"Hey, are you the guests who arrived this morning? We don't usually get many unfamiliar faces here... As for Madam, I'm not really sure. She's been living abroad for more than twenty years. You know, most of the older servants who had worked here for years died in the fire..."
"As for this castle, I don't know. Actually, the castle is currently registered under the Old Madam's name. Oh dear, regarding Madam's death, there's a saying in the family that the nobles who used to live here believed they could exchange the lifespans of their descendants for their own lives..."
After learning how the servants of the castle spoke and acted when they were beyond the main family's notice, the members of the Phantom Thief Troupe hardly needed to gather and discuss matters. They tacitly split into groups of two or three. On the surface, they claimed they wanted to observe the huge chessboard on the castle lawn from more angles, but in reality, they went around questioning the servants.
After spending so much time together day and night, the members of the Phantom Thief Troupe had long since become familiar with one another's working styles. They had tacitly developed several fixed partnerships, allowing them to ask targeted questions, process information, and coordinate their findings. Getting along with a group of unsuspecting servants who lived bored and carefree lives in an isolated countryside castle was simply too easy.
When it was past noon, Professor Agasa and the Junior Detective Agency returned empty-handed and drove the small, plump Beetle closer. What they saw was completely beyond their expectations.
"Who goes camping and forgets to bring the most important thing—the tent?" Genta Kojima climbed down from the passenger seat and staggered through the soft humus of the woodland, still complaining. "Professor's carelessness