"Hmm~ This journey has been truly fascinating! I'd heard about various aspects of other nations, but seeing them firsthand is something else entirely!" Navia exclaimed, gripping the ship's wheel as she reminisced about their recent experiences aboard the Blubberbeast.
Lynette, drowsy, struggled to keep her eyes open.
They were retracing their steps: from Mondstadt to Liyue, then setting sail from Yilong Wharf in Liyue Harbor back to Fontaine.
Furina? She had already fallen asleep, leaning against Luna.
If one had to rank their group by stamina, Furina would undoubtedly come last—though even she was stronger than the average person.
Chiori, who wielded dual blades, naturally possessed excellent stamina. And Lynette, whose bloodline had undergone atavistic reversion, needed no further explanation.
The others? Navia, the powerhouse girl; a Harbinger; and a Phantom Thief who could leap and dash without breaking a sweat.
What else could one say?
"They set out full of enthusiasm, but returned utterly exhausted. No surprise there," Chiori chuckled.
As she spoke, she noticed Lynette dozing off, her head resting on Luna's shoulder.
Chiori raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
She wasn't the kind of petty woman who would wake Lynette at a time like this.
Luna's paying the bill anyway.
Whether Luna did something or had something done to her, Chiori would eventually claim it all back from her. Sooner or later, she'd have Luna pinned beneath her, utterly helpless.
"ChiChi, do you want to sleep on me too?" Luna patted her lap.
"With two women sleeping on your shoulders, where am I supposed to rest?" Chiori huffed.
"Your imagination is truly lacking, Chiori," Luna teased. "Just pull up a chair and rest your head on my lap."
Chiori retorted disdainfully, "At that point, I'd rather go back to bed."
"How indifferent," Luna teased.
Only because we're not alone, Chiori thought.
Navia chuckled. "I'll try that later! Sounds quite amusing."
"See? You've been snatched away," Luna said with a sly grin.
"Your provocations won't work on me."
More than that, Chiori was concerned about the expression on Luna's face when she left Hydrell Mansion. She seemed to have made some kind of decision.
"What do you plan to do after we return to Fontaine?" Chiori asked.
Luna curled her fingers, dabbing away the drool from Furina's mouth. Probably dreaming of desserts, she thought, observing Furina's blissful expression.
"Hmph, Luna, you've finally..." Furina murmured in her sleep.
Looks like I'm the dessert in her dreams, Luna thought.
"I'm going to seize the Azure Radiance of Hydrell, their treasure."
"Shouldn't that be 'reclaim'?" Chiori asked.
"No, I used the right word. Regardless, the Hydrell name is already a hollow shell. I won't inherit their name, nor will I become some so-called knight."
Of course, if it were a personal knight, she'd be quite willing. Like Princess Furina's knight, Miss Chiori's knight, President Navia's knight... Luna smiled faintly, Lynette's cat ears twitching slightly against her cheek, the fur soft and ticklish.
"Because you're the Phantom Thief White Cat?"
"Exactly. And there's one more thing—I can't bear children. The Hydrell Clan ends with me."
Furina suddenly woke up with a start. "What?! Luna, you're infertile?!"
"..."
Luna wore a rare, subtly conflicted expression.
"Is that true?" Lynette asked, now fully awake. Or rather, she had been awake the whole time, merely pretending to sleep.
"When was it discovered?" Navia asked, her voice filled with shock.
Why are they all so surprised? Luna wondered.
Taking a deep breath, Luna declared, "My body is perfectly healthy!"
The reason she couldn't bear children was simply because...well she liked girls.
The others clearly realized this as well, their gazes shifting away in unison, faces flushed with embarrassment.
They misunderstood! This is so mortifying! Furina's face burned crimson.
-
After several days at sea, Fontaine came into view on the distant horizon.
Arlecchino and Luna stood on the ship's deck, gazing at the distant city. Though they had only been away for a few dozen days, seeing Fontaine again evoked a sense of homecoming nostalgia.
While Liyue Harbor held a certain warmth for her, she couldn't imagine settling there permanently.
"When do you plan to send the Announcement Letter?" Arlecchino asked.
"Tomorrow morning."
Arlecchino nodded. "They might try to flee."
"But they'll never abandon the treasure," Luna replied. "Men die for wealth, birds for food. Their obsession with money is what slows them down."
