Cookie Thief
It's about time. The culprit should show up soon.
Now that's good news.
You're saying once we catch this person, I can finally get some sleep, right?
Hehe... Thanks for helping out even though you're all tired!
As a Dragon, I'll repay this kindness twofold!
Spare me the pleasantries.
We're just doing what we're paid to. So make sure you pay up properly when this is over.
Mm... Still as prickly as ever, huh?
Please forgive her, Scarlet.
She's a bit awkward around other people.
What? Don't treat me like a kid!
Hahaha! The way you two bicker reminds me of Bell and Claire!
Well, it's mostly Claire scolding Bell nonstop, but still.
You mean that acting Master Maid? She did seem kind of uptight.
Oh, absolutely! Uptight doesn't even begin to cover it. She's all prickly, like a hedgehog.
You'd better be careful too! If she catches you, she'll nag your ears off!
Sounds like the Vice President. Got it.
Vice President...? Who is that supposed to be?
Oh, that's what I call my supervisor back in my original world.
She's cheap, greedy, and totally the type to throw her employees into a fire pit for profit.
Th-that's awful... Claire's not that bad, at least.
If you do a good job, she'll even make you delicious pancakes sometimes!
...So who exactly are we pulling an all-nighter to catch?
Some internationally wanted terrorist or something?
I don't think that's it...
Ah, right. I guess I forgot to explain.
You see... We started baking cookies every day and leaving them in the lobby.
They were meant as snacks for Saviors visiting Candle Square.
Wait, really?
I never saw any.
Ahem. Of course you didn't.
Now listen carefully, and hear me out. We made sure to bake enough cookies for everyone...
But each morning, not a single crumb remained!
What...?!
...Huh?
So after discussing it with the Senior Maids, we decided to stand guard overnight.
We're going to catch the culprit who keeps hogging all the cookies meant for everyone.
Whoever it is, this thief is truly despicable.
The treats from Candle Square are pretty tasty.
Eating all of that alone is a bit much.
Uh...
Mm. I bet the culprit must have an enormous build.
Otherwise, there's no way someone could eat that many cookies!
Even I, a Dragon, would struggle to eat that much in one go!
You're saying I wasn't allowed to take them?
The culprit whad been right under our noses!
W-why are you all looking at me like that?
You're the ones who put up the sign saying anyone could help themselves.
Even so, taking all of them for yourself might be a bit...
That's impossible! With that much, even a Dragon would pack on the pounds!
And yet, you're still...
Look, I don't gain weight easily! That's just how I am!
Isn't it weird to worry about gaining weight over a few cookies anyway?
She's...
She's bragging about herself like it's nothing...!
I-I'm not bragging! I'm just stating facts!
Still, taking an entire basket was a bit too much, don't you think?
I'm sure other Saviors would have liked some too!
I just thought it was like office snacks... I figured I could take as many as I wanted.
Hoarding office snacks is basically embezzlement.
What? Seriously?
That's bad... If my coworkers find out about the cup noodles I've been stashing while I'm gone...
...Seems like this was already a habit from her original world.
Mm? But something doesn't add up.
Even if you really wanted cookies, why take all of them?
If you'd just taken enough for one day, it wouldn't have been a problem.
Because...
Huh?
...Because it saves me money on food that way.
You never know when you might suddenly need a lot of money.
I'm just trying to save whenever I can.
What? A whole year?
Wait, then what about work tomorrow? And my sister's hospital bills?!
...Then, I suddenly recalled whwat I'd been told at the Astro Sanctum.
If she'd been worrying about her sister's hospital bills, her behavior until now made a lot more sense.
Captain, don't tell me you're exploiting your Journey member?!
Ugh... I never took you for that kind of person...
You got it all wrong!
Hmm... True, I guess that doesn't sound like you.
Scarlet?
C-Claire? What are you doing here at this hour?
I had some paperwork left to finish.
This is odd. Weren't you supposed to stand guard alone?
W-well, you see... There's a reason for all this...
Important enough to call out those who should be focusing on the [Journey] so late at night?
I could forgive it from another maid, perhaps, but not from a Senior Maid who should know better.
Urgh...
As Scarlet got scolded, she shot us a glance.
It felt like she was telling us to slip away while we could...
No. She didn't call us here. I got caught.
What do you mean by that, Ms. Mina?
I'm the cookie thief you've been looking for.
I was trying to save a bit on food, you see.
She just caught me and was lecturing me about it.
H-huh...? You're admitting it just like that?
Is that so...?
Then why is the Captain here with you?
Huh? Th-that's...
Because I'm her accomplice.
Accomplice, you say?
Captain, they're just cookies...
I couldn't resist once I heard they were made by you, Claire.
That statement may end up... extremely disadvantageous to you later, Captain.
I knew that, but I still couldn't leave Mina alone in a situation like this.
I don't know all the details, but I understand your desire to protect one another.
That resolve will surely become a great source of strength during the [Journey].
Huh? So you're just letting it slide?
No. That is entirely separate from this.
Scarlet, your seem to lack the proper mindset as a Senior Maid. And you two lack awareness that you are on a [Journey].
Come with me. I will make sure to set you straight.
Yeah... No way someone like the Vice President would just let this slide.
...In the end, we were lectured by Claire until dawn.
*Sigh...* She scolded us for standing night watch, but she's the one who kept us awake all night.
With things like this, training today's going to be rough.
Maybe we should take a break?
No. We still have to do it.
My progress isalready bad enough... I don't want to fail and get stuck here.
More importantly... Is Claire's cooking really that good?
Oh, come on! I was clearly making an excuse!
I helped you cover for Scarlet, and that's how you treat me?!
Haha, I'm kidding. Just kidding.
I'll head out first, then.
With that, Mina trudged off toward the training grounds.
Somehow, her attitude had somehow softened compared to the day before...
...Well, at least I learned that she wasn't a bad person. That was something, at least.