Kōichi surveyed the scene before him, one worthy of being recorded in the Annals of Axel's Absurd History.
There was Alderp-sama's face, swollen like a loaf of overproofed bread; Claire-sama's expression, as though she were about to grind her teeth to dust; and Kazuma Satou standing nearby, rubbing his hands together while his eyes wandered toward the gold ornaments at Alderp-sama's waist.
Kōichi knew that if Kazuma were allowed to continue, he would undoubtedly demand compensation for emotional distress or a late-night patrol allowance on the spot. If Alderp-sama panicked and locked down the entire estate, Chris's plan to recover the Divine Treasure would be ruined.
"My, my! What a misunderstanding! This was all just a misunderstanding!"
Kōichi's entire demeanor abruptly changed. His insufferably arrogant expression vanished, replaced by an incredibly sincere, almost guileless smile.
He hooked an arm around Kazuma's neck and forcibly dragged back the thieving hand that was reaching toward Alderp-sama's purse.
"Alderp-sama, Claire-sama, everyone, please calm down. I might genuinely have been seeing things. After all, people desperate to relieve themselves in the middle of the night are prone to hallucinations. Perhaps what I saw wasn't the Robin Hood-like thief at all, but the majestic silhouette cast across the corridor by your lofty soul, Alderp-sama!"
Kazuma rolled his eyes as Kōichi tightened his arm around his neck. He struggled while muttering under his breath.
"Hey, Kōichi! Have you lost your mind? This is the perfect chance to extort... No, to claim fair compensation! That fat pig's ring has to be worth at least a hundred thousand Eris..."
"Shut up, you worthless bum with nothing but money on the brain."
Kōichi lowered his voice and spoke quickly enough that only Kazuma could hear.
"Keep quiet if you want to make some real money. We'll have plenty of opportunities soon."
Kazuma still looked reluctant, but the moment he heard "real money," his expression changed faster than the turn of a page. He straightened his pajamas and flashed Claire-sama an utterly insincere smile.
"Ahem. Since Kōichi has put it that way, this hero will magnanimously forgive Claire-sama's rudeness. Alderp-sama, you should hurry back to bed. Your face... honestly looks like it needs more ice packs, not more arguing."
Alderp-sama stared suspiciously at the two men who had suddenly become so agreeable.
He could tell something was wrong, but his anxiety over the Divine Treasure left him with no attention to spare.
He grunted indistinctly and waved at the Knights.
"Since this was a misunderstanding, disperse at once! Claire, take your men outside and reinforce the perimeter patrols! Stop getting in the way here!"
Claire-sama remained deeply suspicious. She even glared fiercely at Kōichi, as though promising that she would eventually catch him red-handed. In the end, however, she could only sheathe her sword and lead the Knights out in single file.
Silence returned to the display room. Supported by his butler, Alderp-sama headed toward his bedroom downstairs, looking back every few steps.
...
After the night's chaos, Alderp-sama's estate seemed particularly exhausted at dawn.
Kōichi and Kazuma Satou had spent most of the night lurking in the shadows of the corridor. Aside from watching Alderp-sama's enormous body pace restlessly around his bedroom and Claire-sama standing outside the display room like a stone statue, they never found the perfect opportunity to act.
However, before the morning sunlight had fully dispersed the mist in the courtyard, a commotion louder than Aqua's wailing erupted from the estate's front entrance.
"Aqua-sama! Where is Aqua-sama?!"
A handsome man in gleaming armor strode into the main hall with the coveted Holy Sword Gram hanging from his waist. His expression carried the saintly determination of someone about to save the world.
Behind him followed two equally flashy female companions, both gazing adoringly at their Kyouya-sama.
Kōichi was leaning against the second-floor railing, yawning. The moment he saw them, his bleary eyes lit up. He elbowed Kazuma, who was still drooling beside him.
"Hey, wake up. The walking cash machine... Ahem, I mean Kyouya Mitsurugi, the guy with the Holy Sword, is here. Looks like this morning's show will be even better than last night's."
Kazuma jolted awake and wiped away his drool. The moment he saw Kyouya Mitsurugi's infuriatingly handsome face, his voice turned sour.
"Tsk. It's that guy with his own background music again. He came here first thing in the morning to fawn over her. Don't tell me he's planning to lure Aqua back into his Party while she's hungover."
At that moment, Aqua emerged from her guest room with her blue hair in complete disarray. She was still holding a half-finished bottle of liquor from the night before, her eyes heavy with sleep.
She stared blankly at Kyouya Mitsurugi for three seconds. Then, as though she had found her savior, she unleashed a dry wail loud enough to shatter glass.
"Waaah! Mitsurugi! You came at the perfect time! This estate is terrifying! Last night, a meatball-shaped Ghost tried to attack me, and those heartless jerks Kōichi and Kazuma just stood there watching! Hurry up and give me some money... No, use your Holy Sword to purify this place!"
"Aqua-sama! Please, don't cry anymore! Seeing you so distressed makes me feel as though my very soul is being scorched by the fires of hell!"
Kyouya Mitsurugi rushed forward and dropped to one knee before Aqua, the holy light behind him nearly taking physical form.
"To ease your distress, I have brought a precious gift that I originally intended to present to you at the victory banquet! It is a secret treasure I obtained after defeating a high-ranking Devil. Only a noble Goddess such as yourself is worthy of possessing it!"
Aqua had been wailing with tears and snot streaming down her face, but the moment she heard the words "gift" and "precious," her crying stopped dead.
The haze of sorrow instantly vanished from her large aqua-blue eyes, replaced by a gleam of such intense greed that even Kōichi found it frightening.
"Huh? A gift? Do you mean something sparkly that can be exchanged for lots and lots of premium sparkling wine? Or something valuable enough to buy me an entire crate of those super-expensive oranges?!"
Aqua casually wiped the tears from her face, tossed the wine bottle into Kazuma's arms, and instantly became radiant.
"Hurry up and show me! Mitsurugi, I always knew you were a good boy! Unlike Kōichi and Kazuma. All they ever do is steal my allowance!"
Kyouya Mitsurugi gazed at Aqua's face, which had gone from stormy to sunny in an instant, with relief and infatuation.
He carefully drew an exquisite velvet-wrapped box from inside his clothes and slowly opened it. Within lay a massive gemstone radiating a gentle rainbow light.
"This is the Tear of the Aurora. It is said to be a priceless treasure formed over ten thousand years by the ice spirits of the Far North. Not only can it preserve the wearer's youth forever, but it can also greatly enhance the power of water-element magic..."
"Waaah! It's beautiful! This must be worth so much money... No, wait! I mean, it's perfect for me, the Goddess of Water!"
Aqua shrieked, snatched the gemstone, and pressed it tightly against her cheek like a little squirrel clutching a pinecone. The supposed Ghost attack and all her resulting trauma had already been forgotten.
Standing beside the second-floor railing, Kōichi and Kazuma Satou exchanged a glance. Both wore identical dead-eyed expressions.
"Hey, Kōichi, am I seeing that right? That gem has to be worth at least five million Eris."
Kazuma's voice trembled, his teeth aching from sheer jealousy.
"Calm down, Kazuma."
Although the corner of Kōichi's eye was also twitching, he quickly regained his composure. A dangerous smile curled across his lips.
"The more expensive Mitsurugi's gift is, the more chaotic things will become. Look at Alderp-sama's expression. He's notoriously greedy. Now that a treasure like that has appeared inside his own home, his filthy heart is probably about to burst out of his chest. This is our perfect chance to fish in troubled waters."