Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

Meanwhile, back at home, Luna was changing out of her Phantom costume.

Pressing a hand against her pounding chest, Luna exhaled slowly.

"Finally, a chance to rest. The young miss of the Spina di Rosula and the captain of the Special Task Force... if they kept chasing me like that, it would've been one big headache."

Dealing with one Vision holder was trouble enough, let alone two.

Fending off their relentless dual assault wasn't something to take lightly.

But this first operation could be considered a resounding success.

Not for nothing, I must say! Luna mentally applauded herself with a thumbs-up.

-

Success!

Mission Difficulty: High

Treasure Rarity: A, B

Mission Fame: Widely Known

Magnificence: Attention-Grabbing

Points Settlement: (250pts x B-grade treasure) x 3 (Security Level) x 3 (Mission Fame) + 100pts (Magnificence) + 300 pts (A-grade treasure) = 2650pts

-

Luna flopped onto her bed, stretched lazily, and began mulling over the situation.

It seemed that treasures not mentioned in the preview letter couldn't receive mission bonuses, essentially acting as a nice tip on the side.

However, it was precisely because the other treasures weren't listed that Luna had been able to successfully steal Furina's Smile.

Every cloud had a silver lining, after all.

"Huh, so Magnificence is actually at its lowest rank?"

Magnificence was ranked as follows:

Attention-GrabbingHeart-PoundingSoul-StirringSpellbinding

The System's assessment indicated that her performance lacked sufficient grandeur, leaving her utterly perplexed.

So what exactly qualifies as impressive? she wondered.

Was it my entrance?

Or perhaps my lines weren't suave enough?

Or maybe there weren't enough special effects?

Luna sighed, deciding to ponder this further later. As her debut performance, this score was still commendable.

Next, she considered which skill to upgrade.

The Path of Elegance... Elegance?

Luna suddenly thought, Could it be asking me to acquire more skills from this tree? Maybe add some showy elements to my moves?

Her Wind Blast Kick was indeed versatile, but it remained rather plain and functional.

If that's what was needed, she'd try upgrading a different skill first and see if the outcome changed when stealing treasures.

I need a skill that's all frills and flourishes.

No damage output? That's fine.

Strength is fleeting, but style lasts a lifetime.

Anemo, Pyro, Cryo, Hydro, Electro, Geo, Dendro... Which one seemed the most elegant?

She immediately ruled out Geo, unless she wanted to summon a world-shattering earthquake.

This is so hard to choose...

No turning back now, Luna thought grimly. Time to... She hooked the bedside table open with her toe, then deftly plucked up a deck of risk-taking cards.

With a flash of iris, she extracted cards inscribed with numbers, shuffled them, and held them up to her gaze.

Whatever I pick is the one, of course I'll say no to geo.

She drew!

Luna fanned them over, revealing a 3.

Three is hydro.

A Fontainer using hydro didn't seem too strange.

Though from bloodlines she was a hybrid of Liyue and Mondstadt.

But she'd grown up fatherless and motherless in an orphanage in Fontaine, and even when she'd moved later, it had still been there—so it wasn't strange to call her a Fontainer, right?

Physically, she was a mix of Mondstadt and Liyue; mentally, she was more Liyue; but in terms of identity, she was Fontaine.

Come to think of it, she had a ton of bonuses—she just needed an armed helicopter.

"Hydro, then...."

In that instant, a voice etched into her DNA echoed through her mind:

An assassin from our homeland? Or a fool who trespasses upon the waters of Qingce?

...

Stop! Stop playing that! Luna cleared her mental cache and pondered what choice would be best.

If she prioritized style over all else, then this skill surely wouldn't be a bad pick.

[Steps of the Water Bird:]

[Your movements become fluid and unpredictable, shimmering with an ethereal light. While this skill is active, all your attacks will be infused with water elements, and you may transform into a elemental bird of water at any time, allowing you to fly for a total of 10 seconds.]

[Points Required: 600]

With the remaining 2050 points, I'll upgrade "Path of Shadows" and "Path of Knowledge." For the former, I'll continue raising "Steal."

[Steal (LV: 2/5):]

[You may now steal two items from a target within 2 meters.]

A simple and direct improvement, but effectiveness is all that matters.

Points Remaining: -500

Thief's Vision (LV: 1/2)

You can now see through to the items on nearby people, and valuable items will be highlighted.

Points Remaining: -500

1050 points left.

Path of Knowledge... Come to think of it, I'll need to gather information about treasures on my own, won't I? And it doesn't matter how I do it.

When it comes to the best sources of information, nothing beats gatherings.

Those social events attended by nobles and wealthy merchants are often full of gossip and news.

People have three basic desires:

Appetite.Sleepiness.The desire to show off.

Especially those with vast fortunes could not resist bragging about their achievements, inadvertently revealing their precious treasures during such conversations.

For instance, they might boast about purchasing a new necklace or acquiring rare items from certain individuals.

Since the goal was to target valuable treasures, it made sense to visit their opulent mansions.

But why not simply infiltrate their circles?

Luna muttered, "The problem is, I have no interest in serving as someone's maid or subordinate. That would not only consume too much of my time but also severely limit the information I could gather."

Moreover, merely being wealthy wasn't enough to gain access to the nobility's social sphere.

Nobles often held themselves in high regard; despite their polite demeanor, it wasn't uncommon for them to secretly look down upon those from less privileged backgrounds.

To blend in, one needed fame, power, and...

Charm.

If there was any realm in Fontaine that offered these opportunities, it was undoubtedly—drama.

Fontaine's court of justice was located within the Opera Epiclese. When no cases required adjudication, it served as the pinnacle of artistic expression.

Yet, when a trial was necessary, the opera house would stage a drama of truth and falsehood, justice and evil—a spectacle blurring the lines between reality and illusion.

After all, many cases themselves often bore a dramatic quality:

Brothers turned bitter enemies, Friends locked in divisive conflict, Love affairs in shambles, Friendships splintered...

The people of Fontaine have always relished such drama, and this affinity was a key reason why theatre achieved T0 status—supreme significance—within Fontaine's culture.

In short, if you wanted to become someone everyone respects, a figure with whom all would treat with utmost courtesy, there could be no better choice than to become an actor, a public darling.

A musical theatre actor, ideally.

"Build your reputation, infiltrate high society, then get intel on treasures and steal them clean."

A simple, clear plan.

And one that perfectly aligned with Luna's intentions.

Without hesitation, she chose these two skills.

[Acting (LV: 1/3)]

[If everything in the world is a part of the stage, then you are undoubtedly a professional actor on that stage now.]

[Singing (LV: 1/3)]

[Your voice is enchanting.]

First, she used one of the skill points provided by the gift, then -500 points.

She had 550 left, enough for another level. As for which to choose, Luna had already made up her mind.

[Singing (LV: 2/3)]

[Divine Melody, Grand, Words Cannot Describe]

The reason was simple—while average acting was fine, if the singing was good, it could drastically improve the overall perception.

After all, this was a musical.