Leave a comment

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

A criminal operating solely in the Holy City—one whose true identity remains completely unknown and who, according to speculation, possesses the ability to steal and make use of others’ abilities. They call themselves “Phantom Thief: Red Ram.”

…When you think about it that way, this whole commotion starts to feel like nothing more than a petty internal squabble. However, considering that even the upper ranks of the Adventurers’ Guild and the Saintess Church are caught up in the controversy, it’s clearly no mere joke. Probably.

Well, setting that aside—

Faced with the substantial objects swaying before me, I found myself instinctively voicing a recent personal dilemma.

“…So, it seems they’ve gotten even bigger again. It’s not too bad for everyday life, but when I run or fight, they bounce and hurt, and it’s hard to endure for long.”
“Ahh, I totally get that. I had a hard time with it myself. I used to bind them tightly with a bleached cloth, but if you wrap it tight enough to stop the movement, it just gets unbearably uncomfortable. And since Lady Clara is still growing and has firmer tissue, it’s probably even worse for you.”
“Is there anything I can do about it?”
“My best recommendation would be getting a custom-made one from a tailor with female staff. The one I’m wearing right now is like this.”

“Hmm, I see. The straps are thicker than usual, and… oh, it lifts and holds everything in place.”
“Exactly. With stronger support, it makes things so much easier.”
“But I bet it’s expensive, isn’t it?”
“Usually around eight to ten gold coins.”

“That’s enough to buy a brand-new dress! Maybe before, but I don’t have that kind of extra money right now. And I’d need more than just one…”
“Still, wearing one versus not wearing one makes a huge difference.”
“Ugh… Well, if we can find a time that works for both of us, could you introduce me to the shop?”
“Of course! Leave it to me!”

The Twinfang of Snowy Peak—an adventurer group made up entirely of women.

Each one of them was a stunning beauty in their own right, and their leader, Kaisa, had a big-sisterly air that practically screamed “reliable.” When I actually spoke to her, she proved just as lively and dependable as she looked, readily answering my concerns.

Incidentally, if we were to rank the women in this room by a certain… category, the order would be as follows:

Kaisa (Explosive) > Me (Huge) > Margit (Large) ≧ The Shrine-Maidens-in-Training (Large) > Eliza (Medium) > Daniella (Medium) > Marina (Small) > Natalie (Minuscule) = Nora (Minuscule).

“Ahem! …May I continue with the explanation?”

Holding the briefing documents, Marina asked in a slightly… disgruntled tone for some reason.

“—Ah, yes. Sorry, we’ve interrupted you so many times.”
“Y-, yeah, our bad.”

Though she was smiling, an undeniable pressure radiated from her, making Kaisa and me instinctively bow in apology.

“Regarding the nature of the stolen abilities, if you take a look at the documents in front of you, you’ll see that all the talents taken by ‘Red Ram’ so far fall under what are commonly known as ‘exclusive skills’ or ‘innate abilities,’ such as Intuition, Lockpicking, Cat’s Eyes, and Magic Eyes.”

“Hmmm…”

The gathered officials—who had been skimming through the well-organized briefing notes—let out a collective murmur of contemplation.

Incidentally, the literacy rate in the Holy City was only about thirty percent. However, given that everyone present here was either an official of the Church or a high-ranking member of the Adventurers’ Guild, it seemed that reading and writing in the common tongue posed no issue.

“Were only innate abilities stolen? What about elemental magic? Or were any of the victims unable to use magic afterward?”

When I instinctively asked, Marina shook her head, maintaining her businesslike smile.

“We don’t know. While we can account for the first victims, from the third case onward, the victims had hired bodyguards—swordsmen with swordsmanship skills or mages—through the Adventurers’ Guild. These bodyguards suffered physical harm, but none of their related skills were stolen. Whether this is merely a coincidence or if there is some underlying reason… we simply don’t have enough information to say for certain.”

Hearing that explanation—

“Hmm… so only innate ability users, huh?”
“In other words, rejects who couldn’t become proper mages.”
“Well, even if you have the talent, it’s not easy to find a proper teacher to formally learn magic from.”

Cestlavie folded his arms with a tired expression, Eliza voiced her blunt opinion, and Margit, the spellcaster of Twinfang of the Snowy Peak, gave a wry smile.

Wizard, Mage, Witch—the terminology varies depending on the school of magic, but the number of individuals officially recognized under such titles rarely exceeds fifty per nation. The rest fall into lesser categories, such as failed mages, taoists, or sorcerers—people with incomplete abilities.

