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“The thief who calls themselves a ‘phantom thief’—the ‘Red Ram’… Well, calling them just a thief is a bit simplistic, but for the sake of official terminology, we’ll proceed with that classification.”
“‘REDRUM¹‘—that’s ‘MURDER’ spelled backward, right? For such a macabre alias, are they really just a thief?”
“As expected of you, Lady Clara. You’re quite knowledgeable. —Yes, as of now, there have been no reports of any loss of life.”
“Foreign script, huh…? Well, for a Shrine Maiden, this is basic knowledge one should naturally have.”

Eliza’s pointed remark was promptly echoed by the oldest of the apprentice Shrine Maidens accompanying her, who nodded as if it were only natural. When I first pointed it out, the way they both went, ‘Ah…!’ in unison—let’s just pretend I didn’t see that.

Marina, who was leading the explanation, elegantly ignored the exchange and, after confirming there were no other objections from those gathered, continued.

“Their—whether ‘his’ or ‘her’—activities were first officially confirmed around six months ago. It all began when a letter of forewarning was delivered to a female fortune teller who had gained some reputation in the lower town for her remarkably accurate readings. The message read, ‘I shall soon come to take something dear to you.'”

Eliza and I remained under the protection of the Adventurers’ Guild’s guest quarters.

With us were Cestlavie, left as my attendant, and one of Eliza’s apprentice Shrine Maidens.

Then, there were six elite templar knights—the prized warriors of the Saintess Church—dispatched from Sant’Angelo for our protection, including Father Lawrence. They were supposed to be formidable, but judging by their contented expressions and occasional burps, they seemed rather… carefree.

And then there was Sir Simon—who, despite everything, was still here, acting like he belonged. He even had the nerve to get a second helping of katsudon for his late-night meal—along with his attendant, Emil.

Finally, in addition to the guild’s original guards, there was also Deputy Guildmaster Tarki—along with…

“Oh yes, my apologies for the delayed introduction. This is an adventurer party we’ve hastily recruited to serve as your bodyguards.”

Perhaps noticing my dubious gaze, Deputy Guildmaster Tarki introduced a party of five female adventurers standing in the corner of the room.

“For tonight, we have been entrusted with the protection of you Shrine Maidens. I am Kaisa, leader of Twinfang of the Snowy Peaks, an adventurer party affiliated with the Thera Maryth Adventurers’ Guild.”

Most likely the inspiration for their party’s name, Kaisa was a tall woman in her mid-twenties with twin swords strapped to her waist. At Tarki’s prompting, she stepped forward and bowed.

“Behind me are my comrades—Margit, a mage… Oh, I mean, a theocraft. Daniella, a martial artist specializing in qi techniques. And the twins, Natalie and Nora, our skirmishers. I hope you’ll remember us.”

Margit, wearing the unmistakable robes of a magic user, was a black-haired woman in her early twenties with narrow eyes. Daniella, with short-cut chestnut hair, looked like a boy at first glance but was actually a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. Natalie and Nora, who appeared to be around fifteen, wore their blonde hair in a ponytail and twin-tails, respectively.

It was no surprise that they were all human. Considering the strict racial purity doctrine upheld by the priesthood and their high-ranking members gathered here, it was clear the guild had put in considerable effort to accommodate those biases.

“From now on, whenever either of you steps outside this room, these women will always accompany you as your personal escorts. I apologize for any inconvenience, but I appreciate your cooperation.”

At Tarki’s words, which had likely been coordinated in advance, Father Lawrence nodded with a composed air. Meanwhile, Eliza scrutinized the women for a moment as if assessing their worth, then quickly lost interest and looked away.

Since she didn’t voice any complaints, that meant Eliza had tacitly accepted the arrangement.

Certainly, if we were to be surrounded all day, having young women as guards was far preferable to being stuck with gruff men. At the very least, it was easier on the eyes and somewhat more reassuring…

“If even one step outside counts, does that mean you’ll accompany me even when I go… pick flowers?”
“That’s correct.”

Kaisa nodded matter-of-factly.

“…The restroom is adjacent to this room, so isn’t that a bit excessive?”

It was unsettling. Besides, it felt like we were high school girls showing off how close we were, which I didn’t like. So I tried to resist.

“We must consider every possibility, so I’m afraid that request is denied. Please understand that at least two of our members will always accompany you.”

Kaisa bowed with polite yet unwavering firmness.

“Hmm… In that case, Lady Eliza, would you like to go with me when I go?”

If I was going to suffer, I figured I might as well drag Eliza down with me.

“Why on earth must I go pick fl—go to the restroom with you!?”

As expected, she shot me down without a second thought.

“Do you dislike the idea?”
“Of course I do! The very notion of adjusting to your schedule is absolutely out of the question!”
“…Then, if you dislike adjusting to me, how about I adjust to you and go with you instead?”
“How is that compensation!? That makes no sense at all!”

Eliza slammed the table in outrage at my compromise.

She was probably irritable because, unlike everyone else, she hadn’t had any late-night snacks. Most likely.

“Why me, of all people!?”
“Because I’d feel awkward going with complete strangers.”
“Then why not go with that noisy one you’re always with!? …Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her today. Did she eat something off the ground and make herself sick?”

Noisy one…? Who was she talking about?

“???” Huh…? Was it just my imagination, or was I forgetting something…?²

“—So, may I continue?”

Finally fed up with being ignored mid-explanation, Marina asked with a troubled expression.

Oops, my bad. The conversation had completely derailed.

I put aside whatever thought had been forming and straightened up to listen to Marina.