'This is one of the basic scams that used to be rampant in my hometown.

I begin to teach the members of the group gathered in Cantar Chica about the scam.
Even though it was the middle of the night, they all rushed to help me.
I don't know what Magda and Loretta said to get them to come, but I'm sure they would have come no matter who called them.
They're not the kind of people who just let their friends get scammed.

First of all, I would like to explain the nature of this scam so that you don't fall for the same trick.
This scam is the same method as the one called 'Oreore fraud' in Japan.

To explain it briefly, the scammer makes you believe that someone you know has been involved in a crime and asks you to pay money to rescue them. That's how it works.
'But you know what, Yashiro?

Estella raises her hand and raises a question.

'If a stranger suddenly comes to you and says, "A friend of yours has been involved in an incident," and asks for money to help, won't they trust you?'

--You'd think, right?

'If you provide them with information that makes them trust you, they will supplement the missing information in their brains and trust you.
'I wonder if that's true. ......'

Estella is not quite convinced.
Then try to be fooled for a moment.

'You deny everything like that, ...... so you're always, you know, ...... what's your name?Look, your meddlesome waiter .......'
'Shayla?
'Yeah, yeah, Shayla. She's got a lot to say, doesn't she?
'Not at all, Shayla. She's the second most complained about person after Natalia. ...... I'll let her say what she wants.'

'I'll let her say what she wants,' he said, getting information about Estella's waiter.

'Since Estella doesn't seem to be convinced, I'd like to do a little experiment. Loretta, can you run an errand for me?'
'Yes, sir!You can always count on me!

Call Loretta and give her instructions in a whisper.

'...... Well, that's it, isn't it?
'Yeah. That's fine. Just don't improvise anything.'
'Okay. I'll be back in a bit!

Loretta raised her hand and ran out of the store.
It would take a normal person about ten minutes to get there, but ...... Loretta and the others would be there in two or three minutes.

'What are you going to do?
'To prove that I was right. But first, Natalia.'
'Yes, sir. Yes, sir?'

He left Estella alone for a moment and turned to Natalia. It's a simple question.
I'm sure she knows what it is.

'Did you notice anything interesting about the conversation between me and Estella just now?
'Huh?Did you notice anything strange?
'That's what I'm asking Natalia. Shut up for a second.'

I silenced Estella and waited for Natalia's answer.
Then Natalia shook her head, just as we had hoped.

'There's one thing that's bothering you.
'Tell me.'
'I was surprised to learn that Master Yashiro knows Shayla's name.
'Oh, you're right. You said that Shayla takes care of me, but can't really talk to men. When did you hear her name?'
'I didn't.'
'Yeah, but you know ......, don't you?
'No.'
'What about ............?'

I've asked Natalia that before.
Natalia told me once that Estella's waitresses don't talk to us unless they have something to say.
She said that she does this to prevent them from being intrusive and also for a noble reason.
One reason is Estella's son-in-law problem.

For example, what if Estella's waitresses were friendly with me, or took the initiative to help me like Natalia, or acted in a way that would help me at every turn?
I'm sure the world, especially the nobles, would think, 'Oh. He's going to be the next lord, isn't he? That's why the waiter is serving him,' they would think.
Even if it's a groundless rumor, Estella is a young girl and the mere fact that she's rumored to be with a man could have a negative impact on her.
If she were to be discovered by a great nobleman or a royal family member, and it turned out that she had had a rumor with some unknown man in the past, there was a possibility that she would be broken up. Or rather, the possibility is high.
There are many women who are interested in men of high status and so-called "good conditions". Even in the sense of nobility.

That's why Estella's waiter doesn't contact me unless I talk to him, and even if we have a word or two of conversation, he doesn't tell me his name.
A waiter will only say his name under the right circumstances. It is usually only to the members of the household he serves, and he rarely asserts himself to people outside the household. Servants are like props or stage sets that exist only to accentuate their masters.

When some aristocrat says to me, 'That waiter of yours is so cute. Tell me your name! If a nobleman said to her, "Tell me your name!" she would tell him her name, but if she did, Natalia would ask her, "How dare you stand out from your master? But if you do, Natalia will probably ask you, 'How can you be more prominent than your master? Natalia, who says ......, was feverishly trying to outdo her master. Rather willingly.



