Weak and Stupid?

“At first I suspected you a little, but not anymore. You’re too weak and stupid for that. I can tell just by looking at your eyes. There’s no way a guy who robbed a Megacorp chairman blind would be such a beggar.”

…My relief at not being suspected was short-lived; Team Leader Hank’s verbal abuse ruined my mood.

I mean, if he doesn’t suspect me, fine, but what kind of reason is that? I can accept being called weak, but stupid and a beggar?!

A sense of rebellion naturally welled up, and I blurted out.

“Maybe that was intentional too? I could have acted clumsily on purpose to pretend I wasn’t the Phantom Thief, and you might have fallen for it.”

It sounded weird as soon as I said it. Why was I volunteering myself as the Phantom Thief hiding his identity?

Team Leader Hank let out a scoff, looking dumbfounded.

“Yeah, right. You really are a stupid bastard.”

“…”

Damn it. Somehow, I couldn’t refute that.

It’s not like I ever go around hearing people call me stupid!

Somehow, standing in front of this vicious, sharp-tongued Team Leader-nim made me feel like I was getting caught up in his rhythm.

Team Leader-nim Hank continued speaking to me while I was speechless.

“I don’t think you’re the Phantom Thief. But you could be some other small fry. You could be a clumsy little fly sent by some corporation or Family doing dirty work, targeting the Meredith Family. I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty chance. That’s why I’m warning you in advance. If you don’t want to die, watch your step.”

“…”

“Want me to tell you a secret? I actually like stupid bastards. It’s easy to see what stupid bastards are thinking. On the other hand, the smart ones are always secretly rolling their heads and having other thoughts. Not even realizing they’re shooting themselves in the foot. You’d better stay stupid just the way you are, don’t get smart. Got it, Aaron Nakamura?”

He said this while stepping right up to me and stroking the cheek that had turned red from being slapped. It was a gentle touch, unlike before, but that only made it creepier.

Without realizing it, I found myself answering through gritted teeth.

“Yes, understood. I get it.”

Team Leader-nim Hank smiled fiercely at that. Ugh, how frustrating.

My showdown with the Team Leader-nim seemed to conclude at that point.

For a while after that, it seemed like nothing much would happen… until it did.

Bang! Young Lady Alexandra kicked open the bedroom door and popped out.

“I’m bored. It’s frustrating in here, so I need to go outside and do something.”

At those words, though it didn’t show on the surface, the escorts' expressions stiffened slightly. When the Young Lady they served moved, it meant more work and more hassle for them.

But what could they do when Alexandra Amadeus Schneider herself said she was bored? If anything, it was a miracle she had stayed quietly in the guest room doing nothing for this long.

Personally, I couldn’t understand what was so frustrating about an ultra-luxurious Guest room where just the main room was ten times the size of my old Kabuki Condominium room.

As Young Lady Alexandra took large strides out into the Crystal Corridor, Team Leader-nim Hank followed behind her and spoke.

“Kali, follow me. Eres and the newcomer, stay behind. Make sure those bastards don’t approach the guest room. You all know that just because you’re not by the Young Lady’s side doesn’t mean you’re on a break, right?”

It seemed he wanted to leave me in the guest room because he still couldn’t trust me.

It was a natural judgment for Team Leader-nim Hank, but at this rate, I might be tied down in this room for the entire banquet… Plus, it would be awkward to stay alone with Mr. Eres Shore, whom I had no relationship with whatsoever.

I didn’t like it, but it couldn’t be helped.

Team Leader-nim Hank had strongly warned me not to step out of his control, so I couldn’t just disobey his orders right away. If I did, I might actually die.

I’d have to come up with another plan eventually, but for now, it seemed best to lay low. I needed to wait patiently for the right moment.

That was when I stopped myself from standing up with that thought in mind.

Young Lady Alexandra, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and looked back. She seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking with a sigh.

“No. The newcomer should… come along too. That would be better.”

Honestly, I was a little surprised.

Her feelings must have been hurt because I coldly rejected her samurai offer, yet she was still looking out for me like this? Was it because she knew I had a mission from her father?

It seemed her promise to repay the debt of saving her life wasn’t just empty words after all.

Even so, I couldn’t just jump up and say, “Understood!” because I was a bit wary of Team Leader-nim Hank, so I remained in an awkward half-standing, half-sitting posture.

