Chapter 678 : Baiting the Hook

In the countryside of a certain city in Falano, under the daylight sun, stood a refined and elegant manor. The noon sunlight shone on the gray-white tiles of the manor’s villa, while various servants bustled about both inside and outside. Though the weather was calm and pleasant today, the expressions on the servants’ faces were grim, casting a heavy atmosphere over the estate.

Inside the tall main building of the manor, in an exceptionally spacious reception hall, a young man with neatly combed brown hair and a handsome face sat upright on a long couch. He wore a well-tailored suit, crossed one leg over the other, and smoked leisurely from a cigarette, with a smug smile playing at his lips. In front of him was a coffee table, and opposite him sat a middle-aged man dressed properly but bent at the waist, looking quite anxious.

“Mr. Angley, I beg you, please… have mercy. I can’t hold out much longer. If you don’t stop now, I’m finished!”

The middle-aged man pleaded in a servile tone to the young man—Angley—on the couch. Angley remained relaxed, crossed-legged, as he took a deep drag from his cigarette. After a moment of exhaling smoke, he responded with scorn in his voice and a casual tone.

“Mr. Morrow… I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about. Are you saying… I should let you off, or else you’ll go bankrupt? That’s ridiculous. From the way you’re speaking, it sounds like you believe all your company’s troubles were orchestrated by me in secret. Don’t slander me, now… or I might sue you for defamation.”

So Angley said. Hearing this, the man named Morrow was momentarily stunned, and then, seemingly unable to restrain himself any longer, he burst out.

“If it wasn’t you, then who else cou—”

But before he could finish, Angley’s eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous gleam flashing in his gaze. Sensing the threat, Morrow seemed to recall something unpleasant. He instantly shut his mouth, and with a thud, dropped to his knees, lowering his entire body as he spoke.

“No… It wasn’t you! You had nothing to do with it! Whether it was the stock price, the warehouse fire, or the cargo ship accident—it was all… all my own fault! I mismanaged everything! I ruined the family business passed down to me. It’s all my fault!”

Choking with sobs, Morrow cried out to Angley. Angley remained silent, staring at him coldly.

“It’s all my fault. Everything that’s happened to me—I brought it on myself… That’s why I’m here to beg you for help, Mr. Angley, not to ask you to stop. I’m willing to hand over the controlling shares of Swordfish Shipping. Please… take the company. Just save it…”

Morrow continued to plead on his knees. After hearing his words, Angley sighed as he blew out another puff of smoke. Then he slowly stood, walked over to Morrow’s side, and spoke softly.

“Mr. Morrow… don’t say it like that. Our acquaintance is a matter of fate. I’d never seize another man’s family inheritance for no reason. But I also don’t like standing idly by while someone I’m connected to suffers… How about this: I’m willing to invest in your company to help resolve your immediate crisis. We will take a small stake in operations, but the company will remain yours. You’ll stay on as chairman.”

So said Angley. Morrow looked up at him in disbelief and murmured.

“Re… really?”

“Of course. You just have to agree to the deal I mentioned before,” Angley added.

Morrow’s eyes widened slightly as he muttered.

“That deal you mentioned… No, I can’t… Smuggling is illegal, and you’re talking about trafficking—human trafficking… Mr. Angley, if you really want the company, just take it! I only need a small amou—”

“Heh. Mr. Morrow, do you think I’d forcefully take something from you like that? Do I seem like that kind of person? You’re the only one who can be the head of Swordfish Shipping… Take your time and think about it. But remember, time’s short. If you don’t want those shady creditors of yours to drive your family into ruin, you’d better make up your mind soon…”

With those words, Angley turned and walked away, ignoring the desperate Morrow still kneeling behind him. Not long after Angley had left the room, Morrow broke down and shouted loudly.

“I agree! I’ll agree to anything! Please… please help me, Mr. Angley!”

“…Heh.”

Hearing Morrow’s near-crying voice from behind, Angley chuckled softly and walked on, not sparing him another glance. As he stepped through the reception room’s main doors, a man dressed as a butler—who had evidently been waiting outside—hurried up and handed him an object.

“Sir, please have a look at this,” the butler said.

Angley turned to glance at the item in his hand. It was a newspaper.

“A newspaper? Some big story?” Angley asked.

“Yes, it’s about that phantom thief that’s been causing a stir lately. They struck again yesterday—this time targeting the National Museum in Flottes,” the butler replied respectfully.

Angley raised an intrigued eyebrow.

“The phantom thief… you mean Thief K? Already hit Flottes? That’s quick. But what’s it got to do with us?”

“Please look here, sir. This is the museum’s list of stolen artifacts…”

The butler pointed to a specific page in the paper. Angley followed his gesture and examined it carefully. After a moment, he frowned.

“Hm? This is…”

His expression grew serious as he snatched the paper and read the list again, more closely. Taking a deep breath, he said to the butler beside him.

“You may go.”

“Yes, sir.”

The butler bowed and promptly withdrew. Angley looked over the newspaper a few more times, then rolled it up and strode off quickly.

Soon after, Angley reached the first floor of his villa. At the end of a deserted hallway, he walked straight ahead and passed through the wall itself.

He moved through layers of dense, solid stone, descending deeper and deeper, until he phased into a hidden chamber buried far underground. The sealed room was illuminated by strange glowing orbs embedded in the walls, casting a dim and eerie radiance.

Without paying attention to the various strange furnishings and chests in the secret chamber, Angley headed straight for the center. There, in the middle of the floor, was a large sand pit filled with fine flowing sand.

