Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

"Is this the true face of the Phantom Thief White Cat?"

"Indeed, it matches my description perfectly," she confirmed.

Within the headquarters of the Special Task Force...

A group of officers surrounded a table, passing around a portrait drawing. This portrait was based on Navia's description of the White Cat. Despite the "thief" sporting an oddly unsettling smile that seemed to tighten one's fists involuntarily, it had to be acknowledged as undeniably beautiful.

Chevreuse blushed, "She's quite pretty."

"The more beautiful the woman, the more dangerous she is!"

"Captain, aren't you also very pretty? Are you implying I'm dangerous?"

"Oh no, not at all..."

Because she truly is incredibly dangerous.

The portrait ultimately returned to Chevreuse's hands.

She rested her chin on her palm, gazing thoughtfully at the drawing.

Truth can indeed be disguised, and this portrait of the Phantom Thief White Cat was likely no exception. But what could her true purpose be? Was it merely to tease them?

"There's no reason, I was just bored," she might have said—a truly maddening and exasperating response.

Just thinking about her left Chevreuse clenching her fist. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

She passed the portrait to Turenna.

"Go turn it over to the Maison Gardiennage."

In any case, that wasn't the Special Task Force's job.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Turenna gathered up the portrait and swiftly left the room.

"That means I can leave now, right?" Navia asked with a smile. "I'm sure my team members are wondering how I'm doing, too."

Though Phantom Thief White Cat's attacks were calculated, that didn't mean they didn't hurt. As the president, she had to properly look after her subordinates.

"Hmm... no, hold on for now. Why don't you all go ahead first?" Chevreuse lifted her hand.

The members of the Special Task Force didn't ask why. They nodded and departed.

Ever since they'd formed, their captain had always behaved this way, making inexplicable moves from time to time.

But other than the thief, she'd never made mistakes in her judgment.

Besides, a number of the members had been chosen by her personally, so they naturally held her in high regard.

Wavering, Chevreuse hesitated. How reliable is the information from the Scam Cat? she wondered.

"...How has the Confrerie of Cabriere been doing lately?" she asked tentatively.

"The Confrerie? Hmm... Because of the thief, the Confrerie's reputation when it comes to security took a pretty big hit. We even had some of our patrons think about pulling out and waiting to see what would happen."

After all, no one would want their money stolen by the Phantom Thief.

Although the phantom thief didn't care about money at all, they were only interested in treasures.

"Just some financial losses?"

"That's right, but our normal operations are still completely unaffected. Why do you ask...?" Navia looked somewhat puzzled.

Chevreuse stood up and began pacing around the room.

She was deep in thought.

The criminal network Sinthe had touched must have been vast, and the organization behind it must have been incredibly difficult to root out. At least, it would be impossible for the Court of Justice alone to handle.

After all, she didn't doubt that there might already be Sinthe's people within the Court of Justice.

Whether it was the Phantom Thief's hand or someone else's, as long as it could bring those who had evaded justice for too long to trial...

Having made her decision, Chevreuse locked the door.

"Can you guarantee you'll keep this confidential?"

"It depends on what it's about. And if I need Lulu's help..."

Lulu. That celebrity Luna...

Upon hearing the last few words she had said to the criminal during the trial, Chevreuse couldn't help but think that she indeed had a knack for breaking criminals down.

"The Phantom Thief White Cat said to beware the Confrerie of Cabriere," she said.

"Huh? Phantom thief? Confrerie?" Navia couldn't understand for a moment.

Why is this conversation circling back to the Phantom Thief again?

"Let me briefly outline the sequence of events for you."

Chevreuse concisely recounted her previous encounter and conversation with the Phantom Thief White Cat.

Naturally, certain parts... such as when the thief wanted to kiss her and they exchanged threats with pistols, remained unspoken. There was simply no need to delve into those details. It was as if that portion of history never existed.

Navia gasped, covering her mouth with surprise. "I knew your methods were unconventional, but I never imagined you'd seek intelligence from a thief..."

"It's not that I trust her, but there's no reason not to try trusting someone once, is there?"

"...Because you can't let more dangerous criminals roam free?"

Chevreuse's voice was calm, her eyes clear. "Right. If there's a culprit more malicious than her, we must prioritize capturing them first, and then deal with the thief later."

"If the reporters knew, they'd surely make a big fuss, trying every angle to grab attention. But here, it's just you, the president of the Spina di Rosula, and the captain of the Special Task Force. So, I can speak plainly," Chevreuse said openly.

"A little cat who only steals things is still somewhat cute, isn't it?"

Although that girl isn't cute at all, quite the opposite actually, making me furious.

The Confrerie of Cabriere.

This means there might be traitors among the Spina di Rosula's allies.

Naviā was reluctant to suspect others, but at the same time, she had no reason to blindly trust them either.

"My father once said..."

"..."

Naviā lowered her head, recollecting, "'The only ones you can truly trust are yourself and your family, but even then, there are times when you must question them'—he used to say that."

"Honestly, I don't want to doubt my friends from the Spina di Rosula."

Chevreuse crossed her arms. "But if..."

"If suspicion is the only way to get closer to the truth, then I'll have to do that."

Naviā exhaled, placing a hand on her chest as she smiled. "I understand. I'll keep an eye on the Confrerie's movements. If anything comes up, I'll notify you right away. We need to make sure the villains know Fontaine isn't just home to the Court of Justice."

Chevreuse's gaze softened, and she extended her hand. "Thank you very much."

"It's no trouble at all! Oh, may I tell Lulu about this?" Naviā asked, clasping Chevreuse's hand.

"Yes, but no one else. She must keep it confidential too."

"Never fear, she's a detective, after all!"