And yet, every so often, there are those who manifest extraordinary abilities without any training or foundation whatsoever.

In ancient times, they were labeled demon-possessed or children of the abyss. These individuals, whose latent magic surged uncontrollably and granted them spontaneous supernatural abilities, are now known as innate ability users or gifted individuals.

This phenomenon—what we call innate abilities—is, as reflected in Eliza and Margit’s words, poorly regarded by both society and magic practitioners alike.

The reason is simple: these abilities are rooted almost entirely in the individual’s unique constitution and psyche. Others cannot replicate them, nor can the user fully understand their own power. And because their magical circuitry is effectively a black box, they are unable to learn additional magic later in life. (If they try to force it, their body and mind will break.)

Of course, innate abilities have their advantages. Take a fire-breathing ability, for example. A normal magic user like myself would first have to gather mana, concentrate, and possibly use incantations or a magic circle. In contrast, an innate ability user might simply wake up one day, drink alcohol, and suddenly be able to breathe fire—triggered by something completely irrational and outside the bounds of common sense. It’s quite a troublesome phenomenon.

That said, this is just an example. No matter how much an ordinary person drinks, the only thing they’ll end up vomiting is… well, vomit.

But I digress. Innate abilities vary wildly from person to person, often manifesting in inexplicable ways. However, because these ability users tend to lack the aptitude for conventional magic, proper mages often look down on them, dismissing them as one-trick ponies or single-skill specialists.

That being said, if we categorize supernatural abilities in that way, then my own powers—or rather, the healing arts and purification magic that Shrine maidens use—could also be considered a form of innate ability.

Of course, openly stating this would likely provoke backlash from the fanati—er, devout followers of the church. After all, these powers manifest randomly, and for some reason, most Shrine maidens are unable to wield other branches of magic (or theocraft, as they call it). Even if they can, it’s usually just the most rudimentary forms.

There are exceptions, though. Both Eliza and I are capable of using elemental magic, but this is considered an extreme rarity. That’s why I suspect healing magic isn’t actually some divine blessing or a sign of personal virtue, as the church preaches. Rather, I believe it’s simply a case of certain people being born with an innate ability for healing.

As I entertained such blasphemous thoughts, Father Lawrence, a high-ranking member of the clergy, spoke up.

“…Hmm. More likely than choosing not to steal, it’s that they cannot steal such abilities. The church has investigated this matter, and while the thief in question has employed minor magical tools and simple tricks in their crimes, there is no evidence that they have ever used actual magic. Furthermore, based on the magical wave patterns left at the crime scenes, our conclusion is that the culprit can only wield innate abilities—nothing else.”

His clear, practiced voice carried the confidence of someone well accustomed to addressing an audience. Struck by the beauty of his tone and the weight of his authority, the templar knights, guild staff, and Twinfangs of the Snowy Peak members all nodded in agreement, as if competing to acknowledge his words first.

However, Cestlavie, Deputy Guildmaster Tarki, Twinfang leader Kaisa, and Sir Simon all wore subtly uncertain expressions.

Perhaps those with preconceived notions or wishful thinking fail to see the truth—and more often than not, reality has a way of overturning such assumptions. Those who have experienced the harsher side of life likely understand this well.

“But doesn’t that make innate abilities even more troublesome, precisely because they don’t follow the usual principles of magic? If the culprit can wield multiple of them, that would make them even harder to predict.”

On the other hand, those who, while understanding the logic, still wore concerned expressions were Eliza, Kaisa, and other devoted Shrine maidens—innocent maidens who were also devout believers of the faith. …What about me? Oh, of course, I believe that what Father Lawrence says must be true. Probably. Most likely. At the very least, he believes it to be true.

(…That aside, Eliza really is quite capable, isn’t she?)

She has the quick thinking to immediately pinpoint key issues. If only she weren’t so self-conscious and had a broader perspective, she’d be flawless… but unfortunately, her skill distribution is all wrong.

“—You look like you have something to say, Adelheid.”
“Not at all.”

…She’s also annoyingly perceptive.

“Sister Barbara, it’s true that innate abilities vary greatly depending on personal aptitude or racial traits, but in this particular case, there’s no need for concern. That’s because we can determine the enemy’s capabilities simply by analyzing the stolen abilities. In fact, we’ve already done so. Now that we know their tricks, there are plenty of ways to counter them.”

Father Lawrence stated this with confidence, while the templar knights behind him puffed out their chests as if to say, Leave it to us.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.