Click Click Click Click

Three figures roamed about in the middle of the night, climbing walls, opening gates, and sneaking in like stray cats. A series of clicks filled the air as they picked the lock, trying to be as silent as possible, listening to every sound echoing in the starry night.

Whilst one picked the lock, the others stayed on guard, eyes swimming left and right, watching every movement that transpired. They were being vigilant, smiles soon forming on their faces as they smelled the sweet scent of money.

"Hey, are you not done yet?!"

"Just a moment, Boss! These ones er really tough!"

Shouting whilst whispering at the same time, the thieves talked to one another. The leader tried to urge one of his henchmen to hurry up, patience running out after a few minutes of waiting, wanting to get ahold of whatever was inside the house.

The three figures consist of a large man who was formerly an adventurer, a thin man who looked like there were only bones and skin left on his body, and an alchemist who was also the leader of the terrible trio.

Click Click Clack

A couple more twisting around later, the doors finally unlocked. Mischievous smiles bloomed on everyone's faces as they slowly opened it, heading inside soon after, trying to create as less noise as possible as they snuck inside.

Though dark, what greeted them inside was a luxurious array of decorations with various pieces of art here and there, even the couches and tables looked expensive. They don't know the real price of them yet, but they could estimate that they cost at least thousands of kiels.

Of course, with furniture already expensive as such, it would only be natural to assume that their jewelry will be much more precious. They could already imagine the money rolling in the moment they sell such valuables.

"Ohh! They really are loaded, Boss!"

"Boss! I'll be havin this one, aight?"

"Shut up, you nitwits! Do you want us to get caught?!"

The minions got a little too excited, and their boss scolded them. They soon got back on track, scouting the place once again and looking for the most valuable object they could take and sell. They wouldn't be able to get away with a couch, after all.

After their succeeding robberies, they have also found a storage ring, but it was one which could only store less than a cubic meter of space. They'll have to make do with what they have and make sure to make the most of it.

"Alright, I'll head towards the other rooms. You two, look at the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room."

"Alright, Boss!"

"Got it, Boss!"

Before long, the three finally parted and went their own ways. Their leader checked on the other rooms on the first floor from the bathroom all the way to the laboratory, and everything in between. Meanwhile, the other two followed his commands and started their little search as well.

Unfortunately for them, there was barely anything on the first floor. They were some expensive-looking things but they were mostly large and heavy furniture, something which would be more trouble than they're worth.

If there was anything worth their time, it would be the kitchen utensils which already looked high class at first glance. There were also some magic tools by the living room which they didn't miss out on and collected as quickly as they could.

They scoured the whole first floor, even looking at the garden and the shed to see if there was anything they could add to their loot. To their surprise, there were some expensive looking things in Grey's workshop.

"Ohh! Aren't these real gold?!"

"Boss! There's platinum and noirite here as well!"

"Ohh! We're going to be rich!"

They were all happy and excited at the thought of seeing such valuable materials and ores. They may be in small amounts, but they were enough to make a fortune. Not only that, they also started taking away all the smithing apparatus they could see.

『Quite the greedy ones, aren't they?』 ［Grey］

Unfortunately for them, they weren't alone in the property. Two pairs of eyes watched them from afar, watching each and every one of their moves with Grey's "Heaven's Eye" like curious onlookers who are only wishing for entertainment.

They have already detected the thieves even when they were still quite the distance away, but rather than panicking or seeking help like any normal person would, they simply watched the robbery unfold, looking forward to the show before them.

Though, Grey didn't think they'd also loot his workshop. He had left a few materials for forging High-Grade equipment from his previous work, and now, they are happily being taken away by the thieves with money-grubbing looks on their faces.

『Fufufu! They also took all my herbs and materials in the laboratory.』 ［Yuna］

『And yet, here you are, clearly enjoying yourself. Are you not angry?』 ［Grey］

『Why should I? We could just take them back anytime, you know? And, Grey, weren't you the only one who invited me to watch?』 ［Yuna］

『Well, I guess that's true...』 ［Grey］

They were carefree as one can be, not even minding the fact that their house was being robbed. If it were any other people, they would have already screamed in panic and confusion. They were just totally different breeds.

The thieves continued to scour around the place, and before long, they were finally finished with Grey's workshop. They soon headed back to the house, climbing the second floor whilst keeping in mind the steps they took.

They were quite thorough as well, their leader, as an alchemist, using chemicals to erase their traces. It was no wonder the knights and soldiers were having a hard time catching them. They were very experienced on the job.

They opened door after door without leaving any stones unturned. Soon, they arrived at one of the guest bedrooms Kris and Aria once used when they still hadn't bought a home. It was a well-designed room with a lot of valuables to boot.