Team Leader-nim Hank frowned as if he had a headache and looked toward Young Lady Alexandra.

His eyes seemed to say, “Do you really have to make things this difficult…?”

No matter how much of a superior Young Lady Alexandra was, as the security team leader responsible for her safety, he had at least this much of a right to speak up.

Alexandra must have felt a slight prick of conscience too, as she avoided eye contact with Team Leader-nim Hank and quickly turned her head away to make an excuse.

“It’s no fun if it’s always the same faces. Hank and Kali, I’m sick of you both now. I need a new face.”

It was a truly clumsy excuse. Team Leader-nim Hank shook his head.

“…Understood. Let’s do that. Eres will guard the guest room alone, and the newcomer will come with us.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Kali seemed slightly hurt by Alexandra’s remark about being sick of her.

Her Silicone Ear noticeably drooped in dejection.

I wanted to offer a word of comfort, but my own situation was too precarious for that. Team Leader-nim Hank was shooting a heated glare in my direction.

I hadn’t done anything, and it was Young Lady Alexandra who decided to bring me along, so I didn’t know why he was taking his anger out on innocent me.

Though he didn’t show it openly, he looked extremely pissed off, so I tried hard to avoid his angry gaze and stood up carefully in the most humble stance possible to follow behind them.

Young Lady Alexandra was already far ahead, passing over the pale blue glass floor that sparkled and scattered light with every step she took.

The only strange thing was… I had absolutely no idea where she was trying to go.

Curved golden letters, which I couldn’t tell were an optical illusion or real, were elegantly engraved onto the crystal wall, only to melt away shortly after.

It was a sign, a guidepost indicating that going straight would lead to the main banquet hall.

Seeing that, I thought, “Ah, we’re heading to the banquet hall,' but Young Lady Alexandra suddenly turned and headed down a different path.

This time, as if trying to go up, she stepped onto a smooth, floating glass-magnet disk and kept ascending without stopping, only to stop again when she saw the sign for the Sky Garden, and then descended as if she were going all the way down to the Floor/Ground.

Only after descending for quite a while did she step off, and now she walked straight past, completely ignoring all the signs that popped up.

I couldn’t figure out her intentions at all. When I looked toward Ms. Kali in confusion, she shrugged.

It was a gesture that roughly meant, 'She’s always like this.' As expected of the Schneider Family’s biggest tomboy.

How much longer did we walk like that? The atmosphere began to change little by little.

The Mirror Wall, which had been shining as if embedded with lights, gradually grew dim, and the Dolls that had often startled me by moving like ghosts were nowhere to be seen after a certain point.

When we entered a wide space connected to the Corridor, a 'Gasp!' almost escaped my lips without me realizing it.

Beneath the colorful, brilliantly shining stained glass that looked as if the sun were beaming outside, the Floor/Ground was entirely shattered into pieces. And it wasn’t just the Floor/Ground.

The ceiling, the walls, and even the air we were passing through were all covered in jagged hairline cracks, looking as if they would collapse at the slightest touch.

My feet wouldn’t move easily at the alien sight of a half-destroyed space seemingly patched together haphazardly.

However, unlike me, Young Lady Alexandra hesitated only briefly before walking forward without hesitation. Seeing her pass through the cracked Floor/Ground and splintered air, I thought, 'Uh-oh?' but surprisingly, nothing happened.

When I snapped back to my senses and looked again, it was an optical illusion.

Due to the nature of the space being made entirely of mirrors, the shattered walls were reflected, making it look as though the entire room was sharply cracked and torn apart.

I was almost completely fooled.

Just as I was wondering, “What kind of place is this?” a faint voice rang out.

[Welcome. This is the Exhibition Hall.]

It was an announcement so faint that I almost missed it, sounding like the wind or perhaps a soft sob.

When I turned my head to look, a thin, ghost-like figure was standing among the cracks spread out in all directions. It had such a subtle presence that it would have been hard to spot if I hadn’t strained my eyes to look.

At first glance, it looked similar to the Mirror Castle Dolls. But something was different. It was slightly creepy, but that swaying voice and subtle smile… gave off the feeling of a person.

It wasn’t one of the Dolls, but a Raver. And if it was a Raver in this place…

[My name is… Prezen de Se Meredith. It is rare for a visitor to come this far. How unusual.]