Chapter 1

It was the night of the fireworks show I attended with a special someone. Unable to fulfill my promise to that certain person, I was trudging home, a bit disheartened. Some suspicious-looking people had approached the mansion of a detestable noble named Undyne and were observing the building from a distance. My heart started beating out of my chest at the sight of their familiar masks. Strange, was I always so excitable? I’d meant to be more well behaved and levelheaded than that… Making up my mind, I called to the two of them. “E-excuse me… Aren’t you two the Silver-Haired Thief Brigade?” Before I knew it, I was introducing myself to them. The two shook with surprise at the sound of my voice coming from behind them. I decided to ask them something I’d been wondering for a long time. “When you snuck into the royal palace, was it to protect the princess because of the dangerous magical items in her possession?” They answered my question, saying, “Indeed we did. We’re what they call ‘chivalrous thieves.’ Usually, we’re friends of the common man, but we can’t look the other way when a helpless girl is in danger, even if she’s a princess. When someone’s in trouble, we’ll sneak into any place, whether it’s a nobleman’s mansion or the royal palace. That’s how the Masked Thief Brigade rolls.” The details might’ve been off, but his statement was clear. “Your name is Megumin, right? Actually, we’re looking for a certain something that lies in this manor—something necessary to the future of mankind. While it’s true that stealing is not a deed to be praised, for us, this is something we need to do, even with a bounty on our heads.” The eyes under that mask held a firm determination. Somehow, looking into them gave me a familiar feeling. Not breaking my gaze, I continued to listen. “We’re going into the mansion to steal—to acquire a trump card against the Demon King’s army. If you say you’re going to snitch on us, we won’t stop you…but believe me, this is for the sake of all humanity.” Basically, these two, even with large bounties on their heads, were going to continue their work, regardless of whether the army of the Demon King—or even the whole world—was against them. They didn’t care if that was all they were doing or that they would have their work cut out for them. The two thieves talked excitedly between themselves, like two partners who’d long been at each other’s side. For some reason, seeing them chat gave me a wrenching feeling in my chest. Saying good-bye, I longingly looked back again and again. Finally, I pretended to leave. It was on that day… …I resolved to help those two from the shadows as they continued to fight all on their own…