Butterfly Effect
I figured out where this was without much trouble. After all, not much time had passed since then. The real question was why this scene was appearing in Rachel Scarlet's past.
A churlishly ugly, pot-bellied bald middle-aged man. The incident where I'd stolen the necklace called Sun's Smile from a tycoon named Rafano. I remembered it vividly because it was the moment of my first encounter with Sherlock.
"You're going to take Sun's Smile? Ha! Go ahead and try if you think you can!"
No doubt about it. The line even matched perfectly with what I remembered.
Why? What past did this crystal orb want to show me?
Regardless of my questions, time in the past kept flowing onward.
Rafano handed security over to me—disguised as a Mage Killer—and headed downstairs. Then my past self briefly shed the disguise and stole the necklace from the safe.
After all the twists and turns, Phantom Thief Raven finally came face-to-face with Sherlock in the mansion's garden for the first time. With a simple greeting, he made off with Sun's Smile, escaping successfully.
That was everything I knew about the incident. But this wasn't a comic—it was reality. The story didn't stop just because I had exited stage left, like some play that ground to a halt.
Rafano, having let the thief slip away right in front of him, exploded in rage, his face beet red.
"That damn filthy thief...! How dare he steal my treasure!?"
In stark contrast, the moment she confirmed Raven had vanished, Sherlock turned to leave the mansion without a second thought. Rafano called out to stop the girl.
"Where the hell do you think you're going!? You barge into my house uninvited and now you try to slink away!?"
"I was only trying to help you catch the thief."
"You think I'm just gonna let that slide?! Take off that weird hat and show your true colors right now!"
Sherlock let out a sigh and unleashed a barrage of sharp criticism.
"Pathetic."
"...W-what did you say!?"
"If you weren't quite so stupid, we could've caught the thief. How can someone be that idiotic?"
"You insolent little brat! I won't let you get away with this!"
Rafano jabbed a finger at her, spitting out his furious warning. But Sherlock showed no fear—instead, she fixed him with an icy glare. The green glow of the girl's eyes in the darkness made him flinch pathetically, almost pitifully so.
Is she using magic?
I wasn't certain, but the aura rippling around the girl felt far from ordinary. Especially that piercing gaze. I'd encountered that same green light in the sewers before—it had a chilling power that sent shivers down the spine.
Completely cowed by Sherlock's stare, Rafano stood frozen in place, unable to make a move even as she left the mansion.
Even watching through the crystal orb, the man was pathetic.
Left alone in the vast garden at last, he couldn't calm his excitement, muttering to himself over and over.
"These damn bastards, every last one of 'em looking down on me... I'll show 'em. I'll make 'em see just how terrifying I, Rafano, can be..."
That resolve probably never came to fruition. After all, even now, quite some time later, I had no memory of Rafano ever affecting me in any way. Sherlock was likely the same.
Rafano's mumbling showed no sign of stopping even after a long while. If anything, it snowballed into ever more absurd self-justifications, excuses, and pointless grumbling.
"Damn it. My plan was perfect—where the hell did it go wrong? If things had gone according to plan, that thief would've been nothing!"
He wasn't even angry anymore; now he was just pitiful. How long did I have to watch this meaningless whining?
That was when it happened.
"That's right! It's all that Mage Killer's fault! He took my commission and then botched the switch with the thief like an idiot—that's why my perfect plan fell apart!"
I couldn't even follow the twisted logic. To find someone else to blame in that moment. At that level, he had to be the god of self-justification.
To cut to the chase: Rafano's plan had never been perfect from the start. Because he'd fallen right into the trap I'd set, hiring me—disguised as a Mage Killer.
When I planned to steal Sun's Smile, I'd strategically placed Mage Killer commission ads along Rafano's usual routes in advance. By making him see them repeatedly and imprinting the idea in his mind, when he got my calling card, he immediately thought to hire a Mage Killer.
In other words, he'd been dancing in the palm of my hand from the very beginning.
So why didn't Rafano suspect any of that? Because I'd deliberately used the name of a fairly well-known Mage Killer from around the area.
