You Can't Reach Every Hand That Needs Help

When Yohane explained the situation to the guard patrol, they mobilized without needing to go through Jacob.

It seemed Logos had already been on their radar.

The guards were somewhat skeptical, but four of them accompanied Yohane back to the scene.

Azu and the others had just finished sitting the unconscious thugs and Logos down and binding their hands behind their backs.

The receptionist woman was nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, she'd already been gone by the time Yohane stepped outside.

Shouldn't be a problem.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

With that, the guards hauled Logos and his men to their feet and led them away.

The kind of people where the more you dug, the more dirt you found.

After a stretch of bad food in a cell, it'd be either hard labor or deportation.

The remaining money Logos had on him would be seized and put toward taxes.

And the money Yohane had won? Since Logos couldn't prove it was his, it stayed right where it was.

"Ended up being a good job after all."

"I'm glad I could be of help."

Azu puffed out her chest as she said that.

Yohane was genuinely impressed by how smoothly they'd handled everything.

"Now then, there's still the matter of that girl."

The slave girl Logos had been keeping was still in the back room.

When a master was arrested, slave law often left ownership in limbo.

For minor crimes, the master would be out quickly enough that it wouldn't matter, but Logos wasn't coming back to this house.

Even if the girl went outside, her status was her status. Nothing good would come of it.

Yohane didn't regret punishing a small-time crook like Logos on the side while making a profit, but he didn't want to cause unnecessary collateral damage because of it.

What to do, then.

The guards would come back here to secure evidence.

In that case, the slave girl would most likely be taken into custody.

The current guard patrol had a strong sense of morality.

In other words, staying here was probably better than trying to run.

That much, at least, he should tell her.

Yohane walked to the back and opened the door.

Inside the room, the slave girl was trembling.

So this was how an ordinary slave would react.

This appeared to be Logos's room, decorated in rather tasteless fashion.

"U-um…"

"Logos is gone. He was arrested."

"I… see."

The slave girl looked up at Yohane with tear-brimmed eyes.

Young as she was, or perhaps because of it, her gestures seemed designed to stir protective instincts.

Logos had been violent toward her, but he'd still been her backer.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"Don't go outside. Stay here. When the guards come back, ask for protection. I'll let them know about you, too."

Even without a master, she'd likely be provided basic food, clothing, and shelter in exchange for some kind of work. Yohane was considering offering a small amount of aid as well.

Given the sympathetic circumstances, there was even a chance they'd free her from her slave status.

"You won't help me?"

"Sorry, but I've come to realize I don't have enough hands to help just anyone."

The matter of Kanaha's disappearance still wasn't resolved.

And he didn't think this girl could do the kinds of things Azu and the others could.

"Even though this is your fault?"

"Yeah."

The slave girl stood up, approached Yohane, and tried to grab his hand.

But Azu stopped her.

The girl looked at Azu, puzzled.

"Why are you stopping me?"

"Because he's my Master."

"… I see."

The girl returned to where she'd been sitting and hugged a cushion to her chest without looking their way.

It seemed she'd decided that asking Yohane for help was pointless.

"It might be rough for a while, but good things happen if you stay alive."

"They never have."

After that, the girl stopped talking.

Yohane left the room, a bitter taste lingering.

Should he have helped her after all?

But that was a road with no end.

There were other children in similar circumstances.

If he couldn't extend his hand to all of them, he had no choice but to compromise.

He renewed his resolve to take care of those closest to him first.

They left Logos's house.

There didn't seem to be any connection to the thieves.

He'd thought maybe Kanaha might have been confined here, but that lead turned up nothing.

Azu and the others had searched thoroughly, but found no connection.

There was nothing left for them here. As Yohane started to leave, Azu took hold of his right hand.

"What's wrong?"

"No particular reason."

"I see."

Yohane let it be.

Azu's hand was warm and soft.

"Then I call the left hand!"

"Hey, what are you doing, Elza?"

"Well, at least it wasn't a wasted trip."

"Yeah."

When they returned to the shop, Yohane noticed something was off.

"What is it?"

"No… this is…"

He let go of Azu's and Elza's hands and hurried to check the warehouse.

The lock was still in place, but there were signs that someone had tried to force it open.

"I see. So they came while I was away."

"Could it be the thieves again?!"

"Probably."

Yohane moved to the storefront.

Kaimol and the other employees were busy working away.

"Oh, boss. What's up?"

"Kaimol, did you hear any noise from the back?"

"Uh, let me think. Now that you mention it, I did hear something. I figured something fell over in the warehouse, but we'd been slammed up until just now, so I was going to check later. Did something happen?"

"I see. No, it's fine. Keep running the shop."

"Got it."

Kaimol seemed curious about what had happened but went back to work.

Yohane retreated to the back.

Azu and the others looked a little worried.

"The nerve of them. Not just once, but twice."

Yohane let out a sigh. He'd finally been basking in the relief of finishing a job, and now this.

If they hadn't been able to get into the warehouse, his own room, which was even more secure, should be fine.

"Azu."

"Yes."

"We're catching them. I don't need any more headaches."

"Of course."

"But how? We did a lot of asking around, but we didn't really get much info."

At Elza's words, Yohane folded his arms with a hmph.

"If we can't find them, we'll make them come to us."

"A trap. That could actually work. They came away empty-handed this time, so it's entirely possible they'll try again."

"Exactly. A cautious thief wouldn't hit the same shop twice."

Yohane felt a spark of irritation building.