I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 852 – Side Story 125: The Phantom Thief (4)

The beastfolk phantom thief who introduced herself as Irene admitted that she was influenced by Arsène Lupin.

Who is Arsène Lupin? The greatest thief in history who plunged a nation into chaos.

People called him the most heinous criminal, while others called him a righteous thief. This was because the items Arsène Lupin stole were mostly limited to wealthy nobles and businessmen.

Those who were directly robbed cursed Arsène Lupin with spit flying from their mouths. They also utilized their funds and the power of the media to the fullest.

On the other hand, ordinary citizens found it refreshing. They didn't spare their praise, saying Arsène Lupin did well.

Because such heated opinions from both sides coexisted, Arsène Lupin was able to become famous. His notoriety was so great that even the Commander of the Night Crawler Knight who was visiting the kingdom at the time stepped forward to catch him.

'But he failed.'

Of course he would. Even his identity was fake. And who could possibly catch someone so skilled at escaping?

Traps were broken through with ease, and he would even leave letters to the nobles he stole from, as if mocking them in return.

'I heard the Night Crawler Knights lost quite a bit of face because of that incident.'

The prevailing theory was that they latched onto Terina Ryanhowl like ghosts as soon as they found traces in Leathervelk to settle the score from back then.

After that, Arsène Lupin disappeared, which must have been infuriating for the nobles.

If he had continued stealing, they would have desperately tracked him down and found him somehow. But to suddenly steal things, gain some fame, and then vanish as if sinking into the ground?

That's why Arsène Lupin gained tremendous fame as a phantom thief. Books were published that adapted his episodes and presented him as a righteous thief, and they sold better than expected.

Irene said she was influenced by Lupin. So, it couldn't be said that Rudger had no responsibility for her actions.

"The karma of the past returns in this way."

Casey poked Rudger with her elbow, subtly teasing him. Rudger had mixed feelings. He couldn't blame Casey, nor could he question Irene about why she chose such a role model.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

Rudger asked. They had caught the phantom thief. Along with the truth that her identity was actually that of a beastfolk victim.

Casey, who had been teasing Rudger, also hardened her expression and fell into thought.

'She's conflicted. She has no choice. If you listen to Irene's story, she's in a pitiful position too.'

He had already ruled out the possibility that Irene was lying. In this captured situation, there was no one who could lie well enough to deceive Casey and Rudger. The trembling of pupils, the vibration of voice, the body's reactions. Both of them could analyze all of that.

Even if all of that was deceived, Casey's detective intuition transcends such phenomena and reaches the correct answer. The shortest, fastest derivation of truth, skipping steps.

The fact that Casey didn't point anything out meant that everything Irene said was true.

'As a detective, it would be right to capture the phantom thief as is, but Casey must be troubled.'

If it were the old Casey, she would have arrested Irene immediately without room for negotiation.

But it wasn't like that now. Casey had changed and grown more.

She knew that the world doesn't necessarily flow justly. And that the justice she knew wasn't perfect either.

This time was the same. A phantom thief, meaning stealing, is a bad thing as the world says. However, Irene had pitiful circumstances. She also had the justification of taking back what was stolen.

Someone would say to that: Stealing is still bad.

'Is that really so?'

Those who had already stolen were there. They deceived others and committed illegal acts where people's eyes couldn't reach them.

When there are already those who committed evil, why does returning things to them become a bad deed? Then why doesn't that great law and justice judge those people?

Casey felt pity for Irene because she knew that, and that's why she didn't arrest her immediately. She might even be feeling anger toward the humans who committed such acts.

"I respect your choice."

Rudger decided to end Casey's agony. He would trust and support her whatever choice she made. That was what he should do as a partner.

Even so, Casey seemed conflicted. As a person Casey or as a detective Casey. It wouldn't be easy to make a choice.

"What if you move as your heart desires?" 

"......I want to help this person."

Casey spoke honestly. She empathized with Irene's situation and wanted to help her. That was Casey's true feelings.

"Then let's help her." 

"Are you really okay with it?" 

"If you're worried, let's do it this way. I'll force you, so you're just following along with no choice."

Rudger even presented a justification so Casey wouldn't feel unnecessary guilt. Casey's eyes widened.

"Making me follow along with no choice. What reason are you planning to move for?"

Rudger stroked his chin.

"Hmm, that."

His gaze turned toward the valuables lined up inside the storage room.

"Let's say my old habits came out."

Casey's mouth turned into a triangle shape. Her eyes contracted to dots as if she heard something she shouldn't have. That appearance was so much like a cat that Rudger couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Casey's expression became sullen.

"Old habits coming out means, don't tell me all of this here......" 

"We're going to steal it. Anyway, aren't these things scraped together through dishonest methods? Then they should have been prepared for them to disappear through dishonest methods too. Isn't that right?"

Rudger looked back at Irene and asked. Suddenly having the arrow turned to her, Irene was flustered. The two mages who captured her were truly strong. But they were different from the humans she knew.

Moreover, judging from the flow of conversation, they seemed to be trying to help her.

Why? Irene was curious about that.

