“Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff!”
“….”
“Fifty, fifty-nine. Huff, huff, fifty-nine minutes! You! Buy me dinner!”
“….”
Lionel looked at me with pitiful eyes, then scooped up some water in a glass and passed it over.
Only after gulping it down was I finally able to take a breath and utter a proper sentence.
“I won! Lunch hour! I came before lunch hour ended! Buy me dinner!”
“… Hey, why are you acting so crappy? Don’t be stingy when your salary is higher than mine.”
“Hey, isn’t it unreasonable to say that I’m paid higher than you when I get paid only a small amount of compensation as the Captain?”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, we’re hitting my favourite pub.”
“Yeah!”
As I clenched my fists and rejoiced, Billy, who returned to the knights’ office late, asserted himself.
“Sir Administrator, are you going out for a drink? But I like restaurants more than pubs.”
“….”
Lionel stared coldly at Billy for a moment then suddenly smiled brightly.
“Sir Billy.”
“Yep, Administrator!”
“I heard there was an official letter sent from the Mayor to our knights. How about you go and fetch it?”
“ah… All right!”
Billy jumped and left the knights’ office, panting.
Lionel clicked his tongue as he looked at the back of the running Billy.
“Such a silly guy, a silly guy.”
“Aren’t people of that caliber qualified to belong to our knights’ faction?”
As I opened the lid of the lunch box again, I suddenly remembered another person who belonged to this knights’ faction.
“Now that I think about it, Lionel. What about Sir Sein? No contact?”
“No, no. Did you ever see that person actually contacting me without making a fuss?”
“That’s true too…”
After having an intense staring contest with the food in the lunch box that had cooled and the oil had hardened, I ended up laughing in amusement.
“A newbie with an innocent personality, a veteran with a sharp mind, and a 24-year-old young chick Captain. The knightage is filling up really quickly.”
“Instead, you should say we have a talented and handsome Administrator.”
Lionel smiled seductively, running his hands through his luscious blonde hair.
“Yes, an elite from the past who were demoted because they were pushed by someone higher up. The balance is just right.”
“Whatever, tell me your plan for the day. Let’s have a drink later.”
“Now, that’s our Nell for you!”
Although he was a sadist, he also had a generous heart, so it was worth having him as a friend.
“Anyway, Lionel. So it’s true that you received an official letter from the Mayor? You didn’t send Billy away just to bully him, did you?”
“You seem to view me as the kind of person who only likes to get others into trouble. This is true. I was going to bring it up, but you happened to mention it just now.”
“Hmm, what kind of official document is this?”
“I hope it isn’t regarding sending someone else’s knights’ troublemaker knight again.”
“I know, right?”
Thinking it wouldn’t be anything big, I reached out to the pile of documents on the desk.
This knightly order, which was far from an important position, was actually mainly about doing minor paperwork rather than outside work.
‘Well, I’d rather not see blood than to chase down violent criminals for no reason.’
Before I knew it, I was completely immersed in the quiet and peaceful knightly life.
In fact, I completely forgot that this was a world full of all kinds of events.
I was reminded of that fact again when I read the official document brought by Billy, a low-ranking subordinate.
***
“… Read it again.”
“Uh, yep. ‘I would like to transfer the task of tracking <Phantom Thief Heilbronner>, which has been carried out by the Security Forces, to the Ruby Knights. For further details, please contact Chief Knight Commander Geloic Schiffer. Mayor of the capital city of Melshas’… That’s all.”
“….”
As I remained silent, Lionel, who was next to me, burst into laughter.
“Haha, they couldn’t handle it in their spare time, so now they’re trying to hand over the dirty work to our knights?”
“….”
“Wouldn’t it be great to catch ‘Phantom Thief Heilbronner’? He’s a figure so famous that there’s no one in the Empire who doesn’t know his name. Now that the higher-ups have recognized the skills of our knights……”
“Hahaha, our Sir Billy has such big dreams.”
“Thank you for the compliment!”
“….”
When I showed no reaction, Lionel patted me on the shoulder and offered words of comfort.
“Hey, I admit it’s shocking, but please come to your senses. You look so pitiful, I’ll buy you some grilled shrimp later.”
However, I wasn’t in the presence of my mind to respond to Lionel’s comfort.
“…Oh my god.”
I never thought this name would appear before me.
<Phantom Thief Heilbronner>
To the outside world, it was the identity of the villain Duke Ludger Kassen.
***
I had been reincarnated in this world for 24 years now.
It wasn’t long before I realized that this was the world in a novel.
My situation didn’t really fit with the books I had read in my previous life, so I just thought I had been reincarnated in a fantasy world, not on Earth.
Then, I learned about the background of this world early last year, after receiving a personnel order to become the Captain of the Ruby Knights.
After struggling with work and personal relationships for about three months, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the name of the ‘Phantom Thief’, who had made a sensational appearance in the empire at the time.
‘The Phantom Thief Heilbronner.’
