Chapter 66: Lead Actress Furina

Luna skimmed through the newspaper; for the past few days, neither she nor Furina had made headlines. Although they would soon dominate the news, Luna realized that this suggested—Furina hadn't told anyone about her encounter with the phantom thief.

"Is this some kind of secret between you and me?" Luna asked with keen interest.

Surely not to avoid drawing further attention, right? What reason would the mighty Hydro Archon have to fear a mere Phantom Thief like me?

However, being targeted by a phantom thief meant there was no easy escape, a lesson learnable by all, including herself. Observing the distant Chevreuse was a clear example.

Setting down the newspaper, Luna used the break before heading to troupe rehearsals to upgrade her abilities.

Time to upgrade!

I already have Pyro, Hydro, Anemo—three elements. Why not add another one while we're at it?

The Traveler should have all five elements by the time she reaches Fontaine. Luna mused. Given my Phantom Thief status, I might have to cross paths with her.

Luna had learned from her sources that the Traveler here was the female lead—the one with the golden retriever-like appearance.

I need to boost my powers further.

That leaves Geo, Dendro, Electro, and Cryo.

First, Geo was ruled out automatically.

Dendro... that wasn't entirely out of the question. Luna had done some preliminary research on the grass element recently.

Setting aside the whole seed thing, if she could produce dazzling flowers with her powers, it could add a touch of elegance to her performance.

As always, the final decision would be made by drawing cards at random.

Luna laid out three cards and picked one at random.

Dendro.

"Ah, it's Dendro. Well then, you'll do."

[Winter Flower (LV 1/2)]

[Learned: Use your Dendro power to materialize flowers more beautiful than roses, with petals that can transform into razor-sharp blades.]

[-500 points]

Time for another upgrade.

-1000 points

Winter Flower (LV 2/2)

Learned: Utilize Dendro power to manifest flowers more gorgeous than roses. Their dancing petals turn into sharp blades, and their faint, tear-like radiance is impossible to look away from—but don't touch them. This radiance is not for you...

6,900 points left.

"I should save some for upgrading my theft skill in the future."

Just one more level would suffice.

Let me see what's available in the Path of Shadows...

Great Thief Transformation

Seal your clothes onto a card; tap it to instantly change outfits—of course, thief garb is also applicable. What kind of thief can't pull off a speedy wardrobe swap?

Hmm? That could be quite handy.

Later on, I might need to switch between Luna and Phantom-Thief identities.

It'd be a pain if I always had to find a place to change slowly each time, not very slick.

-1,000 points.

Now with 5,900 points left: I'll keep these for boosting my theft skill later, or maybe another urgent skill if needed.

Luna conjured a blank card and took out the phantom-thief outfit from her storage space.

Encapsulation Completed

Perfect.

"About time to head to the troupe... Things are about to get busy."

Even though the official performances weren't until next month, there'd be all sorts of preparations and tasks filling up the days. Time would fly by in no time.

Within the troupe...

In response to Luna's "request," Mr. Romi, the magnanimous manager, had graciously arranged for her a dedicated room. This space was specifically for revising the script with meticulous care—though, of course, indulging in some leisure time was also a welcome perk.

A script wasn't something that could be set in stone after a first draft; it required ongoing refinement based on the realities of production.

Take this plotline, for instance—perhaps it was too complex to pull off convincingly. A bit of tweaking would be in order.

Scriptwriting wasn't like crafting a novel; it needed to be honed through multiple rounds of review and discussion to arrive at the most polished outcome.

And rehearsals? She needn't worry about those. As long as the other members of the troupe practiced their parts to perfection, all would be well.

With her max-level acting and singing skills, greatness was a given—there was no need for further ado...

Just as Luna was immerged in fine-tuning the script, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, your troupe's patron."

Patron? Luna pondered for a moment before recalling. "Ah, the Madam herself! Please, come in."

The door gently swung open, giving way to a woman with exquisite, heavy makeup.

Luna rose to greet her, subtly curtsying. "Long time no see. I hope you've been in good health?"

"Thanks to you, my dear, this patron has been rolling in the dough! My intuition was spot-on—it seems you were born for the stage."

As she spoke, the Madam closed the door behind her and took a seat on the sofa.

"Don't trouble yourself with tea. I'm here to discuss your future development. Care to share your thoughts?"

Luna asked, "Do you mean start my career?"

"Sort of. You certainly have exceptional talent, but to become even more prominent, you must learn how to market yourself..."

The madame pulled out several documents from her bag and placed them on the tea table.

"Take a look at these."

Curious, Luna walked over to the tea table, held back her hair, bent down, and picked up the documents.

One was an invitation from a well-known band asking her to join as the lead vocalist.

Another was an offer from a renowned film producer who wanted her to star in their next project.

There were also several advertisements, one with the slogan: "Drink Fonta for health, Drink Fonta for brains..."

Luna knew immediately that this ad needed to be redone due to Fontaine's strict laws prohibiting the promotion of beverage health benefits.

"Besides these, there are many more business invitations. You're quite popular now... Take some time to think about whether you want to seize this opportunity to skyrocket your career or temporarily bide your time."

After all, anyone at the peak can only fall.

"Protecting yourself is certainly a wise choice; patience is often the key to success."

Rather than being a shooting star that fades quickly, I'd rather be a constant star whose radiance never wavers.

Luna smiled slightly. "Thank you very much. I'll consider this carefully."

She left all the invitation letters on the tea table as if she were indifferent.

"You don't have any interest in any of them?"

"No, I'm not interested."

"It's not because you lack money?"

"I'm not lacking in funds, no."

The wealthy woman was intrigued. "Then what do you desire?"

What do I desire? Luna pondered for a moment but couldn't answer.

She already possessed popularity, which would only continue to grow—but all of this was for her phantom thief activities alone. It was solely to obtain information about treasures.

"...I suppose I must desire beautiful things, indeed."

"That sounds just like something the Phantom Thief White Cat would say," the woman chuckled.

Luna smiled. "Is that so? Actually, I haven't given much thought to such matters."

"You're truly astonishing, taking a leap that others might struggle to achieve in ten years. But it's crucial to think carefully, because—"

She smiled again. "Once the wrong choice is made, even gods can be cast offstage."

The stage was merciless.

For both humans and gods, the stage leveled all existence.

Luna, without a trace of unease, maintained her smile. "My thanks for the reminder, but isn't that precisely why everyone is captivated by the stage?"

"You're absolutely right!"

The door suddenly slammed open with great force.

A blue figure appeared in the doorway.

"Upon the stage, all are equal, which is why it shines so brilliantly! Which is why it stirs our hearts with longing! You truly deserve to be called an actor; you understand so well." The words swept into the room like a gale.

The tone was exaggerated, yet the voice was endearing. The face emanated... one could say it radiated... self-confidence. Who else could this be but Fontaine's most beloved star, Furina?

Furina? What was she doing here?

As Luna stared in surprise, the wealthy woman clapped her hands. "It seems Madam Furina has chosen you."

"Chosen me? Could it possibly mean...?"

Furina strode forward, stopping right in front of her.

"That's right, celebrate, Luna! I, Focalors, have already accepted the Dark Moon Troupe's invitation to star in your music drama next month!"