Chapter 221

Suri led them away from the deeper tunnels, her rat-scout gliding ahead like a silent guide. The basement beneath the underground district radiated wrongness—stale air, fractured mana currents, too many blind corners. It wasn’t a good rendezvous place, not with injured a captured phantom thief.

Opel, Asha and Suri decided to stay in one of the broader open areas of the underground district, where dim lanternlight pooled unevenly across stone floors polished by decades of footsteps. Merchants and wanderers slowed, curiosity tugging at them despite the late hour.

Whispers spread.

All eyes drifted toward Opel.

The suspected phantom thief was slung over his shoulder like a sack of grain, face completely covered, wrists and ankles bound tight. The man groaned faintly, but didn’t resist, probably got tired from doing it many times.

“They’re here!” Chelle exclaimed, bouncing on her heels.

Kana and Boris stepped into the light.

Kana’s selective armor bore the marks of a real fight—deep scratches and chipped plating that hadn’t been there before. Fine dust clung to her hair and cheekbones, dried into pale streaks against her skin. Her eyes, however, were sharp. Alive. Bright with lingering adrenaline.

Boris walked beside her with his usual straight-backed pride, but his condition betrayed him. Bruises bloomed across his face like storm clouds, and his right eye was swollen nearly shut. His jaw looked stiff, his steps measured—but he didn’t limp.

Asha’s brows knit together. “What happened to the two of you?”

“I just woke up,” Boris said, voice thick and uneven thanks to his swollen cheeks, “and Kana was trying to beat me to death.”

Kana snapped her head toward him. “I told you already—it’s because you were trying to kill me while under hypnosis control skill, and our target escaped because you decided to use [Cleave] indoors—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

Her gaze locked onto the bound man over Opel’s shoulder.

“…Is that our target?”

“Yes,” Suri replied evenly. “I saw him trying to flee towards the outer wall.” Her eyes flicked pointedly between Kana and Boris. “While you two were… busy.”

Kana’s scowl vanished instantly.

“Good call!” She stepped forward and clapped Suri on the shoulder with genuine enthusiasm. “That guy is slippery. Really cheat like skill. We’re lucky Chelle was with you.”

Chelle grinned, chest puffing out a little. “Anytime! Honestly? Tonight’s been exciting.”

A sharp, high-pitched chirp cut through the conversation.

They all paused.

From the edge of the light, Thorne emerged.

The small black lizard stood still for a moment, crimson eyes fixed intently on Boris. Her tail flicked once. Then twice. In the next instant, she sprinted forward.

Boris didn’t hesitate.

He dropped to one knee and opened his arms wide just in time for Thorne to leap into his chest. He hugged her tightly, burying his face against her warm scales.

Tears shimmered at the corners of his eyes.

“I missed you too, buddy,” he muttered hoarsely.

Suri stared.

“…They look like lovers who haven’t seen each other in ten years.”

“I agree,” Kana said immediately.

“Same,” Asha and Chelle added while Opel laughed.

They all burst into laughter.

Suri’s neck subtly extended, her head tilting as a familiar aroma slipped through the underground atmosphere. It wasn’t mana. It wasn’t something dangerous.

It was oil. Salt. Something crisp and sinful.

“…It’s been a while,” she murmured, already moving.

Her feet carried her toward one of the stalls tucked between stone pillars, its lantern casting a warm amber glow over sizzling oil. Skewers crackled softly in a wide pan, the scent thick enough to make even tired adventurers pause.

“I’ll just get one.”

“Hurry up,” Kana said without slowing her pace. “We need to leave.”

Suri nodded absently, already reaching into her pouch. A moment later, she returned—not with one, but two skewers.

Each stick held a small deep-fried lizard, curled slightly from the heat, its skin crisped to a perfect golden-brown and coated in a dark, glossy sauce that clung thickly to the surface.

Suri took a bite.

Crunch.

Her eyes softened in quiet bliss as the flavor hit—savory, rich, just a hint of sweetness beneath the salt. She chewed slowly, savoring it.

That was when her gaze lifted.

And met Thorne’s.

The small black lizard stood proudly atop Boris’ head, chest puffed out, tail raised high like a banner of victory. Thorne’s eyes locked onto the skewer mid-chew.

Time froze.

Thorne’s pupils shrank.

For the first time in her life, Thorne felt fear.

Thorne's head tilted. Slowly. Horribly. She followed the bite. The crunch. The casual enjoyment.

Thorne let out a tiny, strangled chirp. Then vanished. She dove behind the plates of Boris’ armor, scrambling for cover, claws clinking softly against metal as she pressed herself flat, tail tucked tight.

Boris blinked. “Huh?”

Suri noticed.

She paused mid-bite.

Then grinned.

Thorne peeked out just a fraction—one eye, trembling—only to see Suri still chewing the fried lizard, completely unbothered, sauce glistening faintly under the lanternlight.

Suri raised the skewer in a small, polite salute.

Thorne disappeared again with a panicked rustle.

Kana pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re scaring her. You should have picked anything but a lizard..”

“I forgot,” Suri said cheerfully, taking another bite as if on purpose.

While Suri continued eating with unhurried satisfaction, Kana drifted away from the stall and lowered herself onto a wooden bench positioned across from it. The bench creaked softly under her weight, old and polished smooth by years of use. The underground lanternlight cast uneven shadows across her armor, highlighting the fresh cuts and scuffs she hadn’t bothered to clean yet.

Asha and Opel followed, out of curiosity. Suri joined last, still chewing, sauce glistening faintly at the corner of her mouth as she leaned over Kana’s shoulder.

Kana reached into her chest pocket, hands directly went into her [Inventory].

A moment later, parchment appeared in her hands, followed by a quill and a small vial of ink—clean, untouched, as if they’d never seen battle at all.