'So I don't know what kind of waiter this Shayla is.
'Then what was that conversation we had earlier?

As Estella puffed out her cheeks, Hammaro jumped into the cantartika.

'Ryoshu-sama, are you there?
'I'm here just in time.
'That's not what I meant, Natalia!I'm not talking about whether you need to be here or not, I'm talking about whether you exist or not!

Pushing Natalia away from her master, Estella waved her hand toward Hammaro.

'I'm here~. What do you want from me?
'You know, Shayla-san...'

Hammaro points to the other side of the door.
Seeing this, Estella leaves her seat.

'What?Shayla's here?
'Something might have happened in the building.

She and Natalia walk to the entrance and look outside the store.
Scurry, scurry, scurry, scurry. ............

'There's no ......?
'He's not here ......, is he?'

Estella and Natalia look at Hammaro.
Hammaro tilts his head with a '? Hammaro tilts his head.

'Ah. Did it go well, big brother?

Loretta pops up from behind Estella's curious face.
She picks up Hammaro and comes back to stand next to me.

'What the hell is going on?
'In short, this is the reality of the scam.

Estella and even Natalia have fallen for it.
We need to be alerted to this.

'First of all, when I said "meddlesome waiter", Estella thought of someone named Shayla. And then she leaked the personal information of her name.
'What personal information is ...... such as a name?
'But you know what?

That personal information will lead to the next scam.

'Hammaro just said, "Shayla", and Estella and Natalia thought, "Shayla is here". Or to put it another way, they were tricked.
'Duped ......?

Estella and Natalia look at Hammaro at the same time.
'Don't stare at him, he just made me do it.

'Just now, I prepared Loretta in front of you, didn't I?And yet, you fell for it so easily. Why is that?

That's the horror of personal information.

'The fact that Hammaro, who couldn't possibly know Shayla, mentioned her name gave credibility to his words. Also, the fact that Hammaro, who would never deceive you, said it, is one of the reasons why you believed his words.

For example, if a stranger tells you the name of your parents and asks, 'Where are you? For example, a stranger tells you the name of his parents and asks, 'Where are you? Then, you would think, 'Oh, this person is an acquaintance of my parents,' and you would blab on about their current whereabouts.
If you say to your parents, 'You were at ____ yesterday, weren't you? How does this person know? If you say to your parents, 'You were in ____ yesterday, weren't you? This kind of scam is often used in vicious psychic sales. When people are told various things about their behavior, they become anxious and fall into a state where they are susceptible to fraud.

A name is the perfect personal information to convince a stranger to trust you.

The same thing happened to Paula.

First of all, Paula thought of me when she heard the mysterious man say that I was 'a cunning man with bad eyesight'. ...... I don't mean to be rude.
In addition, when she heard that the man had been caught, she thought, 'Yashiro could do it,' and believed it. ...... This is also rude, though.

'So, you gave him my name.
'Wait, Yashiro!

It was Paula who stopped the conversation.
She stood up and pleaded with him in a desperate manner.

'But the man said his initials were Y. I don't even know Yashiro's name!
'No, you said it first. Yashiro, what did you do?Did you disrespect my lord again? I said.
'...... huh?'

Paula hurriedly called up the Conversation Record and traced the conversation.
Then, she seems to have found the relevant part and lets out a '...... ah'.

If you're in a calm state, you may have noticed that the first thing a fraudulent person will do is try to disrupt your normal state of mind. If you're not calm, you can't remember what you're saying and what you're not saying.
'I'm sure ...... I didn't remember saying Yashiro's name. ............ I can't believe I said it twice.

Given the chance twice, a fraudster would certainly remember him.

'But I dared to pretend that I hadn't heard, to make it look like the information I'd just gotten was information I'd 'always known'.
'So that's what the initials Y...... mean.'
'Yeah. If you say something plausible, they'll go deeper and deeper. It's funny.
'Mmm ...... Yashiro, why are you talking from the bad guy's perspective?'

Paula is pissed.
I'm sorry.


I spoke from a position that I was used to.
I should have said, 'If you say something plausible, it makes me uneasy.

'So, you got Yashiro's full name and used it, just like Yashiro did to us.
'Yeah. There aren't many people who know my full name. It's a good way to make people think they know you.

Next came the soldiers in armor.

