Volume 1 Chapter 4 ACT.3 The Phantom Thief Incident (Ⅰ)
That night, a large, blue, and brilliant full moon brightly illuminated the prosperous royal capital.
"──Easy as always!"
A shadow ran across the rooftops, hidden from the eyes of the people.
The shadow was a girl in black clothes.
"There she is, the phantom thief! Get her!!"
Below the girl, the royal capital's guards were running around, desperately trying to catch her as she moved freely.
The girl was a phantom thief.
She was a famous thief in the royal capital, sneaking into the noble residences night after night for the past few days and stealing valuables like jewels.
"Like I'd get caught──!"
As she ran, outmaneuvering the guards, she suddenly felt a strong killing intent and leaped away.
There, on the roof, stood a single knight.
He was an unfamiliar knight wearing dark navy armor, like he was wearing the night itself.
'You are Adachi Haruka, aren't you?'
The knight asked her in a low voice filled with killing intent.
Hearing the name the knight spoke, the girl flinched, her shoulders shaking.
'You don't need to answer. Your reaction and the reports we've received already prove that you are a Reincarnator.'
Saying this, the knight drew a black-bladed one-and-a-half-handed sword from the shield in his left hand, pointing its tip at the girl.
'Purge Knight, Rai Conwell, will now eliminate you!'
* * *
Today, Rai had been summoned by a certain person and had come to the Holy Church headquarters.
It was a beautiful garden where colorful flowers bloomed and butterflies danced.
It was a hidden location within the vast Holy Church headquarters grounds, a secret place known only to a select few.
Rai, clad in knightly armor, advanced through the garden without hesitation.
At the center of the garden, where Rai was heading, was a white tea table and chairs, and waiting for him there were a girl and a sister.
Sitting in the chair was a girl with beautiful, long golden hair that resembled a bundle of starlight, wearing an elegant dress reminiscent of a white lily, and with her eyes covered by a black cloth, she had a beautiful appearance like an idol.
Standing quietly beside the girl was a slender woman with silver hair like moonlight, an icy and intelligent appearance, and dressed in a nun's habit.
The white-haired girl, though she shouldn't have been able to see him, sensed Rai's presence and spoke.
"My, you came after all 'My Rai'."
'I can't keep the Saint waiting. Besides, I'm not yours.'
"Oh, come now, you're so cold"
Saying that, the girl puffed out her cheeks slightly.
Her true identity was Stella, the saint recognized by this Holy Church as the living saint of the world.
And she was the only one who, by divine prophecy, could inform the Purge Knight of the existence and true name of the reincarnation who was deemed heretical, the "Blind Saint."
"Well, Rai, sit down. Sister Dina, prepare the tea."
"Yes, understand."
'No, I didn't come here to have tea with you.'
"Then, I won't give you any information about the reincarnation, you know?"
Rai let out a small sigh at Stella's words and, removing his helmet, settled into a seat.
Stella deepened her smile upon confirming that Rai had taken a seat.
"So, why did you call me here?"
"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you"
With a cute tilt of her head, she said.
Rai's face contorted into a grimace, as if he'd tasted something bitter.
Rai had always disliked this Saint who treated him differently for some reason.
"Actually, I've been wondering, why do you treat me like this?"
"Because I like you, is that not a good enough reason?"
"I'm not being flattered, I don't understand why"
If Rai's memory was correct, this Saint had always been like this.
From the very first encounter, she had called him "My Rai" and treated him differently from the other Purge Knights, almost like a pet.
"Well, I can see things that others can't, even though I can't see with my eyes. I took a liking to you right away."
"I'm not the kind of person who is instantly liked."
As Rai said this, Sister Dina returned with the tea set and sweets.
As she prepared the tea next to Stella, Stella smiled and continued her story.
"Hey, did you know? Human taste buds prefer uneven, patchy flavors over evenly blended ones. That's why I enjoy my tea with milk, but I don't stir it. I like savoring that patchiness."
"Huh?"
"It's the same with people. Neither pure white nor pure black is interesting. Even a mix of both, an average gray, is dull."
Saying this, she accepted a cup from Sister Diana.
Inside, the tea and milk were indeed unevenly mixed, not blending together at all.
"That's why I like Rai. There aren't many who have such an uneven, beautiful color as you do."
"Am I really that crooked?"
"Your lack of self-awareness is part of what makes you uneven. So, when you finally see your true self, I'd love to see what happens."
With that, she took a sip of her chaotic tea, her face breaking into a delightful smile.
"Oh dear, I've gone off on a tangent. As a thanks for coming, let's get to the matter at hand."
She promptly began discussing the reason for her summons.
"The reason I called you here is about the oracle that fell last night. The true name of the next reincarnate is Adachi Haruka, and the location is the royal capital."
"The royal capital, huh? There are a lot of targets this time. It sounds like it'll be hard to narrow it down."
"No need for that. The target is already in sight."
She continued with a smile.
"Lately, there's a group of thieves who specialize in robbing noble houses in the capital. They're rumored to use some strange sorcery that has the guards all in a flutter."
"Strange sorcery... Could it be a cheat?"
A cheat.
It was a rare power that some reincarnates possessed, capable of causing extraordinary phenomena.
Some could control fire, others could fly through the sky, and some could read minds.
Such beings who casually did the impossible were reincarnates──monsters.
"Yes, the cheat they're using is a power not yet reported to the Holy Church. It might even be spatial teleportation."
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