Chapter 71

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"Still, I can't believe how tidy it is... There's not even a scrap of paper or a note on the floor. You didn't clean up before the inspection team came, did you?"

"I've always been mindful of organization. There are many dangerous chemicals and materials, and I also manage inventory by returning everything to its designated place."

I clean the floor and the tabletop every day after work, but that's about it. I also keep a list of items I rarely use and store them in an expansion bag or the warehouse to prevent clutter.

I try to keep the space as open as possible and ensure that I can immediately find what I need, or else I can't work efficiently.

However, in other alchemists' workshops, things are usually messy, and the corners are often cluttered with old documents that haven't been cleaned up, covered in dust.

Even Lady Cornelia's workshop was like that. She didn't let her servants in, saying, "If you touch anything, I won't know where anything is," so it was always a mess inside.

But she often couldn't remember which expansion bag she had put her materials in, or she would be searching through piles of books on the floor, trying to find something she thought was there. It seemed she didn't really know where anything was.

When I was given a workspace, Lady Cornelia's things started to invade my space, and the area I could use gradually became smaller... That happened too.

While answering the inspection team's questions, I noticed that there was some commotion on the street in front of the workshop. From the other side, someone was running towards us, shouting my name loudly.

"Riana~~! Bad guys! I caught bad guys~~!"

Amber, with a broad smile, ran up, holding a large man tightly bound with ropes above her head. She threw the man, who she had tied up, at my feet, which were frozen in place as I peeked out of the workshop.

"Ow!! Huh, huhuhu!!"

The man, who had been dragged along the cobblestones and had a rope in his mouth, was trying to shout something. It must have been something like, "Ouch, you brat..." I couldn't help but wonder what he was shouting, but what exactly happened? Even though she said she caught bad guys, I didn't know how to react without hearing the story first.

The inspection team was also stunned by Amber's action of bringing a bound man.

"Riana, this is the guy! He came to my place to steal the method of making Riana's magic stones, broke the door, and tried to lay hands on Anna, but Amber, I beat him back and knocked him down in a cool way!"

"Huh? Anna...? Amber, what happened?"

"Oh, right. Fred told me to give you this."

She pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. It looked more like a hastily written note than a letter. Fred usually writes neatly, but this was messy, and the ink had bled in a few places because it hadn't dried before he folded it.

"To Riana,

It seems they are part of the group that invaded the workshop.

They tried to take Anna as a hostage.

There are two more besides the man Amber brought.

Please send the inspection team.

I couldn't help but feel a bit relieved, imagining Fred frantically writing a note and trying to stop Amber from running off to show me her catch.

"Riana, I protected Anna from the bad guys just as you asked!"

"Ah, thank you, Amber... You did a great job, and I'm glad I asked you."

I had only intended to give her an excuse to stay home, but it turned out she had worked hard as Anna's guard. I couldn't say anything else but, "Thank you for doing such a good job," with a grateful expression.

I was the most surprised that we actually needed a guard...

Since an incident had occurred at our home, I decided to go there. I was also worried about how much of a mess Amber had made, as she said, "It got a little messy when I caught them."

We would take the bound man to the inspection team headquarters and then head to our home. On the way, I tried to understand what had happened while dealing with Amber's enthusiastic storytelling.

Anna and I had recently talked about how "It's still too dangerous to let her go to the market alone." I doubt Fred thought that the first errand he asked Amber to do would be to "deliver a bound criminal to the inspection team"...

"Anna! ...And Fred! Are you both okay?"

"I'm fine, Amber caught the three thieves quickly, so no one was hurt."

"Hey! Riana, I told you Amber beat them all down in a cool way!"

"Sorry, sorry, you're both important to me, so I got worried."

There was a crowd gathered at the apartment building where we lived. There were more onlookers than at the workshop, and several unfamiliar people were inside the building. Some were peering down the corridor where the two bound men were lying.

I need to apologize to the building manager and the other residents once this is over... I'll have to buy more expensive gifts than planned.

"Good work, Riana."

"Fred! I'm sorry, you were supposed to be sleeping after your night shift..."

"No, no, the incident kept me awake, so I wasn't sleeping anyway."

He was trying to make me feel better, but he clearly looked tired. I always owe him so much, and now I'm causing him trouble again...

"I had to write the note in a hurry, but did you understand it?"

"Yes, I asked Amber a lot on the way here, so I think I got it, but can I confirm with the inspection team here...?"

"Sure, but I was only called after Amber had taken them down. So, Anna, can you tell us what happened from the beginning, even if it's just what you remember?"

Thanks to the inspection team, the onlookers inside the building were safely guided away.

Fred, who was talking to the inspection team, shifted the focus to Anna.

Even though she was unharmed thanks to Amber's protection, it must have been a terrifying experience to have three criminals suddenly break into the house. I stood beside her, holding her hand, hoping to support her as she recounted the events.

"About the time Riana left for the workshop, someone knocked on the door. They said, 'Hello, it's the inspection team. We have some questions about the workshop incident, please open the door.' I had a bad feeling, so I didn't unlock the door right away and checked the situation."

"I see, they were pretending to be the inspection team. But not even introducing themselves is quite sloppy, isn't it?"

"That's what I thought. The real inspection team member who came to inform Riana about the incident introduced himself, gave his name, and even showed the inspection team's seal through the peephole."

...Anna seemed very enthusiastic about her testimony. She was telling the story so smoothly that I was surprised.

"Ah, and then?"

"I thought it was suspicious, so I asked them to show something to prove they were from the inspection team. They started whispering to each other, and I felt very uneasy. They asked me to open the peephole, but I was too scared to do it."

"Yes... The peephole has a metal grille, and it turned out to be the right decision not to open it."

"Then, what do you think they did? They started trying to break the door, especially around the lock!"

"I see, that's why this part is damaged. This... looks like the work of magic or a magical tool. Hey, get a mage to check this out."

The building has brick walls on the outside, but the interior, including the walls and floors, is made of wood. The door is made of thick, sturdy wood, and it has a lock, but it's not impossible to break in with force.

However, people who engage in criminal activities usually don't take such risks. We should really move to a place that fits our income better. Besides security, I think it would be better if Anna had her own room.

That would mean we wouldn't be neighbors with Fred anymore... Thinking about that makes me a bit uneasy. It feels lonely and a bit unsettling.

"Then, as they tried to break in, one of the men said, 'Tell us everything you know about the artificial magic stone, or else...' and just as they were about to force their way in, Amber jumped out in front of me and struck the first man in the forehead, instantly knocking him out."

"Amazing!"

"Next, she quickly took down the second man, who was still confused, by wrapping her leg around his neck and choking him out. The first man fell and the second man lost consciousness almost simultaneously. It was so quick!"

While thinking about security, the story had turned into an adventure tale with Amber as the hero. I kept praising her every time she added, "Wasn't that cool?" or "I did this and that!"

Without Anna's explanation, I wouldn't have understood what Amber had done. At least, no one was hurt because Amber was there, and that's a relief.

...But the inspection team members seemed to be enjoying the story a bit too much, didn't they?