The breeze drifting across the terrace carried the chill of the late night. Just as Kōichi Hayashi was about to name a few slightly outrageous conditions in exchange for helping Chris, a young voice tinged with surprise suddenly came from the shadows behind them.
"A Robin Hood...? Could you be the silver-haired Robin Hood lady from the stories? The one who punishes corrupt officials and robs the rich to help the poor?!"
Half of Kōichi Hayashi's scalp instantly went numb.
He spun around and discovered that Her Highness Iris had somehow quietly followed them.
The young princess stood with both hands clasped over her chest, her eyes shining with admiration brighter than the stars above. That expression... was exactly the same one she had worn when she believed Kōichi Hayashi had endured humiliation for the greater good.
"Waaah! G-Guards! No, wait, Your Highness?!"
Chris was so startled that she jumped straight onto the terrace railing like a frightened cat with its fur standing on end. The crowbar in her hand clattered to the ground with a sharp metallic clang.
Her pretty face, marked by a faint scar, went pale, then red, then pale again beneath the moonlight.
"N-No, no! You heard wrong! I'm not a Robin Hood! I'm just a passing... passing construction worker! That's right! I was inspecting the quality of the palace renovations!"
"Brother Kōichi, is this the comrade you mentioned earlier?"
Iris completely ignored Chris's excuse, which was riddled with holes. She lifted the hem of her dress, gracefully walked over to Chris, and gave her a deep bow.
"I've always longed to see the outside world, and I've heard stories about Robin Hoods before. They say that although they dwell in darkness, their hearts seek the light. I never imagined you would also be Brother Kōichi's friend. I suppose outstanding people really do attract one another!"
Kōichi Hayashi stared at Iris, whose trust was so completely sincere that there was not the slightest hint of doubt in her expression. The corner of his mouth twitched as he glanced over at Chris.
Chris was still crouched on the railing, unable to decide whether to run or stay. Faced with the princess's utterly pure praise, her conscience as a Goddess was undergoing unprecedented torment. She looked so miserable that she seemed ready to beg for mercy.
"Ahem. Your Highness, you truly have an excellent eye for people."
Kōichi Hayashi immediately went along with it, stepping up beside Iris while casually kicking the crowbar on the ground into the shadows.
"That's right. I specifically asked Miss Chris to come here and help retrieve a dangerous item that had gone missing. The reason she's dressed like this is entirely because we didn't want to alert those mediocre guards."
"So that's what happened!"
Iris nodded in sudden understanding. Then, as though something had just occurred to her, she gently pulled a necklace out from beneath her collar.
The sapphire hanging from her fair neck shimmered with an unusual glow beneath the moonlight.
"When you say 'dangerous item,' could you mean this necklace? I found it in the treasury a few days ago, and for some reason, it felt strangely familiar."
The instant Chris saw the necklace, her eyes went wide, and she nearly fell straight off the railing.
"Ah! That's it! Your Highness, please, you have to give it to me... No, wait! Please keep it somewhere safe! That thing... that thing eats people!"
The atmosphere on the terrace immediately became tense the moment Iris revealed the necklace.
Chris's keen eyes, belonging to both a Thief and a Goddess, locked onto the sapphire. She swayed precariously atop the railing and, overwhelmed by nerves, started babbling.
"Y-Your Highness! That necklace is really dangerous! I-It's actually called the Soul-Swapping Necklace! If the person wearing it looks someone else in the eyes and recites the incantation, their souls will go whoosh and switch bodies! What if you accidentally make eye contact with a Slime on the side of the road? The heir to the kingdom would turn into a slimy blob!"
Chris waved her arms frantically as she explained, looking as though she were about to cry.
Her painfully straightforward explanation nearly made Kōichi Hayashi cover his face.
Hey, what kind of infiltrator explains the exact function of a Divine Treasure to the person currently holding it?!
"Swapping souls...? Something that incredible actually exists?"
Iris gasped in amazement and lowered her gaze to the necklace resting against her chest.
There was no fear in her eyes. Instead, they sparkled with the dangerous light of pure curiosity.
"In that case, we certainly can't let it fall into the hands of bad people. Since Miss Chris infiltrated the palace to retrieve it, then I should give this dangerous item to..."
Iris placed her slender fingers on the clasp of the necklace and began to remove it so she could hand it to Chris.
Chris's eyes instantly lit up like two high-powered lamps.
She leaned forward, stretching out both trembling hands as though she could already see the finish line of her mission.
But just as Chris's fingertips were about to touch the faint blue glow, a strong, slender hand suddenly reached between them and firmly stopped Iris's wrist.
"Wait, Your Highness."
Kōichi Hayashi's deep voice rang across the terrace, carrying a note of authority that left no room for argument.
He shifted slightly, placing himself directly between Chris and Iris. An elegant yet unsettling smile appeared on his face, immediately sending a chill down Chris's spine.
"Brother Kōichi?" Iris looked up at him in confusion.
"Hey! Kōichi! What are you doing?! Hurry up and let me take it!"
Chris anxiously stomped on the railing, frantically whispering at him to hand it over.
Kōichi Hayashi ignored her panic.
Instead, he smoothly took the heavy necklace from Iris and lightly ran his fingertips over the cool surface of the gemstone. A calculating gleam appeared in his eyes.
"Your Highness, although Miss Chris is an excellent Robin Hood, a Divine Treasure of this level could produce violent magical fluctuations during the recovery process. For your safety, please allow me to evaluate it first. After all, if we simply hand it over to this clumsy Thief and she accidentally activates the incantation while climbing over a wall, the consequences could be disastrous."
At that, Kōichi Hayashi turned toward Chris and gave her a meaningful wink.
Chris stared at him in disbelief, her entire expression practically screaming, Are you trying to keep it for yourself?!
Kōichi Hayashi continued in a pointed tone.
"Wouldn't you agree, Miss Chris? This is quite a heavy responsibility. Without enough sincerity and compensation to support such an undertaking, I'd have a very difficult time handing it over with peace of mind."
Chris froze.
She finally understood.
This twisted man was actually brazenly blackmailing a down-on-her-luck Goddess right in front of the princess!
Moonlight stretched the shadows of the three figures across the terrace.
Iris gazed at Kōichi Hayashi, who appeared to be nobly putting himself at risk in the name of justice and safety, and was so moved that tears nearly welled up in her eyes.
She had absolutely no idea that an extortion attempt was unfolding right in front of her between these two older companions.
"I see. Brother Kōichi really has thought of everything."
Iris obediently folded her hands in front of herself and nodded. Then she turned toward Chris, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Miss Chris, since Brother Kōichi will be keeping the necklace safe, you have to come visit me at the palace often! I'd love to learn how to... um... how to pry up floorboards as elegantly as a Robin Hood!"
"Ahaha... Of course, of course... assuming I don't get arrested as an assassin first..."
Chris laughed awkwardly, her expression looking even more miserable than if she had simply started crying.
Iris gave them a few more reminders to stay safe. Then, prompted by a lady-in-waiting calling from the distance, she reluctantly lifted the hem of her dress and left the terrace.
The moment her elegant figure disappeared around the end of the colonnade, the atmosphere on the terrace instantly dropped to freezing point.