Reaching the pit’s edge, Angley slowly knelt on one knee, placed his hand on the ground engraved with a series of mysterious symbols around the pit, and closed his eyes to begin chanting softly. As his voice echoed, the sand in the pit began to stir—it gathered on its own, accumulating, rising, and shifting form until it shaped into a humanoid figure seated on a throne.

Shortly after forming, the sand figure seemed to develop consciousness. Its blurry face turned to look at Angley by the pit’s edge, and Angley bowed his body slightly and spoke with reverence.

“Sir Grand Steward…”

“Is something the matter?”

The sand figure’s indistinct face opened its mouth and emitted a hushed, rasping, yet profoundly heavy voice. Hearing it, Angley didn’t dare delay and promptly spoke.

“That thief, Thief K, has made another move. Yesterday, they issued a notice and successfully stole from the Hall of Bestowal. Early this morning, Falano’s authorities released an official statement, increasing the bounty on Thief K and listing the stolen items to gather public clues.

“Among those listed items… was something called the ‘Golden Carved Triangular Prism Fragment.’ According to the sketch printed in the newspaper, that’s precisely the item you ordered us to find some time ago, sir!”

Angley reported respectfully to the sand figure, then maintained his posture, silently awaiting a response. The sand figure did not immediately reply. It paused for a moment, then finally spoke in a slow tone.

“Thief… K?

“I recall it was due to their interference last year in Adria that Garib failed…”

“Yes, it was absolutely because of Thief K! That’s how the Corpse-Sand Society’s operation collapsed in a place like that! That crystal Azam held must have ended up in the hands of that thief right then and there! Recently, they’ve been very active in Falano—four cases in a single month! And every item stolen has been a First Dynasty artifact from North Ufiga. They’re clearly targeting those objects!”

Angley spoke with intensity. After hearing his words, the sand figure paused again, then continued.

“Thief K… began operating in the first half of last year. Not long after stealing Azam’s crystal, the revival of Heaven’s Arbiter’s faith was reported in Addus. Now that they’re active again and focused on North Ufigan relics, it’s hard not to suspect a deeper connection…”

“Your insight is flawless, sir… I also believe there’s a link between Thief K and the recently-emerged Heaven’s Arbiter Sect in Addus. This time, their actions may be aligned with the sect’s will—perhaps they’re helping the sect gather lost relics from the First Dynasty? But then again… would a sect with such mystical power care about mundane artifacts with no mystical traits?”

Angley analyzed aloud before the sand figure. Soon, the sand figure gave its reply.

“Those crystals… when the right conditions aren’t met, they appear no different from ordinary items—indistinguishable. What this so-called phantom thief is truly looking for are objects with properties similar to that crystal.

“They must have received word that certain museums in Falano hold relics similar to the one they obtained before. But not knowing exactly which ones, they’ve been hitting museums one by one, stealing all suspicious items to later sift through. Just as they did in Adria—cleaning out all of Azam’s relics regardless of utility.”

The sand figure explained in a low voice. After hearing this, Angley responded quickly.

“That must be it… If Thief K acted based on such intelligence, then their information must also point toward the crystal base we’re seeking… Sir, that criminal is after the same item we are. Now that they have the base in hand, what should we do? Should I mobilize all our resources to locate them?”

With a consultative tone, Angley made his request. The sand figure, after a brief silence, let out a soft laugh and replied.

“Hehe… there’s no need to go through such trouble. We can simply let them come to us.”

“Let them… come to us?”

Angley frowned in confusion, and the sand figure promptly clarified.

“That golden pedestal—what use is it on its own? The crystal it pairs with was already removed long ago and turned into the necklace Maria’s Light by Sharl. When this phantom thief examines their prize, they will soon realize it’s incomplete—just a fragment. They will start asking questions: where is the rest of the crystal? Why is it missing?

“Maria’s Light is currently in my possession. All we need to do is wait for that thief to begin wondering about the missing half. Then we plant a clue in the papers—fabricate a pretext, reintroduce the famed Maria’s Light to the world, provide a bit of backstory, publish a few photos, host a public exhibition… and wait for our honored guest to arrive.”

So the sand figure explained. Hearing this, Angley suddenly understood and immediately responded.

“So what you mean is… we’re going to fish with bait.”

“Exactly. Once they learns the truth about the golden pedestal, they won’t ignore Maria’s Light. I’m sure they won’t mistake the appearance of the crystal—it’s the very one they stole with their own hands back in Adria.”

The sand figure spoke firmly. Angley nodded in understanding and followed up.

“This is indeed a good plan… but if that thief really is connected to the Heaven’s Arbiter Sect, then wouldn’t capturing them provoke the sect’s wrath? Might that pressure our anti-divination operations?”

“There’s no need to worry. If that thief had extensive access to divination resources, they would’ve already used them to precisely locate their target. They wouldn’t be relying on museum raids like casting a wide net. If the Heaven’s Arbiter Sect truly wanted the golden crystal artifacts badly, our anti-divination systems would already be under heavy assault—after all, Maria’s Light has been in our hands this entire time.

“This thief may be connected to them, but the connection is likely weak. Even if the link is strong, there’s little to fear. The sect may possess Revelation lineage, but they’ve only just begun to rise. Their strength is still limited. They still need to conserve resources to fend off the Radiance heretics of North Ufiga whom they’ve offended, not to mention tests from Holy Mount and other interested societies…

“The Radiance heretics in North Ufiga are still alive and well. What are we afraid of? If this thief is tied to the sect, capturing him might actually let us trace the thread further and glimpse the secrets of Revelation. That might be an even greater prize than reconstructing the golden crystal artifact itself.

“So don’t overthink it. Start preparing the publicity.”

With that, the sand figure fell silent. Hearing all this, Angley’s worries were swept away. He bowed low once again and respectfully replied.

“Yes, Sir Frederico!”