"I am Phantom Thief Black. Who are you?" Luna raised her sword, pointing it at Clorinde.
Clorinde mirrored the gesture, leveling her own blade. "If you're Black, then I'm White. Those who commit evil shall fall by my sword!"
Beneath her mask, Luna's eyes narrowed slightly.
Clorinde felt a sudden flicker of surprise. That gaze... it was almost identical to Phantom Thief White Cat's, only lacking the taunting, flamboyant edge.
Truly remarkable acting, she thought admiringly. To portray a Phantom Thief so flawlessly, as if she were one herself...
No wonder she's Fontaine's premier actress.
Who was the director? None other than Lady Furina, of course.
"Cut! Excellent! One take is all we needed. At this pace, we might finish filming ahead of schedule," Furina nodded enthusiastically.
Having such a talented actress was reassuring.
Though this was Clorinde's first acting role, she showed unexpected aptitude.
Or perhaps, Clorinde mused, her character simply requires minimal emotional expression, making it a perfect fit for her.
"Everyone, take a break. We'll film the remaining scenes later. As for the scenes requiring a different location, we'll shoot those tomorrow."
Filming didn't proceed chronologically. Due to location constraints and various other factors, it wasn't unusual to jump from Act One straight to Act Six.
"We can always piece it together in post-production," Navia said.
"It's like combining a series of cards," she summarized.
Luna sat down, accepting the cold drink Navia offered. "Exactly. Knowing when to insert each scene and plot point is crucial."
"Sometimes, a single shot can completely alter the core of the entire film," Luna said, chewing on her straw.
Navia sat beside her, resting her cheek on her hand. "Watching you two makes me want to join in! It looks so fun!" she exclaimed with a laugh.
"Nana would probably burst out laughing all the time," Luna teased.
"No way!... Okay, fine, I might laugh a lot," Navia admitted sheepishly, scratching her cheek.
It seemed she had developed a peculiar condition: whenever she saw Luna, she couldn't help but smile uncontrollably and feel a surge of joy.
Clorinde interjected, "And she'd probably start improvising her own scenes out of nowhere."
"That's impossible! Leave the professional work to the professionals," Navia protested. "Actors just need to act. There's so much more to consider behind the scenes—I know that much!"
She glanced at Furina, who was reviewing the footage.
"Regardless," Navia said admiringly, "when it comes to art, our Hydro Archon is truly a divine artist!"
Furina could write scripts, direct plays, act, and even dabble in music.
If she were a character in the Tabletop Troupe, all her stats would undoubtedly be maxed out in charisma and artistic skills.
"I'm not inferior to her, you know?" Luna hummed softly.
She could also write scripts, act, and play the piano! Directing? She might give it a try someday.
"Oh, I didn't say you were inferior," Navia replied. "I was just wondering... if Lady Furina weren't an Archon but simply a huge star, what would she be like?"
Clorinde and Luna both turned to look at Furina.
The lingering aura of a curse clung to her. The secrets she hid. Her un-godlike behavior during the attack.
Most importantly, the Oratrice's core had called out her name...
Luna had a hunch, but she couldn't be certain.
"I believe her brilliance would remain undiminished," Luna said with a faint smile, averting her gaze.
Navia couldn't shake the feeling that Luna harbored a particular fondness for Furina. Was it the mutual attraction between two leading ladies on the same stage? Navia pressed a hand to her chest, a heavy, stifling sensation settling there.
"Speaking of which, the prophecy panic seems to have subsided," Clorinde remarked softly.
Though people still spoke of the prophecy, there was no widespread panic.
"After all, some things are more eye-catching than prophecies," Navia sighed.
The Phantom Thief White Cat.
Despite being the Phantom Thief, she effortlessly captured the attention of all of Fontaine.
But perhaps this was for the best, compared to the constant panic.
"We still haven't uncovered anything in our investigation," Navia muttered, slumping onto the table.
"Regrettably, I haven't heard anything either," Clorinde said, shaking her head.
"Ah, if only things could stay like this forever, with nothing ever happening," Luna mused.
"Actually, there's something that's been bothering me," Luna said thoughtfully.
Navia perked up, leaning closer. "What is it? What is it?"
Whenever Luna said that, it meant she might have found a crucial clue!
Chiori always teased Navia for being like a big golden retriever, but when it came to sniffing out the truth, Navia knew she couldn't compare to Luna.
"It's the full picture of the prophecy."
"The full picture?" Navia murmured.
Then, understanding dawned.
"That's right!"
Until now, the only part of the prophecy known to the people of Fontaine was this:
Every Person in Fontaine is born with "sin." No matter how the Nation of Justice holds trial after trial, this sing cannot be absolved. Until one day, the water levels in Fontaine will rise, and the sinful people will slowly be drowned...
In the end, the people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the Hydro Archon will remain, weeping on her throne... Only then will the sins of the people of Fontaine be washed away.
But was this truly the entirety of the prophecy?
"What kind of sin could possibly require the complete disappearance of all Fontainians as atonement?"
"The Primordial Sea can only dissolve Fontainians..."
Perhaps the key lies within the very nature of the Fontainians' bodies.
But why is the water level rising without any apparent cause?
What force is driving the Primordial Sea's expansion?
So far, the only Primordial Sea discovered was a small pocket within Vacher's stronghold.
But where is the true, vast expanse of the Primordial Sea hidden?
