Chapter 149 : Chapter 149

Chapter 149

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍inside of the building was silent.

Whether ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍it was Cha Myeonghan’s intention or not, only the bare minimum of lamps lit the corridor, and aside from the back door we had entered through, there were no servants to be seen anywhere inside the estate.

“It ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is creepy. It is like a haunted house.”

“He ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍staged it on purpose. If the final clue to the deduction is hidden here, it ought to have at least this much tension.”

Choi ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Suhyuk and I moved through the building, checking the many rooms that lined the corridors in proportion to its size.

This ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was where Cha Myeonghan’s study was located, and it also contained reception rooms and various facilities for guests visiting the Hyeonseong estate.

In Seoul’s District 5, where property prices were absurdly high, owning even a single estate like this would allow a family to live in comfort for generations. Yet Hyeonseong lived on land several times larger than this, with more than ten estates built upon it.

If Cha Yeri had wanted it, they would probably have built her a private detached residence of her own.

A truly outrageous household.

“At this point, is it not less admiration and more fear?”

Choi Suhyuk asked abruptly.

He did not state the subject outright, but he was clearly referring to Hyeonseong.

So he had been thinking the same thing I was.

“In what sense?”

“Everything Hyeonseong has done from seventy-three years ago, when the Great Rift ended, up to now. People outside Seoul only think of the heroes of the Great Rift, but those who grew up in Seoul often realize, as they get older, that Hyeonseong was a giant beyond imagination.”

“That is true.”

“Back then, when no one even knew the Great Rift’s traces had anything to do with awakening, why did Cha Jaehee decide to invest in Seoul?”

“Well… there must have been a reason. He was one of the heroes of the Great Rift, so perhaps he had an unusual attachment.”

“An attachment…. If you put it that way, it is almost emptily simple. But have you never had doubts? What kind of wealth did Cha Jaehee possess that he could lead Seoul’s reconstruction? Even the memoirs sold in bookstores say he had no connections at all before the Great Rift.”

The doubt Choi Suhyuk voiced was the sort of curiosity most Seoul citizens had entertained at least once.

As the world knew it, Cha Jaehee married the daughter of a wealthy American three years after the Great Rift ended, and on that foundation he rebuilt Seoul.

The problem was that the meeting with the American magnate occurred three years after the Great Rift ended.

He met that magnate and married his daughter around the same time Seoul’s landmark Clock Tower was built—roughly ten years after the Great Rift.

So what, exactly, had Cha Jaehee used to rebuild Seoul during those three missing years?

As the author of the original story, I could answer easily.

With the shameless phrase: “a collapse of the setting.”

But this world was a different world, moved by an Avid Reader.

There had to be a plausible thread that filled that three-year gap.

“After the Great Rift, the government had no power at all, and the awakened—led by the Sword Saint—were battered and exhausted after seven years of war. In that situation, how could Cha Jaehee possibly have laid the foundation for Seoul?”

“Well, for one, there was plenty of labor. There were awakened who could do the work of dozens, and soldiers from around the world were stationed here.”

“But no one knew what value the Great Rift’s traces held. If anything, fear would have been greater—fear that monsters might pour out again at any time.”

“…”

“Of course, with his extraordinary leadership, it would have been easy for him to give people a sense of purpose for rebuilding Seoul. He did not become the first Director-General of the Bureau for nothing. But the problem is money. The wealth needed to compensate that labor.”

“What do you think, senior? How could Cha Jaehee have funded it during those three years before marriage?”

“If you ask me, the only answer I can give is that he sold items taken from beyond the Rift after the victory.”

That was, indeed, the only plausible source of money.

No matter how dangerous and unknown those objects were, countries like the United States and Russia would have bought them in bulk for research alone.

That claim was, in fact, the prevailing theory.

Some nations even kept records of those transactions.

However, that was not something Cha Jaehee could have handled personally.

A man with no connections could not possibly dispose of assets gained from humanity’s catastrophe at his own discretion.

In the end, the doubt inevitably led to a different conclusion: that Cha Jaehee himself had possessed immense wealth.

“So what do you think?”

As Choi Suhyuk asked, we reached Cha Myeonghan’s study.

As with the other rooms, the door was not locked.

I turned to him and answered.

