Chapter 38

Only the moonlight seeped into the street where the darkness had settled.

If you looked up at the sky, you could spot the starlight, but it could not reach the earth below.

That was how so many people found their way by the moon's light, and reset their milestones by following the starlight.

"He couldn't have gone far!"

"We absolutely must catch him!"

"With the bounty on that guy's head, I could live for the rest of my life!"

The night's pursuers were roaming everywhere, holding torches aloft.

The man had been stealing for quite some time, and each time the nobles lost expensive jewelry and gems to him.

Since he seemed to be working alone, he must have been targeting items that were both lightweight and valuable.

'How could they hope to catch me moving that slowly?'

The masked man stood atop a roof, looking down at them.

Mere moments ago, he had only been running, so they were probably assuming he was hiding somewhere in an alley.

However, he had scaled the wall in a single breath, and not a soul had discovered any trace of that.

He had always used the same tactics, yet his pursuers continued to behave complacently.

'Lately, there have been a lot of people looking for me. I must have become too famous.'

Leisurely strolling across the rooftop, the man soon lightly leaped onto the next building.

No sound could be heard from his landing, and even the moonlight seemed to shy away from outlining him.

If he kept evading the pursuers like this, he could safely return to his hideout.

'It seems like I've already cleaned out every place worth robbing...'

The man was already searching for his next target.

Others would probably see his deeds as bold acts of thievery, but he was acting according to a personal creed.

He stole only from the wicked rich, never touching good people.

He had never once broken that rule, so rumors about him were bound to spread far and wide.

'It's a hassle to look for targets outside the capital.'

With so many nobles gathered in the capital, it was relatively easy to pick out a target.

But once you left the capital, you'd only find unremarkable nobles everywhere, and even the local officials renowned for their thrift were careless to a fault.

So, to efficiently steal things, he had to make the capital his base.

'It's not like I can rob the Imperial family. That's just plain suicidal.'

The phantom thief who shook the capital of the Empire, clarke Etrianz, glanced around and leapt from roof to roof.

He had no doubts about his own skills, but he dared not intrude on the Imperial family.

Just getting through the gates would require passing several checkpoints, and the garrison under the Supreme Commander's command kept strict security.

Even if, by some miracle, he did get inside the palace, a run-in with the Imperial Knights would cause all sorts of trouble.

'There are plenty of wicked people in the Imperial family... but I can't risk my life for that.'

Clarke always acted on principle, but he was never obsessed with it.

No matter how much people praised him as a phantom thief or a chivalrous bandit, everything would end if he died even once.

So, though he always compromised with reality, he never stopped pursuing his own ideals.

'Where should I go next, I wonder?'

Clarke paused for a moment, as if sensing something, then hurled himself down from the roof.

He crouched as he silently climbed down the wall.

Even so, a heavy silence surrounded him, and he managed to keep his balance as if he might fall at any moment but never did.

'Maybe it's time to rob the Duke's family? I bet they own quite a lot, too.'

Clarke landed lightly on the ground and immediately broke into a run.

The Duke's family wielded immense power in the capital and held sway over many noble factions.

That made it easy for them to profit in many areas, and they were likely still expanding their wealth even now.

'I heard Duke Illenat's younger daughter even wields a sword... If I make the wrong move, I could lose my head.'

Duke Illenat's second daughter behaved in a way unbefitting a noblewoman.

She had participated in a monster subjugation by herself, returned to the capital after achieving great merit,was officially recognized as a knight for her deeds, and was now the vice-captain of the Setinos Knight Order.

It seemed like it would be a mistake to provoke such a woman—there would be too much to lose.

'Still, just taking a look wouldn't hurt, would it?'

Clarke felt a subtle interest in Duke Illenat's younger daughter.

After all, it was strange for a noblewoman to wield a sword in the first place.

A true phantom thief was supposed to break away from common sense, so, in a way, he and Duke Illenat's daughter had something in common.

'Let's see just how eccentric she really is.'

* * *

Brillie had boldly taken Alter out for an excursion.

No matter how frail he might be, she couldn't keep letting him walk only near the mansion all the time.

Of course, the incident with the vampire ambush wasn't forgotten, so the escort knights accompanied them.

"Isn't it a bit uncomfortable because of the escort knights?"

"Not at all. It's better than having something go wrong."

Rather, Alter seemed reassured by the presence of the escort knights.

They might not be as strong as Brillie, but they could certainly protect him.

And since they were knights, not common soldiers, their skills should be above average at the very least.

"I thought you should get some fresh air, so I brought you out. Isn't it boring just to stay inside the mansion?"

"Yes. I suppose this is better than always being indoors."

Walking side by side with Brillie through the streets, Alter was wrapped in a gentle sense of peace.

The escort knights followed at a distance, while people constantly passed by.

Occasionally, carriages came and went, and street vendors cried out loudly.

They were naturally savoring human life and the flow of the world.

"If it gets too much, just say so. We can head back at any time."

