Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 52.

Illuki and Chrollo walk back into the hideout with their usual expressions – one smiling and the other indifferent – the two ringleaders waltz into the open loft, noticing the members reading their fortunes. "Let's split into groups. We'll spend the next week operating in these groups. Avoid being alone," the leader orders, gathering the members' attention as he and Illuki stand in the middle of the room. "Shizuku, Pakunoda and Machi. Kortopi, Phinks and Feitan. Nobunaga and Shalnark are with me. Bonolenov, Franklin and Hisoka will stay here," the man groups the thieves.

"I'll be bouncing between groups," Illuki tells the lot, arms crossing under her chest.

"Boss, can I ask a question?" Machi spoke up, taking a step forward with a hand raised. "Some kids know about this place," she tells him when the ringleaders glanced her way.

The dichromatic-haired, petite woman purses her lips tightly, rocking on the balls of her feet as she adverts her gaze away from the intimating stare of Chrollo Lucifer; she hadn't mentioned her brother and his friend's temporary kidnap to him.

"Yeah! I forgot!" the loud, agitating swordsman exclaims while approaching the trio; he turns to the leader with a wide grin. "Boss, I want to recruit that kid," he suggests, thinking about the intriguing child.

"Wait, that wasn't why I mentioned them!" the pink-haired thief annoyedly groans, bickering with the long-haired man before Chrollo interrupts, asking about her concern. "Um...It's just a hunch," her face fell, sheepishly looking away from him.

"A hunch, huh? You have sharp instincts," the ravenette compliments the 3rd-ranked member. "It's possible there's something important about those kids. Let's make more dummy hideouts, just to be safe," he suggests, turning to Illuki who turns her body sideways, looking over at where one of their Conjurers sat with Phinks and Feitan.

"Kortopi, can you more some more?" she asks the teenager.

The young thief raises a hand, an eyeball staring at where the group stood a few feet away from them. "I can do another fifty. And the instant anyone enters a fake hideout, I'll know. My copies act as my En, too," the Conjurer reveals. Illuki's green eyes flutter close, offering the adolescent a smile to thank them for their hard work; she pivots her head, looking up at the leader with a knowing look.

After setting up the decoy hideouts, the troupe continued with their plan to search for the chain user, the Web of the Phantom Troupe lounges on the pile of rocks, eyes shut as she listened to the members' discussion. "You've already told me everything that Uvo knew about the chain user?" Chrollo asks Shalnark who nods.

"Yeah, when we were investigating the Nostrade Family using the Hunter Website, Uvo pointed to three members at the top," the blonde informs the man, holding a sheet of paper with the information printed on it.

"It was a late night on the 1st when we realised they were the daughter's bodyguards. And I met the daughter yesterday," the ravenette reveals, though his right-hand companion already knew about his visit to the girl – he was stealing her ability for himself. "And here is an updated list of bodyguards. There are two new members," Chrollo held up a sheet of paper that he had Illuki print out for him during their outing.

"She's the reason for their fortune. Her father values the ability more than her," Illuki voiced from above the group, laying flat on her back on the rock pile.

Everyone glances up at her for a second before turning back to their leader. "Her father achieved his current status by using her power. There are many who resent his advancement," he explains to them.

"But why did she come to York New City?" Shizuku asks, looking down at the flyer.

"For the auction, I'd imagine," Pakunoda responds.

Chrollo freezes momentarily at the comment, his head hanging slightly down in realisation. "Shizuku, Pakunoda..," he calls their names, sitting down on a rock slab with a hand covering his mouth in thought. "Nice...In other words, I'm an idiot," he removes his hand and looks up at the group, indifferently staring ahead. "Damn it, what's wrong with me? Why did Nostrade's daughter come to York New? If I'd only thought about it...we could have found the chain user sooner," he tells his inner thoughts, glancing over at the sheet of paper with Neon's picture on it. "It's safe to assume that this girl came with her bodyguards to York New for the auction. I was too focused on her fortunetelling ability to give any regard to that," he voices.

Illuki's eyes snap open, her head turning in the direction of where the leader sat near her. "That's right. The girl collects body parts according to the website," she points out the information, a finger raised in the air, completing Chrollo's train of thought.

"Body parts...The Scarlet Eyes!" Shalnark exclaims in realisation.

"Yes. The chain user joined the Nostrade Family for a reason. He knew that the Scarlet Eyes would be sold at the auction and that Nostrade's daughter would be interested in them. The chain user desires two things," the ravenette holds up two fingers, facing the happy-go-lucky blonde. "To exact his revenge on us and to recover his people's eyes," he finishes.

"Were we able to steal the Scarlet Eyes?" the dichromatic-haired woman asks her friend, sitting up on the pile of rocks she previously lounged on.

Shalnark apologises, explaining he had left the auctioneer he was manipulating on autopilot throughout the event. The leader of the troupe then turns to the Conjurer who made copies of the items, asking if he remembered making a copy of the item.

"Yes, I made copies of them," the teenager raises a hand, confirming the leader's thoughts.

"Your copies function as your En. Can you tell where the copy is?" he asks while the other troupe members gather around him.

"If I'm touching the original, yes," Kortopi confirms with the ringleaders, prompting the members to open the crates of merchandise in search of the floating red eyes.