Chapter 120
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: The Thief in the Night
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2 years later
Kingdom Year 312.
The Oz Kingdom, after a long and arduous conflict with the Demon Lord’s army, suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of a dark horse, Patrasche, the “Demon Lord’s Hound,” with just two of his original spells.
Having been forced to sign eleven unequal treaties, the Oz Kingdom became a mere colony of the Demon Lord’s army. From then on, it was known to the international community as Colony Oz.
A new order, established by Governor-General Ozma and her Oz Governorate.
A multicultural society, where humans and demons coexisted, was born.
***
The entertainment district of the capital city of Oz.
Two men emerged from a large tavern, their faces flushed with satisfaction.
“Hahaha! The girls here are as good as they say!”
“Haha, I made sure to call only the best for you, my lord.”
“You always know what I like. How did you know I had a thing for blondes?”
“I’ve been serving you for over a year now, my lord. I know your tastes.”
The man with a pair of red horns on his head and a large, imposing frame was a demon businessman named Veig.
After Oz became a colony, Veig, sensing an opportunity, had been one of the first to move to the city. He bought up goods that were not available in Doom Land and sold them back home for a hefty profit.
He had started out as a kind of traveling merchant, but he had since used his profits to build a large and prosperous merchant company.
Having just enjoyed a very satisfying night, he pulled out his thick wallet to tip the middle-aged salesman beside him.
“Let’s see. Let me show you how much I appreciate you.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
The middle-aged salesman bowed so low that the bald spot on his head was visible.
Veig, feeling a pang of pity, pulled out a 10-gold check.
“This is for all your hard work.”
He then added another check.
“And this is a thank you for gathering all the pretty blondes for me.”
Finally, he pulled out two more checks.
“And this is a bonus, to show you how much I value you.”
A total of 40 gold.
An amount that an ordinary office worker would struggle to earn in a year. Veig gave it as a tip without a second thought.
Truly a display of overwhelming wealth!
“Thank you! Thank you, my lord! I will work even harder from now on!”
“Yes, yes. You remind me of my younger self. Buy your children something nice, and get yourself some new clothes.”
Veig brushed the dust off the middle-aged salesman’s shoulder.
“You know how it is. If a salesman is dressed in shabby clothes, he’ll be looked down upon.”
Such warm consideration!
Aside from being a demon, Veig was a truly ideal businessman.
“My lord! I know a great place for round two! Let’s go!”
“Hahaha! Then I’ll trust your judgment!”
As the two, united by their shared love of alcohol, were about to disappear into the night,
“Wait!”
A slender voice called out from above. Veig looked up at the streetlight.
“Huh? What’s that?”
It was a dark, moonless night.
But even in the dim light, the figure was clearly visible, a noble and imposing presence.
A black, feathered hat.
Long, golden hair cascading from beneath it.
A butterfly-shaped mask, which seemed to be sprinkled with pearl dust, shimmered in the dim light.
The two men tensed at the sight of the figure, clad in black from head to toe.
“I’ve heard of her. A phantom thief who only appears on the darkest of nights.”
“Me too. They say she steals from the rich and gives to the poor…”
Veig and the middle-aged salesman exclaimed in unison,
““The Pretty Girl Mask!””
“It’s Papillon Noir!”
The masked figure, who had been posing on the streetlight, snapped, but then, returning to her phantom thief persona, she listed Veig’s crimes.
“Demon businessman Veig! You deal primarily in cash to avoid a paper trail, you cut your workers’ wages for various reasons, and you evade taxes by keeping a second set of books!”
Veig, looking wronged, shouted,
“Everyone does that! Why are you picking on me?!”
“I’m not finished speaking! Be quiet!”
The Pretty Girl Mask snapped her fingers, and a large chunk of ice materialized in mid-air and struck Veig on the head.
Thwack!
Veig, clutching his head, crumpled to the ground. The Pretty Girl Mask, her hands on her hips, continued her lecture.
“Furthermore, you have an estimated 20,000 gold in cash hidden in your home. If you’re going to exploit humans to make that much money, you should at least give some of it back to society!”
“Who the hell are you to…!”
A gust of wind.
In the blink of an eye, the Pretty Girl Mask, who had been standing on the streetlight, vanished.
Veig, looking around frantically, suddenly felt a presence behind him.
The Pretty Girl Mask, a long épée in her hand, pressed the tip of her blade against his neck.
“I’m on the side of the oppressed.”
I didn’t even see her move!
Veig was terrified.
He was a demon. A pure-blooded demon, at that.
He possessed physical abilities far superior to any human.
But this woman had moved so fast that he hadn't even been able to see her.
She was a master.
Veig, who had developed a keen sense of self-preservation during his long years as a peddler, immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
“Please, spare me! I have a wife and children at home!”
“You’re unmarried.”
“…Well, if I had a family, they would be sad if I died. But since I’m alone, no one would mourn my passing.”
Veig, having quickly changed his tune, sighed and asked,
“What do you want from me?”
The Pretty Girl Mask, as if finally satisfied, smiled.
“I’m not here to judge you for your business practices. I just want half of your hidden stash.”
“H-Half? Isn’t that too much?”
Ten thousand gold.
Enough to buy a decent mansion in the capital, where real estate was notoriously expensive.
“Which do you think would be faster? Me reporting you to the authorities, or you handing over the 10,000 gold? Want to make a bet?”
“N-No! I’ll give it to you! It’s for a good cause, after all!”
The Pretty Girl Mask poked him in the back with the tip of her épée.
“Then lead the way. And don’t try anything funny.”
“L-Lord Veig!”
The middle-aged salesman, who had been watching in a daze, finally found his voice. The Pretty Girl Mask simply held a finger to her lips, silencing him.
***
[The Pretty Girl Mask Strikes Again! Who is the mysterious black phantom thief of Oz?!]
I chuckled at the headline in the morning paper.
“Who comes up with these nicknames? The Pretty Girl Mask?”
Ozma, who was eating beside me, said,
“Her original name is Papillon Noir. But the first witness gave a strange description, and the nickname stuck.”
Vanessa, who was bustling around the kitchen, added,
“Ah, I saw that article. The witness said, ‘A masked pretty girl suddenly fell from the sky, hololololo, and defeated the bad guys, hololololo!’”
Dorothea, who was eating toast and drinking her morning coffee, giggled.
“Nicknames are usually the easier ones to remember. The Pretty Girl Mask is quite catchy, isn’t it?”
Indeed. Papillon Noir was a bit of a mouthful, but the Pretty Girl Mask rolled off the tongue.
“Master Kaldrash, would you like another cup of tea?”
“Ah, thank you, Camilla.”
I handed my empty cup to Camilla, who was attending to me.
She gracefully refilled it.
I finished my bagel and began to prepare for work.
The Oz Governorate, where I served as the Minister of Finance, would be opening soon.