Volume 6 Chapter 38-2 The Great Thief Appears
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Now then, what should I do tonight?
If I camped outdoors, it would be chilly at dawn. Doing that in the middle of town would definitely draw attention. While I could hide well enough, there was no point in saving that much money on inns.
When I returned to the inn last night, the landlady greeted me warmly. She mentioned there weren’t many returning customers. It wasn’t like I had a strong attachment to the place—but it was less hassle than searching for a new one.
I laid down on the bed, pretending to nap, lost in thought. Somewhere along the way, I drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, it was already night.
Being a ninja had completely flipped my internal clock.
Hunger kicked in, so I pulled out a fried chicken sandwich from my magic bag and took a bite. Eating alone in the dark gave a strange but pleasant feeling—almost like a warm stew on a cold night.
My night vision skill didn’t let me see color, so it felt like living in an old black-and-white film. I guess that’s what it means to be an adventurer in another world.
Anyway, there was something I wanted to take care of—Orlan’s daughter, the girl’s who’d fallen under Little Castor’s control.
During my nap, I had a dream that gave me an idea. In this world, dreams were often seen as divine messages. Maybe I could rely on that.
Just like last night, I leaped from the window and landed quietly in the town streets. Before long, I stood in front of Castor’s mansion. This time, I had no intention of sneaking in.
Thinking it over, entering enemy territory directly was risky. Even modern armies used drones for surveillance now.
If the enemy was blocking my Radar Scan, then maybe I should’ve just sent in a remote-controlled drone. After all, I had a tool that worked just as well—my extendable “arm.”
I activated it—a thin, invisible tendril stretching out from my hand. It easily slipped past the wall that had disrupted my scan before.
Just like that, I could now detect everything inside.
No need for flashy techniques like Editor Skill. Sometimes, simple combinations of existing tools worked better. Funny how I didn’t think of this yesterday. I’d been so caught up relying on Editor Skill that my creativity had dulled.
Originally, this arm was designed to retrieve distant objects into my magic bag. I could easily snatch treasures from inside Castor’s vault if I wanted to.
But I wasn’t here for riches.
What I wanted… was to rescue the people being held captive inside.
My magic bag had a special feature. It could store living creatures as well. The only catch was that if the target didn’t trust me, they could resist—and possibly break free.
Even if I tried to forcefully store the brainwashed knight Orlan’s daughter, she’d probably resist. That much was obvious. But then, I saw something in a dream—some kind of solution. Maybe it was vague, but I had a good feeling. It might just work.
Still, there’s a proper order to things. First, I need to finish mapping out the Castor mansion.
Strictly speaking, the mansion’s basement isn’t just a basement. If you include the fuel stone mine, it’s more like an underground district. I began a quick exploration, moving from one end to the other. In this kind of situation, even the smallest gap in a map can come back to bite you—just like in games. You miss one room, and boom, you miss a key event. A single crack can bring down a whole dam.
With the combo of my ‘arms’ and Radar Scan, the process was smooth. In just a few minutes, I had a perfect map. Compared to the struggle from yesterday, it almost felt like cheating.
Tonight, it seems Big Castor didn’t go down into the basement. He’s sleeping quietly in his room. He must’ve been exhausted. He’s not exactly old yet, but surprisingly, he doesn’t have much stamina.
Little Castor, meanwhile, is out cold in a small room underground. Judging by the empty potion bottles scattered around him, he spent all his energy entertaining women. And these weren’t just regular potions, either. If he keeps this up, he won’t live long.
Most of the captive women are asleep, too. Being prisoners, there’s not much else for them to do. The old woman and the glasses girl are both sound asleep. Even the guards stationed around the fuel stone mine are dozing off. Not great for security—but great for me.
Only Old Al is awake. He’s still working on the golem, fiddling with wires and gears like his life depends on it. Honestly, it looked more like he was breaking it than fixing it. But he’s probably doing his best… all for his granddaughter.
Time to begin the rescue—starting with the girl in glasses.
I extended my ‘arms’ toward her cell. This part was easy. The real issue came afterward—if I tried to store her now, she’d likely panic and resist. I’m on her side, but there’s no way for her to know that.
So, I’d use an illusion.
