The three who had finished a satisfactory meal walked towards the beach.

The sea visible in the distance gradually drew closer. The refreshing beach, as if blue and green paint had been dissolved in clear water, was cooling just to look at.

Proportional to the beautiful scenery, people filled the streets.

At breakfast, Mr. Evans mentioned in passing that Obelio’s charity auction season starts today, perhaps that’s why the streets were more crowded than yesterday.

Then, the recent talk of increased pickpockets in this area left a chilling mark as it flashed through Nigel’s mind.

‘If I were a pickpocket, whose pocket would I pick among these countless people…?’

Harmonious-looking families of parents and children? Young ladies prettily dressed in summer dresses of fresh colors with guard warriors behind them? Men with reddened faces, perhaps from light daytime drinking?

No, thinking about it a little more, the answer was clear.

It would be the vulnerable children walking alone without adults, wearing obviously expensive clothes – in other words, Nigel and the other two were too sweet a prey to pass up without picking their pockets.

Despite Allen’s restraint that guests shouldn’t open their wallets, Nigel was fine as she hadn’t brought anything, but the problem was Allen with his top-grade magic stone and Yeni who must have run away with valuables.

There was one more problem. Right now, Nigel couldn’t resolve the situation with her disguised magic.

Until now, it had been possible because everywhere was wide open space, but she wasn’t confident in controlling her magic in such a crowded place.

She said she would train magic control every day during the break, but she had been busy with housework and various other things to handle, and meeting family after a long time completely relaxed her tension, making her neglect it.

‘This is bad, it would have been better if Beselion was here.’

If he were, they would have already persuaded Yeni using Noah’s face to take her to the guards, and they could have gone without worrying about pickpockets.

Although he couldn’t escape the charges of foolishly risking his life at her words and tattling her identity to Widrun, Noah was missed at this moment.

That’s when it happened.

Nigel felt someone touch her head.

The moment the hand touched her head, that presence disappeared like a ghost, and only the hairpins Nigel had on both sides vanished like ghosts.

Following that, a dark brown-haired man presumed to have stolen her hairpins was seen approaching Allen and Yeni.

“Danger…!”

Before the words could finish, he grinned and ran off.

Allen and Yeni’s faces turned pale as they realized a moment late that they had been completely robbed by the pickpocket.

“The magic stone… The magic stone is gone.”

“My half-ring is gone.”

Allen and Yeni searched and searched again in disbelief, but the missing items were nowhere to be found.

“I’ll find them. Don’t worry.”

Nigel, who casually uttered irresponsible words knowing she couldn’t keep them, gave a bitter smile and ran off to find the disappeared man.

As the surrounding scenery changed rapidly, her neatly braided hair came undone in a mess, falling below her shoulders.

However, finding a common brown-haired man among the countless crowds was nearly impossible.

It was then, as Nigel’s feet, which had been running vigorously, began to slow down gradually, realizing their limit.

“Leave it to me.”

As if by a lie, a familiar voice was heard from behind.

As Nigel slowly turned her head, Noah Beselion was smiling gently at her.

And in an instant, he slipped through the many people and soon disappeared.

At such a protagonist-like entrance, Nigel stood dazed for a moment before setting out to find Noah along with Allen and Yeni who had followed.

A while later, in a secluded alley with no crowds.

Noah, who had caught the pickpocket, greeted the group with a smile.

“Long time no see!”

At the energetic greeting, Nigel quickly ran to Noah. No, she passed by Noah and approached the pickpocket behind him.

The pickpocket, for whatever reason in that short time, was unconscious. Nigel, without hesitation, put her arms deep into the pickpocket as if embracing him.

“Nigel!”

Despite everyone’s restraint, Nigel fumbled all over his body. At Nigel’s urgent movements, the group finally realized that the purpose of her action was to find the stolen items.

“I’ll do it.”

Noah naturally wedged into Nigel’s place and began searching the unconscious pickpocket’s body.

Searching everywhere from the folded sleeves of the pants, inside the wrists, hidden pockets, etc., all that was obtained from the pickpocket were Nigel’s two hairpins and 5 silver coins.

“Are the items you were looking for here?”

