Gyaa!? I've Been Found Out!?

Okay. Time for a secret consultation while hiding my identity!

I'd hide my face with a mask, greet politely as a suspicious passerby, ask my questions while they eyed me warily from a distance, and then make a quick exit.

Karina-chan here! With my mask on — Phantom Thief Karina here! Let's do this!

 

 

… Optical camouflage, off!

"Pardon me, madam. May I borrow a moment?"

"Hm? … How did you get here?"

"A little magic. I've no intention of causing harm — for now — so please relax."

I swept into a theatrical bow. The aunties slid in front of Maria, ready to defend her. Oh, nice. Proper guard positioning.

"Recently, a young elf boy asked me to rescue his sister who'd been captured by pirates. When I questioned them, they said she'd become the lord's pet. I was wondering if you might know something about that."

"Elf… Ah. That girl. No worries — she's being escorted back to her homeland as we speak."

"Oh, really?"

"It would've become an international incident otherwise. We're sending generous reparations along with her. We've no desire to go to war with the elves… Also, you're the mage who wiped out those pirates, aren't you, Kari-chan?"

Geh — busted!?

"W-w-whatever do you mean, Maria-sama? I am not such a beautiful maiden."

"I've seen you naked. A mask won't fool me. Don't underestimate a former lord's wife, Kari-chan. At least pick a better mask."

"Ugh, well, that is… yes ma'am."

Maria shrugged. True, I'd recognized her at a glance too. Former lord's wife, huh. No wonder she gives off those motherly vibes.

"On our end, we were told to find the elf boy and return him as well. Then we heard the pirates tried to raid a licensed merchant ship, got taken out by a mage, their ship sunk, and the cargo was 'seized by a mage so we don't know where it went'…"

"Ah, yeah. I'm holding the cargo. And the elf boy."

"Good. If he's with you, he won't be mistreated, right?"

Well, he is in girls' clothes.

"Gomez had already gone too far; it was about time we dealt with him. And then he went after an elf. You saved us the trouble, Kari-chan… Punishment is the lord's son's job, but the minimum sentence is the mines."

"Oh? I figured he'd be released right away given his ties to the lord."

"Hah! I didn't raise my son that soft. If he tried that, I'd boot his ass and send him to the mines instead!"

Even if I hadn't acted, Gomez was done for.

Maria laughed heartily. If she says so, that's how it is!

"But Maria, why send the sister ahead without Dea — the elf boy?"

"Kari-chan, all the cargo vanishing into thin air was a big deal. With no leads on where to find him, the priority was returning the elf girl safely."

Gomez's crew had sailed outside their proper domain; Véraldo is at fault there.

"I'll send a bird to call her back. If you'd come yesterday, she'd still be here… When his sister arrives, will you return that Dea boy?"

"Okay. I'll keep him with me until then."

"Thanks. Given the nature of things, we can't make a big public fuss."

Maria shrugged again.

"Also, about the artifact Poseidon you destroyed—"

"Ah — sorry! I can't return it. Is that… going to be a problem?"

"We'll manage. We'll just say we incurred a god's wrath and let it go."

She backed off surprisingly easily. Is that really fine?

"We'd rather not repeat Alchemia."

"Oh. You know about that?"

"Of course. Who do you think I am?"

"A granny from the bathhouse who looks like she's been blessed with fertility and childrearing?"

"No lies detected."

Maria chuckled.

"Thanks to you, this whole mess will wrap up neatly."

"That's the job of a lord's family. As for your thievery and trespassing — we'll overlook it… It's not like my soldiers could capture you anyway."

"Yay, thanks Maria. Want a boob squeeze?"

"Save it for the bath. These girls are on duty."

And so the matter was amicably resolved.