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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 2 Chapter 1 Part 12

「At the moment, this thief is roaming around the school and is stealing sweets and candy from various people. And since it is the most formidable of opponents, we need all the clues we can get our hands on in order to fight back against it.」

「Then what do you say for us to lend you guys a hand in apprehending the thief?」

While saying that, Vampire took a small aluminum box from Terror’s hands and passed it onto Belfast.

When the Head Maid opened the box, there were at least several kinds of cookies lined up one by one inside of it.

「If you can’t find it on your own, then how about trying to lure it out with some bait?」

* * *

The next order of things that Belfast and her entourage did was to come into the center of the school building.

Right in the center of this place, there was a water gully that imitated the natural environment and the place was almost completely covered with moss. This particular place was used during classrooms teaching various combat tactics, and right nearby there was a large auditorium, a small store, as well as the school’s cafeteria. There was also a small workshop right in the corner of the building.

「Is it really okay for us to set up the trap in such a conspicuous place?」

When Belfast asked her that question while looking all worried, Vampire shook her head as if there was nothing to worry about, and then being here was the most natural thing in the entire world.

「It’s fine, it’s fine! From what I have heard, the Ghost Maid waltz right into your precious little kitchen without any hesitation at all, didn’t it? And from the way in which you described her behavior, it doesn’t seem to be the smartest tool in the shed, so a trap like that should be more than enough to allow us to lure her in, wouldn’t you agree?」

While still wondering if it was really all right for them to be here, Belfast tried to plant a box containing cookies near the fountain, just as she was told to do. As for the box itself, there was a thin piano wire attached to it, and by pulling on it, it would cause the trap to spring into action once the thief would arrive to take the box, sending them down right into the depths of a previously dug pitfall.

「I am sure that this trap is pretty well-made and it should be able to deceive just about anyone, but……」

Belfast, Bel-chan, Newcastle, Vampire, and the rest of the group hid in the shadows of the building and were currently waiting patiently for their thief to arrive and take the bait that they set for it.

However, looking at the fact that some of the children who happened to be passing by the place where the trap was laid would only cast an intrigued glance towards the box and then leave to keep on doing what they were doing, this was not boding well for the success of the trap.

「Judging by everyone’s reactions, it looks like the thief is going to be the same way and won’t fall for it.」

However, Erebus’s expectations were greatly betrayed after several tens of minutes more of patient waiting.

Terror raised her head suddenly and pointed towards the aluminum box with her finger.

Everyone except Terror, who were looking somewhere else or looked about ready to doze off on the spot, suddenly stare in that same direction all at once.

「Fufufu! I can’t believe that our thieving maid really came! Well, well, well, color me surprised!」

For some reason, Vampire, the one who should have had the most trust and confidence in the success of this trap, whispered such words to herself. It was something to which everyone wanted to retort unintentionally, but they held back and stared intently at the direction that Terror had indicated.

The thief was wobbling around the cookie box while keeping its guard up at all times.

But as soon as it realized that there was nobody around and it was in here by itself, it walked closer towards the cookie box and reached out its hand towards it.

「Now!」

With Belfast’s signal like that, Erebus pulled the piano string and in that moment the ground under the thief’s feet started to crack and collapse on the spot, at the same time as the cookie box started to move. As a result of that action, the thief fell down into the pitfall with the expression of utter surprise on its face.

「There! Now pull some more!」

As Erebus did exactly what she was told, the thief finally realized that it managed to fall into a trap, and seeing that there were now maids that were onto it, did its best to start running away.

It was also at this very moment that Bel-chan asked the question that’s been bugging everyone else for a few moments now.

「I wonder if Miss Thief here is really that dumb?」

「Looking at what we saw just now…… Then yes, I would say that this is exactly the case here.」

If it was only one maid chasing it with all of her might, even when it managed to fall into a pitfall, the thief would have been able to easily escape from here. But to think that the enemy that they presumed to be so formidable would fall for such a simplistic trap, it was nothing short of shocking and astonishing.

「Now that it’s stuck down in the pitfall, it has nowhere left to run. Let’s go and catch it while we still have the chance.」

While saying that, Erebus pulled the piano string with all of her might.

With added momentum like that, the cookie box floated in the air. At the same time, the thief also jumped in the air as if trying to chase after the box.

But the moment its hand missed the box, the thief started to fall down. And it was as if it did not realize that its foothold was gone, for when it tried to rest her feet on the ground and jump in the air once more ––––––

At that exact moment, the thief disappeared into the depth of the pitfall for good, followed by a loud and heavy THUD!

「You fool! You utter fool!」

Vampire turned around towards Belfast after belittling the thief like that and gave the Head Maid a thumbs up.

「But judging by that sound, isn’t that hole a little bit too deep?」

「What are you talking about, it’s fine! Rather, it would be a problem if the hole was so shallow that it could easily jump out of there, don’t you think?」

Vampire puffed out her chest with pride as she answered that.

Certainly, considering the sheer jumping power of the thief, there was a good possibility of that actually happening, and above all else, Belfast wondered if the depth of the hole that they have dug out was sufficient enough, for at this point in time she was ready to believe even the most improbable of scenarios.

「Come on now! It’s time to unveil the culprit’s identity!」

Looking all excited, Vampire lightly trekked towards the edge of the pitfall.

At the same time, huge piles of dust and soil started to fly out from inside of the pitfall.

「Say what now?」

No one could immediately react to something so ridiculous that was happening so completely out of the blue.

On top of that, the thief managed to somehow regain its composure, and was about to start running away once again.

「Oh no! At this rate it’s going to get out!」

Belfast, who realized what was going on way faster than anyone else in here, started to run towards the pitfall at full speed.

–––––– They managed to corner it this much. This was their chance. They couldn’t allow it to go to waste just like that. With that in her mind, Belfast chased after the thief with all of her might.

However, in terms of her foot speed, the thief’s crawl was still slightly faster.

In no time at all, it managed to pull itself out of the pitfall’s depths alongside its walls, where once it was out of there it started to dash away, hoping to lose its pursuers inside of the school building.

Belfast stood still, looking in the direction the thief had disappeared, her chest moving up and down as she breathed heavily.

「…… This is completely, a miss on my part.」

She should have rushed over there as soon as it fell into the pitfall.

Just like Bel-chan said, even if this thing is an idiot, that thief still has a terrifying speed and power that could allow it to easily escape from here.

Besides, the thief’s true identity is probably not the “shipgirl” that was said to have roamed the Home Port. It was more of a disguise hiding someone else underneath it.