“Where did you get that?” Asha was a bit surprised.

“It’s always with me,” Kana said casually, dipping the quill. “Just in case.”

She began to draw.

The quill scratched steadily across the parchment, quick confident strokes forming shapes with surprising speed. A jawline here. Eyes there. The suggestion of a nose, a shadow beneath it. Kana’s posture shifted as she worked—less like a fighter, more like a hunter reconstructing a memory piece by piece.

Opel leaned closer, arms folded. “I’m just curious,” he said, watching the image take shape. “What are you trying to do?”

“I remembered the faces of his group earlier under the basement,” Kana replied without looking up. “That guy might not be the Phantom Thief. More likely, he’s part of one. I want Suri to track them—just in case our client isn’t satisfied.”

Asha nodded slowly. Opel followed suit, their gazes returning to the parchment as Kana finished the first face and slid it aside, already starting another.

The faces came quickly. Too quickly.

One after another, Kana sketched figures that felt… off. Their proportions were mostly right. Mostly. But something about them seemed exaggerated—eyes slightly too sharp, mouths oddly stretched, expressions frozen between menace and confusion.

Opel squinted at one of the finished sketches. “…Are they really people?”

Kana hummed noncommittally as she added a final line. “Of course.”

Asha tilted her head, studying the drawing with a critical eye. “The gods are fair,” she said thoughtfully. “They didn’t give you all the talents.”

Kana finally paused. She lifted one of the parchments, holding it up with genuine confidence. “They looked exactly like this.”

There was a beat of silence.

“I don’t think so,” Asha and Opel said in unison.

Suri reached over and plucked one of the posters from the bench, holding it up at arm’s length. She rotated it slightly, as if viewing an abstract painting from different angles.

“…I think,” Suri said carefully, “this might be the most challenging tracking quest I’ve ever had.”

Kana glanced up. 

Suri tapped the parchment. “A few innocent people might get dragged into this mess.” She paused, then added dryly, “I mean—into your messy drawing.”

For half a second, Kana stared at her.

Then Asha laughed.

Opel followed, shoulders shaking as he tried—and failed—to suppress it. Even Suri smiled, folding the parchment and tucking it away.

The lanterns flickered overhead, the underground district humming on around them, while somewhere behind Boris’ armor, a small black lizard remained perfectly still—utterly convinced this night would haunt her forever.

……..

The group rented a covered wagon, its wooden frame reinforced and its curtains drawn tight. The noble district lay far ahead, separated by layers of stone roads and silent gates, and the distance alone justified the expense. That, and the fact that their additional luggage occasionally struggled.

“Mmmm!”

The sound came from the back of the wagon, where the captured man lay bound like an overpacked sack of grain. His arms were tied, his legs secured, his eyes covered, and his mouth wrapped so tightly that even his breathing sounded offended.

Chelle shifted uncomfortably on her seat and glanced back. “Uhm… I think that guy wants to say something.”

Opel followed her gaze, then turned to Kana. “What do you think, leader?”

Kana leaned back against the side of the wagon, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded as the wheels rattled beneath them. “I’m thinking of keeping his mouth shut. We don’t know the full extent of his abilities. The conditions he needs to activate his skill.” Her gaze flicked briefly toward the bound man. “It might even be tied to his voice.”

Chelle nodded quickly. “As long as he’s not constantly moving, I can keep my skill active and prevent him from using anything.”

“Is that so?” Kana said, considering. After a moment, she exhaled. “Alright. Let’s hear the man.”

Opel hesitated, then reached down and peeled the cloth away from the captive’s mouth.

The man sucked in a desperate breath. “Please—let me go. I’ll give you the two skill books I obtained earlier.”

Boris, sitting across from him, scratched his head and lifted the wooden briefcase resting against his knee. He opened it just enough to peer inside. “We already have it.”

The man froze.

Then he forced a laugh—thin, brittle, and entirely unconvincing. “R-Right. Of course. I meant… I have another one. An unsold skill book. It’s hidden in my secret vault.”

That earned him attention.

Kana leaned forward until her face was inches from his, her shadow swallowing him under the wagon’s dim lantern light. “Where is your secret vault?”

She wasn’t smiling.

The man swallowed audibly. “I’ll tell you… if you let me go.”

Kana’s hand drifted to her blade. With a soft scrape, steel slid free of its sheath. She twirled it idly, the edge catching the light as it passed far too close to his cheek.

“I’m not sure,” she said thoughtfully. “I feel like I might have a knack for torturing people.”

Suri, seated beside her, leaned in with sudden interest. “Is it the one with the copper-colored barrier?”

The man stiffened.

He said nothing—but his breathing hitched.

“It must be,” Suri continued casually. “There are so many layered barriers around it. Really impressive work, honestly.”

Kana turned toward Chelle. “Can you remove those barriers?”

Chelle winced apologetically. “Sorry. I can prevent skills from activating, but if they’re already active… they’ll stay.”

Kana nodded, then she remembered the stone she had when they set up the barrier in the orphanage acting like some sort of key. “Then he must’ve hidden the key somewhere.” 

Boris immediately started patting the man down, checking his clothes, his boots, even the seams. After a thorough search, he sat back with a disappointed sigh. “It’s not with him.”

Kana’s eyes narrowed. “Then it’s with his group.”

Suri frowned, her thoughts drifting to the badly drawn posters tucked away in her coat. “…Searching them might take longer.”

The wagon rolled on, lanternlight swaying, the noble district drawing closer—while behind them, bound and silent once more, the Phantom Thief realized that bargaining was not used. The people who captured him were not interested in him in the first place.

Post note:
Hope you enjoy the aftermath chap! 🙂