I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills - Chapter 59

[EP.59] When the Fire Starts to Burn

Just a few minutes after Agatha had burst out of the room, a maid who had been hiding at the end of the hallway suddenly emerged. Dressed in a typical maid’s attire, with a black dress and white frills, it was none other than Lirina. However, Lirina today was not alone, as a crow perched atop her shoulder.

“Crim, there’s no one around, right?”

At Lirina’s inquiry, the crow lightly nodded its head. Taking a deep breath at this signal, Lirina quickly began to run down the corridor. Everyone was currently distracted by Aslan’s attempted self-immolation, rushing over to that commotion. Now was her opportunity. Thanks to Agatha who had left her door ajar in haste, Lirina could easily enter her room.
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As soon as she entered, what caught her eye were the books that filled the room. Rows upon rows of magic-related books lined the shelves, and among them, several explained naturally occurring disabilities in people. It was a room that showcased Agatha’s fervor, and on the desk amid various scattered documents was a photo. In the picture taken long ago, a very young Aslan was being embraced by his father and Agatha.

Lirina looked at the picture with a sense of sorrow, and then turned her head away to search the entire room promptly. The most prominent object was, as expected, the drawers.

“…It’s not here.”

She began by checking all the unlocked drawers. Of course, none of them contained the crystal of Dorothy that Kraush had mentioned. The crystals left behind by spirits when they die are meant to pass on their memories and experiences to the next generation of spirits. Kraush had glimpsed into her memories because he had absorbed the world erosion that dwelled inside the Chaos Spirit’s core. Unlike Kraush who preserved the core instead of destroying it, hence no crystal, Dorothy’s core had burnt and shattered, leaving such a crystal behind. It was precisely this crystal that Lirina came to find.

“The only one left…”
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Lirina’s gaze landed on a drawer. Locked with a padlock, it surely contained the most important documents. The problem was that the lock seemed magically sealed. Lirina was a layperson, having seen magic used by magicians but never having wielded it herself. Pacing back and forth, uncertain of what to do, the crow on her shoulder leaped down lightly.

“Crim?”

As Lirina called the crow’s name, it had already reached the front of the lock. Tapping it twice with its beak, the lock clicked open and fell off. Lirina stared wide-eyed; she had no idea Crim was capable of this. This must be why Kraush told her to bring Crim along. However, she did not have the luxury of time to dwell on these questions, with Agatha liable to return at any moment. She quickly opened the drawer.

“Found it!”

She nearly cheered as she saw the bright blue crystal nestled inside. Without delay, Lirina stuffed the crystal into her pocket. Now all that remained was to leave. Swiftly relocking the drawer, she stepped out.

That’s when it happened.

Whooosh!

Suddenly a column of fire erupted outside the window. Startled, Lirina turned her head as her face progressively turned pale.

“…This is bad.”

She began running down the corridor, having realized whose magic that pillar of flame was, and that it had originated from the location where Aslan had been. It was certain.

Red Tower Master

Flame Emperor

Adolf Igrit

It was sure that he had returned. While Aslan’s suicide disturbance took place, Adolf was away for a few months due to urgent matters. Thankfully, news of Aslan had not yet reached Adolf’s ears due to his absence. However, just as he returned with a spatial magic spell, news of Aslan’s self-immolation had reached him—such impossible timing.

‘Mr. Aslan will definitely not be left alone if he learns he has made a suicide attempt.’

Perhaps out of shame for the family, Aslan could be expelled from the Igrit family. With trepidation, Lirina cut through the hallway.

After a while of running, she arrived at the mansion where Aslan was staying. There, servants with horror-stricken faces were scurrying about. Their expressions clearly meant they were fleeing from witnessing something that should have not been seen. Lirina’s heart sank. Such a reaction from them indicated that they had stumbled upon a significant incident involving the Igrit family. She did not hesitate, passing the servants to enter the mansion.

The moment Lirina stepped into the training area, where magicians practiced their spells, she was met with intense heat.

“Mr. Aslan!”

Unintentionally, she screamed out. Within a sphere of blazing flames, Aslan was trapped, clutching his throat in agony. An elderly figure stood before him. Despite his age, his hair was a vivid crimson. Along with an abundance of red beard and a mean squint to his eyes, he also possessed a large frame, uncharacteristic to a typical magician. He was none other than Flame Emperor Adolf Igrit. With a very angry expression, he looked at Aslan.

“How dare you engage in such shame while I was not present?”

“Father! Please, stop!”

