[Senior~~~!]

[What’s wrong, Fina?]

[Does being a “Gallant” unit including doing this all the time?]

[It is.] [Why?]

[I think I’m going to become a Valiant.] [This job is too boring.]

[What are you saying?!?] [As fellow witches, it is within our responsibilities of the strong to protect and care for those whose familiar weren’t that good for battle!] [Even your familiar is also that of a protector!] [Be more serious!!]

[But all we do is circling around the same places over and over again~!] [It’s starting to tire me out~!] [Don’t you think so, Vram~?]

[I’m used to it.]

[EEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee????]

As time goes by, Vram, Josephine, Yohana, and her familiar, Sear, a creature that had a very human-like face, with a feathered wing on its arms and some feather on her heads, with an exoskeleton legs and a claw equipped on its feet, was in the middle of patrolling around the villages, mainly the places where the act of robbery is happening.

[But usually once a patrol was done, in no time, they’ll be able to capture the criminals in no time!] [At least, that’s what I’ve known from the literature!]

[You’ve been reading too much Detective Story.]

[*KUUUU!!!]

Sear was returning from her flight back from observing the forest from the sky.

[She said there’s nothing strange around here either.] [Also, it seems that the culprit have been doing this at a random pace.]

[What do you mean by that, Lady Yohana?]

[We’ve been seeing the places he’s attacking, right?] [Most of the area he attacked was between the border of the barrier and the places where the food stock was stored at.] [There’s no case of breaking in, so either this guy’s quite good at stealing, or they have an accomplice.]

[Why is that?]

[Because the lock was made physically.] [For us magic users’, unlocking the physical lock was quite a pain in the ass.] [And if we tried to force open it with magic, the Mana detector would’ve caught her instantly.]

[And a monster wouldn’t be quite smart to do that, I presume.]

[Exactly.]

[Huh?] [But wasn’t Elder Endrossa said that there was an invasion?]

[I don’t know the reasons why Elder would says that, but that’s highly impossible.] [The barrier around this village will trap the invader inside a labyrinth without an exit.] [And the way out, or to be exact, the door toward the village can only be opened around many spans of years.]

[That means….]

[Yes, only a weakened monster, a mana-user, or an immortal monster could ever went through.]

[And a mana-user wouldn’t have quite a speed to shake off your familiar, eh?]

[Still, I couldn’t believe that there was an invasion from the outer sides.] [Not to mention, recently a hordes of Vasp Queens were in quite a rage right now, so there’s no way a normal human would be able to shook them off.]

[[Ah….]]

Both Vram and Josephine froze up when they heard Vasp Queens name.

[Anyway, we shouldn’t be loitering around here for much longer.] [Let’s search another places.]

[Right…] with disheartened tone, Josephine responded to Yohana’s suggestion.

***

[THANKS FOR THE FOOD~!]

Munching the Hamburger greedily, Yohana could only sighed seeing such inelegantly and unsightly posture of her junior Josephine.

[You really hate these kinds of work, aren’t you?] [Still, were you able to found some clues regarding this thief, Vram?]

[That’s hard to say.] [If the thief was a human, I have a bunch of ways to capture him.]

[Hmm… This is troubling….]

As the group was resting after patrolling for a bit longer, the group discussing about the next possible places where they may be attacked.

[For now, I’ve already warned the other food storages to reinforce their guard around their storage.] [Thanks to the recent blunder, it’s easier to convince them now.]

[Then I guess we just have to wait them to attacks once again eh…]

[That’s right.]

As if ignoring the one whom should’ve been following the discussion, Josephine just keep munching out the Hamburger she’s been eating this whole time while Vram and Yohana just keeps discussing their next action.

[By the way, Vram.] [What have you been doing all this time?] As Yohana were having a hard time wondering what Vram had been doing this whole time, scratching his weapon against some kind of mineral.

[Hmm?] [Ah, this?] [I was sharpening my weapon.] [Thanks to my recent battle against the Vasp Queens, most of my armaments were in tatters.] [That’s why; at least I need to do some maintenance to most of my unused weaponry.]

[Wait a sec, what did you say?] [YOU FOUGHT AGAINST A VASP QUEENS!?!?!]

The surprised Yohana made Josephine choke on her hamburger, which made Vram quite panicked.

[*cough* *cough*!!] [Wha~t?! Don’s surprise me like that, Senior~!]

[I’M THE ONE WHO SHOULD’VE SAID THAT?!?!] [ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOUR FAMILIAR OFF?!?!?]

[But that monster’s the one whom attacked us first!!] [We’re only trying to defend ourselves here!!]

[Umm… Lady Yohana, I shall explain what was actually happened.]

After a brief moment, Vram started to explain the situation regarding Hilda and company’s familiars, the Vasp’s ability, as well as the situation that enveloped them.

[Are you kidding me…?!] [For such a thing to happens….]

[I don’t know much about the monsters, though….] [Vram’s the one whom fought against it.]