"You look curious. Didn't I say I'm also close with beastfolk? Iona O’Valley, the next chieftain. She's also my student." 

"Th-that can't be." 

"So, do you dislike it?"

Irene shook her head vigorously. How could she dislike it? If people like these helped, it would feel like gaining a thousand soldiers.

But still, some distrust toward humans remained. Rudger smiled slightly and showed her through action instead of proving with words.

"It's been a while. This sharp sensation. It's time to return as the phantom thief, Arsène Lupin." 

"Huh? Eh? Arsène Lupin?"

Hearing Rudger's words, Irene doubted her ears. If she didn't mishear, Rudger introduced himself as Lupin.

Rudger covered his body with shadows and donned a cloak. A stylish fedora completed on his head.

He took out his sword-stick cane and eroded the space with shadows by raising his mana.

The valuables touched the shadows and were disappearing as if melting. Was he melting the items? No. Those shadows were swallowing the items as if sinking into a swamp.

‘My goodness.’ 

Irene's jaw dropped.

People say that where Arsène Lupin visits, items leave no trace. Irene thought that was an exaggeration in fiction. Although she acknowledged that Arsène Lupin was a great phantom thief, she judged it wasn't to that extent.

But that wasn't the case. The story wasn't false. Rather, it felt somewhat lacking.

'This human is the real Arsène Lupin!'

She could feel the aura emanating from someone who reached the pinnacle in a field. The beastfolk instinct cried out. Unlike herself who was merely imitating, this man was real.

"Hmm. There certainly are many."

Rudger, who was stealing items at a fast pace, muttered.

His gaze reached Casey.

Casey was still looking at Rudger with a displeased expression and her arms crossed. One side of her heart must be uncomfortable. Because as a detective, she had to watch theft right before her eyes.

"What."

Casey asked bluntly. She probably didn't know why she was so uncomfortable either. Rudger knew well why Casey was like that. So he smiled and handed Casey an item.

"Here. Put this on."

It was a black mask. An item that covered the lower half of the face like a hood.

"......Wait. It's not, right?"

Casey's pupils shook greatly. She stared at Rudger with an incredulous gaze.

"You're telling me to wear this now?"

Rudger nodded.

"To wear this and condone stealing items? Theft?"

He nodded again.

"Are you crazy?"

Rudger shook his head.

"Not at all. I'm extremely rational." 

"You're telling me, a genius detective, to steal right now? While wearing this hood too? That's insulting me!" 

"That's not something someone who's watching theft happen right in front of them should say." 

"Ugh!" 

"And besides, you know, that the world doesn't flow that way. Is doing this while knowing just simple stubbornness?"

Casey bit her lip tightly. Rudger looked at Casey and smiled gently.

"It's okay. Doing so is also like you. But whichever path you choose, I hope you'll at least be confident. Because that's the woman named Casey Selmore that I fell for."

Casey flinched at those words. She gazed quietly at Rudger. Her own figure was reflected in the blue eyes that looked at her with an unwavering gaze.

Right. In fact, what she hesitated about was whether Rudger might be disappointed in her for not being a detective.

But that was her misconception. Rudger was always the same. He consistently trusted and relied on her.

If she couldn't live up to that trust, how could she call herself Casey Selmore?

Casey accepted the hood from Rudger.

"Haa. What in the world am I doing?"

Casey covered her lower face with the hood. The black hood didn't suit her dressed appearance at all, making it oddly anticlimactic.

Then Rudger snapped his fingers and covered Casey's body with shadows. Casey didn't resist it.

The detective outfit she wore was dyed and changed by the shadows. Darker and more convenient for activity.

Now this side would also be unmistakably a phantom thief's appearance.

"It suits you well." 

"What are you saying?" 

"Once you actually do it, it'll be different."

Casey brushed off Rudger's words. She just thought she needed to finish quickly and end it. It couldn't be helped that she hesitated and wavered when actually trying to do it.

'For now.'

Casey picked up items that looked expensive. She felt guilty just by them leaving their place where they should have been kept nicely in the storage room.

Casey put them into the shadow sack Rudger prepared. The sight of the sack bulging up was visually clear.

Casey put in items one by one. Each time, the sack grew and the display shelves emptied.

'Somehow.'

This time she directly grasped an expensive jewel necklace with her hand instead of mana and put it in the sack.

'I feel strange.'

She didn't know why she was like this. She oddly felt a sense of heat in her body. Was it because she was ashamed? Embarrassed?

But for that to be the case, her movements gradually became smoother and lost hesitation. Her actions became faster and the brake that had been restraining her until then completely disappeared.

'What is this? Why am I like this?'

Every time that sack filled up. Every time the display shelves emptied. Every time valuables were caught in her hands.

She felt some indescribable addictiveness. She couldn't stop even if she tried to now. Casey continuously and diligently put valuables into the shadows.

It was like a child who had lived like a model student their whole life playing hooky for the first time.

Complete freedom from society's eyes and the cage she made herself. Casey experienced the taste of that freedom for the first time and tasted dopamine she had never felt before.

Casey looked back at Rudger. She still seemed unaware of why she was like this.

Rudger didn't say anything toward Casey and just raised his thumb.