"Looks like we hit another jackpot, boys! Let's get to searching!"

"As you command!" "Aight, aight, got it."

Once again, with eyes sparkling with excitement, they scoured the room for anything and everything they could loot. From dresses, to appliances, and even bits of jewelry, they stored them all inside the storage ring, and into the bags when it was full.

Grey and Yuna also followed the trio in their little quest, walking around the place as they veiled themselves with illusion magic, Yuna using her ability all the while to keep themselves hidden from plain sight. Not a single one of the thieves had noticed them.

And just as the robbery progressed, a sense of mischief bloomed in the hearts of the two. After all, what kind of house owner would simply let their house be robbed. They also needed to fight back and have a little bit of fun.

"Hmm... Oh! These look good too! I wonder how much they'llー Wait, stop bothering me for a moment, I'm working on something,"

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The boss couldn't even finish his words when he suddenly felt a light tapping on his shoulders. He decided to ignore it for now, yet little did he know, it was the start of their misfortune, two figures now smiling to themselves.

"Hey, just wait a moment. I almost got it."

He warned and he warned, but the tapping just won't stop. It was as if the ones he were talking to only had ears for decorations. It wasn't long before his patience reached its limits, face boiling red in anger.

"I said stop bothering me, you morons! I'm trying to work here!"

"Uhh... Boss, we're over here."

"Huh? Then who was..."

The leader turned around, but there was no one to be seen. His subordinates were too far away to be the one tapping his shoulders and they were also working on their own things, stealing as much as they could.

He turned his head left and right, up and down, yet no matter what he did, he couldn't find who had been tapping his shoulders. Meanwhile, Grey and Yuna were giggling and chuckling to themselves, trying to hold their laughter back. It was too much fun.

"It must have been my imagination... right...?"

A cold chill swept through the leader's heart, uncertainty looming deep inside as he turned around and tried to ignore what he just feltー or at least he tried to. Now, his hands were trembling ever so slightly, his fingertips feeling cold and sweaty.

The search continued, and so did the horror. As they went around the room, the wind suddenly started to whistle with an eerie tune humming along with it. The temperature suddenly started dropping, things getting more and more chilly by the passing of time.

Everyone tried to ignore it, but with how different things were as compared to before, everyone started to tremble not just because of the coldness of the winds, but also because of the creepy sensation which made their hairs stand.

"H-Hey, Boss... Isn't it gettin chilly in here?"

"N-No... That's just your imagination. Stop disturbing me!"

"No... Boss... It really is getting cold. I'm getting goosebumps..."

"Stop complaining, you damn wussies! Do you want to get richer or not?!"

The boss was acting tough, but deep inside, he was the most scared of them all. With the tapping from before and the strange and eerie atmosphere now, his heart raced wildly, about to beat out of his chest as his legs trembled.

Meanwhile, Grey and Yuna are having the most fun, blowing the winds and cooling the air with magic. Heck, they even asked the familiars to join them for a little bit of fun, creating all sorts of phenomena all over the room.

To add to the fun, Grey even takes out some jewelry from his "Inventory", planting it just a little ways from the thieves, making them think that they missed something. A scheme which only served to make the thieves tilt their heads in confusion.

"Hey! You missed one! Put this inside theー Hm?"

"Is something wrong, Boss?"

"No... Ugh... Why is this so heavy...!"

It wasn't just heavy, it was extremely heavy to the point it was absurd to think it was coming from a single ring. No matter what the leader of the thieves did, he couldn't take it off the desk. Irked veins have popped here and there and he still couldn't move it a single inch.

"Boss, let me help you with that."

"You should have said that sooner! You're the one with muscles amongstー Agh!"

"S-Sorry, Boss... Are you alright?"

"Alright my ass! My hands were almost twisted, you moron!"

The leader of the thieves smacked his adventurer minion in the shoulder, a loud echo rippling through the air. But instead of the subordinate, the one he hurt was himself. The man's muscles were just too hard for him, his hands now aching badly.

Before long, the muscular minion finally started to move, cracking his knuckles to warm himself up. And with all his might, he poured all his strength to pull the ring away from the desk, his muscles shaking as veins popped up here and there.

He tried all he could, but it was to no avail, the ring still couldn't be moved. Even when the others tried to help them out, it was still futile. They have already exhausted all their energy yet the ring remained still, like a mighty mountain.

"Just what the hell is that ring?!"

"M-Maybe it's c-cursed, Boss..."

They were confused as one can be, staring at the ring with flabbergasted eyes filled with shock and confusion. As for the real reason... It was because of Yuna! A sweet yet mischievous smile now blooming on her face.

