Chapter 18

Chapter 19

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 18

Chapter Title: First Eclipse

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Today was the day.

The night when the full moon that would change the future rose.

The time had come to use my Unique Ability, Eclipse.

I sat astride a large tree near the Eliad mansion, gazing up at the sky.

Before I knew it, it was fully night.

When everyone else was dreaming, it was time for a Noir to roam reality.

'At this late hour, the Grand Duke and his wife must be asleep by now.'

I tilted the bag on my back slightly and pulled out my sister's telescope.

The bag was already perfectly packed with everything needed for infiltration, including the telescope.

Of course,

none of these tools were mine.

If we talked shares, it was sister 90%, eldest brother 7%, little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠brother 2%.

The remaining 1% was the bag itself. That was the only thing that was mine.

'Who else would pack up a bunch of stuff for someone sneaking into their house but our family...'

I let out a long sigh and scanned the mansion interior with the telescope.

It was incomparably clearer than my own, long-broken one.

'This is nice. For my next birthday, maybe ask for this... No, next time I'll ask for something completely normal. No thanks to thief-friendly gifts.'

Fortunately, only a minimal night guard was on duty,

the mansion interior was quiet, and there were gaps in the surveillance net here and there.

There were plenty of openings to slip in unnoticed.

Above all, I was confident the guards wouldn't detect my presence.

Yeah.

There was no reason to fail.

The tools borrowed from my siblings were top-grade,

and I'd already recruited allies to help with the infiltration.

...Aside from my Unique Ability, there were no issues at all.

⚔ UNIQUE ABILITY ⚔ Eclipse • Usable once every full moon night • Stolen items can be permanently owned • Can steal opponent's abilities, items, life force, etc.—'everything they possess'—without restrictions • Usage limit per target: maximum 1 time It was blatantly overpowered, just looking at it.

And to balance it, there were all sorts of restrictions plastered on.

It had been over half a year since I gained this Unique Ability...

But I'd never used it even once.

Because being limited to just once per person was too fatal.

If not for that limit, my hands would already be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠overflowing with all sorts of goodies by now.

Something like this would've felt right only after trying it immediately.

However—

Human psychology makes you more cautious than anyone when you're allowed only one shot.

Couldn't I steal something even better?

Isn't this a bit of a waste to use in this situation?

What if I need something else later after using it up?

Lost in such thoughts, I'd let five full moons pass unused.

Thanks to that, today was my first time.

I knew what the ability did,

and what restrictions it had,

but I had no idea how it actually worked in practice.

'Will this be okay...?'

Another long sigh escaped me.

Is there anything more anxiety-inducing than using something you don't fully understand as your trump card?

But—

Today, I had to use it no matter what.

For the connection with Ruena, and for my peaceful future.

I pulled a detection magic artifact from my bag.

The guards were one thing, but magical devices were always more troublesome... or so my sister said when lending it to me.

I examined the mansion's protective barrier.

The layered barriers surrounding it were, as expected, intricately woven.

If I charged in as is, alarms would blare instantly, and dozens of knights would swarm.

'If that happens, I'd die much sooner than the future where Ruena stabs me.'

That was absolutely unacceptable.

I twisted the detection artifact around, scrutinizing the fine traces.

'Found it.'

My sister was right after all.

No matter how powerful a barrier, it couldn't be perfect.

Over time, it weakened,

and lingering mana nearby created tiny cracks.

And for House Noir, that was a golden opportunity.

I pressed the small brooch my sister had lent me, pinned to my left chest.

Then I rummaged in my bag's pocket and swallowed a tiny capsule from my eldest brother.

The brooch disrupted the barrier's detection,

and the capsule temporarily granted me my eldest brother's Unique Ability.

'Though the duration is ridiculously short.'

I slipped into the shadows cast by the moonlight.

Soon after, my body reappeared

above the window of Ruena's room, on a barely foothold-wide ledge.

I took a small vial from my bag pocket and uncapped it.

Animal-attracting pheromones.

I'd wrangled these from my little brother on purpose.

'I got them because I needed them, but why does that guy even have this stuff?'

Moments later—

Fluttering wings sounded from beyond the window.

I snapped my fingers to signal.

Then my pre-recruited ally, the parrot Buddy, deftly unlocked the window latch.

'No matter how I look at it, this guy's more suited to our house.'

I slipped soundlessly inside and stroked Buddy's head.

"……."

"……."

At that moment—

My eyes met Ruena's, who was lying in bed.

I pressed a finger to my lips to signal silence, then pulled out a notepad.

[Not asleep?]

Ruena nodded at my question.

I flipped the page silently and scribbled quickly.

[Pretend to sleep.]

Ruena pulled the blanket over her head just like that.

Thus, my second pre-recruited ally performed flawlessly.

'The rest is easy.'

Infiltration success. Next up was what I did best.

Moving swiftly while hiding my presence.

Thanks to three years of evading the Grand Duke, I was a pro at this.

I quickly reached the Grand Duke couple's bedroom door.

'Seems usable even from this distance...'

I considered testing it but held back.

Only one chance per full moon night.

So, I had to use it at the most certain moment.

I pulled out the lockpick my sister lent me.

Of course, being hers, this simple lock gave way in seconds.

'Should I be happy about this or not...'

I steadied my breath and carefully inserted the lockpick.

Moving it as instructed, the door opened right away.

'...Is our family really okay like this?'

Father's dream of escaping eternal count status seemed impossible this generation.

I peered through the slightly ajar door into the bedroom.

Fortunately, both the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess were in deep sleep.

Muffling my steps, I approached the Grand Duke's side.

Close enough to avoid accidentally applying it to the Grand Duchess.

One chance only.

I reached out toward the Grand Duke.

There was one reason Grand Duke Kasian Eliad wanted to cast me out.

He was convinced my existence hindered Ruena from acquiring her Unique Ability.

So, I just needed to eliminate that conviction.

Once the conviction was gone, so would his reason to expel me.

But—

'It's a waste. Just stealing that feels too small.'

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Stealing from the kingdom's mightiest noble, conviction was too meager.

So—

I decided to steal something more fundamental.

The basis that formed the conviction.

Something useful later on.

And a shield to protect me even if this theft was discovered.

⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ "Steal Kasian Eliad's 'Judgment'." At that instant—

The moonlight shining into the bedroom vanished for a brief moment.

In that split-second darkness,

an invisible force extracted the Grand Duke's judgment and placed it in my palm.

'...It actually worked?'

I couldn't see it, but I felt it.

The thing now in my hand was the Grand Duke's judgment.

'For starters, let's try treating it like shifting thoughts.'

I gently wrapped the Grand Duke's judgment with my mana.

Then a flood of calculations and inferences hit me, headache-inducing.

I bit my lip, cold sweat beading as pain surged.

'This is no joke...'

Swallowing the groan rising to my throat, I quickly manipulated the Grand Duke's judgment.

To make him see me as necessary for Ruena.

So that even if he woke and saw me now, he wouldn't find it strange.

The subtle distortion I imprinted seeped in successfully.

I hurriedly severed the connection with the judgment.

The pain vanished, and I felt alive again.

The backlash from the manipulation had shaved off quite a bit of my toll.

I checked the remaining toll.

'Looks like at least a day's worth of mind-reading capacity is gone...'

Still plenty left, though.

Maybe the Eclipse ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reduced the toll consumption.

I returned the Grand Duke's judgment.

Fortunately, it went back to its place without any anomalies.

After catching my breath—

I glanced at the still soundly sleeping Grand Duke.

'Sorry, but... just one test.'

I reached out to him again.

To reclaim the judgment I'd just returned.

I'd read in a book Father had me study.

The founder could summon back anything stolen, anytime.

'Mine's a degraded version, so maybe not...'

I concentrated the scant remaining mana at my fingertips.

The toll dipped, and the judgment returned to my hand.

I blinked in disbelief.

'...What? You really can give it back and take it again?'

It cost a ton of toll, but it worked.

Stunned, I examined the judgment in my palm.

Same sensation as before.

Since I'd reclaimed it, I used more toll to manipulate it once again.

To make him naturally accept my visits to the mansion.

Another toll deduction, and I returned the manipulated judgment.

Again, no anomalies.

Plenty to think about, but not here.

Pushing aside the confusion, I swiftly exited the Eliad mansion.

Once outside, something felt severed.

Instinct told me.

The connection to the Grand Duke's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠judgment was cut.

'Permanently? Or temporarily due to distance?'

I'd find out tomorrow when I visited the Eliad mansion.

I hurried back home.

To learn more about Eclipse.

And to prepare to steal the second thing.