Everyone’s faces darkened upon seeing the items in Noah’s wide palm.

“He must have passed them to a companion. These guys wouldn’t work alone. So when this man wakes up, we’ll extract information and find them.”

“…No.”

Allen’s face, who was examining the pickpocket, turned blue.

“Things have gotten a bit bigger. This person belongs to Ather.”

On the inside of the pickpocket’s left wrist was a black brand with two crossed swords in a circle.

“Judging by the magic I feel, it’s a magic brand.”

Yeni said with a sharp gaze.

Allen nodded bitterly.

“What’s Ather?”

“It’s complicated to explain, but to summarize, as the name ‘darkness’ suggests, it’s like Obelio’s shadow group. This place looks very beautiful, but it becomes empty except during vacation times, so security weakens. It’s a criminal organization that strategically emerged to exploit this weakness.”

Allen continued with a bitter smile.

“The reason Ather is so bad is that they lend money to people without money without fees, and if that person can’t repay, they brand them with this magic mark. And they make them participate in crimes until they repay the money and monitor them so they can’t escape. By the way, our company is on very bad terms with them.”

The atmosphere became heavier, as if that weight was pressing down on their bodies.

That’s when Nigel spoke.

“Then we just need to find this Ather group.”

Allen gave a hollow laugh at the tone so light as if suggesting to go to the beach.

“Nigel! What on earth are you saying…!”

“Allen and Yeni, you both lost precious items. Right? Then we must find them.”

Yeni fidgeted with her fingers at Nigel’s words.

“But the opponent is Ather. Nigel! They’re a group that kills people more easily than pigs or cows. Moreover, if we’re not careful, it could involve our company’s affairs.”

“That’s why we should go even more. If adults get involved, it becomes adults’ business, but I’m not an adult, just a mere child. Right? And an organization that brands every single indebted person without exception with a magic brand, could they possibly be incapable of inventory management? Surely negotiation will be possible.”

“Then I will go.”

“Noah!”

Noah’s face was solemn without a trace of a smile.

“I will go to Ather and take responsibility to bring back your items.”

“No, Beselion. You’re excluded.”

At Nigel’s firm voice, Noah’s momentum was immediately broken and softened.

“That blue-silver hair, it’s like advertising that you’re Beselion.”

“The Emperor’s Sword, Lord Beselion…”

Yeni murmured blankly, looking at Noah.

“As Yeni said, as long as you have the blue-silver hair, it’s obvious how the Ather people will receive you. They’ll think the Empire’s Sword has come to eradicate them. So…”

“Are you trying to go alone again?”

Allen interrupted Nigel’s words then.

“Even if you say no, there’s no choice. The risk is too high for the others. Although they might not recognize you because of your common hair color, it’s natural that it becomes dangerous if it’s discovered you’re from the Evans family, and Yeni… your hair color is unique too, so it’s easy to be identified. So it’s most efficient for me to go…”

Nigel, who had raised her head with confidence, trailed off.

Allen had a hurt look on his face. Not just Allen, but Noah, and even Yeni whom she met today.

“…”

Nigel bit her lip, belatedly realizing her mistake.

“…You’re indebted to us, Nigel.”

Then, cutting through the uncomfortable atmosphere, Allen’s cheerful voice was heard.

“If you wanted to live efficiently, you shouldn’t have become friends with us in the first place. I entered Sienna to make friends, and Noah…”

Noah hurriedly covered Allen’s mouth.

“I agree with Allen. Please, don’t try to shoulder and take responsibility alone, Nigel.”

“That’s right. If anyone should take responsibility, it should be Allen and me. If we had been careful in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Everyone’s warm gazes were directed at Nigel. At the trust embedded in them, Nigel raised the white flag.

“…Alright. Then let’s all raid Ather together. How will you hide your hair colors?”

At Nigel’s words, Noah, and also Yeni who had hidden her hair in her robe, flinched as if caught off guard.

“The hair seems to be resolved?”

Then Allen stretched out his finger.

As everyone followed that finger, at its end was the pickpocket whose dark brown hair had turned a burning red color.

“While extracting information, we can extract one more thing.”

At Nigel’s words, three heads nodded up and down simultaneously.