Yuna has been using dark magic to manipulate the shadows and pull on the ring, making it stay in place. It was as if they were in a tug of war against an immovable mountain. Only B-rankers and above could have the hope to move it.

"Guuh...! This damn ringー Eh...? Where's... the ring...?"

"Wasn't it just there... Huh...?"

To make matters worse, as soon as their little exhibition was finished, Grey then took the ring back and placed it inside the "Inventory". Actions which only resulted in the losing of the mind of the trio of thieves.

"B-Boss... This house ain't haunted, is it?"

"What are you, kids?! Th-There's no way such things as haunted houses are real!"

"But B-Boss, I-I could feel s-someone pulling on my s-shirt...!"

"Th-That's just your imagination! Get your acts together!"

The night only got deeper and deeper, the winds blowing harder, the air feeling much colder, and the atmosphere getting more and more eerie. The thieves who were once celebrating so happily were now scared out of their wits, hearts trembling in fear.

Click Click Click Cling Cling Cling Creaaakkkkk

Chimes ringing softly as it rode the wind, windows shaking ever so subtly, and doors suddenly opening without another person in sight. Strange and bizarre phenomena occurred one after another, making things even much creepier.

Well, not just that. The lights also started to flicker, turning on and off like the scenes in horror movies Grey used to watch back on Earth. He never knew pranking the thieves in the middle of the night would be so much fun.

『Grey, Grey, look here, look here!』 ［Yuna］

Creakkkkkkkk

Well, it wasn't just him who was having a lot of fun. Her cheerful and mischievous fiancée was too, now pulling and dragging the chairs to make all kinds of creaking sounds. Sounds which drifted along the cold and eerie nightly breeze.

At the same time, the familiars also toppled off some things and moved some things. The faces of the thieves contorted with fear and confusion, getting paler and paler by the moment, barely able to move with all their trembling.

Fwoosh Fwoosh Fwoosh

And just when they thought things wouldn't get any worse, cold and blue flames lit up one after another like wisps. They floated around the place, drifting in the wind and bursting into soft, whistling explosions soon after as they vanished into thin air.

"B-B-Boss! I-I'm telling you! This house really is haunted!"

"B-Boss! Ghosts! Ghosts! Let's run away now!"

"Shut up, you morons! Are you planning on waking up the owners?!"

Or so he says, but he was the loudest one of them all, his booming voice rocking all throughout the whole house as he screamed for his dear life. He was acting so tough despite the fact that he was so scared, he could barely move anymore.

The cacophony of noises echoed in the air, the doors and windows opening then closing time and time again. The thieves huddled up, backs against one another as they watched such a horrifying scene unfold before them.

"H-Hey! Whoever you are! Do you think we'll be scared by your pranks?! Show yourself already, you motherf*cker!"

"Are... you... looking for... me...?" ［Yuna］

Crackle Crackle BOOOOMMMMM

Lightning streaking in the background and thunder following it soon after, a lady in white appeared before the thieves. There was only darkness on her face, eyes dyed the color of blood, glowing ever so vividly as she floated in the air.

Of course, such was nothing other than a terrifying illusion by Sirius made with a little bit of magic, Yuna's voice echoing in the air with a tinge of dread and eeriness. Though for the thieves, it was completely different, their hearts dropping along their mouths.

"""G-G-Ghoossstttt!!"""

The three screamed in unison, running away from the room as quickly as they would like scared chickens. They didn't even care if they made a lot of noise. They simply wanted to get out of the house, tears forming in the corner of their terrified eyes.

They were so afraid, they couldn't even get their balance right, bumping into the walls and the furniture as they scurried away for their dear life. They even fell down such a long flight of stairs from panic, their whole body aching as they fell down.

To make things worse, Rigel also made the floor wet with water magic. Normally, it wouldn't work, but with how dark the room was and how panicky they were, it was super effective! They slipped, fell, and rolled all over, screams filling the air.

『Fufufu! This is so much fun!』 ［Yuna］

『Yuna... Aren't you a little too excited?』 ［Grey］

『This is a rare opportunity, after all. And it's their fault for trying to rob usー Ah! Grey, let's hurry up! They're escaping!』 ［Yuna］

She was rushing like a little kid, using Grey's help to glide in the wind and chase after the thieves. Grey didn't know whether he should cry or laugh, however, what's most important was that she was having fun... Too much fun, actually...

"Hurry and stand up, you morons! You're crushing me!"

"Ah, s-sorry, Boss! Let me help youー"

"Get your hands off me! I can stand on my own!"

Hurriedly, the thieves quickly stood up and regained their grounds. Their backs still aching, they then tried to head towards the door, longing and reaching out for the moonlit plains outside, wanting to get out of the damned house as soon as possible.