"When you release the letter, the Special Task Force will likely find out as well."
Their positions were now clear.
Luna smiled faintly. "I know very well that Miss Captain will try to stop me."
She would worry that Luna might betray their deal, break their agreement.
And if Luna did break their deal, their relationship would end then and there. The boundaries would no longer be blurred; they would simply be the Phantom Thief and the Captain of the Special Task Force.
Luna wondered what expression Chevreuse would wear then. She was very curious.
Luna gently exhaled, her mind drifting back to Chevreuse's earnest words.
"When you make your choice, remember our deal and our agreement."
"You've accepted me, but it comes at a price."
"You can choose to break your oath, or you can let me lend you my embrace and my shoulder—forever."
An embrace and a shoulder versus revenge. Which is more important? The answer is obvious.
The next day, at the Special Task Force Headquarters, Chevreuse frowned deeply, her gaze fixed on the photographs and notes spread across her desk.
These were the fruits of her investigation into the long-ago case, evidence meticulously gathered over the past few days.
The Blood Money Gang—a criminal organization that amassed wealth through violence and predatory lending—also smuggled prohibited goods and committed numerous murders.
Their President had already been captured, and most members had confessed their crimes, leading the Court of Justice to declare the case closed.
But Chevreuse's investigation suggested otherwise. Perhaps the captured President was a decoy, a puppet. The true mastermind had already escaped, shedding their skin like a cicada!
Her investigation had finally narrowed the suspects to a wealthy couple who funded multiple charities but lived in seclusion outside Fontaine.
This evidence was enough to indict them! Chevreuse exhaled in relief.
Once they're brought to the Court of Judgment, the truth will finally surface.
I'll deliver your enemies to the Court of Judgment, White Cat. So...
Don't do anything foolish.
"Captain! It's—it's an Announcement Letter!"
Chevreuse snapped her head up, swiftly snatching the card from Turenna's hand.
There was no mistaking it—this was an Announcement Letter from the Phantom Thief White Cat. Had she already returned?
Sins of the past cannot be washed away, nor should they be hidden. I am Phantom Thief White Cat, Child of Moon and Fire.
As my heart dictates, I deliver punishment. When the twelfth roar resounds, I shall appear at Hearthfire, seize the Crimson-Eyed Azure Radiance Sword—"The Azure Radiance of Hydrell"—and take Malo Antolman, Kacey Debra, and all you hold dear.
Turenna asked anxiously, "What do we do, Captain? This couple is renowned for their philanthropy."
"No," Chevreuse replied. "They killed people."
"Eh?"
"And Phantom Thief White Cat intends to kill them."
"Eh?! Just... like before?"
Turenna recalled that night when Phantom Thief White Cat had defeated them and gunned down the former Court of Justice official who had committed heinous crimes.
Boom! Thunder rumbled, and thick storm clouds gathered overhead.
Just like that day!
Chevreuse gripped the card tightly, biting her lip. She knew Phantom Thief White Cat was driven by vengeance, acting in retribution for the deaths of her own birth parents.
"...Move out."
"Yes, Captain! We have to stop Phantom Thief White Cat again."
"No."
Chevreuse tightened her gloves. "We will arrest these murderers before she does!"
Boom! Another explosion.
A flash of inspiration struck Chevreuse. This roar... it was the second one! Ten more to go!
"Everyone, assemble!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Turenna hadn't seen Chevreuse this frantic in ages, but it was understandable. After all, Phantom Thief White might be about to strike with lethal force again.
"Is White Cat going to go for the kill again?"
"This..."
"...I really don't want to see her do that."
The other team members murmured among themselves as they listened to the briefing.
Though they hadn't grown particularly fond of White Cat, they shared Chevreuse's hope that the Phantom Thief White Cat would remain just a thief.
Meanwhile...
The drizzle was intensifying, soon to become a torrential downpour. The rain and dark clouds would shroud all light and sound, leaving only shadows and darkness swirling in their wake.
"Perfect weather," Arlecchino remarked.
"Indeed," Luna replied.
Arlecchino donned her mask and hood. "Hunting time has arrived. Let's go, Luna."
Hunting... ha.
Luna slowly put on her mask.
"Of course. Showtime has arrived."
Let the spectacle begin!
Boom! Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap.