Part 5: Episode 5: The Culprits are Revealed, and a Trap is Set!

What is this depressing room?
It’s the maintenance office. Mr. One’s night quarters are here, too. I think it’s comfy! It feels very lived-in.
Comfy? Hmph!
Let us do whatever we are here for and leave, before the poverty and reprehensibility rub off.
Mr. One! Are you in here?



Yuuya!?

He’s sitting at a low tea table.
Oh, no… The irresponsible and slightly worn-out Yuuya might be just a little bit too attractive…

I knew it! A place as disgusting as this is bound to draw disgusting company.
And a very fine morning to you too, Sakuya.
We came to talk to Mr. One… What brought you here, Yuuya?
I’m holding down the fort while One is out.
Out? Immediately after a break-in?

You misunderstand. He’s taking care of a few things so our investigation of the theft can go more smoothly.
After all, he and I both saw…

Yuuya and One…?

You saw the crime in progress!?
Wh…what…!?

Why did you not notify me immediately!? Filthy mongrel!
Notify you how? I’ve been asking for your phone number for months, and you always blow me off.
Gah…!
Did you see the culprits, Yuuya?
Yes… Fearsome foes, indeed. Stick your beaks too far into this and you could lose them. Don’t say I haven’t warned you.

I, too, swear to retrieve the stolen trees, on my honor as a hunter-gatherer!
How brave of you. Let me reward your courage with a little evidence.

Yuuya picks up one of a number of photographs lined up on the table, and holds it out to us.

They were already on their way out when I arrived at the scene, and alas, I was unable to keep their trail.
But I am a professional, and I couldn’t just let them get away. I made sure to capture them on film.
These… are the culprits.

The music stops.


……
……
Wh-what are these… white things!?

…OH!!!!!

That’s not it, Yuuya! I know these creatures!
Oh? Are they friends of yours?
Who are they, and where do they live!? Tell me this instant!
I don’t know who they are, exactly…

I recalled the scene that Ryouta and I had stumbled upon the day before.



Merry Christmas!! Merry Christmas!!!!

Merry! Christmas!
In any case, I’ll have to take you to the employees’ lounge. High Society does have rules.
Merry…? Christmas…




They were caught breaking things in the Christmas section of a department store yesterday and got taken away by security.
What in…

We’d thought they were only going after easy targets, but it looks like once they get a sight of something they won’t rest until it’s theirs or destroyed!
The entire city is filled with Christmas decorations. We have no way of knowing where they will strike next, and thus no way of ambushing them…

They’ve got guts, but they don’t seem particularly intelligent. I agree with Yuuya, I think we should try to bait them.
Then it’s settled. And the best bait would be the finest tree in the city… right, Sakuya?
……
The finest tree in town… Do you know of a good one, Sakuya?

Of course! Given how much work he put into the council room tree, he almost certainly has a gorgeous and decadent tree at home!

It seems like the best choice. And you aren’t about to just let them get away with having burned your other tree, are you?
Of course not.
Where is your tree set up, Sakuya?
In the main salon. It is not visible from outside.

Hmmm… We’ll have to rely on newspaper ads and word of mouth, then.
“The Le Bel family, moved here to Littledove Hachiman City from France, is displaying its gorgeous Christmas tree to the public!”, or something.
Who said anything about opening the mansion to the public!?

Hrrm…
Come on, Sakuya. Open it up to the whole city! Let everybirdie know you have an extravagantly decorated tree at home.
The thieves should hear the rumors, and they’ll come to see. And then we can catch them.
……

Cool. I’ll get everything ready for an announcement in the evening papers.
Something like “The Le Bel family’s Christmas tree is open for public viewing tonight! All Christmas enthusiasts welcome!” will be fine, right?
That sounds good… but what kind of super high school student are you, to have that much clout with the newspaper companies?

Yuuya quickly left the room, eager to begin his work.
The music stops.

…Loose-tongued cur!
Yuuya’s laying the bait for us, so… should we work on a plan to catch the thieves at your house, Sakuya?
A reasonable suggestion. We shall plan our strategy after school, then.


And so, at the end of the school day, we gathered in the council room to discuss our plan.

At least today was a half-day. It would be freezing in here if it were already evening!

Why are we having the meeting in here, Sakuya…?

Your domain, though despoiled?
Scum! Do you mock me!? There is no “despoiled” in the dictionary of Le Bels!
Whatever! Let’s just make our plan already.

Sakuya is unexpectedly good at getting off topic.


They used explosives here. How do you think they’ll attack the mansion?
They might pretend to be normal guests, and sneak in the front entrance.
They might, yes… But their goal is the tree, so even if they get inside—
They will not be able to remove the tree. Yuuya’s photograph showed them to be quite small, so there is no way the two of them could carry it out.
How could they get it outside, then?

So you think they’ll… show up in a truck, or something?
Any suspicious vehicles approaching the mansion will be neutralized immediately.
So, we need to have guards watching in all directions for any sort of truck or crane.
The mansion opens at seven. Should we be there this evening, too?
Yes. That should help things go the most smoothly.
I’ll see you two there, then. We need to catch these thieves before Christmas itself arrives!

And so we went our separate ways to prepare for the upcoming event.
The music stops.



Not quite enough to go home myself… What should I do? Maybe I should go pick up some sort of weapon in town.
Didn’t Anghel say something about one of the old shops in town starting to stock Excalibur? Maybe I should go there.

A door opened in front of me with a loud creak.

…Hmm?

A familiar figure emerges from the chemistry lab.

Doctor?



I was just heading home… What about you, sir?

He appears to be trying to hide the large rack of test tubes he is carrying.

I was doing some… tests. To confirm… some things.
…To think that I would only get access to these samples now. It is simply unreasonable.

He looks genuinely displeased.
Has he ever been this openly emotional before? Maybe the tests went badly?

Well, I’m not sure what’s going on, but… Cheer up, sir! I’m sure something good will come of it!

And with that blunt remark, he heads off towards the infirmary.
I wish I could share some of my cheerfulness with him. I have so much I could brush my teeth with it!

…Tell me, Miss Lourde.
Y-yes, sir!?

He stops, and turns around.

Umm… allergies…?

Like to peanuts, or fish?

To soybeans… for instance.
No, I don’t… I don’t think I do, at least.
…Is that so?

He walks away, a self-satisfied expression on his face.
You need to explain why you’re asking, sir! If you just walk away looking pleased like that you’ll get reported!
Well, I suppose the doctor helped waste some time. I better be off to Sakuya’s now!
The music stops.