[OF COURSE YOU SHOULD!] [Vasp Queen’s ability to track down magical ability is much superior to its children!] [If you ever face one, your life will be lost in an instant!!] [*sigh*… no wonder you were able to fulfill the quota in less than a week.]

[Tehee~❤!] As Josephine put out her tongue out while blinking her left eye.

[DON'T "TEHEE~❤!" ME, YOU IDIOT JUNIOR!!]

[By the way, Master.] [I kinda forgot to ask this, but what are you going to do with the rest of the cocoon you’ve collected?]

[Ah, I need those for our later experiment regarding how to power you up, so we can’t let it out yet.]

[Hey, your familiar’s strong enough as it is, so why are you even needed to power him up more?]

[Though he may be strong, I admit, there are still so much dangerous monsters out there.] [That’s why I need him to get stronger, in order to not let such things happen to Hilda’s familiar anymore….]

Listening to her serious tone, Yohana felt kinda glad seeing her junior had grown up in some way, though that cannot be said with her attitude that keeps munching down her hamburger while speak such things.

***

Another day has passed since the last incident regarding Vram’s innocence of thievery, and the thief still shows no signs of appearing.

[This is driving me crazy…!] [This kind of works really bore me out more than being a Valiant~!]

[Bear with it.] [You’re the one who volunteered to capture him yourself.]

[I kno~w~~…] [Still, why hasn’t the thief come out yet~!?]

As Josephine can only whining as well as Yohana, whom started to get tired of lecturing her over and over again, Vram was dead silent, trying to think about something.

{This is strange….} {All it ever does is stealing some raw food.} {Even if it’s a monster, there’s a limit of how much of a glutton it is.} {Also, the food he stole weren’t only one kind of a food.} {No matter how desperate such monster is, it’s weird.} {Also, the interval between when he stole them and when he’s not….} {It doesn’t even have a pattern on its own.} {Either it act on impulsively, or rather, there’s something else behind this case….}

[Still no clues about the thief’s whereabouts?]

And somehow, Endrossa just suddenly appear right besides them, completely surprised everyone there.

[Umm… Elder…] [I’ve been wondering about this, but how can you easily travels between places so fast like that?] [I never realized you were here….]

[Save the details for later.] [So, how was it?]

[I’m sorry.] [It’s just that, somehow we’re unable to link every clue we have here and there.]

[Have you considered every possible thing that happened here?]

[Well… We do… but it’s just….]

[I see someone were still in a bind.] [So, how was it…?] As Elder Endrossa went a little closer toward Vram.

[I’m still unable to figure it out.] [The clues were all too ambiguous.]

[Have you ever considered a raid from the outside?]

[I did.] [And yet, it’s still confusing enough.]

[Wait, what you mean by that, Elder?!?] Yohana suddenly went outburst toward Elder Endrossa, unable to hide her surprise.

[It is exactly what I’ve been saying.] [The trails of his steps were coming from unknown region.] [Thus, it can be simplified that it was not from our places.]

[Yet it is still unclear about its purposes.] [It does seem to be human, but the way it does things was too irrational.]

[And that’s what turns you into this state, I assume?]

As Elder Endrossa pointing toward what Vram had been doing all this time, he was in the middle of grinding his sword. Though it supposed to be a sword, Vram had been grinding it for too long, causing it to be unnecessarily sparkly.

[Damn.] [I grind it too much, it becomes fragile.] As he just casually hid it inside the “Storage”.

[So what do we do!?] [If even Vram were unable to figure out the thief’s existence, then who could?!?]

Josephine somehow went panicked all by herself, unable to help. This cause even Elder Endrossa to be annoyed as much as she had to grab her own forehead.

[I guess not even an irregular will be able to solve such irregular case easily.]

[Well it’s not like we’re completely clueless.] [It seems to be quite a wary opponent, considering he hasn’t attacked us since we’ve reinforced the guards.]

[Then all we have to do now is waiting for his moves once again, eh?]

[Quite right.]

Just as they were in the middle of discussing the thief, suddenly another girl had been running frantically toward Elder and the others.

[ELDER!!] [It’s happening again!]

[[[WHAT?!?!]]]

***

A little girl was sobbing in the middle of the settlement, around the market area. A bruise can be seen around her arms while she’s wiping her tears. The other witches are trying to calm her down as Vram and the others were trying to observe around the area.

[This is doesn’t make any sense.] As Yohana just makes a clueless remark right there.

[What’s happening?] As the Elder tried to approach the victim.

[*hic…] [Th… there was someone.] [It suddenly jumped right in front of me, and before I knew it, it hit me with that branch over there, and steals everything I’ve had.] [I was so surprised and afraid, that I forgot to call my familiar.]

[What was stolen?]

[A hamburger….]

The moment she mentioned the stolen item, everyone around her went dead silent, unable to accept the reality that happens in front of them.

[Really?] [I haven’t tried it yet, is it really that tasty?]

