"Would you two young ladies be interested in joining our Phantom Thief Culture Enthusiasts Club?"
Luna, wearing sunglasses, glanced at Navia, who shrugged.
"No, thank you. We're not interested," Navia replied.
An invitation to join a fan club extended to a real phantom thief? Luna smiled politely and declined, then took Navia's hand and continued walking.
"I thought Phantom Thief White Cat's reputation would be more polarizing," Navia remarked suddenly.
"That's perfectly reasonable," Luna replied. "After all, she's an unrepentant criminal. I wouldn't dare idolize someone like that."
Navia grinned and looped her arm through Luna's. "Lulu always understands me!"
A while later, they arrived at the gates of Franglet Mansion.
Knock, knock. Navia tapped lightly on the door.
A maid opened the door and bowed her head in greeting. "Miss Navia, and—"
Luna removed her sunglasses.
"Ah! Miss Luna... My deepest apologies for not recognizing you. Please, come in. Monsieur Gran and Madam Aire have been expecting you."
Gran was the current Head of the Franglet Family, and his wife was Aire.
Even Navia couldn't help but be surprised to see them again. Their lavish attire, opulent jewelry, and the dazzling, gold-embellished hall seemed utterly incongruous for a family that had once teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.
Of course, it was common knowledge that even nobles too poor to afford food or water would pour every last coin into maintaining appearances. After all, prestige was their lifeline—it allowed them to secure loans and attract investors. But the impression given by those desperately clinging to such illusions differed vastly from that of genuinely wealthy families.
Luna surveyed the scene with amusement. "There are quite a few new artworks now," she mused. "Too bad most of them are fakes and hardly worth calling treasures."
"It's been too long, Miss Navia, Miss Luna," Aire greeted them with a polite smile.
Navia returned the greeting. "Indeed, it has. Miss Aire, Monsieur Gran, you both seem to be doing remarkably well."
Gran straightened his posture and raised his chin. "As the saying goes, 'What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!'"
"We were indeed outsmarted by Phantom Thief White Cat once before, but this time? I assure you, she'll be the one to fall."
Luna's smile turned sly. "But isn't it true that your current financial backing doesn't come from your own resources?"
Gran's confident expression faltered momentarily. "How did you...?"
Aire held him back. "As expected of Miss Luna, the detective who cracked the Serial Disappearance Case—your insight is truly remarkable. But whether one obtains the money depends entirely on their own ability."
"To have a benefactor recognize us and support our revenge against the Phantom Thief White Cat—isn't that validation in itself?"
Luna and Navia exchanged glances.
Navia: Do you believe that?
Luna: Of course not.
The brief exchange prompted Navia to sigh. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was exploiting the Franglet Family. But if they were content to believe that being used was a form of recognition, there was nothing more she and Luna could say.
If it makes them happy, so be it.
"Enough idle chatter," Navia said, cutting to the chase. "You mentioned in your letter..."
Gran cleared his throat. "The Spina di Rosula were also defeated by the Phantom Thief White Cat. They must harbor deep hatred for her. Now that we're united as avengers, we should share intelligence..."
"Stop," Navia interrupted. "First, I need to make one thing clear: I don't hate her."
Gran was momentarily speechless.
"There's only one person in my life I've ever truly hated, and he's already dead. His name was Vacher." Navia crossed her arms. "...I merely dislike the Phantom Thief White Cat."
Unfortunate for you, the person you like and the person you hate are one and the same.
Luna smiled and gestured for them to continue.
Aire nodded. "If we hate her, then the enemy of our enemy is our friend."
The two then explained their plan for this operation.
It was simple.
"First, we'll use a treasure to lure out Phantom Thief White Cat, just like before. This treasure is the key to our plan."
Perhaps feeling no need for secrecy, Aire and Gran directly revealed the treasure.
Navia blinked. "A... square pyramid?"
A pitch-black square pyramid lay quietly in the box.
Gran, holding the box, explained, "This is the Dawnstone Cone."
[Treasure Information Discovered: Dawnstone Cone]
Though pitch-black and unremarkable in appearance, it was undoubtedly a genuine treasure.
Luna pondered, her gaze drawn to the cone's uneven base, which was surprisingly intricate...
Like a key.
"To be honest, we've been longing to defeat Phantom Thief White Cat and crush her completely!" Gran declared passionately.
"After our benefactor funded us, they made one request of us—"
Aire shot him a warning glare. He was saying too much.
Gran swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. "...Anyway, we acquired it—or rather, a fragment of it—at an auction."
"A fragment?" Navia asked.
Naturally, Luna was more curious about who had issued the request and what kind of demand could transform the Franglet Family so completely, giving them a new lease on life.
Aire picked up the square pyramid and disassembled it into three pieces.
"It can be divided into three sections," she explained, "and is incomplete without any one of them. I've heard it can unlock a secret treasure vault somewhere in Fontaine, but no one knows its exact location."
So that's how it is.
A treasure divided into three fragments. Luna deduced, "You're trying to make the Phantom Thief exhaust herself chasing after these fragments."
"...You're quite perceptive, Miss Luna," Aire replied, a slight frown forming on her brow.
This feeling of having her thunder stolen reminded her vividly of the Phantom Thief White Cat.
But everyone in Fontaine knew Luna was the darling of the stage, favored by the gods. It was no wonder her commanding presence could easily overshadow others. They said she was particularly formidable when defending a case in court.
Aire and Gran's plan was exactly as Luna had surmised, but on a far grander scale.
A single treasure split into three fragments.
The three fragments hidden in three separate districts, each guarded by one of the Phantom Thief White Cat's rivals.
While confronting her rivals, the Phantom Thief White Cat would also have to sift through countless forgeries to find the sole authentic piece.
Then she would have to race to the next district.
"The long-distance travel, the magician's devious traps, the high-intensity combat, and the mental strain of searching for the real treasure among countless fakes..."
"Exactly! This is the perfect 'Ironman Triathlon' we've meticulously prepared for Phantom Thief White Cat!"
"We'll exhaust her to death!"
Even a phantom thief is human; everyone has their limits. The moment fatigue overwhelms her, she'll reveal an opening.
Then we'll capture Phantom Thief White Cat in one decisive move!
They had already decided who would be stationed in the Three Districts.
First, the Spina di Rosula.
Second, the Special Task Force, who would inevitably be involved due to the "Forced Protection" measures.
Third... they planned to invite Archon Furina and her subordinate, Clorinde.
If possible, they'd also invite the famous Traveler.
"Since she was falsely accused of being Phantom Thief White Cat, she must harbor resentment toward phantom thieves," Gran declared confidently.
It had to be said, this was an incredibly expensive plan.
The Franglet Family couldn't possibly manage it alone. They'd mentioned a wealthy benefactor was assisting them. Luna had a suspicion.
"Where will the treasures be placed?" she asked.
Gran pulled out a map and circled three locations.
"These three spots."
As expected, Luna thought, unsurprised.
All three locations were in densely populated areas.
Even with police barricades and positioning combat personnel, traps, and the treasure within buildings, the operation would inevitably draw countless civilians.
This wasn't a plan to capture a phantom thief.
It was a "show," an "event."
The mastermind behind the Franglet Family's funding wanted Luna to take center stage.
Would she accept the invitation?
A smile played on Luna's lips. Of course, she would.
But how the performance unfolded, how she commanded the stage—that was entirely her decision. And she promised it would be a show that would make everyone's heart race.
-
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