* * *

Gaisha Colossale was walking silently through the dimly lit corridor of the deserted Old Imperial City Frozend Museum, towards “a certain place”.

His mouth is set in a firm line.

His usual gentle, affable expression, which he uses when interacting with people, is nowhere to be seen.

He currently has a terrifying expression that would make anyone take a step back in surprise.

He has no composure.

Gaisha reached out to his neck, as is his usual habit, to fix his tie, but stopped in his tracks.

“…………”

He clicked his tongue softly, immediately remembering that he “can’t”.

Why “can’t” he?

Because his hands are full.

…He’s currently carrying the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown, which was supposed to have been stolen by someone.

* * *

A while after the interview with the beautiful girl detective, Akashiterika, who had suddenly appeared, ended.

Akashiterika, the detective with the bed hair, and… the girl with the hidden face, whose identity is unknown, came to the staff room where Gaisha and the others were waiting again.

“Hey, hey, hey, listen up!”

And the bed head detective, in his goofy voice, announced to the staff… the ‘temporary suspension of the investigation’… and furthermore, that they were ‘allowed to go home for now’.

Apparently, Director Rakigataa complained about the staff being detained without any progress in the investigation, and since the police also judged that this case was committed by an outsider, they decided to do that.

Only Akashiterika didn’t try to hide her displeasure at that decision, and advised the detective to at least maintain the increased police security inside the museum, but—

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yeeees!”

The bed head detective, munching on dried squid, cheerfully replied… but clearly ignored her advice.

It’s not that he looked down on Akashiterika, but he was probably also tired.

And what actually happened was… the number of police officers in the museum, after Akashiterika and the others left, clearly decreased.

Enough for someone familiar with the building to move around unnoticed.

In other words.

A good opportunity has arrived for Gaisha… to achieve his goal and “complete” this incident.

* * *

“U-Um… I-I’ll be going home now…?”

Kotsukotsu, after changing her clothes in the women’s changing room and getting ready to leave, peeked into the staff room, said that, and went home.

At that timing, Gaisha made his move.

First, leaving the staff room, he headed towards a nondescript wall next to the bathroom, near the staff room.

“.………..”

Gaisha quietly pressed a small protrusion, sticking out from the wall, near the floor, with his toe.

And then, with a small click, a hole opened in the wall.

It’s a hidden compartment!

This Old Imperial City Frozend Museum was originally the Frozend Marquis House.

The Frozends, who loved “preparing” more than anything, installed various hidden mechanisms in this mansion, as they pleased.

Besides the security system in the treasure vault… there are many other mechanisms.

And even Director Rakigataa, the current owner of this building… isn’t aware of all of them.

This hidden compartment is also one of the mechanisms that even the director doesn’t know about.

The fact that the director doesn’t know about it means that no one else, except for Gaisha, who happened to find it, is aware of its existence, and the police, who thoroughly searched the museum, didn’t notice this hidden compartment.

And Gaisha was certain that would be the case.

That’s why he hid them there.

The Superbad Jeweled Crown and Teodartes’s Plate.

…Yes.

Just as Akashiterika deduced, the culprit of this Superbad Treasure theft case is Gaisha Colossale.

And his motive is also as Akashiterika surmised.

Although he no longer holds any real power.

The former Count Colossale’s family is one of the most prestigious families in the Superbad Empire.

As someone bearing that name, he can’t show any weakness.

That’s how Gaisha was raised.

It’s not necessary to describe here in detail… what kind of education he received.

To protect his family name.

To protect himself.

…It’s okay even if it means denigrating others.

Gaisha grew up into a person who can think that way.

Therefore, after the incident where the Frozend Living Dolls mysteriously disappeared—

Gaisha judged that they were stolen by someone.

And he judged that if this continues, he’ll be held responsible as the manager, and his career will be damaged.

So, to cover that up, he caused this incident.

In short, he tried to create someone who should bear more responsibility than him.

He doesn’t know who stole the Living Dolls.

Then, he just has to make someone close to him the culprit.

Hide the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown.

Frame one of the staff members for stealing it.

Use his connections to make it seem like that person also stole the Living Dolls.

Then, he’ll become a pure victim, and in terms of impression… the degree of his responsibility will seem lower.

After all, although he’s responsible as the manager, the culprit is ultimately the most to blame.

So, yes.

Gaisha caused this incident to cover up his own responsibility.

By framing his colleague.

…But.

This incident… “isn’t over yet”.

It’s not “complete”.

Because there was a certain miscalculation.

* * *

And time returns to the beginning.

Gaisha, taking the Superbad Jeweled Crown from the hidden compartment, and carrying it to “a certain place”, was thinking about the mistake he made in this incident.

Originally, according to his plan, he should have already been able to expose his colleague as the thief to the police by this time.

That unpleasant man—

Yarkinek.

He would assign him work that would require him to stay overnight, and while he was working overtime, he would put the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown in his locker.

Yarkinek is sloppy with organizing his locker, and it’s quite cluttered.

If he casually covered the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown with a coat or something, Yarkinek probably wouldn’t even notice it was there.

But the police are different.

They would properly search, and find the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown from his locker.

That man would become a criminal who stole the treasure, and disappear from Gaisha’s sight.

Gaisha thought it was a good plan, killing two birds with one stone, considering he came up with it while panicking about the director’s return.

When he came up with the idea.

He was that desperate.

But there was a miscalculation.

Yarkinek somehow managed to avoid working overtime.

The one who ended up taking over the work was Kotsukotsu.

Kotsukotsu is a hardworking woman.

He doesn’t particularly dislike her.

But it can’t be helped now.

He has no choice but to frame Kotsukotsu.

Gaisha changed his plan.

But there was another miscalculation.

Kotsukotsu doesn’t carry her wallet during work.

In other words, she has a habit of putting her wallet in her locker, and locking it.

And that didn’t change even when she was working overtime… Gaisha couldn’t plant the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown in Kotsukotsu’s locker.

So he had no choice but to hide the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown in the hidden compartment in the wall.

Now that Kotsukotsu has gone home, her locker should be unlocked.

Now’s the time to plant it.

She’s also not very good at organizing.

Her locker is also quite cluttered.

The Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown, which couldn’t be found in the first search, will be found in the second search.

There’s enough stuff in her locker that no one would find it strange.

* * *

And now.

Gaisha finally arrived at his destination… the women’s changing room, where Kotsukotsu’s locker is located.

He’ll hide the Superbad Jeweled Crown here, and complete the crime.

Gaisha glanced around, and then put his hand on the doorknob of the women’s changing room…

And stopped.

“…………”

His hand trembled, and cold sweat formed on his forehead.

His throat feels strangely dry.

In short, Gaisha, having come this far—

Finally felt a pang of conscience.

Is it okay… to do this?

At this late hour, Gaisha started to hesitate.

He’s a member of the prestigious Colossale family.

He can’t afford to be disgraced.

But.

But.

Is this really the right thing to do?

Gaisha gulped.

…Although he has a perfectionist streak.

He’s just a normal person.

For better or for worse, just a person.

If he turns back now.

If he says that the stolen goods were found in the hidden compartment.

He might be held responsible as the manager.

He doesn’t want that.

He really doesn’t want that.

But.

There won’t be a woman suffering from a false accusation.

He thought that.

Having calmed down, having come this far.

He thought that.

So.

“…Hey.”

Gaisha let go of the doorknob.

And then, slowly turning around—

His eyes bloodshot… a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Sniffling—

With a pathetic look on his face—

“Let’s… stop this.”

He said that.

…To his “companion”.

And.

He—.