Chapter 49

"Hey, you're just a kid, aren't you? What's wrong, little girl, are you lost?"

The man who had been shouting at her seemed to change his attitude slightly when he saw Lucy's appearance. After all, they were based in the Central District, and they probably didn't want to cause a public disturbance.

All Lucy had done was dramatically open the front door. With people around, it wasn't ideal to make a scene here.

Seriously, you should have at least locked the door. For a supposed thief, you're pretty careless.

But, is Lucy not as well-known as I thought? I would have thought someone with her appearance and the position of the head of the Mage Corps would be incredibly noticeable.

The man dealing with her didn't seem to recognize her as the head of the Mage Corps.

"Hmm, are you the 'Twilight Hand'?"

"---!"

"Wh-what?"

"Ahh..."

The moment Lucy spoke, the man moved incredibly fast. He quickly grabbed her by the collar and threw her inside. Then, with a loud *bang*, the front door was firmly shut.

"---Damn it! You're a handful, aren't you!"

This is what happens when you barge in without thinking!

I rushed to the door, but it seemed to have been locked as soon as it was closed. No matter how I pushed or pulled, it wouldn't budge.

"Hmm... Should I kick it down? No..."

Breaking down the door right away would be a bit embarrassing.

I could hear some sounds from inside, but the city is noisy, and my ears aren't good enough to pick out just the sounds from inside the room.

"Ughhhhhhh!!"

However, a loud, rough male scream echoed through the door, mocking my hesitation.

"---Oh, come on!"

I couldn't tell what was happening inside.

Since it wasn't Lucy's scream, she probably wasn't in immediate danger. But with a scream like that, I couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.

"Mui, step back!"

"Hey!?"

I put my strength into my thighs and kicked the door with all my might. If I had a sword, I could have easily broken through the wooden door, but all I had was a wooden sword. Given the situation, I had to resort to primitive methods, and I was worried about Lucy's rash actions.

It seemed the door's lock wasn't very sturdy. After a few kicks, it started to creak and warp.

"...It's open!"

Or rather, it's broken.

With one final kick, the lock made an unpleasant *crack* and broke. I immediately opened the door and rushed inside.

When I entered, I saw a man lying on the ground, writhing. He was covering his face with his hands, and there was a faint smoke coming from it.

Oh no, Lucy must have burned his face. I hope he doesn't have severe burns. I don't want to end up like that.

"What the hell are you guys!"

I didn't see the whole thing, but it seemed Lucy had done something. The rough-looking men were suddenly agitated.

Looking around, it seemed we had entered a living room. There was a decent amount of space, with an oval table in the center and scattered chairs, some of which were broken.

In the room, there were five men and one woman. I could see a staircase leading upstairs, so there might be more people there.

"Hey, Beryl, good work. But that was pretty rude, throwing her in like that."

Lucy, the center of the commotion, didn't seem anxious or guilty.

The man on the ground had stopped groaning but was still rolling around, holding his face.

"Hey, you brat...!"

One of the men surrounding us spoke up, his voice filled with anger and frustration.

However, the thieves were paralyzed by the sudden and inexplicable events. At least it was better than them immediately attacking.

"Two weird kids and an old man... huh?"

Another man's gaze shifted to Mui.

"Hey, you... I've seen you before..."

His tone shifted from uncertainty to certainty.

"..."

Mui tensed up slightly.

"You don't have to listen to them. You're doing the right thing."

I placed my hand on her head.

Mui doesn't need to blame herself. Even if this was a mistake, it was Lucy and I who pushed for it. We, the adults, should take responsibility, not her.

I instinctively patted her head, but maybe I should have put my hand on her shoulder. I don't want to be disliked by kids.

"Wait, you...!"

The hand pointing at Mui was trembling slightly.

With a mix of surprise and accusation in his voice, Mui couldn't meet his gaze and looked down.

"Damn brat!!"

Realizing something, one of the men lunged at Mui.

However, I knocked his hand away with my wooden sword.

"Oof!?"

"Sorry, but I have to get involved."

"Go for it, Beryl. Finish it."

During the brief fight, Lucy's relaxed voice cut in.

You need to work too. Do your best, but don't go overboard. Mages are hard to control, really.

The wooden sword was hard to swing in the confined space, but the man didn't seem very skilled in combat, so it might be manageable.

"---What's going on here?"

Just as I pushed back the man who had lunged at us, a large man appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Boss! Intruders!!"

The female thief reported the situation in a high-pitched voice.

If he's the boss, then he's probably the leader of this group. If he's Twilight, this will be easier, but I'm not sure.

"---Twilight...!"

As I was thinking, Mui muttered heavily.

Oh, so he's definitely Twilight. I want to take him down quickly and leave. The cleanup can be left to the knights.

"What's this, a grand welcome? This is right in the middle of the capital, you know?"

The large man, who had descended the stairs, spoke with a surprisingly calm demeanor.

...He's tall, taller than me. From his build, he seems quite strong. Every time he moved, the sound of metal clinking could be heard. He was wearing several pieces of jewelry, like necklaces and bracelets.

At his waist, he carried a small, well-worn short sword.

"Are you 'Twilight'?"

"I don't have to answer that."

I asked just to be sure, but the large man with long hair tied back answered with a nonchalant attitude.

Even though he didn't deny it, the fact that his subordinate had shouted "intruders" confirmed that this was the base of the thieves. The woman had also called him "boss," confirming his leadership.

So, whether or not this man is Twilight, we have a good reason to arrest them.

The worst-case scenario would have been if Mui was lying or mistaken and we hurt an innocent citizen, but that seems to have been avoided. It would have been bad for the knights and the Mage Corps if we mistreated innocent citizens, especially since Lucy is here on a mission.

"---Hmm? What was your name... Ah, Mui, right? What are you doing here?"

The man, presumably Twilight, scratched his head and called out Mui's name.

"Oh, right, right. What are you doing, bringing such dangerous people here? Are you here to revive your sister with resurrection magic---"

The moment he said "resurrection magic," the atmosphere changed.

Lucy, in particular, was now radiating a clear killing intent.

"---Mocking magic, are you?"

Her cold voice echoed in the room.

"Huh? What's this, kid... You're Lucy Diamond?"

The man's relaxed attitude changed.

It seemed he recognized Lucy's identity and position, but his tone was questioning. I wondered how well he knew her.

"Hmph, even thieves know my name."

"Haha, it's an honor to meet you. So, you're the one who deceived our Mui?"

"You're the ones deceiving her."

"Ooh, scary, scary. That's a terrible story."

They continued to exchange verbal jabs.

While trying to intimidate each other with words, Twilight slowly closed the distance.

What should I do? Should I step forward?

I know Lucy is strong and doesn't need protection, but this is a confined space.

She can't use flashy magic here; the impact would be too great. When we sparred, we were in a wide-open area in the Central District with few buildings and people.

I don't know what Twilight is capable of.

If he's a fighter, closing the distance would give him more options. It might be dangerous to let him get too close.

While I was thinking, the distance between them had closed to the point where they could almost touch.

"Then, how about... I die first?"

Twilight's eyes sharpened.

He stepped up to Lucy and raised his right arm. A metallic sound echoed in the room.

The surrounding thugs were completely passive, their expressions ranging from relief to contempt and confidence. They must have a lot of faith in their boss.

What will Twilight do? What will Lucy do?

Everyone in the room, including me, was watching their every move.

Lucy Diamond was the first to move. With a small sigh, she raised her right hand.

"---Gah!"

In the next instant, Twilight's eyes rolled back, and he fell to his knees, powerless.

A mere thief can't beat the head of the Mage Corps!

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