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Chapter 17: Finally, The Debut! A Rainbow Cutting Through the Darkness
In the back garden, Montoya stared blankly at the empty clearing and radioed Gordon.
"Commissioner, no sign of Kid. He might have changed his infiltration point..."
As soon as Montoya finished, reports from other units came in one after another.
No trace of Phantom Thief Kid was found anywhere in Vanaver Manor.
What is going on?
Gordon frowned deeply, glancing back at Samantha. The priceless emerald necklace hung quietly around her neck.
"See, Mr. Gordon? I told you Kid wouldn't really show up. He's just a thief; how could he break through this manor's defenses?"
Samantha wasn't surprised by Kid's absence.
"He managed to steal the Goddess's Tear from the museum probably because their security was outdated, giving him a loophole."
Gordon didn't comment. Outsiders didn't know, but he had witnessed the indefensible methods Kid used to get the Goddess's Tear.
Arguing with Samantha was pointless. The question was: where was Kid?
Did he really get scared off by the tight security as Samantha thought? Or did he plan to violate his notice and appear when everyone thought he wouldn't?
For some reason, Gordon felt the truth wasn't that simple.
"Alright, the crisis is over. It's time to prepare for the dinner banquet. I need to get ready now, so please stop following me, Mr. Gordon," Samantha said, preparing to leave.
"Wait! What if Kid is just waiting for us to let our guard down—"
"It's fine, Mr. Gordon. The Vanaver family isn't so destitute that we can't afford bodyguards. William will protect me."
As she spoke, a burly, cold-faced man appeared out of nowhere and bowed respectfully to Samantha.
"Who is this?"
Gordon was startled by the sudden appearance of the giant man.
"This is my bodyguard, William. He's been protecting me from nearby for the last two days," Samantha introduced.
Gordon eyed William in shock. He had never noticed this man's presence. How did such a massive body stay hidden?
Forget it. Batman is even bigger and moves like a ghost.
Thinking of Batman's elusiveness, Gordon felt much calmer. It wasn't that surprising after all.
In the banquet hall, Tim sat at a table, stuffing steak into his mouth, feeling frustrated.
"It's been over an hour since dark. The dinner has started, but there's no sign of Kid. Did he give up?"
His eyes scanned the waiters passing by.
"No. Although Kid only has one crime on record, his actions show he's incredibly bold. And he's smart; he must have a detailed plan."
"Vanaver Manor's security is strong, but not strong enough to scare him off."
"He will come. He definitely will!" Tim thought firmly.
"But why didn't he appear at sunset?"
Was the notice a fake? Did Kid never intend to follow it?
If so, last week would have been the best time to steal the necklace. There was no reason to wait until now.
"Unless... our interpretation of the notice is wrong!"
The thought popped into Tim's head.
But how?
"When Skoll and Hati cross paths for the thirteenth time,
The fragile mistletoe shall be stained with blood.
I will step upon the shaking heavenly road,
Ascend to the eternal feast of Valhalla,
And take away the Cursed May Stone."
Thirteen crossings mean thirteen days. Mistletoe stained with blood implies nightfall. Eternal feast is the banquet. Cursed May Stone is the necklace.
Tim had reservations about the GCPD's "hot air balloon" theory for the "Shaking Heavenly Road."
But even ignoring the controversial third line, the rest shouldn't be wrong. There was no better explanation.
Regardless of which "heavenly road" Kid used, he should have appeared in the hall at nightfall today.
Yet he hadn't.
"Let's assume our understanding of the other lines is flawed. But that means no one knows when or where Kid will appear..."
Wait.
Time was uncertain, but the location was fixed.
The Emerald Necklace!
Since he couldn't ambush the starting point, he just had to camp at the finish line.
"Ms. Samantha is..."
Tim scanned the crowd for Samantha.
Just then, the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from above.
Samantha, dressed in a magnificent gown, walked slowly down the stairs to face the crowd in the hall. William followed exactly three steps behind her—no more, no less.
"Everyone has spent a day and a night at Vanaver Manor. I hope our hospitality has been satisfactory," Samantha said with a smile.
The guests responded with approval.
"Yesterday, we discussed a lot of business, making the atmosphere a bit too serious. That isn't the entirety of this memorial banquet. So today, please relax and treat this as a party among friends."
"I have decided to hold a ball in a moment..."
In that instant, without any warning, a sudden change occurred!
The lights in the entire hall extinguished abruptly, plunging the venue into darkness.
Simultaneously, a magnetic voice rang out.
"Laaaaadies and Gentlemen!"
"It's—Showtime!"
As the voice echoed, a magical scene unfolded.
In the darkened hall, a dazzling rainbow appeared out of thin air, arching over the ceiling and extending all the way to the podium at the back of the room.
And on that stage, a white figure, incredibly striking even in the dark, suddenly materialized!
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