“There are many rumors about that period. ‘Cha Jaehee was not from Seoul, but an overseas national who was wealthy from the beginning.’ ‘During the Great Rift war, Cha Jaehee obtained from a Demonic Being an ability that turned stone into gold.’ ‘Cha Jaehee was merely a puppet managing foreign capital.’ There are more, but there was one claim that was the most absurd.”

“What was it?”

“That Cha Jaehee—no, that Cha Jaehee also crossed over from beyond the Rift.”

“…”

Choi Suhyuk swallowed.

“That is certainly the most absurd.”

“At the same time, it is also the most plausible.”

“Why?”

“Because if he were an otherworlder who came from beyond the Rift, it would not be strange for him to possess enough wealth to rebuild an entire city.”

“So you are saying he had a subspace?”

“I do not know. Only he would.”

“If, as you say, he brought precious metals from beyond the Rift into a subspace, everything would be explained.”

“You accept that rather easily.”

“Of course. In this line of work—no, in Seoul Special Self-Governing City of Superpowers—there is no such thing as ‘impossible.’ But if he crossed over from beyond the Rift, does that mean he was a different species?”

At his question, I curled my lips into a bitter smile.

“Let us leave the digression there. We have a time limit, so we should find the hint.”

“Ah, the time limit.”

I twisted the doorknob and stepped into the study.

The study was somewhat modest compared to the building’s size.

It was only “small” relative to the other rooms. If the wall-to-wall books were cleared away, it would still be far larger than a dormitory room at Hero Preparatory School.

“I do not know if we are allowed to come in.”

“It was left empty so we could come in.”

“But because of all these books, there is a lot of blue in here. Do we have to check every single one?”

I scanned the shelves and replied.

“No. There is no need. We can keep it simple and use the Demonic Eye.”

“Ah….”

I activated the Demonic Eye at once.

A note hidden behind a frame on the wall came into view.

The frame was made from antique wood, but the eyes of Cha Myeonghan in the portrait were unmistakably blue.

I lifted the portrait and checked the note. This time, the letters were black.

More precisely, closer to ash-gray.

—Blue twins bound by a red thread.

Twins…

That was an amusing way to put it.

Placing the note on Cha Myeonghan’s desk, I spoke.

“Shall we go at once? There is not much time left.”

“What? You have already solved the riddle?”

“Yes. In truth, this hint was only verification.”

“…”

***

The moment I set foot in the banquet hall, the guests’ eyes poured toward me.

As though they had been waiting.

I walked straight to the stage where Cha Myeonghan and Cha Yeri stood.

“Everyone else seems to have given up. I wonder whether the investigator from the Special Affairs Division has brought an answer worth accepting.”

Cha Myeonghan looked skeptical.

I offered a polite lie.

“I was considering giving up because it was too difficult, but I was fortunate enough to figure out who the Phantom Thief is.”

“Hmph. What a hypocritical thing to say.”

So experience truly could not be ignored.

“Enough chatter. Speak.”

“Yes, then.”

I hesitated briefly as I looked around.

With so many eyes fixed on me, I momentarily could not decide where to look as I spoke.

When Cha Yeri deliberately cleared her throat, I finally looked at Cha Myeonghan and continued.

“There are three hints I obtained. First, the blue hint, ‘One who did not receive an invitation.’ That naturally referred to someone inside the estate—those of Hyeonseong, including the servants.”

“I heard you did not receive an invitation either.”

“Yes. If you had known I would attend the banquet, you could have considered me a suspect. Did you know?”

Cha Myeonghan silently shook his head.

He was telling me to continue.

“The second hint is the one I just obtained, written in black: ‘Blue twins bound by a red thread.’ There was no need to ponder this for long. The hint was found behind a portrait that held your blue eyes.”

“Hm.”

“In other words, the blue twins mean the two eyes. And the red thread is a term used across Northeast Asia, meaning ‘fate.’ In this case, it indicates blood relatives who inherited blue eyes genetically. Put together, it means: among those who did not receive invitations, the family with blue eyes. And amusingly enough, the two people who match that condition are standing before me.”

Murmurs rose around us.

People were impressed by reasoning that was, honestly, not much at all.

Even Cha Yeri’s eyes widened.

Cha Myeonghan, on the other hand, glared at me as though he liked me less and less.

“You said there are three hints. Tell me the remaining one.”

