"You're Jinba-san, right? You used to be the Security Captain, so what are you doing here? Did you get... demoted or something?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I was transferred from commanding the Suburban Security Force to the city hosting Luminous Academy itself. This was a promotion—a major one."
A short while after the confrontation between En and the guards, the cafe had been cleared of customers and a "Temporarily Closed" sign hung on the door. Yugo, sitting in the now-quiet shop, felt a wave of relief wash over him at Jinba's upbeat response.
He had been worried that Jinba might have been forced to take the fall for that previous incident—specifically, for letting Skull escape—but the man explained that he had actually been ordered into a new role that was essentially a step up the ladder. Jinba continued his explanation.
"As residents of this city, I'm sure you've noticed, but there’s been a rash of bizarre incidents lately. A sudden surge of mysterious Magic Armor Beasts, that Mass Hypnosis Incident at Mount Yumyum, and most recently, the pack of Bull Golems attacking people and livestock... All of these events have been centered right here in the city. It seems the higher-ups couldn't ignore the situation any longer, so they formed a Special Investigation Department. Since I managed to resolve the Bull Golem case without it turning into a total disaster, I was handpicked to lead the unit."
"Whoa! That really is a promotion! Nice work, Jinba-san!"
"Thanks. We only managed to keep the casualties to a minimum because of you kids. I owe you one for that, truly."
"If you really mean that, could you tell us about the Robbery Incident that Rommelo guy is investigating? I want to clear my friend's name, but I can't do anything if I’m kept in the dark about the details."
"Yeah, I can do that. You’ve helped me out before, and for some reason, you have this aura about you—like you’re destined to see these cases through to the end."
Jinba seemed more casual and flexible than when they had first met. Grateful for his friendly demeanor, Yugo leaned in to listen as the captain laid out the details of the robberies for which En was the prime suspect.
"Lately, there have been frequent muggings in this area late at night. There’s no clear pattern to the victims; the culprit just seems to snatch the bags of whoever catches their eye. If the victims resist, the perp turns violent. They’re a nasty piece of work. After taking statements from the victims, the person who matches the description is—"
"Is En..."
Jinba gave a slow, heavy nod.
En sat with her head bowed, visibly shaken not just by the suspicion, but by the fact that she was causing trouble for the shop. Jinba spoke to her with a touch of encouragement in his voice.
"However, we haven't found a single shred of decisive evidence to prove the young lady did it. As for the eyewitness accounts... well, there are plenty of people who claim they saw someone who looks just like her. But they were looking at a stranger in the dead of night while they were panicking and under attack. It’s hardly enough to build a solid case. That's why Rommelo is getting desperate."
"Desperate? This is En's life we're talking about!" Melt shouted, her indignation boiling over. "I don't care what kind of investigation you're running, but treating her like a criminal from the very start is just wrong!"
They had a suspected culprit but no evidence to back it up.
Melt was furious at the idea that Rommelo was trying to squeeze a confession out of En just to close the books. As she said, if this was a false accusation, it would ruin En's life.
Yugo worried about the reputational damage to the cafe as well, thinking that branding her a criminal was far too premature. Just then, En, who had been silent until now, shook her head and spoke in a small voice.
"It’s no wonder they suspect me. Because I... I have a criminal record for robbery."
"What...?"
Melt’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at her friend.
Conversely, Yugo—who had already suspected as much when the Master mentioned her 'record' during the earlier argument—remained calm and continued to listen.
"Until right before I started working here, I was part of a gang of thieves. We drifted from town to town, pickpocketing and mugging people just to survive. That’s why the Security Force is so sure it's me..."
"...Master, you knew about this, didn't you?" Yugo asked.
"Yeah. As you can see, I’m a man who lived a life a lot like hers once. That’s why I know how much it hurts to want a second chance. I know what it means to want to walk the straight and narrow."
At the stern Master's words, En's fists clenched white over the table.
With a face that betrayed a mix of deep regret and fierce determination, she forced the words out.
"After the Master took me in and I started at this shop, I promised myself I’d start over. I decided I would live a life I could be proud of, that I’d never steal again. I didn't commit those robberies. I haven't done anything wrong! So, why... why is this happening!?"
She knew her past made her an easy target for suspicion.
But to have these crimes occur just as she had finally washed her hands of her old life felt like a cruel joke. Her past was reaching out from the shadows, refusing to let her go. As Yugo and Melt struggled to find the right words to comfort her, a voice from a stranger suddenly cut through the air.
"Because it’s who you are, En. You’re nothing but a gutter rat, just like the rest of us. And gutter rats belong in the filth."