The Girl Who Looted Tomorrow

Freya had run out of options.

She decided to stop trying to hide everything and simply said, “I wasn’t trying to lure you to Trinity Row.”

“I wanted you to notify a Mobile Team so they could deal with that Rank Five criminal.”

Hearing her soft, youthful voice, Nolan carried her into a brighter patch of street illuminated by the moon.

He set her down, then removed the hat she had pulled low over her face.

The girl beneath it was undeniably cute.

A small, helpless look of frustration was written across her features.

Nolan’s guard lowered slightly.

People were naturally influenced by appearances. It was difficult not to relax a little when faced with something harmless and adorable.

Nolan was no exception.

“If you know about Mobile Teams, then you should also know they can’t be summoned on a whim.”

Nolan was a Rank Four government practitioner and the strongest officer in Auxerre.

That did not mean he was the strongest person in the entire kingdom.

If Rank Four were the highest level Tarapaca could field, then a single practitioner above Rank Four could cause trouble anywhere in the country without anyone being able to stop them.

That was obviously unrealistic.

However, advancement became far more difficult after Rank Four.

As a result, high-Rank practitioners were extremely rare.

Even across an entire country, there might be barely more than a hundred.

Many of them served as senior officials, military officers, or members of the king’s personal guard.

Rank Five practitioners willing to work as ordinary police officers were even rarer.

They could not remain stationed in individual cities.

Instead, they were organized into Mobile Teams.

Each Mobile Team was led by a Rank Five practitioner, while every other member was at least Rank Four.

When a major case became too difficult for local authorities, the government could request one of those teams as reinforcement.

Nolan placed a hand on Freya’s shoulder.

“You still haven’t explained where the information in that note came from.”

“Uh…”

Freya hesitated.

“It’s my supernatural ability.”

“I can see certain things that will happen in the future.”

She could hardly tell Nolan that she had a system.

Even if she tried, there was no guarantee he would understand what she meant.

It was much easier to describe the system’s fatal-crisis warnings as a supernatural ability that let her see the future.

“Prophecy?”

Nolan did not look especially surprised.

Freya already knew about Mobile Teams, which meant she understood the Special Affairs Division and the supernatural world.

She might even be an unaffiliated practitioner herself.

“An ability related to prophecy…” Nolan studied her. “Do you follow the Fate Path?”

Freya nodded rapidly.

“Yes. That’s right.”

In truth, she had no idea what abilities the Fate Path actually granted.

So far, she only knew fragments about the War, Law, Mind, and Demon Paths.

She knew almost nothing about the others.

Nolan frowned thoughtfully.

“But can a Fate Path prophecy really predict an event thirty days in advance with that much accuracy?”

Freya answered carefully.

“It… can’t?”

Nolan’s own knowledge of the Fate Path was limited.

He only knew a few general details.

“So you saw a disaster thirty days from now in a prophecy, and that’s why you reported it?”

Freya nodded again.

“Yes. Exactly.”

Nolan’s tone changed immediately.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe you.”

Freya’s expression stiffened.

Seeing the suspicion return to Nolan’s face left her unexpectedly troubled.

During her second simulation, she had spent a month on Nolan’s team.

She had grown quite fond of the captain, who always protected his people and cared deeply about his subordinates.

But that relationship had vanished when the simulation ended.

Freya knew Nolan well.

Nolan had never met her.

“I can’t request a Mobile Team based solely on your word,” he continued.

“Calling them here requires solid evidence. Your prophecy cannot serve as that evidence.”

“I’ll investigate the Obsidian base you mentioned and examine the warehouse on Trinity Row.”

“If the situation is truly as you described, and a Rank Five practitioner is attempting to overthrow the city, I’ll request Mobile Team support immediately.”

“Wait…”

Freya opened her mouth, but Nolan continued before she could object.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m going there to investigate, not to storm the building.”

“I’ll proceed carefully, avoid conflict whenever possible, and withdraw the moment I obtain enough evidence.”

Freya considered it.

That might actually work.

During the previous simulation, she had not warned Nolan about the enemy’s strength.

He had probably led his team straight into the warehouse.

Once they encountered Obsidian’s leader, a fight had become unavoidable, and Nolan’s entire team had been wiped out.

This time, a cautious approach might produce a different result.

While Freya was thinking, Nolan removed a pair of handcuffs.

“So, Miss Fortune, you have two choices.”

“You can go to the police station willingly and wait for me there, or I can take you there myself before heading to Trinity Row.”

Freya waved her hands quickly.

“No, no. I need to go with you.”

“I can see the future. I might notice a danger in advance and help you avoid it.”

Nolan thought for a moment.

She had a point.

Only regular officers were on duty at the station. There were no other practitioners there.

Keeping an unaffiliated practitioner beside him might be safer than leaving her with ordinary police.

“All right,” he said. “Stay close to me, and don’t do anything unnecessary.”

The two continued through the night.

Some time later, they reached Trinity Row in southern Auxerre.

It was around ten in the evening.

Normally, the streets should have been nearly empty at that hour.

Most people would already be home resting, not wandering outside.

Yet Trinity Row still had a surprising number of pedestrians.

One or two people passed through the street every few minutes.

Freya suddenly remembered what she had seen inside the warehouse.

“Be careful.”

“I think these people might be watching the area for Obsidian’s mastermind.”

She lowered her voice.

“The enemy may possess some kind of duplication ability.”

“Duplicates?”

Nolan frowned.

A possibility seemed to occur to him.

“I understand. Then we won’t let them see us.”

He softened his footsteps, avoided the moonlight, and slipped into the shadows cast by the buildings.

Nolan had intended to order Freya to remain where she was.

Before he could speak, however, he realized she had already followed him.

Her movements were smooth, and she made almost no sound.

Since she did not seem likely to slow him down, Nolan said nothing more.

He watched every pedestrian carefully.

Whenever their attention turned elsewhere, he moved quickly through their blind spots.

Before long, the old blue warehouse came into view.

Although it was late at night, light still shone from inside, as though people were working.

Freya and Nolan also noticed that the closer they came to the warehouse, the more pedestrians appeared.

They moved like units in a strategy game that had been given a patrol command.

Each person followed a fixed route again and again.

Nolan observed them for a moment.

Then he abruptly turned toward Freya.

“Pardon me.”

“Huh?”

Freya barely had time to react.

Nolan grabbed her and tucked her under one arm.

At that exact moment, a cloud crossed the sky and covered most of the moon.

Nolan bent his knees.

Then he jumped.

He rose several yards into the air and landed directly on the warehouse roof.

As his feet neared the surface, his falling speed suddenly slowed.

It was as though gravity had briefly reversed around him.

He touched down without making a sound.