Isn’t this the sub-male lead of the novel《I Became the Baby Prince’s Maid》, which I read in my past life, and an alias for the underworld?
‘I noticed that there were very few romance novel featuring villains as sub-male leads….’
There are times when, something as ordinary as a simple word, can trigger a chain reaction of memories to the human mind.
In my case, it was the word ‘Phantom Thief Heilbronner.’
When I heard that word for the first time, I thought it was about the imperial system that was the background of the novel, and I gradually felt a sense of déjà vu as I heard the names of the Royal Family members that seemed somewhat familiar to me.
Therefore, I realized that this is the world of ‘I Became the Baby Prince’s Maid’.
However, knowing the original didn’t change anything.
I was a character who did not appear in the original story at all. Therefore, I was not in a position to become entangled with the main characters.
And there was no desperate situation in which survival could only be achieved by twisting the content of the original storyline either.
I didn’t need to know about whose businesses and stock prices would rise in the future, which lottery number would win, or even which mines would become profitable.
‘Then, I have no choice but to live as I have lived until now.’
It was only for a short time when I was excited to learn about the original story of this world. Then my life went back to that peaceful daily life again.
Had there been a change in the extent to which memories of the original work come to mind while listening to the occasional news about the Phantom Thief Heilbronner?
…That was it.
That was it.
***
“Why… are our knights handed the Heilbronner case…?”
“Ah, have you finally come to your senses?”
I must have spent quite a long time reminiscing about the past after hearing the shocking news.
Lionel, who had been waiting for my next reaction, put down his empty teacup and smiled.
“Captain Clara! It’s a battle against the big criminals! We have to fight with full spirits!”
Billy was so motivated as if he wanted to take over my position as the Captain and start the operation right away.
As I watched everything unfolding before me with bleary eyes, Lionel answered my question that was almost like a whisper to myself.
“Hmm, anyway. To answer the question why we were handed over the Heilbronner case… I guess it’s because they don’t want to lose face by entrusting it to an excellent knight order for no reason?”
“…Yes. I understand.”
The fundamental question was not that, it was why did our knights faction were suddenly ordered to take on the role of chasing the villain, unlike in the original story?
If I were to utter such words, Lionel would give me a pitiful look and send me to the hospital.
In any case, it was not the time to sit still.
“I’m going out for a bit…”
“Are you going to meet the Commander-in-Chief?”
“Yes, I have to hear the whole story first…”
Shock is shock, and reality is reality.
“Clara, do you think you should go without wearing a cloak?”
“Uh….”
“Ah, of course. It doesn’t matter if it’s official duty or not. But you got your knighthood badge, right?”
“Ugh…”
“Okay, have a nice trip.”
“Goodbye, Captain! You’ll Definitely win!”
After receiving a cursory greeting with flabby arms from Billy, I went out of the knights’ office.
The headquarters of the Ruby Knights was located on the outskirts of the capital, in an old building owned by the city hall. However, I was heading to a different headquarters because the Chief Commander of the knights, Geloic Schiffer, was also the leader of the Diamond Knights.
For your information, the Diamond Knights use a building in the Royal Palace befitting their splendid reputation.
‘It’s been a while since I went to the Royal Palace. I guess this is my first time since I was appointed as the Captain a year ago?’
I never thought I would go back to the palace for something like this.
Sighing deeply, I stepped forward with a heavy heart.
***
Melshas City, the capital of the Leuke Empire.
There were several knight orders in charge of security and defense.
While there were knight orders like the Ruby Knights that were treated like garbage and were only handed over small works, there were also elite groups among the elite.
That was the ‘Diamond Knights’, a order of knights directly under the Royal Family.
Unlike our knights, who only handle grievances and complaints of the citizens, their duties were completely different.
Whether it was the duty as an escort for the Royal Family or major events.… Things that look cool at first glance were always handed down to them.
‘So, according to the original story, after the Phantom Thief Heilbronner becomes infamous, the Diamond Knights take charge…’
The Phantom Thief Heilbronner.
As befits the title ‘Phantom Thief’, he was a master thief, the lord of the underworld, who did bizarre things that were different from ordinary thieves or criminals.
Typically, he would send a notice or warning.
Then, steal the items that are worthless but difficult to steal.
At most, give back what he stole.
Targeting criminals and providing an opportunity for their crimes to be revealed… etc.
His actions actually bordered on justice.
Because of that, he became quite popular among his people, even though they couldn’t admit it openly.
‘Well, he’s the villain, right? Even though his contributions seemed like a good thing, it was actually an operation to hinder the growth of the protagonist and his party.’
Knowing the original work, I couldn’t help but react cynically.
No matter how infamous Heilbronner was, a country ruled by law could not tolerate someone who transcended the law, even if the consequences were good.
Therefore, it seemed that the higher-ups transferred this matter to the Knights Templar in order to accelerate the sluggish investigation.
‘But why is it different from the original…. Why did that responsibility fall to the weakest of the weak like our knights?’
