Chapter 12: The Shadow Creeping Through the Gala

Chapter 12:
The Shadow Creeping Through the Gala

 

LEILA WAS A foreign exchange student, so her presence at the gala was odd to say the least. While I was pondering this, she noticed me and came over to talk.

“Noir, what are you doing here?”

“Emma invited me. Technically, I do qualify as a noble. If only just.”

“Oh, right. That’s a lovely dress, Emma.”

“Hmph.”

“Goodness…do you have something against me?”

Emma glared at Leila for a moment, then offered her hand.

“I’m Noir’s best friend and partner.”

“R-right,” Leila stammered. “Glad to see you’re so close.”

“If you wanna do anything with Noir, you ought to go through me.”

“Uh…f-fine. Anyway, could you let go of my hand?”

Apparently Emma’s handshake was rather vigorous.

The more I thought about it, the more it felt like Leila shouldn’t be here. If nothing else, she was in plainclothes. No wonder she was hiding in a corner where she wouldn’t be noticed.

“Didn’t you hear?” she said. “We’re security. All of us on the team are members of Lahmu.”

“Did Earl Bourne hire you?”

“Yes. Apparently, the Phantom is after the Earl’s treasure.”

“The Phantom?!” Emma’s parents cried.

Was everyone really that interested in the infamous thief? I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. The Phantom targeted nobles and stole their riches. His thieving and combat skills were supposed to be legendary. He was certainly the talk of the town.

“We weren’t given many details, but if he’s here, we’ll catch him.”

“I suppose it makes sense to take precautions.”

“I heard a rumor that the Phantom is actually two people,” said Leila. “So the earl assembled the best and brightest from Lahmu. We’ll catch those dirty thieves. You can all rest easy and enjoy the night.”

Leila flashed me a wink and went back to her post. They were supposed to be guarding the earl’s treasure, but the only thing out here was a grandfather clock. It was all a little strange.

Even stranger, Emma’s parents had turned as white as a sheet.

“Are you not feeling well?” I asked.

“So, um, Noir…” said Ladan. “The thing is, this Phantom isn’t just after treasure.”

“Wait, father!” Emma cried out. “You don’t have to tell Noir about that.”

“But, Emma, he needs to know.”

“Just—please wait until after the dance. Please!”

Ladan sighed. “Fine. We’ll do this later.”

It all sounded pretty serious, but Emma just smiled and tried to look like she wasn’t concerned. “There’s nothing to worry about, I promise.”

“You don’t have to pretend, Emma. I can tell when you’re faking a smile.”

“Ugh, I can’t hide anything from you,” she complained. “I promise I’ll tell you after the dance, okay?”

“Fine, fine.”

Besides, thieves worked in the dead of night, and it was still early evening. We had plenty of time. For now, Emma and I set about enjoying the gala.

“Thank you very much for coming. My name is Bourne Lisleat.”

Earl Bourne stood in the middle of the hall, greeting his guests. It may have only been a formality, but the earl soon drew everyone’s attention.

“You should all know that I received a warning the other day, from none other than the infamous Phantom.”

“N-no way.”

“The Phantom, targeting Earl Bourne?”

“Silence, please,” said the earl. “Do remain calm. The Phantom appears to be after my prized possession: The Mermaid’s Tear. But I am not about to let that crook lay a finger on it.”

He introduced Leila and the others, and they bowed formally.

“This is stupid,” Emma complained. “Everyone knows that Odin is the best guild.”

I nodded vigorously in agreement.

“As you can see,” said the earl. “There is no way for a thief to get in, and even should that happen, I’ve ensured that the Mermaid’s Tear will never be found. Ha ha ha!”

The earl’s air of confidence quickly put his guests at ease. The Mermaid’s Tear was a precious gemstone, but I’d heard it was small enough to hide in your hand. There were so many rooms here, even just finding it would be a massive undertaking.

When he’d finished talking, the gala got underway, and I went to sample the delicious food. There were so many wonderful and delicious morsels on display but, as much as they delighted my tongue, it didn’t earn me much LP. If only there were something more unusual on offer…wait, what was that?

“Hey, Emma, am I imagining things, or does that look like a monster’s head?”

“Oh that? It’s a rare delicacy from one of our neighboring kingdoms—a monster called a fighting bull. They’re raised for their meat and fed on the highest quality corn.”

“So…you eat that fancy cow’s brains?”

“Oh, just give it a try!”

Emma pushed me forward, having a little too much fun at my expense. The creature was dead, but there was something unnerving about the way it looked at me. Its skull was cracked open, exposing its brain. I served myself a piece. I was impressed by how white and wrinkly it was. It must have been a pretty intelligent creature. I steeled myself and took a bite.

Munch, munch, gulp.

It had a soft texture, almost like roe. But it was fluffy and had a bit of bounce to it. It wasn’t unpleasant, but the most incredible thing was the taste. It was sweet, kind of like the golden slime jelly, and it got sweeter with each bite. Before I knew it, I’d cleared my plate and gone back for a second helping.

“You look happy,” Emma said.

I checked my LP and grinned. It had earned me 500 LP. Maybe this whole ordeal would be worth it, if just for the food. Of course, the real problem would be talking to the other nobles…and the dancing. I was dreading the dancing.

That’s when it hit me—I’d just earned LP, so why not Get Creative and give myself a Dancing skill?! It was only 200 LP, so I didn’t even hesitate. Now I had nothing to fear, right?