'People are vulnerable to authority, and when it is exploited, they are easily fooled.
'It's not just some people who are weak to authority, is it? It's like they have a guilty conscience.
Yeah. I'm fine with it.''

That's what Norma and Delia say.
But...

'But how would you feel if one day, out of the blue, your lord sent you papers?
'............ It's a bit disgusting.'
'...... Oh, it's probably about taxes, anyway.'
'Hey, Yashiro. Can you please not make me look like the bad guy?
'That's the power of authority.

Even if Estella is a lord who is lenient to her people, she will be more than a little nervous if she receives a big document with an emblem stamped on it.
In Japan, when you receive a postcard from the court, even if you don't remember anything about it, you will be nervous for a moment, wondering if you have done something wrong. Even if you don't remember anything about it, you feel nervous for a moment. Also, when you see the police, you may turn away from them.

'What would you do if you received a document from the lord telling you to turn yourself in immediately, Norma?
'Well, I'd go.
'In the meantime, Norma's house is open to burglars.

Norma frowns.
She must have been mildly horrified. She would have easily fallen for something like that.

'That's why misuse of the emblem is punished so severely--isn't that right, my lord?
'Well, ......, I admit that the emblem is effective. But in Paula's case, there was no emblem, right?
'Yes. I couldn't show you anything like that. ...... Huh?Then why did I think those two were soldiers from District 29?
'It's because they were wearing armor.

If you overhear information that sounds like it beforehand, and immediately afterwards you meet a person dressed like it, you will assume that this is the person.
In particular, uniforms are the best way to express a person's status.
Even I was mistaken for an aristocrat just because I was wearing well-furnished clothes.

'If you put on armor and act like it, you can easily deceive a person who lacks composure.
'd*mn it, Yashiro. You're talking from the perspective of the bad guy again!

Paula, the one who was tricked, can't seem to forgive the way I said it.
You're making me nervous.

'If a soldier came right after being told that a soldier was coming, and said my full name, which he couldn't possibly know, and pressed me in an intimidating manner, would you ...... be able to easily resist? I'm sorry.

In particular, if you were made to believe that your acquaintance was in danger,......, it would be impossible.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.


...... and Paula sobbed in frustration.
No pun intended.

'Why don't you put the judgment of the spirits on them?

Delia is indignant.
She doesn't assert, 'You should play them! You're a resident of the 42nd district, I'll give you that.
But that makes no sense.

'They're not lying.
'But you told them that Yashiro was being held in the 29th district, didn't you?
'No, I didn't.'

The only thing the man said was that a cunning man with bad eyesight was captured by the soldiers of District 29.

'Paula was wrong about me being captured.
'But he did mention Yashiro's name!

Paula replied on Delia's behalf. But that's the point.

'The initials of the guy you're thinking of is 'Y', isn't it? And he's changing the words.

"The guy you're thinking of," not "the guy in custody.
The story of the guy being held and the story of the guy Paula has in mind are two different stories.

And after that--

"I'm not familiar with this district, and I'm not close to Yashiro. I'm not familiar with this district, and I'm not familiar with Yashiro, but when I think of him being captured by the soldiers, I want to ...... help him.

-- line.
The first half of the line, "I don't know much about this district, and I'm not close to Yashiro," and the second half, "But when I think of that guy who was captured by the soldiers, I ...... want to help him, ...... I think so. The second half, 'But when I think of that guy who was captured by the soldiers, I want to help him.

'The man is only telling the fact that he is not close to Yashiro and that he wants to help the man who is being held captive.
'Why do you have to make it so complicated?
'So that ...... I can trick you.

With a swoon ......, Paula sank back into her chair with little effort.
She made a dumbfounded face, then sagged down.

The fact that she had been taken for a ride was enough to kill her.
The fact that she's had her fill is sapping her strength.

'But I have to admire Paula in some ways.
'......What?'

Paula lifts her heavy head and turns a tearful face towards me.
I'll give her a little encouragement.



'Paula didn't follow the first man's lead and tell the soldier who came after her, "I'll pay you exactly what you want. She did not say, 'Now just take the deposit and go.
'It's just that I was too occupied to remember ...... such things.
'If I had said those words, ...... after the scam was exposed or not, Paula would have been paid 10 million Rb by them.
'What?