The illusion I saw in the Wolf Forest—a woman manipulated by the cunning elders—was something incredible. I can’t create anything that detailed. My best effort would be something vague, like a hazy silhouette. If I made a ghost of Al appear in front of her, she’d probably just scream.
Then the idea hit me from a different angle.
People tend to believe in the illusions they want to see. Especially when they’re desperate for salvation. The girl in the matchstick story was the same, wasn’t she?
So what if—what if a glowing figure suddenly appeared next to a girl longing for help? Wouldn’t she think it was divine? I don’t know which god she believes in—there are too many in this world—but most of them seem to appear in shining light. That should be enough.
Technically, claiming to be a god is a crime punishable by strict interrogation, at least according to the cardinal. But I’m not saying I’m a god. If the other person assumes it on their own, that’s not my fault.
The glasses girl is asleep. Illusions work just fine either way—awake or dreaming. In fact, when someone’s sleeping, their guard is down. Their mind is wide open.
I summoned the illusion: a glowing silhouette beside her pillow, just barely shaped like a human figure. Maybe this is what they call “stepping into a dream.”
”…Ah… God… mm…”
Still half-asleep, she murmured faintly, eyes fluttering. Whatever she saw in that light, it was enough. She reached out and, without a hint of resistance, allowed herself to be stored into the magic bag.
Success.
…Or more like, that went way too well.
But because I was feeling proud, I let my guard down.
”Oh! The Lord has finally returned!”
A voice rang out from the next room. I froze. The old woman sleeping beside the glasses girl had woken up. Maybe she sensed the flow of mana, even while asleep. Her instincts were sharp—terrifyingly so.
She was probably a veteran magician. Stronger than Castor, even. This could get ugly.
But instead of preparing to attack, she dropped to her knees.
She bowed deeply, forehead to the floor, in a gesture of total submission. She didn’t hesitate. Didn’t question.
Before I could stop myself, I stored her too. For someone with such high magical resistance, she didn’t even try to resist. She was completely defenseless.
What did she see in the light?
She muttered something under her breath—something that sounded like the name of an evil god. Was she mistaken? Or did she see something I didn’t?
Was it a miracle? A happy accident? Either way, it worked.
Time to move on. Next up: Grandpa Al.
I summoned the light again, this time beside the old man hunched over the broken golem. He looked up at the glow, wide-eyed.
”Guiding angel… I don’t care what happens to me. Please… save my granddaughter.”
I hesitated. He was awake. Would he see through it? But instead, he simply knelt and began to pray.
Exactly as I hoped—and yet, somehow, that made it even scarier. Just a soft, glowing illusion… was that really all it took to look divine?
Maybe the god he believes in really lent me their strength. I’ll think of it that way.
He was ready to sacrifice himself, not even knowing who I was. He asked not for himself, but for her. Kind of makes me hesitate.
Should I bring out the glasses girl to reassure him? But there’s no guarantee I could safely store her again.
For now, I’ll just make the illusion brighter. That alone seemed to be enough. The old man nodded slowly, as if he’d seen proof.
He trusted me.
And thanks to that, I was able to store the girl and the others safely.
* * *
The prisoners, caked in filth and madness, often glimpse a sliver of divine light in their dreams. Once that happens, it’s easy to seal them away. Many mutter the name of the Goddess of Purity in their delirium, clinging to her as if it gives them dignity. Perhaps they were once proud people.
Some even prayed to the Goddess of Vengeance, seeking retribution rather than salvation. I don’t care what happens to me—just destroy Castor… Their hatred ran that deep. It was unsettling. Still, I planned to bring judgment upon the Castors eventually.
The last group left were the women already brainwashed by Little Castor. Since they weren’t calling out to any god, the usual methods didn’t work.
But knowing they were merely pawns, manipulated by villains, I couldn’t just ignore them. I had a few ideas in mind.
This time, I decided to use an illusion—one that mimicked Little Castor. Any normal person would see through it instantly. It was barely better than a crude scarecrow.
”An… Master.”
But for the brainwashed, even something that resembled Little Castor was enough. Their expressions softened in their sleep, murmuring contentedly as if caught in a blissful dream.
I had no intention of letting that dream continue.