Yet, despite how quickly they ran, it was already too late. The sound of footsteps halted, fear turning white as snow as they looked towards the door. There, before they even knew it, the same white lady suddenly appeared, her neck now twisted to the right, the sound of bones clicking whispered into their ears.

"Why... are you... leaving...? Let's... play... some more...!" ［Yuna］

"""Gyaaa!! &@?;!&)€%#|;.!$(!!"""

They were so scared, their words had become intelligible, tears trickling down their eyes. They all ran away soon after, heading wherever their feet took them as long as they could get away from the "ghost" before them, scared as one can be.

Unfortunately for them, there was no escape. They tried to head out using the back door, however, it was locked and stuck, not opening no matter what they tried. Even when they tried to open it by brute force, it was useless. The door was too tough.

"Hey! Hurry up! What's taking you so long!"

"B-Boss! Stop pressurin me! Give me some timeー Ah!"

The thieves also tried to pick the locks as quickly as they could, the thin, skeleton-looking thief moving his hands as quickly as he could. Unfortunately for him, because he was so panicky, he dropped his picks, rolling a small distance away.

"Here... you... go..." ［Yuna］

"Ah, th-thanks......? Gyaaa!! G-G-Ghost!!"

The one who gave the picks back were none other than the mischievous Yuna who was now disguised as a ghost. With her eyes locking with the thieves', their already white faces became even more pale, hearts jumping out of their mouths.

They ran some more, heading towards the front door once again, where they met yet another ghost. Now, this one doesn't have any head attached to its body. It was bringing it along as if it was some kind of bag or item.

"Hey! Let's play some more shall we?" ［Vega］

"Why are you here?! I'm gonna crush you...!" ［Procyon］

"D-Don't c-come near me...!" ［Capella］

The windows, the balcony, the rooftop, and all the places they could escape. All were already blocked with different ghosts, Procyon even going as far as to ask Sirius to make one who was crying with ink-like blood. A terrifying scene to behold.

The thieves were so scared, they couldn't even tell left from right anymore. Even when Capella's voice acting was a little off, they didn't even care one bit. She was just as scary as the others in their tear-blanketed eyes.

"P-Please spare me! I promise to live 'n honest life from now on!"

"I-It was all the Boss' fault! I was just following his words!"

"You bastard! Why are you backstabbing me?!"

The thieves continued to run around and everyone continued to scare them, making the furniture float, the ovens lit ablaze, the curtains danced, the bells ring, and all sorts of creepy things. It was a living nightmare.

『They sure are having fun... Should I give them a little more scare...?』 ［Grey］

And now, Grey has thought of yet another devilish idea. As if all the things they've done wasn't even enough, Grey then used illusion magic and made himself look like some kind of demon from the depths of hell coming to harvest the souls of mortals, scarlet flames dancing behind him.

The thieves felt a sudden chill run throughout their bodies, Grey's footsteps echoing soon after. As they turned around, they saw the Grim Reaper before them, eyes burning fervently with terror which can swallow one whole.

"What's wrong...? Are you... scared...?" ［Grey］

A deep and husky voice echoed in the air, the screams of burning souls rocking the night as the hands of the dead clung unto their legs, empty and lifeless eyes staring at them. It was fear... It was despair... It was... Death...

"Boo." ［Grey］

Thur Thud Thud

The thieves finally reached their limits, falling down towards the hard and cold floor one after another as they lost consciousness. Their eyes were white and their mouths were frothing, souls leaving their exhausted minds and bodies.

"Aww... They passed out... Grey, look at what you've done! Now, we can't play with them anymore!" ［Yuna］

"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry, I just got too into it." ［Grey］

Such words were nothing but mere exaggeration. Grey didn't simply just scare them, he scared the living daylights out of them, to the point of fainting at that. They don't even need to tie them up. They'll be in prison the moment they open their eyes.

"Mou... I wanted to have more fun too..." ［Yuna］

"You already had your share of fun, haven't you? How about we have some midnight snacks for now. I'm getting hungry as well." ［Grey］

"Ah! Let's do that! And I want to drink some chocolate milk!" ［Yuna］

"Alright, I'll make you some." ［Grey］

"Yaay～!" ［Yuna］

It was as if nothing ever happened. With the thieves now passed out, Grey and Yuna then turned on the lights and fixed the mess they made. A simple process with the use of magic, taking only a couple moments.

The night continued to fall and the stars continued to twinkle in the night sky. Knights and soldiers soon arrived at the scene, three criminals now handed over. It was yet another night to remember.

CHAPTER 296 END