The True Identity of the Phantom Thief

The twilight finally descended slowly, spreading rapidly like a massive drop of ink dissolving in water.

Darkness completely enveloped the town. The faint moonlight hid behind thin clouds from time to time, occasionally peeking through to paint a sparse layer of silver frost over the rooftops, the streets, and the cross of the town's church.

Clad in a long robe, Marie vaulted over the iron fence with agility, navigating with familiar ease to her usual spot—the young lady's exquisite balcony.

"Hmm?" Marie suddenly paused, faintly sensing that something was amiss.

It was far too quiet around here... Yes, whenever she came before, there would always be some stirring inside the room, but today it was completely silent.

Could it be a trap?

Marie let out a disdainful sneer.

She had endured the rigorous training of the Elven race. With her agility, even if there were traps, there was no way she would be caught in a place like this.

Under the moonlight, Marie leaped high into the air, landing as lightly on the balcony as a night elf... though she was, in fact, an elf.

"Miss Minnie, I..."

Suddenly, a magic array lit up beneath her feet. Immediately after, chains gleaming with a cold metallic light shot out from within the array, instantly binding Marie up tightly.

Marie: ...

What was going on? She had been caught before she could even react? What kind of terrifying spellcasting speed was this?

Filled with shock, Marie struggled forcefully, only to find that the magic was incredibly strong. She could not break free at all.

Holding her staff, Aina slowly emerged from the darkness, the round gemstone at the tip of her staff emitting a faint, eerie silver glow.

If Xia Lun hadn't given the order, this intruder would already be a mangled corpse by now.

"Got her! Haha, this idiot is way too clumsy, she was caught so easily!" Liyana laughed wildly with unbridled arrogance.

"That's because Aina is highly skilled. If it were you, you'd be tied up just the same," Moke pointed out.

Liyana seemed to imagine herself in that scenario and reined in her laughter slightly.

With his longsword still in hand, Xia Lun approached Marie cautiously, just in case she suddenly lashed out.

"Who are you people? Why did you catch me?" Marie squirmed around on the ground like a caterpillar.

"Sounds like a girl?" Liyana noticed this detail and glanced toward the captive's chest. "Doesn't look like one, though."

"I am a girl! What, do you have a problem with that?" Overhearing Liyana's muttering, Marie visibly flushed bright red with anger.

"Hey, you pervert, you dare to act tough after getting caught?" Liyana instantly grew annoyed. "You're an elf who doesn't do anything proper and actually resorts to this kind of thing. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"I am not a pervert!" Marie retorted loudly.

"Then why are you climbing a girl's balcony? Coming here every day to harass her?" Liyana pressed on. This captive seemed to have a loose tongue.

"I... I... Anyway, I'm not a pervert." But Marie quickly realized something, calmed down, and refused to say anything more.

"Could it be... you and I are the same kind of person? Are you into girls too?" Liyana lifted Marie's chin, revealing a wicked smile.

"I am not! And wait, why did you use the word 'too'?" The expression on Marie's face gradually turned to horror.

"Hehehe, if you don't confess your motives, I'll just have to thoroughly inspect your body..." Liyana let out a lewd chuckle.

Xia Lun tapped the scabbard of his sword against Liyana's head.

"Ouch!" Liyana clutched her head and backed away, nearly biting her tongue.

"What is your name?"

Looming right before Marie's eyes was the icy tip of Xia Lun's sword.

"Marie." Marie instantly became cooperative. With Liyana's interruption over, she finally realized the reality of her current predicament.

"Since you're a girl, why have you been harassing Miss Minnie?" Xia Lun continued to interrogate, not dropping his guard in the slightest.

Aina stood off to the side, quite satisfied with Xia Lun's icy demeanor.

"I... I came to gather research material..." Marie gulped, staring at the glinting cold steel of the sword tip, and finally answered truthfully.

"Research material?" Xia Lun paused in slight confusion.

"Could you untie me first?" Marie shifted her body awkwardly.

"No," Aina replied coldly.

"Alright..." Marie shrank her neck. "Actually, I'm a novelist. The currently popular 'Fairy Phantom Thief' series on the market is my work..."

Marie glanced up at Xia Lun and the others, feeling a twinge of disappointment when she saw no signs of surprise on their faces.

Well then, none of them recognized her.

"You're the author of the 'Fairy Phantom Thief' novel series?" Liyana, on the other hand, was quite astonished.

"That's right. I came to chat with Miss Minnie entirely to gather material for my upcoming story... I'm suffering from writer's block right now," Marie explained. "I mean no harm! I haven't done anything to Miss Minnie!"

Xia Lun and his companions exchanged bewildered glances; it was the first time they had ever encountered such a bizarre situation.

"But Miss Minnie said you pushed your luck earlier and wanted to..." Liyana narrowed her eyes. She had always been highly sensitive when it came to matters like this.

"Th... That's because some readers wrote to me, saying they wanted to read more detailed scenes. After all, whenever the protagonist succeeds, I usually just skim over it... But I don't have any experience in that area, so I have absolutely no idea how to write it! So, I thought maybe Miss Minnie could help me out..." Marie offered an embarrassed smile.

Xia Lun didn't say a word, but he looked at Marie with an expression of sheer pity.

Moke clicked his tongue. "This girl is just the worst."

Liyana wore a look of utter disdain. "She really only thinks about herself."

Aina's face remained hidden beneath her hood. "Absolute animal."

"So, what should we do with her?" Musen asked the most crucial question.

"Kill her." The one who casually suggested this was, naturally, Aina.

Marie: ...

The air grew dead silent for a moment before Aina spoke up flatly, "I'm joking."

"Hahaha." Only Xia Lun laughed in genuine amusement, while a drop of cold sweat slid down everyone else's face.

What the hell is so funny about that?! Marie complained indignantly in her head, though she dared not say it out loud.

"Hmph, just hand her over to me! I guarantee I'll teach her a lesson so she'll never dare to do this again, and I can even help her find her writing inspiration!" Liyana chuckled mischievously. "Killing two birds with one stone!"

Liyana's proposal was flat-out ignored by everyone.

Of course, Liyana was only joking too... Even if she didn't say so, everyone knew it.

"How about... we just hand her over to the Inquisitors?" Moke suggested.

Marie instantly shook her head like a rattle drum. "No! I'm an elf! If I'm caught committing a crime in human territory, I'll definitely be deported back home! I-I can pay a fine! I'll apologize to Miss Minnie..."

"Oh? Is that so?" Xia Lun slowly crouched down, meeting Marie's eyes.

"Yes." Marie breathed a sigh of relief; Xia Lun seemed like someone she could reason with.

Xia Lun asked with an odd expression, "What does you getting deported... have to do with us?"

Marie: ...