Assuming the persona of Little Castor, I began sealing them away, one by one. I made sure to secure Knight Orlan’s daughter, too.
Before returning them to their families, I would need to break the brainwashing somehow. That part would be harder.
By the time the moon had passed its peak, I had retrieved every last victim ensnared by Castor’s spellwork. A few resisted, but persistence won in the end.
Still, the operation was a clear success. I’d avoided danger, taken no unnecessary risks, and didn’t treat this like some reckless adventure. That was enough.
Thinking back on it calmly, though, it did feel impulsive. By morning, the consequences would definitely come to light. There’d be chaos.
Well, if I’ve already taken the poison, might as well eat the whole dish.
I began collecting anything dangerous—golem components, medicine, magical formations—things that had been under the old woman’s care. This wasn’t theft. I was simply removing tools from wicked hands.
As a final distraction, I cast an illusion of flames for the guards on watch. Fire was difficult to replicate properly—it had no shape. But with the right movement, a flickering red light could trigger an ancient, instinctive fear.
I shaped it to resemble a burning hellscape. Maybe it was overkill.
If they panicked and reported a fire in the fuel stone mine, the underground passage might be sealed for a while. That would give me time before the incident was fully discovered. Even if the illusion failed, any confusion it caused would still be useful.
Within the dream, I allowed the phantom flames to run wild. When they woke, they’d see themselves surrounded by fire—even though it was all just an illusion.
But then, something unexpected happened.
One of the guards, half-awake and clearly inexperienced, panicked and doused the fuel stones with water. An unforgivable mistake.
Whether from ignorance or sleepwalking, he brought water too close to the mined stockpile—fuel stones that should never, ever, be exposed to moisture.
When wet, fuel stones emit a volatile gas—acetylene.
And right nearby… there was an active acetylene lamp.
What followed was not just fire.
It was an explosion.
The shockwave tore up through the elevator shaft and obliterated half the Castor estate.
Before the stunned guards could be engulfed, I swiftly sealed each one into my magic bag. They didn’t resist. Maybe it was desperation, maybe instinct. In a moment of death, any escape seems better than staying behind.
Huh… Could I have saved everyone like this in the first place without using illusions?
Maybe. But it was a crude method for a rescue mission.
I hadn’t planned it. It was a reflex. Was helping the enemy the right thing to do?
Enemy… That word felt uncertain.
They were simply employees, perhaps unaware of the depths of Castor’s depravity. Or perhaps they chose to look the other way. I’d need to investigate that later.
As for Little Castor—his luck was abysmal. Or perhaps he was protected by some dark god. Before I could find him, he had already clawed his way out of the collapsed passage with his own strength.
* * *
Back at the mansion, panic erupted. The elevator shaft was destroyed. The building itself had begun to tilt. Servants and members of the Castor family scrambled to escape.
Big Castor, now awake, roared with fury. He didn’t spare even the wounded Little Castor from his wrath. Apparently, he had assumed the explosion was the result of some reckless experiment.
Outside, despite the late hour, a crowd gathered—but none offered help. They lingered at the edges, eyes gleaming with intent.
Even the guards, supposedly holding the line, began stuffing valuables into their own bags amidst the chaos.
Abandoned by their subordinates… They have no loyalty. A kingdom built on fear crumbles fast. I’d need to remember that.
Now that the underground was inaccessible, I turned my attention to the fuel stone production device. Its ancient design fascinated me. Despite its age, it still functioned. Why?
Its core stretched deep into the earth like the roots of a great tree. Fortunately, the machine was modular—I could dismantle it block by block and store each piece. Reassembling it, though… that would be a problem for another time.
In all that mayhem, I’d used nearly half the magic power stored inside Pii-Pii.
And with a battle approaching, that left me uneasy.
I wanted to visit Uno’s place to recharge fully, but dawn was already creeping in.
I needed to reach the east gate. Fast.
Still, if my enemies were only Gorigan’s lackeys… this shouldn’t be too difficult.
No problem.
Notes:
• Knight Orlan – Male. A knight whose daughter has been kidnapped and brainwashed by Little Castor. His appearance and relationship with other characters are not detailed, but he is mentioned as a potential ally against the Castors. His daughter is forced to commit heinous acts, including killing her parents and herself.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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