"It took so much effort just to come outside; I can't go back so soon. I'd like to walk a little longer."

Though Brillie looked at him with concern, she quietly agreed with his wishes.

Fortunately, he hadn't yet collapsed during a stroll.

What she worried about more was him losing his posture from fighting off the urge to fall asleep.

"Um... Have you ever heard about the phantom thief?"

"I heard he only steals from the nobles."

"Yes, that's right. Yesterday, I heard he robbed a marquis's vault."

"Did he steal something valuable?"

"They say only light and expensive things went missing. I guess phantom thieves can't take heavy things."

"That means he must have stolen jewelry or gems, then?"

"Probably, right? Small things are easier to carry around. Though it'll take a while to fence them quietly."

Of course, Alter had grasped the patterns of the phantom thief's actions.

Among the commoners, the phantom thief was praised as a chivalrous bandit, but in reality, he committed theft out of personal greed.

People only thought well of him because he shared food or coins with the commoners.

"To be called a chivalrous bandit, he must be quite clever."

"... Why do you think that?"

"If you think about it realistically, the phantom thief is just a petty criminal. But he only steals from nobles with bad reputations, and shows mercy to commoners. So, doesn't it look like he's upholding justice on the surface?"

"Hmm... I suppose it does look like that. Some people do get arrogant just because they're nobles."

"Still, since he doesn't target the Imperial Palace, I guess he's not ready to die just yet."

"It must be hard to get into the palace. If he ran into the Imperial Knights, he wouldn't stand a chance."

Brillie had heard roughly about the combat power of the Imperial Knights.

Only the best among knights were selected, and those of unknown background weren't allowed in.

The commander of the Imperial Knights was said to be equal in skill to a Sword Saint and devoted solely to the emperor's protection.

"I hear there's a big bounty on his head... but since he hasn't been caught yet, he must be exceptionally-nimble, right?"

"They say no one knows how he gets in and out. He slips in and out so quickly, no one can catch him."

"Maybe they'll never catch him?"

"Well... Sooner or later, I'm sure—"

"Oh my, who do we have here? Isn't it the young lady who wields a sword?"

Before Brillie even saw her face, she recognized who it was.

It was another duke's daughter, her perfect opposite in every way.

She'd been rather quiet lately—who could have guessed she'd show up so suddenly?

"... Terosa. Are you here to start something again?"

"Hehe... Start something? I only tell the truth, you know?"

The second daughter of House Duke Ailike, terosa Ailike, looked slyly at Brillie from beneath a white parasol.

Grace radiated from her fingertips, and she drew a noble and refined smile on her lips.

She truly was the model of a noble lady, and even her beauty was exquisitely cultivated.

"I don't want to hear that from someone as vain as you."

"Nobles should be filled with vanity, you know? Oh right. Brillie, you can't even dress yourself up because you're too busy slashing swords around, right? Fufufu."

"At least I've earned merit. You just flirt all the time. Is it really that fun to spend your life trying to get others' attention?"

"That's what noble young ladies do! If you don't stand out, you'll just get ignored, right? But you, at least, have earned merit so no one ignores you."

"That's probably all you know how to do: act like an entitled lady. It's obvious."

"Of course. I have to act entitled. That's how you show composure, after all. You never seem to have leisure, what with fighting all the time."

"Putting on airs is always exposed in the end. Didn't you trip and fall in those heels last time? That was a classic."

"Hehe... That was all part of my plan! I got to meet someone I wanted to by falling. Now we're connected, so I'm not embarrassed at all."

Terosa lied without a hint of shame, putting on her fake smile.

There had been nothing planned about it—she'd simply had the worst luck and tripped right away.

But unable to lose to Brillie, she could only keep puffing herself up like this.

"You're honestly shameless, lying like that. I saw your face turn red."

"... Looks like you weren't looking properly, Brillie. How would you even know if I was blushing or not?"

"Oh, right, one more thing: didn't your dress get caught on the railing and tear? Nice legs, by the way."

"What... W-what... That... That was part of the plan, too! If you're not ashamed of it..."

"That's quite enough. We're both from ducal families; is it proper to argue in public like this?"

At last, Alter stepped in to mediate, coming to a halt between the two.

In the original story, the two quarreled often, but there was no need to just stand by and watch.

For now, it was best to part ways and focus on their own business.

"And you are... oh..."

Terosa belatedly recognized Alter and fell silent.

She had approached after only noticing Brillie, so she hadn't realized Alter was there.

If she'd known Brillie's fiancé was present, maybe she would have acted with a little more dignity.

"How embarrassing. I'll introduce myself properly next time, Lord Alter."

"Yes. I hope to see you again."

Terosa quickly left the scene.

She'd heard rumors about Alter, but in person, he was even more dazzling.

How had a wild girl like Brillie ended up with such a handsome fiancé?

'What should I do? He's exactly my type. Ugh... I should have accepted the marriage offer from the Grand Duke's house when I had the chance!'

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Too late... Alter has mama bear now...【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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