Did she steal it?!

   The car hummed quietly as it moved along the winding forest road. Zephyra was at the wheel, humming a tune to herself, while the three of us sat in the back. Bel, sitting in the middle, was peering out the window, his tail wagging slightly as the scenery zipped past. Luna, on the other hand, was as composed as ever, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes focused straight ahead.

   I decided to break the silence. 

   “Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you own a jeep before. When did you buy one?”

   Zephyra glanced at me in the rearview mirror, a sly grin spreading across her face. 

   “Oh, I didn’t really buy it. It’s more like... I found it.”

   “Found it? Where, supposedly in the middle of the forest, could you find...” 

   My voice trailed off as realization hit me, and I was momentarily dazzled by the sheer absurdity. 

   “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me—”

   “Yup! It was in terrible condition, but after replacing a few parts and adding some of my own touches, this boy is as good as new.”

   I stared at her, horrified. “Shouldn’t the police have taken the vehicle along with the kidnapper and the artifacts? You know, as evidence in the case?!”

   Zephyra waved her hand dismissively. “Calm down, calm down, there’s nothing to worry about. My old friend has high position in the police departmen, so it’s all good.”

   “Friend?" I put a hand to my face, trying to process what I’d just heard.  "Wait... Now that I think about it, one of the policemen was talking something about his chief sending regards or something like that…”

   I will explain. After that incident with the bandits, Zephyra called the police to investigate. They secured the artifacts and detained the only bandit who had somehow survived—even after what I’d done to him in my rampage. 

   I remember making a casual remark to Zephyra that day, saying that the guy must be incredibly lucky, if he survived that. But her expression was rather unusuall that day. As if caught between pity and discomfort. I didn’t know why, since I didn't get a chance to see him, but it made me wonder what kind of state that man had been left in. Since it was enough to unsettle her that much...

   But let's go back to the present!

   Zephyra nodded with a chuckle. “Exactly. We go way back. He used to chase me for 2 years during my ‘escapades’ when I was a kid at the orphanage. He never managed to catch me, though.”

   “I’m starting to feel sorry for him...” I muttered under my breath.

   For a moment, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the poor guy.

   Zephyra, ignoring me, continued her story. “Eventually, we made a deal. He and the other police officers would never pursue me in the future. In exchange I’d help him out from time to time.”

   Luna, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. “So, Ms. Zephyra was acting as an informant?”

   “More or less. I collected information, gave them insight into what a thief would do in certain situations, that sort of thing. It was mutually beneficial.”

   I finally countered, “So, in the end, he outplayed you.”

   Luna and Bel looked at each other, confused by the statement. 

   “Outplayed?” they asked in unison.

   Zephyra responded with a light laugh. “So you did notice, huh?”

   Luna, curious, turned to me. “What do you mean by that, Master?”

   I explained, “If he really wanted to arrest her, he would’ve done it long ago. There is no police officer who would run alone after criminal for such a long time, without backup, even if it is about a kid. He could’ve easily called for others and combed the area. Instead, he chased you all over the place by himself. That’s not exactly professional—unless he wanted to give you the false impression that you had the upper hand, only to offer you a deal so favorable that you felt no reason to refuse.”

   Bel, sitting between us, piped up, “So he did this to make her his informant?”

   I shook my head. “That's only half of the truth. Right, Zephyra?”

   She sighed, her smile tinged with amusement. “That old geezer knew what he was doing. I thought he gave up, but he just changed his strategy. Bit by bit, he reshaped the way I thought—about people, about myself. Honestly, if it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have accepted Lucian’s offer either. That’s why I don’t hold it against him.”

   Luna tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. “So he played the role of a parent?”

   Zephyra’s grin softened, touched by something quieter. “Seems like it. Looking back, he might’ve been the closest thing I had to a father.”

   I leaned back, crossing my arms. “He sounds like an interesting guy. I’d love to meet him.”

   Zephyra chuckled. “You’ll have the opportunity soon.”

   “Great,” I said, then muttered under my breath, “I finally get to give him my condolences.”

   Zephyra’s sharp eyes narrowed as she turned to me. “You said something?”

   I feigned innocence, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

   Before she could press me further, I quickly shifted topics. “Anyway, changing the subject. I understand that we will go to the city, but where exactly?”

   Zephyra glanced at me in the rearview mirror, her tone casual but clear. “Didn’t I say earlier? We’re going to The Vermillion territory.”