It was a truly perfect plan. At least, until I saw the aftermath of that incident through this crystal orb.
Why had I been so complacent? I'd made the exact same mistake as the fool Rafano I'd looked down on—blindly convinced that my plan and tricks were flawless, without a single issue.
Who could've guessed Rafano wouldn't stop at simple self-justification and blaming others, but would actually track down the real Mage Killer whose name I'd impersonated?
The space shifted naturally following the bald middle-aged man's back, vividly unfolding a hidden black market deep in a dark London alley.
There, Rafano sat face-to-face with a stern-looking man, deep in conversation. That man was none other than Aslan, the Mage Killer I'd impersonated.
"Never heard of it."
"Quit dodging! You made a deal with me—why didn't you show up that day!? Do you have any idea how much money and humiliation I suffered because of you!?"
Even against the absurd nonsense, the other man kept his composure. Or rather, he subtly revealed a quiet fury.
"How many times must I say it? I have no memory of any such commission. How long do I have to repeat this pointless charade?"
"Urk! Then who's gonna compensate me for my necklace!?"
"No idea why you're asking me. If it was stolen, shouldn't you go to the national police or the Executioners?"
At the perfectly reasonable question, Rafano stammered and showed weakness for the first time.
"W-well... I didn't think there was any need to call the police unnecessarily..."
"I see. So you've got plenty of dirty skeletons in your closet, then."
One of the reasons I'd targeted Rafano's mansion was that he was a villain. Even if the police recovered the necklace, the odds of them returning it to him were slim to none. Hell, it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up in jail himself during the theft investigation.
Aslan, who had maintained a stone face until now, cracked the faintest smile for the first time. A deeply ominous one.
"Rafano, was it? How about this, then?"
"W-what? Finally ready to get on your knees and apologize...?"
The fool still hadn't caught on. Blathering nonsense in a situation where anyone could see he'd lost control.
"I'll introduce you to a good fixer."
"A fixer?"
"Yes. She's highly skilled, so getting back the necklace from that thief should be no problem."
"Oho...! Not a bad idea at all!"
Aslan made a gesture with his hand and added,
"Ah, of course, her fees are steep. But from what I hear, you're quite well-off, so it should be fine."
His tone had somehow shifted to something far more polite. But Rafano, oblivious as ever, just nodded in satisfaction.
To think something like this had been going on behind the scenes without my knowledge. But Rachel still hadn't appeared, and contrary to Aslan's words, there'd been no attempt to retrieve the necklace from me either.
"Great! Introduce me to her right now!"
"As expected, bold and generous just like you look. Mind waiting here a moment? I'll fetch her and set things up."
"Of course, no problem at all. I'd do anything to crush that annoying little thief!"
How much time passed with Aslan stepping out? Soon, a new figure arrived.
Very distinctive light mint-green hair. Intense makeup and a voluptuous figure that showed even through her coat. But more importantly, the dragon emblem embroidered on her black coat.
It was Veronica, a member of Drakan.
Rafano was completely enchanted by her beauty. Hearts practically popping from his eyes.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello there. You're the fixer, I presume...?"
"Yes. Call me Vera."
One coquettish smile, and Rafano grinned like a pervert.
"Y-yes, Vera. Since we've met like this, it's fate—maybe later if you have time...?"
"I heard from Aslan. You want the necklace back from the thief, right?"
"Uh, yes, that's right. But..."
"Here's the contract. Check it over and sign, and we'll get started right away."
The situation proceeded at breakneck speed, forcing even Rafano to drop his lechery and pick up the contract. He jolted in shock and shouted,
"Th-this is way too expensive...!"
"Pardon? Considering the value of Sun's Smile, this is more than reasonable, no?"
"...Still, no way. I'd be better off finding it myself!"
Even Veronica's honey trap couldn't overcome the outrageous price, it seemed. Rafano shot to his feet decisively.
The fixer smiled as if she'd been waiting for it.
"Understood. How about we do it this way, then?"
My instincts screamed as I watched the scene. Whatever she said next was the true culprit behind it all.