Chapter 296 - Phantom Thief (Patreon)

Free People Coalition, inside the manor of house Paradesh, an up-and-coming prosperous mercantile house.

“It seems everyone is here,” said a middle-aged woman with a commanding presence. “Let us begin.”

As the last arrivals took their seat, the men and women around the table cast their gaze upon the matriarch.

“What is the issue, matriarch? To ask us to gather so suddenly… and in this busy time too. Surely this can wait until after the reception of the guests from Zetel?”

The one who asked was a man wearing many gold rings on his fingers. The way he dressed and acted showed he was a rich man. Everyone in the heavily guarded room was so, but this man was a cut above the rest.

“Correct your tone, cousin, or my fist will.” The bald man with a thick neck and the aura of a veteran warrior growled at his cousin with a flippant attitude.

“Ah, I see the bully inside you is still healthy. Tell me, except for your body getting bigger, has any part of you grown up? Your brain clearly hasn't.”

“What did you say!?” The bald man rose from his seat.

“You want to try me?” The gold rings man did the same.

The others didn't act surprised. The rivalry between the two had been going on for decades.

Just so it appended, the two were leaders of the factions inside the house. One was in charge of the martial aspect and the other was the wealth aspect.

They both contended for the seat of the next head of the house, one of many reasons for their sour relationship. The current head had yet to name one of them heir.

The Paradesh Matriarch cut off their quarrel before it could devolve further.

“Yesterday, I found this in my chambers.” She presented a card to the table. “What are your thoughts?”

The bald martial man sat before taking the card and reading the writing on it.

“In the middle of the exhibition three days from today, I will steal the Mermaid Joyous Tear under the eye of the twin moons. Stop me if you can. Signed, Heavenly Thief Tanael… Hmph! What audacity!”

After the bald martial man threw the card back to the table, another picked it up. “Problems always come when the exhibition nears. Although, we haven't gotten this kind of provocation in a while.

“Just another poor mutt salivating for the Tear. He won't be able to do a thing, like those who came before him.”

The card was passed on from one person to the next.

“This is written using the ink from Harkelan,” one said after sniffling the card.

“Harkelan? Looks like the beauty of the Tear has reached far. We should be happy, instead. Wahahaha!” The gold rings man laughed mockingly.

The matriarch observed the people’s reactions. Most treated this as a joke. They had been basking in security and content for too long, their alertness had atrophied. Pretty much what she expected. However, she saw one person that gave the threat more than scorn.

“Rajeev. Do you have something to say?”

The matriarch's words brought attention to the young man. He was the youngest and came from a not particularly impressive branch family. This made some people at the table look down on him.

“Well, hurry it up, boy. If you really have something to say,” the gold encumbered man said in a tone that showed he was preparing himself for a boring few minutes next.

Rajeev didn't let that get to him and replied after giving a respectful bow to the matriarch.

“Replying to the matriarch. I have heard of this Tanael. This summer, in Regidana city, he emerged as the winner of a mysterious Trial of Fire. Rumors are he’s a vicious soul Pathseeker and extremely dangerous. I believe it is unwise to treat this lightly.”

“A soul Pathseeker… No wonder he has got an eye on the Mermaid Joyous Tear. But such talk is moot,” the martial bald man harrumphed.

The Mermaid Joyous Tear was the most important asset of House Paradesh. The matriarch's grandmother was the one who procured it from the sea. It was a diamond of great beauty that could improve the soul of the wearer. It heavily contributed to the development of House Paradesh.

None of them was a soul Pathseeker but all humans consisted of body, mind, and soul. Strengthening their soul would lead to all kinds of benefits. The Tear was great because of its simplicity, it could be used by everyone.

However, there was a catch. The Tear’s energy was limited and would need replenishment. The way to do that was by showing off. The more people who looked upon it and marveled at its beauty, the greater its recovery.

That was why every year, House Paradesh hosted an exhibition for the diamond.

“But Lord, I-”

“Boy! I am the man in charge of security and I do not take my duties lightly!” The martial bald man was incensed. “Since before you were born, people have tried to take our treasure, by force or stealth. None have succeeded! Even without the threat, the Tear is always under the best protection during every second, every hour, and every day! The measures we put in place are perfect! If our grand array is activated, even a Level 5 would have second thoughts. This single upstart whelp is nothing!”

“I merely suggest caution. Tanael might use underhanded methods. Underestimating the adversary is-”

“Underestimate? Hmph! The Victa trace in this message indicated its the writing of a Level 3! Tanael is a Level 3 and so are we all! The matriarch is a step away from Level 4. Tell me, boy, is treating dust as dust underestimating anything?”

