This was a test.
Or, to put it another way, entrapment.
After all, however plausible the reasoning behind Alex being the culprit, there was still no hard evidence.
He might have the stolen Ruby Necklace on him, but Rhode could not confirm that either.
So Rhode had Katel take his Ruby Earrings outside the city to put it to the test.
This was still rather dangerous for Katel.
He was only a beggar with some crafting skills, after all, and had no fighting ability.
To ensure Katel's safety, Rhode first asked Lieutenant Drake to protect him from hiding nearby, while he himself kept an eye on Alex.
Naturally, the fewer people who knew about something like this, the better. Lieutenant Drake would not bring any of his other men, and Rhode told no one else.
The next day, once everything was arranged, Rhode stood at the eighth-floor window and looked down at Alex as he worked.
Ugh, not having a "reconnaissance robot" is such a pain. I have to keep an eye on everything myself.
Once this is over, I need to get moving on developing one.
But for now, there was another little clever clogs to deal with.
Lieutenant Drake had a mission today, so naturally he could not take Lilia to practice swordsmanship. She was standing beside Rhode, looking curious.
"What are you looking at, Rhode?" Lilia was too short to see over the windowsill, so she asked while standing on tiptoe.
"Watching the men work." Rhode's eyes shifted as he asked, "How's your math coming along today?"
Lilia pouted. "Hmph, I already learned it all!"
"What's three plus eleven?"
Lilia held out both hands, then ran out of fingers. "Not enough. I don't have enough fingers."
"Do you have to be that silly...?" Rhode said. "What's three