An Act of Justice

That woman got me drunk and humiliated me.

So I must retaliate. This is justice!

After the drinking match, I had the commercial guild watched until morning to find her inn, but she never came out.

Even with a man on the back door. Where did she go? Did she slip away somehow?

"Boss! We found that woman!"

"Finally!"

I was stewing in frustration when the report came. Lucky me.

"Where is that wench!?"

"The port. The boys are guiding her to our warehouse, so by now…"

"Heh heh. Good. That's what you get for defying me, woman."

Even if she's roughed up, a little healing magic can fix it.

We have those connections. We're the lord's own privateers, after all.

"Maybe I'll cut her tendons and keep her on the ship. Hey — fetch a slaver."

"Aye! Heh heh, Boss, let us have a turn too."

"After I'm done! Gahaha!"

I headed to the warehouse where we'd caught her.

But it was quieter than I expected.

Huh? I thought they'd be having fun — then I noticed my men on the floor at my feet.

"Huh? Did she resist and thrash you — wait, all of you?"

Not just one. Three on the floor. One stuck in the ceiling. Five sprawled over cargo.

And one person standing there without a scratch.

"What is the meaning of this!"

Think, idiot. She beat my men.

Is she really that strong… a mage? I switched gears immediately.

"You! You broke into my warehouse to steal, didn't you!?"

Right. She's a robber who broke into my warehouse. She felled my security by cowardly means and tried to steal cargo!

If she's a robber, justice is on my side. I've got discretionary authority from the lord — I will judge her!

"… No? They called me in. I figured you wanted to see me."

"Silence, thief! I witnessed you — no excuses!"

"Oh, you really want me to be a robber? Hm."

She grinned. Why so calm?

"Then I'll rob you! Ahahaha!"

"What!?"

She laughed aloud. Lost it? No — she must have a trump card like the magic she used on my men. I planted my feet.

Snap.

In the blink between closing and opening my eyes, everything was gone.

"… Huh?"

Not everything. My men lay around, starting to stir.

But the cargo that had filled the warehouse was gone, revealing wide open floor.

And the woman was gone.

"Eh? Ah?"

Everything in my warehouse had vanished.

Robbery — this is robbery!? What is happening!?

"W-what did you DO!?"

My shout echoed off empty walls.

No reply…

"Gomez. What is this? This wasn't the arrangement."

"S-sorry. I don't — hey, you lot! What happened!?"

"W-we can move. Boss! That monster—"

"She netted us like fish in a trawl—"

Excuses poured out. Irrelevant. They failed, and the woman vanished with the cargo.

"Damn it, the cargo! No way she moved all that in an instant! It's gotta be hidden somewhere!!"

"Hiding it in an instant is…"

"Search!!"

I set them to search the warehouse.

But — obviously, there was no cargo to be found in an empty warehouse.