48 Catching The Perpetrator
'How could this have happened?!'
Rey sat in his bed in deep contemplation. Beads of sweat formed in his face as his brow furrowed in confusion.
'Who could have done it?'
To ensure the privacy of their saviors, their doors were enchanted with special Magic that none of them had been taught yet.
They were also given personal keys to their rooms, while being assured that none other possessed keys that could open their respective doors.
None but the Head Knight and Grand Mage.
Those two possessed a masterkey that could unlock anyone's room, and this was meant to be for their safety.
'Brutus and Lucielle aren't around. Could they have dropped the masterkey with someone who ended up coming in?'
That was definitely a possibility, but Rey found it very unlikely.
Why would the Royal Family do something so untrustworthy at this juncture? And why would they target his room?
'Could this be Billy? I did embarrass him earlier today.'
It was also possible that his new stalker, Trisha, was the one who was snooping around his room.
'But is that likely? I don't think so!'
They both didn't have access to his room, and the masterkey couldn't have fallen into their hands.
'Then who…?! Who could it be?!'
The more Rey racked his brain to find out, the more frustrated he became.
'I have to find out… and fast!'
He hadn't been interacting with his classmates properly, so he wasn't sure who could be responsible.
'T-then… maybe… Alicia…?!'
He found it strange that she left the library earlier than he did. It was very unlike her.
'But is that even possible? Why would Alicia…? No… I can't rule her out completely!'
Rey knew he was panicking, and for good reason.
'It's not just because I'll lose resources or anything like that. There's the fact that my secret could be exposed if this comes out.'
There was no way the thief didn't notice just how large his stash was.
'The fact that they could take only one means they were either in a hurry, or that was the limit of what they could carry.'
Each sac that contained Monster Cores was heavy, so someone with low physical Stats would be a suspect.
'I have to properly investigate. Or…'
Rey thought more deeply about the situation, his heart still racing despite his best attempts to remain calm.
'If they saw how many Monster Cores I have, it's only true that they'll try to steal more from me.'
Someone that could be so bold and shameless to do something like this would definitely not stop at one.
'And if it's the Royals that are behind this, then I'm sure I'll be hearing from them soon.'
Either way, if push came to shove, he would stuff as many Monster Cores into his Subspace and make a break for it.
'If I go to the Royal Dungeon, they won't be able to follow me down there—especially with Brutus and Lucielle absent.'
However, if it got to that point, Rey knew he would have to move his plans forward.
'I'd have to grow stronger at an absurd rate. That means all my efforts with the Hobs will be wasted.'
He would have to descend to lower floors and Level Up as much as possible, instead of just taking it slow.
'I don't think I like that outcome. Let's just hope it's the former…'
As Rey sighed, he collapsed on his bed and mumbled words to himself.
"Everything needs to be put on hold for this. I need to catch the thief."
************
[Three Days Later]
An invisible silhouette slowly crept into Rey's room.
It was shrouded in what seemed like an invisible wall which rendered it invisible.
Despite this effect, every step it took caused a certain kind of distortion in the air. As such, any observant person could notice this intruder if they paid enough attention.
'I saw him leave for the Library already. Good. Now is my chance to score!' The thief thought, licking their lips in excitement.
Their short frame was only visible to themselves, and they hurried to the closet where the several sacs of the goods were.
With this many Monster Cores, he could finally leave the Royal Estate and have an easy life in some countryside.
Once the closet was opened up, the thief discarded all the clothes and fluff that hid away the face and found the goodies in plain sight.
'I'm going to be set for life!'
That was when they felt a hand on their shoulder, and a blade close to their throat.
'H-huh…?'
"Don't move. Make any sudden movement, and I'll slit your throat."
The moment the thief heard and felt these things, their bodies got the jitters.
The tone that whispered those words was laced with bloodlust.
He couldn't look at the face of the one who was speaking, but it couldn't have been his target.
'He already went to the library. Plus… this doesn't sound like him!'
However, the thief was wrong.
Standing right behind them was Rey, his eyes glowing brightly as he tightly held his blade.
"Don't get any funny thoughts." The whisper emerged once again, causing the thief to gulp.
'What should I do? What should I do? I… I can't be caught now!'
Desperation tugged at their heart, and so the only solution presented itself.
They had to use one of their Skills.
'[Phase]!'
~WHOOSH!~
In the blink of an eye, the thief slipped through the man who threatened them.
Their body was still shrouded by a cloud of invisibility, so they swiftly made for an escape.
However…
"[False Pain]…"
… The moment they took a single step away from the eerie shadow, the thief was met with unimaginable pain.
"ARRGHHHHHH!!!"
They screamed in sheer agony, clutching their body very tightly while collapsing on the ground.
"There are several ways to deal with the [Phase] Skill." The voice emerged with a cold tone.
As the shadow stood on top of the groaning and screaming thief, the man looked down with an uncaring gaze.
"Who would have thought, though. You got into this place through the walls…"
The room walls weren't enchanted, so the thief had used their [Phase] Skill to intrude Rey's room.
"You must have thought I was easy prey. I guess now you're regretting your actions."
The voice was correct.
Right now, the thief was experiencing excruciating pain.
It felt like their chest was on fire, while several creatures were clawing at their body at the same time.
It hurt too much!
"You're using some kind of enchanted jewelry to stay invisible. None of us Students have access to enchanted objects beyond their use in class. Where did you get it? Did you steal it as well?"
Despite being asked these questions, the thief did not respond.
They could not!
"Undo your invisibility, and I'll stop the pain."
The thief had no choice but to do as they were told. They instantly turned off the enchantment in the necklace around their neck.
As soon as that happened, Rey launched his hand towards the thief and grabbed their throat.
"So it was you…" Rey raised the small figure of the perpetrator up, his eyes meeting the helpless boy's absent gaze.
"Noah Sherlock."
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[A/N]
Thanks!
I'm sure you were expecting another waifu, but no!
It's a dude!