CHAPTER 30
“This is top secret…”
Zikren glanced around furtively, then slyly opened his palm toward me.
A small paper card appeared in his hand as if by magic. It bore the silhouette of a mysterious figure cloaked in a cape.
‘Wait a second.’
The moment I saw that image, a name automatically floated up from the edges of my consciousness.
“…The Black Phantom?”
Also known as “The Black Ghost.” A nickname people gave to the Empire’s infamous phantom thief.
They say you shouldn’t give flashy names to criminals. Names like “Sunfish,” “Bookworm,” or “Intersection Pink Slippers” would lower their morale and help catch them faster.
But thanks to the dramatic name, the thief had continued to elude capture and gained considerable notoriety in the underworld.
“There’s a scary thief roaming the streets at night, you know.”
Even the coachman mentioned it on the night I ran away from home.
And as I read in the General Assembly booklet, just recently he robbed a top-ranking merchant group—ranked 11th—and stole their treasure.
“You mean that mysterious thief?”
“Who else could it be?”
Zikren grumbled.
“Can you believe a transcendent like me had to go after some petty thief? And the worst part? I lost him! I could’ve caught him in one blow, too!”
So on the night of the murder… the Second Prince was busy chasing down a phantom thief?
‘Hmm… Is that even possible?’
I quickly sorted through the information in my head.
The undefeated thief known as “Black Phantom.”
His signature move: he always left a handwritten notice in advance about what he intended to steal. A bold display of confidence—a show in itself.
‘That’s how he attracted so much public attention.’
And whenever he gave notice, he always succeeded. A mythic, undefeated legend that sounded like a lie.
He never left even a speck of evidence, and the items he stole vanished completely. Not even the black market had seen them.
‘Even the notice was special.’
It was written on old paper with uniquely discolored ink, almost ancient-looking.
That added to his “ghost” nickname.
‘He’s a phantom in every sense.’
Despite the Empire’s police trying their best, they hadn’t found a single lead.
And yet, on the very night Aristina was murdered, one of the prime suspects—Zikren—had a run-in with this thief?
Hard to believe.
“Well, I almost caught him—first time anyone in the Empire got that close.”
Zikren declared proudly, then looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“What’s with that reaction? You don’t believe me?”
“It’s not that…”
“Ha! I knew it. You really don’t trust me. Need proof?”
“You have proof?”
“Of course. And the Chief of Police can vouch for me. The evidence and witness are right here in the main palace. Wanna come see?”
He seemed very confident.
And the Chief of Police? He was the head of Imperial security. If he was involved, then there must be something real here.
As I followed Zikren, I asked:
“What exactly happened that night?”
“I ambushed him during a secret stakeout.”
“How did you know where he’d be?”
“I didn’t.”
Zikren grinned innocently.
“I just used my transcendent senses to find one of his escape routes.”
“Where was that?”
“A maze beneath the ruins of an old temple—unknown even to archaeologists. It was a shot in the dark, but I hid there every time a notice appeared. Figured he’d use it eventually.”
“That’s so you. Reckless, not especially smart…”
“Tch! Everyone said that, but in the end, I was right. After sticking to it, he finally showed up that night.”
Zikren flashed his sharp fangs in a grin.
“I used a chain-shaped dragon artifact I’d prepared ahead of time to trap him. Ah—maybe you don’t know what that is? It’s a mystical relic infused with a dragon’s power.”
“Thanks for the explanation. So what happened next?”
“Well…”
Zikren’s smugness wavered.
“That’s where things got weird.”
He frowned as we entered the main palace.
“I couldn’t get the chain around his neck like I planned, but I did catch his wrist. Once it’s locked, it can’t be undone—unless you’ve got power greater than a dragon’s.”
“But he still escaped?”
“Ha…”
Zikren sighed and opened a door.
“He ran off with the chain still on his wrist. I tried summoning it back, but got no response. Then, after a long time… that showed up instead.”
He pointed to the center of the room.
Past the Chief of Police—who bowed and greeted us—was a transparent glass case.
Inside, the broken fragments of a chain were arranged like a bracelet.
The bright white glow of the silver pierced my eyes.
‘This is…?’
The chain had originally formed a full circle, but now the pieces were all split—each one shaped like a U.
And one U-shaped piece was missing.
A silver fragment that looked like a crescent moon—the very one I’d picked up where the mercenary had vanished.
‘That shard was from this chain?’
I was speechless.
