* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

“Excuse me!”

After a polite, but firm knock, the one who entered the room was a man with short, blue hair, streaked with white.

He has a long face, narrow eyes, a tall and slender build.

He could be described as effeminate.

However, his navy blue leather armor gives him a ruggedness and imposing presence befitting his role.

“I’m Jimmyyak, a security guard dispatched from Ruinomiyako Security! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

…Jimmyyak, saying that, saluted briskly.

“Jimmyyak-san, thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”

“Yes! Excuse me!”

After being prompted by Akashiterika, Jimmyyak lowered his salute, walked over to a guest chair, and sat down.

He’s the last person to be interviewed, who, like Kotsukotsu Plumuna, remained at the museum last night.

* * *

“…Now, let me confirm this again. Deputy Director Gaisha left around 10 PM, Yarkinek-san left around 6 PM, and there are no records of Kotsukotsu-san leaving… Also, no one entered or exited the museum during the night… Is that correct?”

“Yes! I record the entry and exit of people at the security room next to the entrance and the staff entrance, so there are no mistakes!”

“Is there a possibility that someone sneaked in through a window…?”

“That’s impossible!”

“Impossible? Why?”

“Besides the treasure vault, this museum is also equipped with security devices from the Super-Ancient Magic Civilization! If someone did that, a loud alarm would go off, and the crime would be exposed!”

“I see. And that didn’t happen last night.”

“Yes! I heard that when the alarm was triggered during a training exercise, it was so loud that there were complaints from the neighbors! Therefore, I believe it would be easy to confirm that the alarm system wasn’t activated last night!”

“The only ones who can disable that system are…”

“The director and the deputy director! I’m a dispatched security guard, so I’m an outsider… Naturally, it’s impossible for me too!”

“Hmm… By the way, when Gaisha-san and Yarkinek-san left, were they carrying anything?”

“No! Both of them left with only a small bag! I don’t think they could have been hiding the treasures!”

Jimmyyak continued to answer Akashiterika’s questions with a serious face.

There’s no hesitation in his tone, and even to Akashiterika’s observant eyes, there’s nothing unnatural about his behavior.

It seemed that he wasn’t lying about anything.

“Hey, did you patrol at night?”

Emi asked a question in place of Akashiterika, who fell silent, organizing her thoughts.

“Yes! Of course!”

“…You’re pretty strong, aren’t you?”

And Emi, sitting next to Jimmyyak, patted his arm through his clothes, checking his muscles, and suddenly declared that.

“…Y-Yes! Although I may not look it, I used to be an adventurer when I was young! I’m confident in my fighting abilities!”

Jimmyyak, for the first time, showed signs of agitation, being suddenly questioned and touched on the arm by a suspicious girl with sunglasses.

“Then, during your patrol, didn’t you see anyone suspicious? Someone skilled, who can erase their presence.”

“I-If I had seen anyone, I would have already reported it during the previous questioning! I didn’t see or hear anything suspicious last night!”

“Hmm.”

Hearing that, Emi stopped asking questions.

She sank back into her chair, and sat still.

“..……….”

Speaking of sitting still, Detective Munodes is also doing that.

He’s sitting with his arms crossed, his eyes closed, his head down, deep in thought.

…Or rather, he’s asleep.

“…One last question. How long have you been working at this museum?”

“Yes! I was dispatched to this museum last week!”

“I understand. Thank you for your cooperation. Then please return to the staff room for now.”

“Yes! Understood!”

Jimmyyak, saying that, stood up briskly, saluted Akashiterika, and left the reception room.

With this, the interviews with all the staff members are complete.

* * *

“So in the end, who’s the culprit?”

After Jimmyyak left, Akashiterika continued to think, her arms and legs crossed.

Since Emi is naturally quiet, and doesn’t say anything, the first to speak was Detective Munodes.

He woke up from his nap, yawned loudly, and started muttering, munching on dried squid.

“First… there was no sign of anyone suspicious entering or leaving last night, right? So there’s no possibility of the culprit being an outsider?”

Detective Munodes, picking up the documents on the reception room table, flipped through them, and continued.

“We haven’t confirmed that the deputy director, who can disable the treasure vault’s security system, or that annoying Yarkinek, took the treasures… Kotsukotsu-chan and the security guard didn’t leave the museum… Ah, so the treasures are still inside the museum? But where? Putting aside the plate and the crown, five life-sized dolls… it would be impossible to hide them, right?”

Detective Munodes, muttering to himself, tilting his head, couldn’t organize his thoughts.

“Ahh, I don’t get it at all!”

In the end, he ruffled his already messy bed hair, making it even messier!

“Hey, Akashiterika-chaaan, did you find the culprit? If this continues, I’ll be so worried about who the culprit is that I won’t be able to sleep!”

And he said that, despite having just been taking a nap, and looked at Akashiterika pleadingly.

“Hmm…”

Akashiterika, in response, closed her eyes and groaned softly.

Even the Beautiful Girl Detective, Akashiterika, can’t solve this case?

Detective Munodes was about to sigh in disappointment… when!

“Well, it’s still just a hypothesis, but…”

Akashiterika, saying that casually, smiled wryly!

“Eh!? Who, who, who!?”

“Detective Munodes… please call Director Rakigataa.”

Akashiterika, pushing back Detective Munodes, who was leaning forward, trying to hear the answer, asked him that.

And then, she stood up, and started walking towards the corridor.

“Let’s go back to the treasure vault. There’s something I want to confirm.”