Rajeev clenched his teeth from his senior preaching. The martial bald man delivered his words of ego with such zeal Rajeev didn't have the opportunity to retort.

“Young’n, as a Level 3 yourself, are you that afraid of this Tanael? You lack bravery.”

The gold rings man delivered the coup de grâce. Giggles and smirks from the council stabbed Rajeev’s pride. The young man forcefully sat back down, suppressing the redness on his face.

The matriarch was silent but she observed.

Rajeev shows promise but he still needs tempering.

Rajeev failed the matriarch's test. She'd hoped the young one would show more backbone. He lacked the pride of the old ones but his inexperience was also true.

The matriarch realized the state of her house. They were too confident in their safety under her shadow. She was not under such delusion. The world was a savage place. They did not even possess a single Level 4. If a Level 5 put his mind to it, he could take the gem and there was nothing they could do about it.

The Mermaid Joyous Tear simply wasn't valuable enough for people of that caliber.

Tanael’s challenge provided a good opportunity for some trials. She would see how the people under her, especially the two successor candidates, react to this threat.

But just as she was about to take the reins of the meeting, a guard barged into the room.

“E-emergency! The Mermaid Joyous Tear’s vault had been stolen!”

“What!?”

“How can this be!”

The report was like a boulder thrown into a still pond. The one shaken the most was the martial bald man. As the one responsible for security, he couldn't wiggle his way out of such a colossal blunder.

And he’d just boasted how his protection of the Tear was perfect.

“Who? Who is it!? Is it Tanael?”

“W-we believe so, lord,” the guard replied nervously. “He left a calling card inside the empty Tear’s case.”

The people around the table acted unseemingly like fish sellers in the wet market. The matriarch spoke after letting the news seep into their being.

“Peace… What was stolen, was a fake.”

“Eh!?”

“After I received the threat, just in case, I swapped the Tear and put it in the house’s treasury. This is called not cowardice but insight. I believe I do not need to stress to all of you how overconfidence can be dangerous, yes? You all should thank Tanael for this lesson.”

From the glare of the matriarch, the martial bald man lowered his face in shame and indignation.

“Treasurer, go to the vault and see the condition of the Mermaid Joyous Tear.”

“Yes, matriarch.”

The gold rings man said before leaving the room. With an entourage of elite house guards, he went to one of the most heavily guarded places in the compound, the treasury.

“Hehehe, that cousin of mine, serves him right. Oh, the look on his face… Ha! That's what you get for being a pompous ass.”

The gold rings man opened layer upon layer of security measures. At some point, the guards no longer accompanied him because they were forbidden to enter and guarded the passage.

“But it did give me a cold sweat. If the matriarch did not act, we might have a situation on our hands. This Tanael is quite good.”

As the last gate slowly opened, the gold rings man was drinking his favorite wine from a golden goblet. The sight of opulent wealth in the treasury was something that he always enjoyed. After the carved gate fully opened, the man was greeted with an empty treasury.

It was so clean that not even a speck of dust remained.

Like a statue he stood there. Before long, the wine flowed out of his mouth and stained his clothes.

The sound of the fallen golden goblet reverberated clearly in the treasury.

On the wall, there was a message.

Dear House Paradesh: By the time you find this, I will have made my escape with your precious treasures.

Thank you for your contribution to my collection.

Thief Extraordinaire, Tanael.

***

Hm hm hmm~

Arsène was playing with the Mermaid Joyous Tear in his hand. Repeatedly tossing the precious diamond into the air before it landed on his palm.

What he did was an affront to phantom thieves everywhere. He had sent a calling card but he didn't steal the item at the appointed time? A cowardly move.

But Arsène was too much of a scoundrel to care.

I was kinda hoping there would be a Great Detective type character. So smart, so insightful, so smug…  I want to decapitate them while they are slowly doing an exposition of the villain’s plan. That’s what I would have done, what any villain should have done if they got exposed. Villains shouldn't be so passive and we don't go quietly into the night... Pity there aren't any.

Arsène went from town to town, taking souls and anything else of value that he could get his hands on.

He heard about the diamond’s exhibition in the works and decided to take a look, privately.

Well, this thing is nice, but to me, its effect is below a Level 4 soul. Meh, it would make a nice gift. If not, I’d pawn it on the black market somewhere. Hmm?

Something cold fell on his nose.

Snow… Winter is here.