a destined lover out of nowhere. I pondered my response before answering.
"We're like friends."
He nodded at my reply, straightened his disguise mask, and turned away.
"I see. A decent bit of fun, all told. See you in a few days, petty phantom thief."
"Yes. I'll come find you later. Till next time."
As I left the casino, I quietly admired the pearl in my hand.
"Pretty."
Gems possess a power that captivates the human heart.
Just a single unpolished pearl, yet far more beautiful than most jewels. No wonder it fetched such a price. And it wasn't just pretty—it came with a legend of restoring vitality to its owner, making it all the more coveted. It's mine now, though.
"How long till absorption?"
Generously, it'll take two days.
"Two days? That's longer than I thought."
All the gems I'd stolen before absorbed in about a day, but this one would take nearly twice as long.
That means the power within is correspondingly vast.
Which meant I'd be much stronger once it finished. Naturally, I'd welcome it with open arms. The better my illusions, the more intricate my tricks could become.
Truth be told, this trick had been precarious in that sense. Relying on someone else meant more variables beyond my control. What if the Mimic had betrayed me? Or botched it and thrown off the plan? I'd probably avoid accomplices in the future. No real need for it.
But the payoff made the risk worthwhile. Most importantly, "Arsene Lupin" was now a completely innocent citizen. I'd deliberately skipped the middle room to ensure that. Designing the trick to work without me had nearly split my head open, but the success made every effort meaningful.
And that woman, Charlotte. Her frantic dash at the end confirmed she was Sherlock. The real question was whether she was Sharon. It still nagged at me. Their auras matched almost perfectly, but without hard proof, and with subtle differences, I couldn't commit. Was it deliberate misdirection, or were they truly distinct?
Best not to judge hastily. Think it through carefully.
What did she know to say that? Was she sitting back, watching the drama unfold like some romance fantasy, knowing everything? Were we supposed to fall in love while uncovering each other's identities or something?
Anyway, tonight had ended in triumph. Tomorrow, the world would buzz with the phantom thief's crime. Always thrilling. Always fresh. Living as a phantom thief, I felt myself evolving into more of an exhibitionist by the day. Was that a good thing?
I tossed the stuffy disguise and changed into casual clothes. On the walk home, I took my time, breathing in the crisp night air. Just stash the pearl at home and crash.
That's when I spotted an unexpected figure ahead.
Rachel? What was she doing out here at this hour?
She leaned against a streetlamp, standing stock-still like a statue. Passing her would definitely invite a hassle—she'd call out 100%. I wanted to get home and rest, but what was she doing just standing there? Not going anywhere suggested she was waiting for someone. But who, this late?
I paused, recalling the original story. Did Rachel ever meet anyone or do something at this hour? Nothing specific came to mind. Probably not a big deal then.
Running into a classmate at night wasn't that unusual. She had her own life, after all. Maybe I was overreacting.
Resigned to the annoyance, I started forward to say hi. But my steps halted immediately.
A man emerged from the alley and headed straight for Rachel. They exchanged words, then walked off side by side.
I froze in place, staring at them.
The key was the man's outfit. A black robe embroidered with a stunning red dragon.
No mistaking it. The signature garb of Drakan, the original story's premier villain organization.
I couldn't ID him from behind, but the clothes alone marked him as a Drakan member.
But why? Why was Rachel meeting with Drakan?
A heroine who aids the protagonist, secretly consorting with villains? Nothing like this in the original. I'd know if there was even a hint.
What will you do?
Without hesitation, I replied.
"Confirm it."
To uncover what was really going on. I decided to tail them.