The air trembled.
A few people shrugged their shoulders in unison.
A chill must have run down my spine. There are a few people with blue faces here and there.
Well, none of them can match Paula's color, though.
Paula was so pale that she looked like she was about to collapse.

'Mr. Paula, are you okay?
'Oh, ...... let's take a break, shall we?......, okay?'

Ginette and Milly supported Paula from both sides.
She may want to crawl under the covers right now, but Paula stays there.
With a blue face, she weakly tells Jeannette and the others, 'Thank you ......, I'm fine.
She must have made up her mind to stay here and listen to me until the end.

'Yashiro. Do you have any way to catch them?'

Estella asks earnestly in the heavy air.
I'll spare no effort. So please lend me your wisdom. That's the look on her face.

'I have a way. Or rather, they'll come to us.'
'The other side?

That's what they said to Paula when they left.


'Don't tell anyone about this. And whoever comes, act as if nothing has happened.


These words are the reverse of the fact that I don't want Paula to make a fuss. In other words--'
'He's still going to commit more crimes ......, isn't he?

You're right, Estella.
And I know where the next one will be.

'They've got information on who they can get money from.'
'Ah!

Paula noticed this and raised her voice.

'Well, ...... that's why Estella didn't make it.

When Paula was asked who had the money, the first person she answered was Estella.
But as expected, scamming the lord would be too big a problem.
So she brought out the second candidate.

'Norma, Regina, I'm sorry!I told them your names!

Paula bows her head to them.
Her voice contained a sorrowful sound, as if she was about to cry.

'Hey, don't worry about it.
'You're right. They know what we're up to, so there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.

However, these two were calm.
As expected, both Norma and Regina exude a sense of maturity.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.I feel a little weird about it.
'Oh, ......'s ............ that's ......... The ............... wedding fund is .......'
'Oh no!
'Noma-san, your voice!I don't know what you're talking about.
'Millie, no!It's dangerous to go near Norma right now!

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
You can find a lot more information on the web at .......
I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm not going to let you get caught up in that.

Norma blows on her pipe with great fanfare.
Inside the store, Paula is unable to pay attention. Well, let him off the hook for today. I'm sure she wants to calm down.

'But this will give us an idea of what they're up to.
'Then, shall I apply to the Creamona family's private army to keep an eye on Norma-san and Regina-san's house?
'Oh, then I'll help you too. Estella's soldiers are all weak, aren't they?
'...... I hope you don't compare them to you. I hope Delia knows she's special.

If we keep an eye on Norma's house and Regina's house, we should be able to catch the crooks.
But even if you catch them, it doesn't mean you can do anything.

'They're wary of the Judgment of the Spirits and choose words that don't lie. So even if we catch them, it's hard to punish them.
'You can turn them in to the lord. In every district, the lord has the authority to judge the guilty.
'That's why.



The lord of the Forty-second District is Estella.

'Do you think you can punish this sweetheart so severely that she'll regret being born?

At best, she'll be punished according to precedent.
If Paula's money is returned, the damage will have been minimized, and at worst the punishment will be a warning.
Estella wouldn't like to deviate from the precedent and give an excessive punishment.

'But is that what you want?

I ask the members who have gathered here in the middle of the night.

'Are you sure you want to punish the bastards who made Paula cry with such a light ...... punishment?

Almost everyone in the room gave the same answer to my question.

'No way!I'll kick your ass.'
'Yes, you're right, Delia-san!I'll take you down!
'...... This is a fight sold to the Forty-Two Wards.
'I don't know. You have to know what you've done, don't you?
'You're a summer insect that's flying into the fire!

Some of them are eager to retaliate aggressively, while others, like Millie and Nephrite, are more reserved and say, 'I don't want to overdo it, but it's still terrible.
The point is--

'So, you don't have any objection that they're guilty?

When I asked them again, they did not raise any objection.
Even Jeannette did not raise any objection. However, she did look at me with a 'don't overdo it' look.

'So, Estella. Your turn will come at the very end.

Of course, you need to be punished according to the laws of this city.
But that can wait until after you've taken our 'private punishment'.
You know.
A certain someone in Toyama would go on a rampage before he was judged, right?Wielding a blade. He'd go on a rampage, vent his anger and then hand him over to the justice system. That's justice as it has been handed down since ancient times in Edo. It is a deed that will surely move old men to tears.

