After drying myself off, I set out to look for those three little pranksters. The rain had stopped completely, leaving the air fresh and damp, with puddles reflecting the cloudy sky. As I walked through the Youkai forest, I couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and irritation.

  I was Mirage Carl, a magician who specialized in tricks and deception. I had fooled countless people with my illusions, misdirection, and sleight of hand—yet here I was, tricked by a trio of mischievous fairies. The irony wasn't lost on me. Mystia had even ughed herself breathless at my expense.

  Then again, she was no saint either. Sometimes, she liked to py small pranks on me too. One time, she 'accidentally' switched my sugar with salt when I was having tea. Another time, she set up an eborate fake ghost in the forest, hoping to scare me. I saw through it instantly, but I pyed along just to mess with her.

  I sighed, pushing those thoughts aside.

  The three fairies had flown toward the shrine. That was my best lead, so I decided to check there first. Though I doubted Reimu would actually keep them at the shrine, it was possible she had some idea where they liked to hide.

  I climbed the long stone stairs leading up to the Hakurei Shrine. The steps were still wet from the rain, making my climb slightly treacherous. I had to be careful not to slip. As I ascended, I could hear the faint rustling of leaves in the trees nearby. Maybe they were watching me, waiting for another chance to pull a prank.

  Upon reaching the top, I found Reimu sitting on her veranda, sipping tea. She barely spared me a gnce before letting out a long sigh, as if already tired of whatever I was about to say.

  "What do you want, Carl?" she asked zily.

  I adjusted my hat and crossed my arms. "Reimu, have you seen three annoying little fairies flying around here?"

  She took another sip of her tea before responding. "You mean Star Sapphire, Sunny Milk, and Luna Child?"

  "Yeah, those three. They drenched me in rain just now."

  Reimu chuckled. "You? Tricked by fairies? That's hirious."

  I groaned. "Yeah, yeah, ugh it up. I need to find them and teach them a lesson."

  Reimu shrugged. "Good luck with that. Those three are surprisingly good at hiding. Even when they cause trouble, I usually don't bother chasing them."

  That wasn't exactly the answer I wanted.

  "Come on, you live here. You have to know where they go after pulling their pranks."

  She set down her teacup and stretched. "I don't think they live around my shrine, but they do visit from time to time. I'm pretty sure they have some sort of hideout in the Forest of Magic."

  I frowned. "The Forest of Magic? That pce is huge. Finding them there would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

  Reimu shrugged. "Well, I did hear that Marisa got pranked by them before. She might know where they're hiding."

  I blinked. "Marisa too?"

  A grin slowly spread across my face. The thought of Marisa, the so-called "Ordinary Magician," getting pranked was strangely satisfying.

  "Thanks for the info," I said, turning to leave. But before I could take a step, I felt a firm grip on my sleeve.

  I turned back to see Reimu holding out her empty hand expectantly.

  "What?" I asked, confused. "There's nothing in your hand."

  She smirked. "Information fee."

  I immediately tried to bolt, but her grip tightened like an iron vice. No matter how much I struggled, she wouldn't let go.

  "Come on, Reimu! I barely have any money as it is!" I protested.

  She didn't budge. "Not my problem."

  The gold coins I had with me were gone, but I still had the money I earned from working at Mystia's stand and from my magic shows.

  I offered her only 10 Mon. "That's not enough," she said, her tone a bit impatient. "I'm afraid the information costs 100 Mon."

  With a defeated sigh, I fished out the 100 Mon and pced it in her palm. Reimu's expression softened as she pocketed the money and gave me a satisfied nod.

  As I turned to leave, she happily pocketed the money and waved me off. "Come again~"

  Muttering under my breath about shrine maidens and daylight robbery, I trudged off toward the Forest of Magic.