“It’s not just any magical chain—it’s a dragon artifact. How the hell did he break free? Is that even possible?”
“That’s what I want to know, Your Highness. Maybe he really is a ghost, like the rumors say.”
As the two of them whispered, I just stared blankly.
‘He doesn’t have to be a ghost. Not if he’s a divine agent—someone with powerful, mysterious strength.’
A chill ran down my spine.
The night’s events came together in my mind.
Zikren’s persistence paid off, and he finally encountered the thief in that dark underground maze.
Even the Black Phantom must’ve been shocked to see a prince hunting him personally.
He barely dodged the collar, but the chain caught his wrist. Still, he managed to flee—to a sanctuary where no one could follow and where his powers grew stronger.
There, by channeling divine power through his stigmata, he broke the chain.
‘And at that exact moment… I showed up.’
The mercenary had frozen for a second.
It wasn’t acting or illusion—it was real emotion.
‘He must’ve been stunned.’
At that unfortunate moment—of all people—the useless, bratty noble girl he had always looked down on walked in and discovered everything.
‘The sky must’ve felt like it was falling.’
No matter how arrogant or self-centered he was, that would’ve been a shock.
Worried that the idiot noble girl might have picked up on it, or worse—might blab to someone—he’d clung to me with an unusual desperation.
“Why does a man seek out a woman, my lady? Because he’s interested in her.”
“Was my date proposal really that unappealing? That’s a blow to my ego.”
Thinking back on his desperate efforts, I almost laughed.
‘Ha… So that’s why he was so desperate.’
The puzzle pieces that had been floating around in my head finally clicked into place.
‘No wonder his pickpocketing skills weren’t ordinary.’
It had all been foreshadowing.
I was stunned.
“…Where’s the final fragment hidden?”
Zikren asked, turning to look at me—and stopped. He waved his hand in front of my face.
“Aristina, why are you spacing out?”
“What? Me?”
“Aha, I get it. You’re still scared of ghosts, huh? Some things never change.”
He smirked, golden eyes gleaming.
“Foolish girl. He’s no ghost. That much I did confirm. He has a physical body—he was caught in the trap, after all. I only failed because I got careless. Next time, I’ll win.”
“I have no doubt, Your Highness.”
The Chief of Police nodded while holding a thick dossier on the thief.
“Now that the Crown Prince is also involved, the thief’s finished. If he falls into your terrifying trap, there’s no way he survives.”
“I’d prefer to bring him to trial alive… but even if we go easy, he’ll probably end up paralyzed.”
Yikes.
Zikren’s words brought me back to my senses.
‘Hold on.’
If the thief is actually Luelian…
Then the ones planning to kill him are the Crown Prince and the Second Prince—his childhood friends and trusted allies.
He’s also the revered leader of the Holy Order.
‘If this gets out, the political world will collapse, and the Empire could fall apart… This is a disaster waiting to happen.’
My chest turned cold.
And then—
BEEEEP!
A high-pitched ringing filled my ears, and a dizzy spell hit me.
「Of course it’s a disaster.」
A voice pierced my mind.
「At last, you too have seen that future, Contractor.」
The tone was dignified…
‘A child?’
What appeared before me was a tiny baby dragon.
Big head, big eyes, shimmering golden scales—it looked oddly familiar.
‘It’s exactly like the baby dragon I saw in that vision about the World Tree… The one sleeping to a lullaby…’
「Indeed.」
The dragon nodded its oversized head with vigor, golden eyes shining.
「You remember. Of course—no one who’s seen my majestic form could ever forget.」
Majestic? That’s a stretch. With a body-to-head ratio of 2:1 and tiny stubby limbs, it was more adorable than fearsome.
‘Who are you?’
「I am the will of a powerful being whose name must not be spoken. Let that be enough.」
The baby dragon said solemnly.
「Through the World Tree’s contract, you saw me—and I, you. Thus, I now ask a favor.」
‘What kind of favor?’
「Disaster is approaching the two Transcendents you’re contracted with. I ask your help to stop it.」
With a sweep of its stubby arms, a vision appeared before me.
Luelian, covered in blood. Aldencis and Zikren, stunned and bloodstained.
「A predetermined future is approaching. The time and place are still uncertain. But if you act appropriately, it can be avoided.」
The baby dragon looked up at me.
「Contractor of the Transcendents, will you accept a reward in exchange for stopping this future with a few simple interventions?」
Hm? A reward in exchange for a simple intervention?
I asked,
‘What kind of reward?’