-

[Mission Accomplished]

[Security Level: High]

[Treasure Rarity: A-grade]

[Mission Fame: Publicly Known]

[Spectacularity: Heart-throbbing]

[Calculated Points: 300 (A-grade treasure) x 3 (Security Level) x 4 (Mission Fame) x 2 (Spectacularity) = 7,200 points]

Whoa, that's a ton!

Such a vast number of points was visually pleasing, nearly triggering Luna's natural instinct to hoard them all.

"Fame keeps growing stronger."

This was good.

Luna loosened her collar, casually tossed the mask onto the bed, and then retrieved a bottle of fruit wine from the cabinet.

Since the mission was a great success, she deserved a small celebration.

"Heh-heh-heh..." she hummed, pouring the wine into a glass, then plopped down in a chair. With one hand holding the cup, she adjusted the System settings with the other.

Increased fame was undoubtedly a positive thing.

However, it also meant future challenges would escalate, similar to tonight, where people would seek to either rival the Phantom Thief or exploit her for their own gain.

They'd sooner eat her alive for her growing reputation.

Rest in peace, I'm about to devour your "flesh and blood".

The stage always presents a dazzling facade, but what lies beneath may not be so idyllic.

"They'll seal the genuine article in a sturdy wine glass and mix it with the dining table. A bit of cunning, but alas, not cunning enough."

With the operation complete, it's time to start upgrading my skills!

I'll go through them one by one.

First, the Path of Elegance. To increase my elegance, I need more flashy and ornate abilities.

"I've got Anemo and Hydro now. If I add another one, I could start causing some reactions."

Of course, geo is out of the question!

"I heard that dendro and hydro can create exploding seeds?" Luna recalled a tidbit from her previous life. She didn't fully grasp the concept, as her memories were mostly limited to Liyue.

Seems pretty powerful though.

But what I really want is elegance, the cool factor.

Strength is fleeting, but style lasts a lifetime.

"That leaves me with cryo, electro, or pyro then."

Although I wonder if there's a way to choose more than one... Perhaps something like fire plus thunder, creating a thunderflame... and a big sword!

However, she primarily needed different skills; combat was secondary.

"It's time to draw cards!"

She took out a deck of playing cards, shuffled them, and selected three.

Drawing a card.

3! It's a fire-type.

"Let's go with this one."

Greatsword of Passion (LV: 1/2)

Forging passion into an ever-burning sword of light, capable of unleashing powerful fire element attacks.

-500 points.

(TL Note: Reminds me of Himeko...)

Time for an upgrade.

Greatsword of Passion (LV: 2/2)

Forging passion into an ever-burning sword of light, capable of continuously releasing destructive fire element attacks. The higher the ardor, the more intense the flames on the blade become.

-1000 points.

Remaining points: 5700.

-

The Path of Shadows still only improved stealing...

"Hmm?"

Required Points: 10,000

Is there an extra zero there?

If it costs 10,000 to reach level 4, how much would it take to max out? She didn't dare think about it.

"... No choice. I'll have to wait for next time."

For now, she decided to look at other options.

Space Trick

Create an entryway to a space where you can store any item—no limit on quantity.

An unassuming description, yet its impact was astonishing.

With this, one could mimic an RPG protagonist, embarking on journeys cluttered with endless inventory, making treasure thefts a breeze.

"The catch is, it requires a hefty number of points..."

-1500 points

Remaining points: 4,200.

Sword Dance (LV: 2/3): More a dance than a martial art! This dazzling sword technique delivers precise and deadly strikes with each blow, growing faster and more exhilarating as the battle rages on.

-500 points.

Next, I tackle the all-important Path of Knowledge, which should be my top priority.

Treasure Appraisal: Man, what can I say? Counterfeits be gone!

You can now instantly discern authenticity at a glance, with no counterfeit escaping your discerning eye.

In the future, we might encounter treasures so expertly counterfeited they're nearly indistinguishable from the genuine article. While Thief's Vision can highlight high-value items, it may also spotlight high-quality forgeries. That's where this skill becomes indispensable.

-1,500 points.

Acting (LV: 3/3): You are the stage, and the stage is you. A flawless stage presence is born - a dazzling girl who lights up the world with every performance!

-1,000 points.

"I'll add this one too, while the chance's here."

Playwriting (LV: 1/3)

You are intimately familiar with the stage and its workings. You understand how stories suitable for the stage should be crafted and presented. You are a professional playwright.

(-500 Points)

Remaining Points: 1700

A professional-level playwright should be sufficient.

Now she could start working as a playwright for a theater troupe. If there ever came a day when she didn't feel like performing anymore, writing scripts wouldn't be such a bad alternative.

"Should I save the rest or pick another skill?" Luna pondered for a moment.

Another skill, perhaps? she thought, and clicked on the new one.

Tailoring (LV: 1/3)

You possess professional-level skills in garment-making. However, tailoring ≠ design

She didn't need professional-level design skills.

She just wanted to occasionally help Chiori with tasks other than modeling and gathering materials.

It would be a way to repay all the care she had shown over the years.

She decided to save the remaining 1200 points for future use.

"Mmmm-" Luna stretched lazily and then produced tonight's treasure.

The true Jade Cup was sealed within this wine cup, but Luna had not the slightest interest in it.

What truly caught her interest wasn't the treasure itself, but rather the faint lipstick mark left on the cup's rim...

"..."

"Of course! Lulu is my pride and joy, and I am her most loyal assistant," Navia had declared with utmost pride just hours ago.

Recalling this, Luna placed the wine glass on the table opposite her. Leaning her face in her hands, her expression softened, and she murmured, "Thank you for saying that, Nana."

Yet, they both knew this partnership wouldn't last long.