Chapter 677 Report
On the boundless sea, the sky was gray and the wind howled. Amidst the surging waves, a white passenger ship was leaving a long trail as it sailed.
On the deck of the ship, many passengers had gathered. According to the time, this ship should soon reach its destination. They were here specifically to witness the end of this journey.
A woman dressed in light-colored windbreaker, wearing a windproof cotton hat, with long boots on her feet, dark skin, and a tall figure, was one of them. Nephnis leaned against the railing at the front of the ship, gazing at the vast sea ahead, her expression revealing a hint of melancholy.
“Last year around this time, I seemed to be traveling by boat… If I remember correctly, it was still the same route, crossing the same sea… This year has passed so quickly…”
As she blew the sea breeze, Nephnis softly sighed, recalling her study tour last year, which also began early in the year. She started from Tivyán and headed for Faraluo, taking the same route. Unconsciously, a year had already passed. Reflecting on the experiences of the past year, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.
“Last year… mainly during the first half of the year and summer vacation, I traveled around the world with Miss Doro… Many things happened… It felt like time passed slowly. After that, every day was smooth sailing, and before I knew it, a semester had passed. Although life was very fulfilling in the first half of the year, in essence, I am more suited to living an ordinary life…”
Nephnis thought to herself, the peaceful life over the past few months completely relaxing her nerves, which had been tense due to her frequent involvement in hidden matters. The monotonous university life suddenly became unusually comfortable. If possible, she would have liked this comfort to last longer. However, reality was that her peaceful days were coming to an end.
“Inviting me to travel in Faraluo… Miss Doro speaks so nicely, but I guess there’s something about hidden matters that requires my use again. Hmm… Unfortunately, I had planned to go somewhere else with my remaining holidays, but since Miss Doro said so, there’s no choice…
“But I’ve already rested for several months with Miss Doro, so it’s time to get back to work.”
Nephnis thought with a hint of distress. Although she enjoyed a normal life away from hidden matters, she knew that given her family’s situation, it was almost impossible to stay away from them. Only Doro could provide her and her family a chance of survival amidst the harsh family destiny. Therefore, she wouldn’t refuse whatever Doro asked her to do, as Doro was instrumental in her ability to advance further on the extraordinary path.
“I hope this isn’t anything too dangerous…” Neph looked towards the distant sea, hoping silently. As time passed, the lighthouse’s tower began to appear on the horizon, followed by the gradual emergence of the coastline. Her short journey was nearing its end.
…
After the ship docked at the port city of Barse in Faraluo, Neph immediately disembarked. She then began walking through the city, carrying her luggage and admiring the scenery around her. When she left the dock area and arrived at a crossroads where they agreed to meet, she saw a black carriage parked by the roadside. The coachman was a familiar figure.
Seeing the carriage, Neph quickened her pace and walked to the side of the carriage. The driver smiled and stepped down after bowing slightly, opening the door. Seeing this, Neph nodded in acknowledgment and entered the carriage, sitting on one of the seats. Then, she saw another familiar figure across from her.
“Good afternoon, Miss Doro,” Neph said with a smile, looking at the white-haired girl in a black-and-white dress and a lady’s hat. Doro nodded in response after the zombie driver closed the door and returned to his seat.
“You must be tired from your journey, Neph. How was your winter break?” Doro asked while gesturing for the zombie driver to start driving. Neph responded immediately.
“It was good, but school is starting soon, so I need to prepare. I didn’t expect you to invite me to travel in Faraluo so suddenly. Well… I think our trip won’t last too long, as I haven’t finished all my preparations yet.” Neph said with her hands clasped, and Doro waved in response.
“Well… It might take a week or two. But don’t worry, if your studies are too complicated, I’ll help you after we return. For now, let’s focus on our ‘trip’.” Doro told Neph. Hearing this, Neph couldn’t help but purse her lips and continued.
“So… Where are we going? Are we going to Froz? I remember it’s the capital of Faraluo.”
“Froz is definitely on the itinerary, but Faraluo is so large. Going straight to Froz would be a shame. Since we have plenty of time, we can visit other places first.”
Doro replied to Neph, and as she spoke, she took out a stack of items from her clothes and unfolded them in her hand. Neph looked closely and found that they were envelopes sealed with red wax, each bearing a letter “K”.
Looking at these letters, Neph couldn’t help but shiver.
…
Several days later, in the northern part of Faraluo, in Froz.
During the day in Froz, the weather was clear, and the sunlight shone brightly. The winter-spring sunshine illuminated the large city. Citizens moved through the streets, politicians shouted on street corners, commoners hustled for their livelihoods, and upper-class individuals reminisced about last night’s banquets at various high-end venues. Everything was as usual.
On a bustling street, people and vehicles flowed in and out. A barefoot newsboy held newspapers high above his head, running along the sidewalk and shouting loudly.
“Breaking news! Thief K strikes again! The Albuque Museum has been robbed! Despite massive police presence, they were helpless! The infallible thief has fulfilled his promise once more!”
Holding the newspaper, the newsboy ran and shouted. Passersby stopped him upon hearing his cries, pulled out copper coins, and bought newspapers. The newsboy’s pile of newspapers quickly dwindled as people eagerly consumed the hot topic. Soon, the newspapers were sold out.
