Chapter 43

"Give it back! Give it back right now!"

"Whoa!"

The moment the girl asked if the dropped item was a pendant, she sprang up and tried to grab my collar. However, I couldn't just let her grab me, so I deftly dodged.

From her movements, it didn't seem like she had any combat training. Her agility seemed to be specialized for pickpocketing.

"…This!"

"Hey, calm down. I didn't say I wouldn't return it."

The girl, whose attempt to grab me was thwarted, stumbled forward a few steps and glared at me with heavy breathing. Oh, scary. This killing intent is not something a young girl should be able to emit. It's clear she has been in a harsh environment.

To me, the environment that has shaped this young girl to emit such killing intent is more frightening than the killing intent itself. In any case, the emergence of such people in the shadows of national prosperity is, in a sense, inevitable. But I can't help feeling frustrated. Well, there's nothing I can do about it.

"Since it would be troublesome if we draw attention, it would be nice if you could stay quiet."

I suggested this to avoid causing a commotion, and it seems my message was correctly conveyed. Her eyes are still sharp, but at least she has closed her mouth, which is a relief.

For her, it's probably not desirable to draw attention from others. She has likely been up to no good before.

"To cut to the chase, I don't have the pendant right now."

"What…?"

The girl's already stern expression became even more prickly.

"I've left it at the Reberio Knights' headquarters, as a lost item."

"…Damn!"

This should give her a general idea of what happened. I haven't done anything wrong. I just happened to find it and, since it seemed to be an important accessory, I left it with one of the most prominent organizations in Baltray.

And the girl in front of me should understand that it's not right to blame me for this. That's why she can only express her frustration through a frustrated sigh.

"I'm not trying to be mean. If the owner is found, I can return the pendant. But I need you to come with me."

It's almost certain that she tried to pickpocket me yesterday. It's also almost certain that she's not a first-time offender.

However, there's no evidence. Just by looking at her, she seems like someone who could do such things, but I didn't actually catch her in the act, so it would be unrealistic to take her to the authorities.

On the other hand, if I were asked whether I could let a suspected criminal go free, I would have some qualms. There's no guarantee that someone won't become a victim of pickpocketing while I go to retrieve the pendant from the knights' headquarters.

So, the compromise is to take her with me. Maybe I'll have someone like Alyssia give her a lecture. Using the Reberio Knights' commander for such a small matter might seem a bit much, but it's an option.

"…Damn, fine."

The girl seems to have run out of better ideas. After a few moments of hesitation, she decided to follow me. However, she's not trusting me. The fact that she chose to follow me quietly suggests that the pendant is very important to her. If that's the case, she shouldn't have dropped it, but what's done is done.

"Let's go then. As long as you don't do anything, I won't either, okay?"

The girl responded to my words with a reluctant sigh. This kid really has bad behavior.

"What's your name?"

"Shut up. I have nothing to tell an old man."

Even as we walked, this was her response when I tried to start a conversation. I'm aware that I'm an old man, but it's a bit disheartening to be told so directly.

"O-Okay. I understand you have your reasons, but I don't really recommend that kind of thing."

When I tried to give her a lecture, I got a slightly embarrassed response.

Hmm, just from this reaction, it doesn't seem like she enjoys pickpocketing. I'm really curious about her circumstances, but I'm not her parent, guardian, or guardian, so I have no reason to get involved.

The girl following me a bit to my right and slightly behind seems like a typical young girl in appearance. She doesn't have the same strange aura as Lucy. Her dull blue hair reaches just to her shoulders. Her cheeks look slightly sunken, and she doesn't look very healthy. Her eyes are slightly slanted, and her pale brown eyes watch me warily. She seems shorter than the petite Kurni. Her figure, hidden under her robe, is far from feminine, more like a thinner version of Fissel.

In summary, she has the appearance of a thin, aggressive young girl. Given that she works as a pickpocket, her daily diet probably isn't very good.

I feel like I've picked up a stray cat by chance. I'm not going to take care of her, and there's no guarantee that our paths will cross again.

"We're here. I assume you know this place."

"……"

"I'm not planning to turn you in. At least not now."

As we approached the knights' headquarters, the girl's vigilance clearly increased. Well, considering the kind of things she does, the knights would probably seem like her worst enemies.

But as I said, I don't plan to turn her in. I do intend to have her receive a lecture from someone important, though.

"Excuse me."

I called out to the guardhouse next to the headquarters, leading the girl who looked like she was about to roar.

"Yes…? Oh, it's you, Gardnart. …Is this another lost child?"

"No, no. This seems to be the owner of the pendant I just handed over."

The knight who responded was the one I had given the pendant to. He glanced at the girl for a moment, then asked if she was a lost child, which I denied. I wonder if the knights also take care of lost children. They really have a wide range of duties.

"I see. I'll go get it."

The knight seemed to understand my explanation and went inside.

"…Just so you know, trying to grab it at the moment of transfer will be futile."

"…Damn."

By preemptively addressing the possibility, I received a bitter sigh in return. If I were in her position, I would definitely try that. Unfortunately, I understand how mischievous children think very well.

"Here you are. Is this it?"

"That's it! Give it back!"

"…It seems so. This time, I'll be the one to keep it."

The moment the knight handed over the pendant, the girl roared. However, I won't let her take it directly from the knight. I'll keep it firmly.

"Hey! That's enough! Give it back!"

"Um… Mr. Gardnart?"

"Hehe… Sorry, she's a bit mischievous."

Ignoring the suddenly noisy girl, the knight, who had completed the handover, asked me hesitantly. I will return it, but not just yet. After she receives a valuable lecture from someone like Alyssia or Hembritz.

"What's going on? It's so noisy… Oh, teacher."

Just as I was dodging the girl, who was reaching out to try to snatch the pendant, a third person's stern voice rang out.

"Alyssia, you're just in time."

I responded to the voice.

She was probably on her way home after finishing her work for the day. She was dressed in the same relatively casual outfit, centered around a leather jacket, as when she came to pick me up in Bideen Village. What perfect timing. I had brought her this far, but I was unsure if I could just take her inside.

"Um… Teacher, who is this girl…?"

After taking in the scene with me, the knight, and the girl, Alyssia's voice and gaze, tinged with confusion, were directed not at me but at the girl next to me.

"Ah, well, how should I put it…"

"Could it be… the teacher's secret child…!?"

"No, that's not it!?"

I almost burst out laughing. No, that's not it. Smart readers may have already noticed, but Alyssia is just a little bit clumsy.