Raiding the University
I parted ways with Rachel naturally after the university raid. With the suggestion lifted, her suspicions would gradually build from here. She'd realize that Veronica's proposal, which she'd taken for granted, was anything but ordinary. As her obsessive drive to make money faded, she'd start feeling an odd sense of wrongness about what she was doing. That's when I'd appear as Arsene Lupin to help her out.
Of course, Drakan wouldn't just sit idly by. Even from glimpsing their past through the orb, it didn't seem like they were pouring genuine affection into Rachel, but they had no reason to watch one of their sprawling schemes fizzle out pathetically either.
But that was all relative. Drakan pursued their ultimate goal of creating dragons through multiple conspiracies running simultaneously. Some of those plans were truly dangerous enough to threaten the world, which was why they were treated as villains in the original story. Rachel's experiment was just one of many.
If push came to shove and they had to choose between it and something far more critical, they'd abandon Rachel without hesitation. That was exactly what I was aiming for—entangling her with something so vital that even Drakan wouldn't dare touch her carelessly.
I already knew Drakan's most cherished core plan: the Apocalypse Red Dragon. It was an operation of truly insane scale, tantamount to outright destroying the world. The protagonist would stop it in the original story anyway, but it wouldn't hurt for me to lay some groundwork first.
Looks like I'd be busy for a while.
I headed home first and changed into my phantom thief attire. I wanted to rush to Rachel and help her right away, but even after breaking free from the suggestion, she'd need time to steel her resolve and accept my support. Until then, I had to lay the foundations to thwart Drakan's plans.
The top priority? Snatching the artifact at its heart. In other words, stealing from Drakan themselves. Wasn't that the most fitting method for a phantom thief?
[Aren't you worried?]
"Well, if they catch me, I might die on the spot."
But if I didn't get caught, problem solved. Besides, I had my own ace up my sleeve.
"The pearl's fully absorbed now, after all."
I could definitely feel it—the mana flowing through me far more powerfully than before. Thanks to fully absorbing the pearl's power, I'd leaped forward in growth overnight. Sure, if I faced Ziegfried head-on in my current state, I'd be an ice block in one second flat.
My unique magic was all about illusions—tricks optimized for anything but fair fights—so that didn't matter. Even if I got caught, so what? Worst case, I'd meet a gruesome end. Big deal.
"Shall we get going, then?"
[Yes. It's been a while since the phantom thief made a comeback.]
Today's target was none other than the university.
The university boasted a far longer history than one might expect. It had existed not just during Britain's Industrial Era but even back in the Roman Empire days. Even on real-world Earth, Oxford University was founded in 1096—over a thousand years ago. Of course, it wasn't like the modern idea of a university, but the key point was that it was the nation's premier institution for advanced scholarship. So, perspective aside, it housed treasures rivaling any museum in value. Most people just couldn't appreciate their academic worth.
Today's mark was the university's archaeology club. Doesn't the name alone scream "phantom thief bait"? That's why I was stealing from it. If you're jealous, don't name it that.
The prize: the treasure known as the Angel's Trumpet. More precisely, a holy relic. Right now, it didn't seem to hold immense value. People saw it as just some ancient artifact of unknown origin and purpose. Drakan alone had some inkling of its function.
[Mortals wouldn't figure it out easily. A single trumpet changes nothing.]
The Goddess was right. The Angel's Trumpet came in a set. Without both pieces, it was just useless junk. That's why Drakan had left it gathering dust at the university—they hadn't found its pair yet, so the plan was on hold.
No need to dawdle. I slipped into the university building using illusion magic, moving carefully.
'There it is.'
The trumpet slumbered inside a transparent glass case. The only person around was a single elderly professor. Makes sense—security isn't tight in a university open to the public. And this trumpet was just another forgotten relic no one cared about these days.
I didn't even need a fancy trick. When the professor stepped away to the bathroom, I plucked the trumpet from its case in a flash and left my card in the empty spot instead.
Until now, I'd always sent a notice beforehand, but today I flipped the script: steal first, card after. Obviously to swipe it before Drakan noticed. A formal warning would just give them time to prepare.
Breaking my ironclad tradition stung a bit, but I wasn't about to attempt the impossible just for showmanship. Besides, wasn't this plenty romantic in its own way?
What? Where'd all that confidence from earlier go? Didn't I say I'd powered up with the pearl and take on Drakan head-on? Nonsense—I never said that. I said my improved illusions meant I could steal without getting caught. Why advertise it and invite mortal danger from Drakan?
The real reason I skipped the notice? To make them think the thief wasn't Phantom Thief Raven. The card I left was a plain white business card, not my usual one. The message on it was like a cipher:
"The day the prophecy of the Apocalypse will be fulfilled is near."
Drakan, who kept a close eye on the trumpet, would surely check the card.
"Bet that'll cause a stir."
The cipher basically meant "Endgame"—their operation had reached its final phase. All members would drop other plans and prep for the finale. It'd be their top priority.
But it was all my fabrication, leveraging a secret only someone who'd read the original could know. They'd eventually realize the card was fake, but by then, it'd be too late to turn back.
The crucial part? They must never learn I stole the trumpet. If they did, they'd come after me with everything they had.
'...Is this what that gruesome end meant?'
Reasonable guess, right? No room for complacency. It looked abandoned, but Drakan surely had contingencies.
I tucked the trumpet safely away and crept out as stealthily as possible. Just when I thought it'd been too easy—yep, their trap sprung, right on cue. Probably triggered when the trumpet left a set range.
"Uh..."
I groaned at the golem before me. Not huge, but it looked brutally strong. And its movement meant its owner had noticed the trumpet issue and was rushing here.
I had to escape fast.
A humming sound, glowing eyes flickering to life. Eyes? Whatever—time to run.
Couldn't let anyone spot me, so back into the building was out. Had to punch straight through.
Nothing for it but to try. 'Didn't expect to test my growth here.'
[Isn't it a good opportunity?]
Positively, sure. At least it was a golem, not a person. But dragging this out wouldn't end well.
A ominous charging whine. Bright light built in its outstretched hand.
I prepped my counter with magic. Tipping my hat—it duplicated into two! Copy magic?
I stared blankly at the two hats in my hands. Then the golem fired a laser from its palm.
I held the hats side by side, standing still. The beam sucked into one hat's hole and shot out the other's—straight back at the golem.
Boom!
"...Wow."
I couldn't help but voice my genuine awe.