After selling all the newspapers, the barefoot newsboy stood under a street lamp, smiling as he counted the coins in his pocket. Wiping his dirty face, he looked at a nearby restaurant. Seeing the numerous food posters hanging on the restaurant, he swallowed hard and walked inside.
However, the newsboy was almost thrown out by the guard due to his disheveled appearance. Just as he was about to escape, the guard suddenly calmed down, becoming kind and allowing him entry. The newsboy entered the restaurant nervously, ordered a plate of stir-fried noodles, and happily ate them. During this process, he noticed that many other customers were reading the newspapers, while some were passionately discussing the contents.
“Look, that thief K has stolen something again.”
“Yeah… This is the third time this month, still in the third city, and it’s still ancient artifacts. He issued a warning letter, and he still got away with it. It’s unbelievable.” Two ordinary citizens discussed while eating at a table.
“I just can’t understand it. The first two times were fine, but this third time? How could the owner not defend themselves even with prior notice? What are the police doing? Our tax money is funding a bunch of useless people! If all the police in the country are like this, Faraluo will fall. No! Parliament must take action! We need a thorough review of our police system!” A well-dressed political commentator shouted, waving the newspaper, with his audience cheering in agreement.
“Oh… I never thought the story of the mysterious thief was real. I thought it was a legend from a distant land. Issuing a warning letter and ignoring all obstacles to steal the target treasure… strong, confident, and elegant… Ah… such a romantic figure suitable for poetry.” A young man with glasses and an artistic aura commented while reading the newspaper. In front of him, a similarly poised young woman countered.
“The mysterious thief? K’s gender has never been clear. No one has ever uncovered his true identity. How can you be sure he’s female?”
“You haven’t read Mr. Clement’s poem ‘Deep Blue Dance’? It directly praises K as having a graceful figure, elegant movements, and astonishing speed, capable of weaving through danger without being touched, like a beautiful woman soaring away with the sea breeze. He personally witnessed K’s debut at the exhibition of the Shining White Pearl, the first time the mysterious thief appeared. Mr. Clement was among the first witnesses. Don’t you believe Mr. Clement?”
Facing the rebuttal from the young woman, the young man responded firmly. The young woman, however, did not give up and continued to counter.
“Mr. Clement’s poem does describe K appearing as a woman, but that doesn’t mean K is female. The prevailing theory is that K is skilled in disguise and can easily transform into different appearances, presenting various personas to the public.
“For example, just like this time, the newspaper reported that the Albuque Museum was robbed despite tight police security because K disguised as a police officer and infiltrated their ranks. There aren’t usually women in the police force, right? So K’s gender is completely uncertain. It could be a handsome man!”
“Oh… That’s impossible. Mr. Clement has already said K is a woman. How could it change to a man now?”
“Mr. Clement’s words shouldn’t be taken as gospel! Look at his previous poems; they’re full of wishful thinking. I can’t understand why you consider his poetry precious. You should read Ms. Yvonne’s short story ‘Underneath,’ which portrays K as a complex and multifaceted character, hiding a lonely and conflicted heart beneath multiple masks. The story ends by describing K as a man. This is the first story to depict K as male, initially met with mindless criticism, but now more and more people are accepting the idea, forming a significant circle…”
…
In the restaurant, people of all walks of life discussed the recent news, focusing on the central figure, Thief K. Depending on their backgrounds, their discussions involved politics, conspiracy theories, literature, and economics.
Among them, only the newsboy, who was wolfing down fried noodles at the bar, didn’t seem particularly interested in Thief K’s identity. He didn’t care who Thief K really was, but he still felt grateful, as Thief K’s activities had made his newspapers sell much better recently. Now, he had some spare money to enjoy a meal at this slightly upscale restaurant, fulfilling a dream he’d had for months.
At a window-side table in the restaurant, Adele sat, watching the successful newsboy eat his noodles, then turned her gaze to Dorothy, who was leisurely sipping tea at the opposite table.
“I’ve heard rumors about Thief K for a long time, but I never imagined such a romantic figure would be under your command. Indeed, such a mysterious character needs a fitting extraordinary background.” Adele whispered to Dorothy, and Dorothy smiled in response.
“In fact, calling him a subordinate isn’t entirely accurate. This time, I merely invited him to help. Before my promotion to Red Tier, our statuses were actually quite similar.”
Dorothy responded to Adele, who then continued with a thoughtful look.
“So… Thief K is the bait you’ve prepared? Will it really lure the Dark Gold Society into biting?”
“Yes, the Dark Gold Society fears nothing more than a trap specifically designed for them. If the bait is too obvious, they won’t bite. But if they think they’re hunters rather than prey, would their vigilance be as intense as usual?”
Dorothy smiled, and Adele nodded thoughtfully in response.
“Make them think they’re the hunters? I see… So when do you plan to set up the trap?”
“Soon. Since the appetizers are done, it’s time for the main course.”
Dorothy said, then placed her teacup on the table and took out a piece of letter paper from the side, looking at the cursive writing already inscribed.
“To the guards of the City of Dancing Flowers. The treasures of the ancient dynasty are imprisoned in the underground palace of the banquet hall. Tonight, I will formally visit the Upper Palace to bring liberation to those ancient memories.
“—Thief K”