Agatha rushed forward, crying out with a heart full of anguish. Since Aslan was stuck inside the sphere of flames, he was entering a state of oxygen deficiency in real-time. If nothing changed, Aslan would die. Observing the distraught Agatha, Adolf scoffed exasperatingly.

Smack!

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At that moment, Agatha’s head jerked violently side to side. Having been struck by Adolf, she was frozen in place while he glared at her furiously.

“I always said it! That thing could not even measure up to a tower dog! To cause such shameful disturbances in direct succession to the Igrit line? And not just once but several times!”
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His eyes were boiling with intense rage.

“The woman who calls herself his mother can’t even manage her own child. What exactly have you done in your position as auxiliary family head?”

Adolf’s loud reproaches filled the training ground resoundingly. It was clear now why the servants had fled—to avoid overheard family scandals.

Agatha could not muster the will to lift her turned head. Although it was her father speaking, the words were too shameful and embarrassing, and yet she was a daughter who had spent her entire life in the Igrit family. While she held the position of auxiliary head, the wall that was her father was still too high and frightening. For within the Igrit household, his word was law.

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“Ha, haha.”

Amidst this, laughter suddenly rang out from within the sphere of flames. Slowly, both the contorted Adolf and the slumped Agatha turned their gazes toward the sphere. Reflected in their eyes was Aslan, who was, for some reason, laughing.

At the sight of his laughter, Adolf’s eyes twisted even more drastically.

“So, I’ve never been acknowledged for my efforts, and now, in this state, you finally notice me.”

Gasping for breath, Aslan still managed to speak while clutching his throat.

“Do you know? Whether you’re ashamed of me or not, I am a direct line of the Igrit family, and everything I do becomes an act of the Igrit lineage.”

He uttered a bitter laugh. That laughter was clearly mocking.

“Your precious Igrit, the Lord, will surely make a name for himself until death. But what about after that?”

A clear hostility shimmered in Aslan’s eyes.

“Do you think I’ll simply do nothing?”

The dripping animosity in his eyes was a terrible grudge. From birth, he had been alienated by the family due to his Lunar Body. His mother, who had always shown him love and warmth, turned into someone so harsh she could kill her child’s precious friend with her own hands. And the prime cause of it all was right before him, the Flame Lord—Adolf Igrit, and Aslan knew this all too well.

Agatha stared blankly at him, aware of the deep hatred rooted inside her son. And she was well aware that she was not exempt from that hatred.
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‘It’s all wrong.’

Everything had gone wrong. The Igrit family held no value to the child. He just needed one person to care for him. Realizing she’d wrecked her son’s life trying to bequeath the family, her eyes brimmed with hot tears. Finally, she recognized she was no different from Adolf, ever being forceful with her son.

“You…”
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Adolf’s eyes quivered visibly. Unable to contain his rage, he started to raise his hand.

“Fine, I will do as you wish.”

Understanding the meaning behind his words, Agatha reflexively reached out belatedly. Adolf intended to kill Aslan right there and then.

“No!”

Her shriek tore through the air just as magic burst forth from Agatha’s hands.

“Caw!”

A crow soared into the sky. And as its feathers scattered, a boy who had transformed from the crow slashed down towards the sphere of flames.

Whoosh!

With black flames erupting from his sword, Adolf’s sphere of fire was cleaved in two. At the sudden turn of events, Adolf’s eyes widened. A hand stretched from behind the hemisphere, grabbing and yanking Aslan’s clothes tightly. The boy who appeared amidst the flames had black hair.
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The blue flames swirled around the boy, and even Adolf, for a moment, reacted too slowly. The boy swiftly kicked off the ground, taking Aslan with him.

“That one!”

Watching him take Aslan away right before his eyes, Adolf came to his senses too late, trying to turn his hand around. But blocking his way was none other than Agatha. With magic charged in both hands, she glared at Adolf, and he looked utterly stunned.

“Assistant family head, have you lost your mind?”

“…My son is desperately fighting to live.”

Aslan’s desperate words, filled with sorrow, lodged deep in Agatha’s heart. She no longer wanted to see Aslan endure such pain.

“No one in this world would fault me for stopping a man trying to kill his grandson.”

Agatha stood defiantly, showing no signs of backing down. Despite the class difference with the Flame Emperor, as a mother, she was unyielding.

“…Very well.”

Adolf, observing her, conjured flames in his hands.

“If both you and your son get punished, maybe you’ll come to your senses.”

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With that, two streams of fire burst forth within the training ground.