"So this is the Central Thoroughfare..." Lies murmured, her eyes darting restlessly from side to side. "It's more lively than it was before... or rather, it's quite cluttered, isn't it?"
"Ah, I suppose 'before,' they probably made sure things were a bit more presentable," Jin mused. He imagined that, at the very least, the rowdier elements had been kept out of sight.
"This is how people really live, then."
"That's right," Lishia said, staying close to Lies to explain things.
Following Elsa’s suggestion, Lishia had taken on the role of guide; since her family home was in Alban, she was the most qualified for the task.
"For better or worse, it is a hectic place," Lishia added.
"I see, I see."
Just then, someone lightly bumped into Roland, who was keeping a watchful eye on Lies and the others. It was a young man in his early twenties. The impact nearly caused Roland to drop the package he was carrying—the doll Lies had just purchased.
"Oops, my mistake."
"No, it's quite alright," Roland replied. He had narrowly avoided dropping the doll and was about to let the man go, but someone grabbed the young man by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"Wait a moment, please." It was Tia.
"Wh-what? What do you want?"
"Please return what you just stole."
"Wh-what are you talking about? You tryin' to pick a fight with me?"
"I'm willing to overlook it if you return it now," Tia said calmly.
However, the man seemed to think Tia would be an easy mark. "Don't screw with me! You think you can just go around calling people thieves and get away with it? Huh?"
Tia remained perfectly composed. "Then, what is this?"
With a speed that defied the eye, she reached into the man’s breast pocket and pulled out a wallet.
"Ah! You—the hell are you doing?! That's mine—"
"This is Master Roland's wallet."
"You got any proof?!" Even after being caught red-handed, the man showed no remorse.
Attracted by the commotion, a security guard approached. "What's all this noise about?"
"Ah, Boss!"
"Hm? Oh, if it isn't Cabrera. What happened?"
The pickpocket’s name, apparently, was Cabrera.
"Th-these people are harassing me!"
"Huh?" The security guard glared at Jin and the group.
"That is not true," Tia corrected. "This man, Cabrera, picked Master Roland's pocket."
"And I'm asking if you have proof!" the man barked.
The security guard stepped between them. "Alright, alright, I get it. But we're in the middle of a busy street. Why don't you all come down to the guard post? I'll hold onto the wallet until we sort this out."
The wallet was transferred from Cabrera’s hand to the guard's. There was no way to refuse the order.
"...Very well," Jin said with a nod. He had a bad feeling about this, but he signaled for the others to follow. Elsa and Lishia nodded in agreement, as did Lies and Hanna. Reiko and Edgar followed as a matter of course.
Tia and Roland, as the direct parties involved, had no reason to object. Cabrera also nodded, and the entire group filed toward a nearby guard post.
Along the way, Lies whispered to Jin.
"(Say... Jin, I—I think we could just have everyone state the contents of the wallet and then check them to be sure, couldn't we?)"
"(Yeah, I think that would work too. But maybe...)"
"(Maybe?)"
"(No, it might just be my imagination. I'll tell you later. Look, we're at the guard post.)"
"(I see...)"
The group arrived at a post located on the northern edge of the Central Thoroughfare. The Royal Palace was visible in the near distance.
Sensing something was amiss, Lishia discreetly slipped away from the group and headed toward the palace.
"Now then, let's hear the story properly."
The interior of the guard post was about the size of six tatami mats, with a square table about one meter wide sitting in the center. The security guard ushered Jin and the others toward the back of the room and stood at the entrance, blocking the way out.
"As I said before," Tia began, "this man, Cabrera, bumped into Master Roland and snatched his wallet during the confusion."
"Lies! You don't have a shred of proof!"
"Hmm. Well then, let's see if there's anything inside the wallet that can prove who it belongs to."
The guard abruptly dumped the contents of the wallet onto the table.
"Ah—!" Lies let out a small gasp at the brash act.
"Hmm. Ten gold coins, twenty-five silver coins, and twelve copper coins. There's nothing else in here that could identify the owner."
"Why did you do that so suddenly?" Tia protested, though the guard acted as if he hadn't heard her. "If you had made each of them state the amount before checking, the owner could have been identified."
The guard was completely unfazed. But then, Edgar spoke up.
"...And what might this be?"
Edgar moved with lightning speed, pulling a small slip of parchment from the security guard's left pocket.
"Ah! What are you doing?!"
"That is my question," Edgar replied coolly.
What Edgar had retrieved was the receipt they had been given when Lies bought the doll, intended for later settlement.
"This is the receipt from when Lies bought a doll at the novelty shop. You slipped this out of the wallet just now, didn't you? I saw you."
"Wh-what are you talking about?!" the guard shouted, his face reddening with rage. "I've never seen that thing in my life!...Aha, I see. You're pretending to pull it out of my pocket to try and frame me, aren't you?"
"How can you say such a thing?"
"See, Boss Leder? These guys are all in it together!" Cabrera added, emboldened by the guard's reaction.
"Indeed, it seems so."
By this point, Jin had pulled Elsa and Hanna close to him, while Edgar and Reiko stood in front to shield them.
Even the sheltered Lies—Princess Lieschen—could grasp what was happening now.
"Do not speak such nonsense," she commanded, her voice regaining its royal edge. "The ones 'in it together' are clearly the two of you."
"Hah?"
"What's this brat blathering about?"
Leder, the security guard, and Cabrera leaned in to look down at her.
"What a disgrace for a man who claims to be a protector of this country. Who is your superior?"
"Hah? What's a little girl like you barking for? Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a security guard of the Klein Kingdom! You watch your tone!"
Lieschen let out a long sigh. "Miserable. To think such scum still exists in my country..."
The guard grew even more overbearing, his voice turning threatening. "Just because you're a child doesn't mean you can mouth off like that. You want to spend the night in here?" He jerked his chin toward the holding cell at the back of the post.
At that moment, a voice thundered through the room.
"You fool!!"
With a sharp crack, Leder was sent flying by a punch to the face.
"Gyak!"
"B-Boss!?"
Cabrera, who had no idea what had happened, was also struck and knocked flat on his rear.
"Oh, it's Jessica," Jin noted.
Standing in the doorway was Jessica Norton, the Captain of the Royal Female Ritter Corps. Standing just behind her was Lishia Fahlheit.