That's why.

'Let's give them hell. ...... pffffffff.
'Um, Yashiro-san......'
'Mr. Ladybug......'
''In moderation ......, right?''

Ginette and Milly say similar things on both sides.
Okay, then go say those words to Paula. If you can say it.

'If it's too much, it might cause a rift with the 29th district - well, assuming those outlaws are residents of the 29th district.

Hurting the residents of other wards more than necessary will cause diplomatic friction.

'But ......'.

Estella made it clear that she was more than aware of this.

'You can go ahead and do whatever you want. I'll take the blame.

She's also angry at the thugs who made Paula cry.
He even flew in at this hour.

'That's why, Norma.

He turns to the beautiful woman at the window, who is blowing on a cigarette in disgrace.

'Would you like to take a bite?
'......'.

Norma bends her navel in an argument with Paula, but...

'...... When Yashiro has that look on his face, that's when something interesting is going to happen.

He takes a deep breath and drops the burned-out ashes into his portable ashtray.
He slowly exhaled a cloud of purple smoke and opened his red lips in a thin line with a sweltering scent.

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation. ...... Let me have all the fun I can.

It's not as if Norma, who is always looking out for you, isn't angry with you for this.
He'll take good care of you no matter who you are.
If you make a girl in District 42 cry, Norma will be the first to get angry. It's no exaggeration to say so.

'Well then, I'll tell you the plan. But first, Paula.

I'll tell you the most important thing up front.

'Tomorrow, they'll be coming to check on you. They'll probably do it without you knowing.'

When I spoke to Paula, she did not remember the face of the other person exactly.
He says he remembers and knows them when he sees them, but this is probably unreliable.
Her preconceived notions of appearance and mood made it impossible for her to judge accurately.
If a soldier who wore armor came to Kantartika wearing shabby clothes, Paula would not be able to recognize him as the same person.

Therefore, I will give you a hint.

'Be wary of anyone who makes small talk with you, asking how you're doing or if there's anything unusual about you.
'Is that them?'
'More than likely. They might be more cunning and say, 'Are you feeling down? They might be more cunning and say, 'Are you feeling down?

It's an act of trying to get a peek at the other person's true intentions by shaking them up.
If it's them, this might be more likely.

'If there is such a person, say, "I don't mind. Why? Why?


'That doesn't make it a lie, does it?
'It doesn't. You don't have to worry about anything because we've already decided that we're going to solve the case. Then it's business as usual, isn't it?
'...... Yeah, right. Yeah. Okay.

Paula can't shake her uneasiness, but she seems to have convinced herself somehow.
She asks a lot of questions to disguise her mood.

'But, will he come?
'He will. Definitely.'

They're always coming to check on Paula.
If they've talked to anyone, now that we're in this situation, they'll have an idea to ambush us and get her. Then they won't be able to pull off their next scam.

'If Paula behaves as usual, it will be easier to lead them to their next targets, Regina and Norma.
'Can you do ...... as usual?'
'The more awkward you are, the more believable you'll be.

The more you act like you're acting normal, the more they'll think you're cool.

'And I want the others to casually gossip about Norma and Regina.
'Speaking of gossip, that's where my sisters and I come in!Specifically, what should we talk about?
'Hmmm ......, that's .......'

I suggest that you spread a rumor to set the stage for them to commit fraud more easily.
Well, all sorts of protests and complaints erupted, but I convinced them for now.
Ginette and Milly were on edge, but the rest of us were generally smiling.

Above all, Regina, who was participating in this kind of gathering for the first time, was strangely motivated.

'......I'd like to think about helping you out a little ......'.
'What are you talking about, Norma?It's an impossible mission without Norma!
'...... The success of the mission rests on Norma's shoulders.'
'If you want, I can use my connections as the BU's number one beauty to negotiate for the rumor to be published in the intelligence papers.
'No, I won't!Don't leak anything outside of District 42, that rumor!
'Ohhh, I'm getting all horny ...... and excited...'
'What kind of a misnomer is that?
'Hey, what do you want me to do?
'Well, Delia is at ............ Yeah, let's work together at the end.
'Oh, I'll do my best!
'Over-ordering of motivation!

It's late, and after a little rest, tomorrow will be here.


Tomorrow is going to be fun.