“The remaining hint is written in green: ‘Beneath the red mountain that holds the birth of life.’ It was quite cryptic. It seemed to refer to something, yet the image did not form clearly in the mind. So, unlike the other hints that pointed to the Phantom Thief’s identity, I concluded it described the location of the Red Mana Stone. That is….”

I turned and stepped toward Cha Yeri.

Then, looking at her red lips, I continued.

“The birth of life is breath. The red mountain that holds that breath is the lips. In other words, it can be interpreted as saying that the Red Mana Stone is hidden beneath the lips—on the necklace worn by Cadet Cha Yeri.”

“…My necklace?”

She wore a necklace set with an ash-gray gem no larger than a ping-pong ball.

Since the servants had handled all her adornment, she would not have known what stone had been hung around her neck.

Besides, Cha Yeri had never even seen the Red Mana Stone, and she had no interest in gemstones to begin with.

“Yes. By combining the hints, I conclude that Cadet Cha Yeri is the Phantom Thief who stole the Red Mana Stone.”

I turned back to Cha Myeonghan.

He spoke curtly.

“The Red Mana Stone is red. Crimson. Are you telling me that ash-gray looks red to you?”

“No. Of course not. The deduction is not finished yet.”

“…”

“There was more hidden in the notes. The color of the letters. Beginning with the color on the case that first announced the Red Mana Stone’s theft—red, green, blue…. At first, I thought it was a considerate guide pointing to the next location. But it held a secret more important than any other hint.”

I looked at Cha Yeri again.

More precisely, at the ash-gray gem on her neck.

“As you know, red, green, and blue are the primary colors of light. What people call RGB. In other words, the hint is speaking of ‘light.’ So what does ‘light’ mean in a place that seems so unsuited to it—Seoul? I thought for a moment, and I realized I had been trapped by my own prejudice. Light was not so distant from Seoul after all. It was… the light of mana.”

“...!”

“In the gray city, sunlight is not permitted, but mana’s light takes its place. If we illuminate this gray gemstone with the light of mana, following what the hint implies….”

I raised my index finger to the gem and carefully released mana from my fingertip.

In an instant, the stone was dyed red, then began emitting a spectrum of light.

It was a beauty that could not be described as merely “red.”

Its brightness was almost like a smartphone flashlight.

“Now it bears true red light, does it not?”

When I withdrew my finger, the Red Mana Stone returned to ash-gray.

At once, applause burst through the banquet hall.

Cheers followed, embarrassingly enthusiastic, as though they had just watched a performance.

But the mood lasted only a moment before Cha Myeonghan—who had been staring at me with displeasure—spoke harshly.

“One thing is wrong.”

“…Pardon?”

“It is an excellent deduction. The Red Mana Stone’s location, the interpretation of the hints—there is nothing to criticize. Except for one thing: the Phantom Thief’s identity.”

What?

“My granddaughter did indeed possess the Red Mana Stone. But I am the one who hid it there. I stole it.”

“…Are you serious?”

Do you think this old man is making excuses? Ask my granddaughter yourself. Whether she touched the Red Mana Stone or not.”

What in the world was he saying…!

For an instant, I nearly raised my voice in disbelief.

But—

“If you have grounds to refute me, I will hear them. In the hints you found, where is the proof that I am not the culprit? Every one of them points to me as well, does it not?”

As he said, the hints had pointed to both Cha Yeri and him.

My mistake had been assuming from the beginning that the Phantom Thief would be the one personally holding the Red Mana Stone.

“….”

In other words, he had built an escape route for himself from the start.

The reason was obvious.

“You did not think I would hand my granddaughter over to some Special Affairs Division nobody who could die any day, did you?”

He wanted to prevent his only granddaughter from being paired with an uncertain man.

No matter who it had been, he would have wriggled free with the same logic.

Of course, my reasoning was not “wrong” either.

It was reasonable to call it a multiple-answer situation.

But clinging to that would be pointless.

Because the host of this shabby deduction game was Cha Myeonghan himself.

If the host declared my answer incorrect, what could a mere participant do?

In the end, I had simply danced exactly as he intended.

Damn it.

Cha Myeonghan showed me a vicious, unmistakably pleased smile.

“Still, you seem capable of using your head. I will remember the three syllables of your name. Hah-hah, hah-hah! Hahahaha!”

“…”