The temple felt… wrong.
Lee Eunwoo couldn't explain it properly, but something about the chamber had changed.
Inside the mirror realm, he floated near the glass surface while staring at the wooden shelf beside the altar.
The place where Sir Frogbert used to sit.
Now it was just… empty.
A small patch of dust where the statue had rested for weeks.
Eunwoo crossed his arms.
"…I can't believe someone stole the ugliest object in the temple."
Last night's event replayed in his mind.
Harun sneaking into the chamber.
Looking around nervously.
Then casually picking up the frog statue and stuffing it into his bag like he was removing a cursed artifact from existence.
Eunwoo sighed.
"I hope Frogbert is doing well in retirement."
The morning light slowly crept through the temple windows.
Soon the daily routine began again.
Priests arrived first.
They lit candles.
Swept the stone floor.
Prepared incense for visitors.
One of the younger priests eventually noticed the empty shelf.
"…Wasn't there a statue here?"
Another priest shrugged.
"Probably moved during cleaning."
Eunwoo nodded.
"Excellent detective work."
The priests went back to their duties.
Apparently no one cared very much about the missing frog.
The temple doors opened soon after.
And the pilgrims returned.
The first visitor of the morning was a traveling hunter.
He approached the mirror cautiously while holding a bow across his back.
"I heard this mirror shows truth."
Eunwoo leaned forward.
"Yes hello."
The hunter stared into his reflection.
The system chimed.
DING.
Ability Detected: Precision Archery
Copy?
"Oh nice."
Copied.
A second later Eunwoo understood arrow trajectory, wind prediction, and hunting techniques.
He whistled.
"I could start a medieval sniper school."
Meanwhile the hunter blinked.
"…My aim suddenly feels better."
He looked down at his hands.
"That's strange."
Then he bowed slightly toward the mirror before leaving the chamber.
Another satisfied customer.
A merchant arrived next.
Then a farmer.
Then a wandering swordsman.
The usual crowd.
Eunwoo copied abilities automatically while half-paying attention.
Sword techniques.
Crop management.
Basic map reading.
His ability collection continued growing steadily.
But the temple still felt different.
Quieter somehow.
His gaze kept drifting toward the empty shelf.
"…I didn't even like that statue."
Still…
Something about the room felt incomplete.
Late morning arrived.
The pilgrims slowly thinned out.
And eventually—
Soft footsteps entered the chamber.
Careful footsteps.
Counting each step.
One.
Two.
Three.
Eunwoo looked toward the door.
Constance.
She walked slowly across the stone floor as usual, lightly brushing her fingers along the wall to guide herself.
Her head tilted slightly as she listened to the room.
Then she stopped.
"…Something is missing."
Eunwoo blinked.
"That was fast."
She turned her head toward the shelf.
"The frog statue."
Eunwoo sighed.
"Yep."
"Gone."
Constance slowly walked closer to the bench and sat down.
She rested her hands in her lap.
"I heard someone take it last night."
Eunwoo leaned forward.
"…You did?"
Of course she couldn't hear him.
But she nodded slightly to herself.
"A man."
Her voice remained calm.
"He walked very carefully."
Eunwoo frowned.
"She heard Harun?"
That hearing of hers was becoming increasingly impressive.
She continued softly.
"He picked up the statue."
She smiled faintly.
"It scraped against the wood."
Eunwoo rubbed his forehead.
"So you knew the whole time."
She leaned back against the wall.
"The room feels bigger now."
Eunwoo glanced at the empty shelf again.
"…Yeah."
For a while neither of them said anything.
The temple remained quiet.
Only the faint sound of wind outside filled the silence.
Eventually Constance spoke again.
"You talk less today."
Eunwoo froze.
"…Excuse me?"
She tilted her head toward the mirror.
"You usually think very loudly."
Eunwoo stared at her.
"That is not a thing."
But she smiled slightly.
"I can hear when someone is focused on the room."
Eunwoo slowly floated closer to the glass.
She wasn't actually hearing him.
Of course not.
But somehow she could sense when the mirror's attention shifted.
Which was… weirdly accurate.
Constance rested her chin in her hand.
"The temple feels different lately."
Eunwoo nodded.
"Understatement."
She continued softly.
"There are more soldiers."
"Yes."
"And the priests are worried."
"Also yes."
She paused for a moment.
Then asked quietly,
"Do you think someone will come to take the mirror?"
Eunwoo looked at the altar.
At himself.
At the soldiers occasionally walking past the temple doors.
"…Probably."
Of course she couldn't hear the answer.
But her expression turned thoughtful.
"I hope they don't break it."
Eunwoo blinked.
"That's… considerate."
She smiled faintly again.
"It would be lonely if the mirror disappeared."
Eunwoo didn't know why that sentence bothered him slightly.
He floated silently for a moment.
Then sighed.
"This whole situation is ridiculous."
Outside the temple walls, a horn sounded in the distance.
Not an alarm.
Just a signal from the patrols guarding the mountain road.
But the sound still made the soldiers in the courtyard shift nervously.
Something was coming.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
But soon.
Inside the chamber, the mirror and the blind girl sat quietly in the growing tension.
And somewhere far away—
Harun continued walking down a mountain road with an ugly frog statue hidden in his bag.