[WHAT ARE YOU SAYING YOHANA?!?!] Suddenly Josephine made a surprise remark from her behind, as it surprises Yohana so. [IT WAS A GODLY RECIPE, I TELL YOU!!] [The smoothness yet the crisp of the bun, a fresh-taste feeling coming from the combined salad, as well as the thick slice of bacon take over the half of the food itself.] [Combined with many condiments and cream, it was such a revolution to be able to create one!] [Not to mention, it was quite cheap and easy to make, so everyone can easily have a taste~!]

[Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.] [Still, it doesn’t even make any sense.] [All this time, he was attacking any unsafe region all around the farm, but now he brashly attacked the market area.] [Not to mention, he steal these hamburgers!!]

[Maybe he’s hungry?] As Josephine suddenly commented toward Yohana’s remark.

[WHAT KIND OF A MONSTER IS IT TO ATE SO MUCH OF OUR VILLAGE’S STOCK, YET STILL ]

[Yohana!] [We’re in public, don’t just carelessly spread information!!] As the Elder suddenly enraged seeing Yohana being panicked.

[But…!!]

[Also, from the information we’ve been received, though most of them says that they can hardly sees the thieves, it can be said that it was definitely a human-shaped ones, because they said that it resembles us.]

[You mean….] [We were attacked by a human-type monster now?]

[No.] [I think it was definitely a human.] [Now I understand.]

The moment Vram mention what he had been thinking, everyone went silent.

[I see….] [So my guess weren’t that far off.]

[Wait a sec, that’s impossible!] [There has been no sign of barrier breaking here and there?!] Yohana, expressed her disbelief, starting to shout at Vram.

[It just means that we hadn’t known a way to break the barrier without having to trigger the signals yet.] [Because we’ve been too much focused on that fact, we just overlooked the fact how we human acts.]

[And how do you come to this conclusion?]

[By how we act.] [I may have been trained for these kinds of things, but most humans whom were being stranded in an unexplored continent such as this place would do anything to satiate themselves.] [This case is of no exception.]

[How you act… what do you mean by that?] Josephine start to be intrigued by what Vram had to say.

[He’s being desperate.] [I’m guessing it’s not that easy for him to reach this place, and since it wasn’t easy to survive on the outer world either, it’ll be easier for him to stay here.] [And once he couldn’t hold his hunger, he starts doing these.]

[Yet, why hamburger?]

[I’m guessing that’s the easiest yet the most delicious food to be stolen.]

[It IS delicious!!] As Josephine trying to reconfirm one useless fact.

[Alright….] As Yohana somehow forcefully trying to accept the fact while rubbing her heads. [Supposedly all this were the truth, how are we supposed to catch that man?]

[I have an idea.]

***

*SSSSZZZZZZSSSSSSSS

A sizzling sound in the middle of the forest, a thin smoke spreading around it as Josephine fanned it all day long. Within the thin wire and above the fire, there lies a barbecue meat, big enough to feed more than a whole family counted.

[Haa……] Josephine starts drooling.

[Wha….] Yohana was left speechless seeing what kind of plan did Vram planned through. [What are you trying to pull here?!]

[Well, we just have to wait a little bit longer.] As Vram tried to focus his vision toward the barbecue. [Guess it’s time.]

Vram was giving signal toward Josephine, that the plan was in motion, and that she needs to pull back.

*GROOOOOOOOOOWL

Suddenly a sound of something howling can be heard within Josephine’s stomach as she started to get away from the fire.

[Hungry….]

[You’ve already ate so much before, and you still want more?!]

[Tehee~❤]

[Don’t make a noise.] [We need to be as silent as possible in order to ensure that he’ll come to take the bait.]

Hearing Vram’s conviction, Yohana can only stay silent as she just trusted his instinct as well ordering her familiar to watch from the sky.

As they keep waiting, the sizzling sound becomes louder as the Barbecue’s began to be done. The reddish, charred meat unleashing such a smell that makes Josephine drooled so much Yohana had to uses her robes to wipe it all off.

*KRSHK

A sound of unnatural moving bush was heard near the fire, as Yohana was surprised to see it by herself. A figure, though not as big as Vram, was starting to get near the barbecue place, with black, ragged robe covering his whole body as he’s reaching the barbecue.

[Now….!]

Yohana was trying to order the familiar to quickly capture it, but Vram’s hand gesture told her to hold it off for a bit. As Vram still trying to hold it off, the man’s already had the meat in his hand. It can be seen that he’s panicked because it was still so hot. As they keep waiting, waiting and waiting, the meat finally started to cool down and was ready to be eaten.

[Until when are we going to….!]

Just before Yohana was almost being impatient, the man started to open its mouth and already going to munch the meat. In that split second, Yohana was both surprised and perplexed.

*SWOOOOOOOOOSH!!

Vram started to dash out, or to be exact, flew toward the man.

[Huh?!]

[Die!!]