𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞
“That’s far enough!”
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Alma’s voice echoed in the dimly lit tavern.
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At her voice, the four men seated at the table turned around all at once.
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“You are suspected of robbing the Chamber of Commerce. Surrender peacefully.”
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The men who were about to rise to that voice stopped moving when they saw Sicily at the entrance, armed with a weapon.
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“What are you talking about? It’s outrageous to accuse innocent citizens like us of robbery, isn’t it? What a way to speak, huh? You guards!”
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The man spoke with a feigned ignorance.
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“After all, we don’t have anything on us. Search us if you want, but you do know what will happen if we turn out to be innocent, right?!”
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The men stood up, hurling abusive words at each other while kicking their chairs.
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“It’s not there, you know. It’s here.”
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At that moment, the men turned around in surprise at the voice that came from behind the counter.
It was Luke, holding a heavy-looking leather bag.
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“The barkeeper is asleep. Probably, he gathered information about the stores likely to be burgled, and you guys executed the plan. If you return the stolen money and turn yourselves in now, your punishment might be lighter.”
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“Don’t mess with us! We won’t let the likes of you interfere!”
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Suddenly, one of the men lunged at Alma.
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He was clutching an axe, likely hidden under the table.
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Alma blocked the axe with the armguard on her left arm.
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With a heavy sound, the axe was deflected, and at the same time, her palm struck the man’s chin.
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A few minutes later, all the men were crawling on the floor.
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“You’re pretty amazing for someone who can’t use innate magic.”
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“W, Well, that’s because Luke trained me.”
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Alma blushed with pride at Luke’s admiration.
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“With just swordsmanship and physical skills, Alma is top class among the guards. Her nickname is ‘The Black Berserk Princess.’”
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“Who’s a berserker!”
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Alma shouted with a flushed face at Sicily’s teasing remark.
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“Well, well, let’s wrap this up and go back to patrolling after we escort them.”
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While tying up the men, Luke let out a wry smile.
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◆
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“Cheers!!!”
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Cheers echoed through the tavern.
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The sound of glasses clinking was followed by throaty gulps and sighs of joy.
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“Ah, nothing beats a drink after work!”
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Sicily let out a big sigh and slammed her glass on the table.
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“Hey Sicily, mind your manners.”
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“Come on, let’s be unruly just for today! Excuse me, can we get three more ales here!”
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She ordered more ale and leaned on the table, looking at Luke in front of her.
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“All thanks to you, Luke.”
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“Oh, it wasn’t much.”
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Luke replied, tilting his glass.
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“It’s not just that! There were five arrests today, five! It’s absolutely incredible! All thanks to Luke, no, thanks to Luke-sama!”
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Sicily bowed deeply.
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“Hey, really Sicily. . .”
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Alma, though scolding, had a relaxed smile.
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Alma’s team arrested two thieves in the morning and tackled theft and illegal trading in the afternoon, achieving a record success for the guard.
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It was a triumphant day for Alma as well.
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And all thanks to Luke.
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Without Luke’s analysis and tracking, these resolutions would have been impossible.
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“It’s amazing how you pinpoint the criminal’s location just by analyzing the scene. If you keep this up, there’ll be no crime left in this city in a month. Drink up, Luke!”
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“Glad to help. . . but that comes with its own problems.”
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Luke was handed a new glass by Sicily and he gave a wry smile.
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“I’d rather not stand out too much.”
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“You could become a hero of the town. Show your old school and uncle what you’re made of.”
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“No, I’m not interested in that.”
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Luke waved his hand.
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“Even if I seek revenge, it won’t change the past, you know. Instead, I want to avoid getting involved in trouble because of standing out strangely. It might cause trouble for both of us. However, I can’t just overlook the crime. . . What should I do? “
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Luke pondered, then looked up as if struck by an idea.
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“How about this? I’ll keep analyzing like today, but pass the results to other guards through you two. This way, we can prevent crime without taking all the credit.”
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“Eh, that’s no fun. Let’s just make the arrests.”
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“I agree with Luke.”
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Alma calms down Sicily, who pouts her lips.
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“If we keep succeeding alone, other guards might become jealous or suspicious. It could affect our work and personal lives.”
Alma, having experienced jealousy and envy at school, spoke with conviction.
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“True, attracting too much attention from criminals is risky. Spreading the arrests among the guards might be wiser.”
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“Hmm. . . that does make sense. Let’s go with that, it seems safer!”
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Being a merchant’s daughter, Sicily was quick to weigh the pros and cons.
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“Then, from now on, Luke will subtly disseminate the results of his investigation to other teams, and we’ll let them handle the arrests. But we can make some arrests sometimes too, right? Otherwise, it would seem unnatural.”
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“Of course. I’ll take care of the balance with my analysis.”
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Hearing this, Sicily nodded in satisfaction and lifted her glass.
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Luke and Alma followed suit.
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“So, here’s to our bright future. . . Cheers!”
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And once again, the sound of clinking glasses echoed through the tavern.
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