"I see. I understand how you came to your conclusion, but please wait a moment. Allow me to enter your store for a further look."
"Are you dumb? It's clearly in these wretched scums' house! I've had enough of you trying to play detective!"
"I happen to have a skill that can operate a rough search around the area. If you would let me do it, and confirm that the gemstone is indeed not inside the store, I will admit that I've overstepped my bounds and won't interfere in your affairs anymore."
It was a complete lie, but it sounded believable. No one knew that Louis was actually Classless.
"...Suit yourself! I know what the result is going to be anyway!" The man scoffed, glaring at the mother-daughter duo once again.
Louis smiled gently before entering the store and looking around. He immediately spotted the compartment that the man meant. It was indeed empty, and there was no signs of a rough break in.
Like the lie Louis told, there was a possibility of someone possessing a Class that could bypass such locks. However, rather than that sort of theory, Louis suspected the involvement of an insider instead because of how convenient the story sounded.
How could it be that the moment such a vulnerable couple entered, the gemstone disappeared? It was as if the thief knew that those two would be pointed out as the culprit right away and took the chance to act.
A more reasonable suspect would be... another employee who ran the store.
"Hey, Azure, can you spot the gemstone this guy is talking about?" Louis stood by a corner and asked in a low volume, pretending he was inspecting the area.
"Hmm.. It will have to depend on whether or not this guy is telling the truth. The high quality gemstone he speaks about, the Siph ruby, will radiate faint waves of energy that I will be able to detect with my current skills if it's genuine. But if he's lying, and it's just a regular gemstone, then you're fucked, ey?"
Louis pursed his lips. It turned out to be dependent on luck. "Do it, then. Search around."
Azure started looking around for the traces, while Louis desperately prayed for luck to be on his side.
"Ah, you're in luck today. It's right over there... Huh?" Azure sounded confused.
"What's the matter? Is there something wrong?"
"There is someone.. inside. The other room. The gemstone is in this person's pocket."
Louis widened his eyes in surprise.
'I guessed it right the first time, huh?' He smiled, thinking that the rest will be easy from now on.
Louis came out of the store with a wide, happy grin.
"Old man, I know where the gemstone is."
"W-Who are you calling old man?! And.. what did you say? You found it?!" The man was taken aback.
Could it be, the gemstone was indeed still inside his store and not stolen away? Then, what did he make such a big fuss for? He even hit them! He might be charged with assault!
Thinking of the consequences, his face paled.
Louis purposely got in close quarters of the man. His intention was not to help the woman in an attempt to be the savior or anything like that.
Looking at the woman's appearance, it's indeed highly unlikely that she would give him a decent reward.
He would rather extort it from this old man.
"Of course! Old man, do you have another employee who works here?" Louis said, half whispering.
"No, I don't.. Why?"
"Then, who is sitting inside the backroom right now?" Louis asked.
"Inside the backroom... my nephew! Wait- are you saying that he was the one who stole the gemstone?"
"Mhm, according to my skill, it's in his right pocket. Now, don't you think we should take this discussion into the store first? If you don't want your shameful mistake to be uncovered out in the open... I think this is where money comes into the equation, am I wrong?" Louis chuckled.
'Everyone would get suspicious even if we were silenced, but at least he won't get charged. The issue will die down eventually as time passes, so his best bet is to accept my offer.'
The owner took another glance at his surroundings. Indeed, there were far too many people that witnessed the event. Not only his business, he would also be in danger.
He was pissed, but he quietly retreated into the store. Louis helped the mother-daughter pair get back up and followed suit.
Murmurs could still be heard outside the store even when they closed the door, but it couldn't be helped. It would be asking for too much if he wanted to completely rid himself from the problems when he was the one who initiated it in the first place.
There was no medicine for regret in this world, unfortunately.
The first thing the burly owner did was go to the back and threaten his nephew. He dragged him out and showed him to Louis.
"This is the guy. You say it's in his right pocket?"
"W-What are you talking about?! Uncle, what are you doing to me?!" The nephew was noticeably taken back, but above anything, he was beyond scared for his life.
His uncle had a reputation for having a hard time controlling his temper. He was also buff and had a lot of strength- that's how he managed to fend off petty thieves that tried to hinder his business in the past. They never came back after the beating they got.
This was probably why the nephew took his chance to pin the blame right after he saw the mother-daughter pair. He thought that his uncle would instantly jump onto the conclusion that they did it, and he could stay silent and be let off without anybody noticing.
Of course, his lack of careful planning would come and bite him in the back.
"Yep. Totally certain!" Louis spoke with joy.
The owner spared no time to reach for his nephew's right pocket and search it.
Lo and behold, there it was. In full glory, the Siph ruby that disappeared.
"You.. bastard! Ungrateful son of a bitch! I let you work here because my brother recommended you, and this is what to you do to me?!" The owner picked his nephew up by his shirt's collar and lifted him up, screaming in full volume.
"Spare me!!" The nephew cried out.
"Now, now. This isn't time for a beating just yet, is it?" Louis pacified the man before the fight could escalate any further.
He couldn't care less if the nephew was beaten up into the pulp, but he didn't come here for that.