The Witch's Shop
I deliberately went easy on you? I had no idea what process led him to that conclusion, but I immediately tried to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Went easy on me? That's a total misunderstanding."
"Yeah, you're gonna deny it to the end, huh."
Layered seemed genuinely pissed. If anyone should be angry right now, shouldn't it be me?
"You said at the start you'd give it your all."
Yeah, and I really did my best. No matter how much I explained, he just wouldn't accept it—it was frustrating as hell.
At this point, I was starting to get curious. Why on earth did he think I'd thrown the fight?
"Why do you think I went easy on you?"
"In that last clash. You used an illusion to get behind me."
Yeah, that was my trump card—and it got beautifully dismantled. That moment when I truly felt the gap in talent between me and the protagonist. Why bring it up now?
"You gave me a heads-up so I could react. Still gonna play dumb?"
I furrowed my brow, not quite grasping his words. So, he was saying he could react because I tipped him off beforehand?
Did I ever do that?
[Who knows.]
The Goddess had no clue either. Of course not—I'd never sent any such signal.
"Layered, you must've misunderstood. I really didn't do anything like that."
"...Fine. If you're gonna deny it that hard, nothing I can do."
Phew. Looked like he finally got my sincerity. Guess persistence pays off.
But for some reason, Layered's eyes still burned with intensity.
"I'll drag your full strength out of you, one way or another. Get ready."
"...Huh? Get ready for what? Wait a sec."
Where the hell are you going! He just spat that out, turned on his heel, and bolted. Too stunned to grab him, I just stared at his retreating back.
[A rival's been born. Hehe.]
I don't need a rival or anything...
And the real problem? This was during class. We hadn't yelled, but our conversation was loud enough for the kids nearby to hear every word. Sure enough, the classmates started whispering and side-eyeing me.
The quiet loner extra versus the rookie with standout talent from day one—now rivals? And one side allegedly went easy? Perfect gossip fodder, more than enough to spark interest.
How the hell did it come to this... I just hoped the rumors wouldn't spread too far.
"Loser, heard you became rivals with the sword guy?"
Damn, it was already over. Even this guy knew.
Rachel grinned mischievously, teasing me mercilessly.
"Didn't see the duel, but sounds like you put up a fight? You any good? Wanna spar with me next?"
"Ahaha..."
I brushed off the awkward questions with an embarrassed laugh, and she snorted like it was boring.
"What a lame reaction."
Thankfully, after that, neither Rachel nor anyone else brought up the duel. I didn't have close friends anyway, so it made sense.
Better this way. No need to draw eyes and risk exposing my identity—I wanted to stay as low-profile as possible.
Somehow, the day's classes wrapped up. Kids scattered to after-school clubs, dorms, or home. I planned to head straight back too.
As I grabbed my bag and headed for the back door, I bumped into a girl approaching from the side.
"Ah!"
"Ow."
Our eyes met. Lustrous deep blonde hair and striking green eyes. Sharon Honsia, one of my classmates.
[Green-eyed, eh?]
Yeah... but you don't think it's her, do you?
[A phantom thief must suspect every possibility.]
...Isn't that what detectives do?
Anyway, as the Goddess said, green eyes made her a suspect. In the original story, she was a minor side character who barely appeared. Bluntly put, just like me—an extra. Pretty, sure, but no real role or standout abilities that I recalled.
"Sorry."
Her tone was curt. Snapping out of my thoughts, I waved it off.
"No, my bad—I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Okay. See ya."
And with that, she coolly vanished into the hallway. Gone in a flash, no time to confirm anything.
[Remember her voice?]
Hmm... kinda similar, maybe...?
It was just yesterday, but it felt hazy. I couldn't pin the exact voice, but the speech pattern felt close. Atmosphere-wise, though, she was way calmer and quieter. The woman from last night had more edge.
[Not enough info yet.]
Yeah. Gotta memorize details next time.
The Goddess teased with a laugh in her voice.
[Oh ho? So confident you'll meet her again?]
Well... call it a hunch.
[Indeed. A fated encounter, then.]
Why'd she twist it like that? Anyway, we left the Academy and hurried home. Dusk fell, darkness creeping in. Time to shelve my student life and become the phantom thief again.
Tonight's agenda was packed too.
I shed the uniform for a suit. Tipped on the black silk hat, fitted the monocle. White gloves, then cane in hand.
Kro Morris was now Phantom Thief Raven once more.
"Shall we?"
The moon was rising.
I'm not stealing any gems tonight. Pulling off jobs two nights in a row isn't easy, and I haven't even sent a calling card. Plus, I hadn't picked a target yet.
Still, a phantom thief has duties. Tonight's plan: offload yesterday's haul, the Sun's Smile.
As I said before, I don't steal jewels for cash. Once I extract the Goddess's power, no need to keep 'em.
Two options: return to the owner, or sell and donate proceeds to those in need.
Decision's simple: good owner gets it back; bad one, it gets sold.
Rafano, owner of the Sun's Smile? Investigation showed he was scum. Hurt others for profit without a second thought.
So, sell it.
But how? Legit fences are rare. Who'd touch a headline-making treasure?
"Hello, Witch."
She's the one. As I entered, she propped her chin on the counter, smiling slyly.
"Welcome, Phantom Thief."
"Got something to sell."
"Lemme guess what it is?"
She deals in anything. Stolen goods are small potatoes to her.
I'd decided to trade with her from the start of my phantom thief gig. Unlike the Goddess, I sought her out first using original story knowledge to build ties.
Though "ties" might be generous—this was only our second deal.
I pulled out the Sun's Smile. Amber glow filled the shop.
"Pretty gem."
"Isn't it?"
"I'll buy. You know the terms?"
I nodded. One rule here: no haggling her price.
Seems unfair, but nowhere else would touch it—can't complain.
"Mind if I appraise it?"
"Go ahead."
I handed it over easily. She doesn't cheat on small deals or lowball. Original story confirmed: fair trades always, bar one exception.
"Hmm... No interest in something besides cash?"
"Like what?"
"How about this? Book packed with juicy info. Sample's free."
Info from the Witch? Tempting. Free sample? Why not.
Alligator Monster Lurking in the Sewers
Vampire Crone Wandering the Streets Every Night
Girl Alive in the Moving Portrait
Wind-up Doll Guarding the Clock Tower
Nine-Tailed Fox Ghost that Devours Livers
I read them closely, then muttered in disappointment.
"Just urban legends."
And the last one's totally out of place in a fantasy setting. That's straight-up Eastern folklore.
"Hehe, not into this stuff?"
The cover read 50 Terrifying Urban Legend Ghost Stories. Her one flaw: she's a huge prankster.
Deal closed smoothly. She offered a fair price as expected, and the Sun's Smile went to her.
"What's next on your steal list, Phantom Thief?"
"Dunno. Plenty here looks worth taking."
"Oh no, can't do that. Only one thing's okay to steal from here."
Official theft permission from the owner? Curiosity piqued, I asked.
"What's that?"
"My heart♡"
"...Noted. See you next time, Witch."
Way too playful. I bolted from the Witch's Shop like my life depended on it.