Neuvillette had previously stated that the Primordial Sea no longer exists on the planet's surface.
It must lie deep beneath the earth, perhaps even in the deepest depths... Yet why is the water level rising so slowly instead of surging upward all at once?
Could something be blocking its path?
"Moreover, Lady Furina is the current Hydro Archon. Legend has it that the previous Hydro Archon has already passed away."
And this prophecy was left behind by the previous Hydro Archon before her death.
Luna took a sip of her cold drink, but the refreshing beverage did little to alleviate the oppressive weight of her scattered thoughts.
"We're still missing the most crucial clue," she sighed.
Navia crossed her arms and fell into contemplation.
Ultimately, it all boiled down to a lack of information.
Wild thoughts were futile and likely to lead Luna astray, so she quickly reined in her runaway mind.
"Next scene's about to shoot! Clorinde, Luna, come over here!" Furina called, waving them over.
Luna stood up, curled her fingertips, and took Clorinde's hand in a gesture reminiscent of inviting her to dance. "Come on, Miss Phantom Thief. If we're going to act, we have to give it our all. It's time to take the top spot at the box office."
Clorinde murmured, "You get into character so quickly."
"That's called professionalism."
But just then, Clorinde felt two pairs of eyes staring intently at her.
Furina: "..."
Navia: "..."
They were watching her intently.
Did I do something wrong? Clorinde wondered, puzzled.
After a full day of filming, it was already evening.
Luna carried Clorinde's costume to the Chioriya Boutique.
The reason was simple: Clorinde had complained that the chest area was too tight. If it wasn't adjusted quickly, the costume might burst during the next scene.
Upon hearing this, Furina stared intently at Clorinde's chest for a long moment.
Then, she fell silent.
"Why not just change Clorinde's character to a man?" Furina blurted out.
"A man? Hmm... cross-dressing? It's not impossible, but my physique might not allow it," Clorinde replied calmly.
"Just pretend he's a man with exceptionally developed pectoral muscles!" Furina insisted.
"That wouldn't work!" Navia couldn't help but interject.
A "Closed for Rest" sign hung on the door of Chioriya Boutique, but the lights were still on inside.
Without hesitation, Luna pushed open the door.
Ding-a-ling! The ringing doorbell made Chiori's eyebrows twitch slightly.
"Didn't you see the sign?"
"I did."
Chiori sighed. "If you saw it, why did you come in?"
"Seeing it just made me want to come in even more."
"Typical of a rule-breaking thief like you. Should I put up a sign that says 'Welcome, Luna'?"
Luna handed Chiori the costume. "It's not a bad idea. Letting all of Fontaine know how much you adore me wouldn't be so bad."
"Who said I adore you? Stop being so narcissistic... What's wrong?" Chiori took the costume.
"It's straining at the chest."
"You?" Chiori couldn't help but smile.
What's so funny?
Luna hummed softly. "It's Clorinde."
"She's acting too? Well, there's no helping it then. I made her clothes before, but she never wore them. I wonder if her measurements have changed."
"I took her measurements," Luna said, picking up a pen.
Chiori's expression remained impassive. "You're really something."
She glanced at the measurements Luna had scribbled on the paper and nodded.
Not too difficult to alter.
But... are these slightly larger than when I custom-made her clothes before? Maybe it's just my imagination.
"Do you need any alterations?"
"Maybe in the future," Luna replied, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
"Heh."
"What's so funny?"
Chiori murmured, "Nothing. I just hope you don't change too much. It would make tailoring more complicated."
"You're cursing me."
"I'm blessing you. How many young girls wish their bodies would stay the same?"
Luna leaned back in her chair, trapping Chiori's left foot between her own. She lifted her toes and gently rubbed them against Chiori's calf.
"Staying exactly the same forever might not be so great either. I can't imagine how depressing it would be to be exactly the same for five hundred years."
If your body never changes, then what you do every day would never change either.
"Maybe it's like being in prison," Chiori replied casually, gently nudging Luna's foot with her own.
She glanced at Luna.
"Lynette and Lyney visited recently."
"Hmm?"
"They said they had urgent business to attend to and wouldn't be back for quite some time. They wanted to see you today before leaving tomorrow." Chiori said.
"...And then?"
"I told them you were filming, and they left disappointed. You could still catch them if you hurry."
Luna thought, This must be the secret about the Fortress of Meropide that Father mentioned earlier.
The House of the Hearth had long sought to uncover this mystery.
Arlecchino had also explicitly stated that if anything went wrong, she would send Lynette and the others in to investigate the truth behind the Prophecy.
After a moment of silence, Luna said, "It's fine. They'll be alright."
She trusted Lynette's abilities and knew Arlecchino had their backs.
"....."
Chiori didn't respond.
Only the sound of her snipping and altering the costume echoed in the room.
Luna tilted her head slightly, trying to read Chiori's expression.
"Are you angry?" she whispered.
"Am I?"
Luna smiled. "It feels like it."
Chiori set down her tools and the costume. "You're right. I'm in a foul mood." She stood up and walked toward the sofa.
Luna followed behind her. "Why?"
Chiori turned abruptly, grabbed Luna's shoulders, and pressed her onto the sofa. She then straddled Luna's lap, positioning herself face-to-face, chest-to-chest, staring intently into her eyes.
"Why don't you try deducing it first?" Chiori said with a smile. "As a detective, you should be able to figure it out."