Join the Phantom Troupe!

Two successive downpours could not extinguish Meteor City's anger.

The repeated child kidnappings had pushed every elder's nerves to the limit.

The sound of patrols' steel boots stomping through puddles echoed through the night, but it could not drown out the sobs rising and falling in the depths of the alleys-the cries of foster mothers.

"Carl, come out once you've changed. Everyone's waiting for you in the screening room."

In the church, Chrollo tapped on the door of the little cubicle and spoke softly.

It had taken them an hour to return to the church from the Seventh Garbage Mountain.

Since they performed here often, they all kept changes of clothes backstage in the church's screening room.

"Creak~"

The little door opened, and Carl stepped out in dry clothes.

"It suits you."

He gazed at Carl's figure, swallowed up by Uvogin's old tank top. The white fabric hung loosely from the boy's slender shoulders, its hem falling to the backs of his knees like a long skirt.

Come on, bro. If you're not using your eyes, you can donate them...

Carl tugged at the hem hanging over her knees and rolled her eyes helplessly. But there was nothing she could do. Of everyone who kept a change of clothes at the church, only Uvogin had left an extra tank top.

"Let's go."

Seeing that Chrollo had more to say, Carl hurried toward the screening room.

The slightly oversized waistband forced him to hold his pants up as he walked, making him look comically like a duck with its wings on its hips.

Behind her, Chrollo secretly pressed his lips together and followed.

The two reached the screening room and pushed open the door.

"Pfft! Hahaha!!!"

At the sight of Carl's outfit, Nobunaga burst out laughing so hard that the projector film rattled.

"Carl, why are you dressed like a duck?"

"Need some twine?"

Machi tilted her head and casually tossed her some twine to tie her pants.

Carl flushed red as she tightened the waistband, then plopped down on the wobbly little stool by the door.

"Carl, do you want to join us?"

Chrollo closed the door behind him and held out a hand to Carl.

"Let's do our part together for the future of Meteor City."

Carl was taken aback.

"Join you?"

"That's right. Join our troupe!"

Uvogin stood up, his dark face solemn.

From the moment he learned that Carl had risked her life to save Sarasa, he had accepted her from the bottom of his heart-a companion he could trust to guard his back!!!

Feitan frowned slightly.

"Quit dragging your feet. Join or leave."

When their foster mother was still alive, Carl had always dragged her feet. How was she still the same after all these years?!

And he'd thought she'd made some progress!

While Carl was changing, the nine of them had already voted by a show of hands and unanimously approved the proposal to admit her to the troupe.

Feitan had been the first to raise his hand...

"I'll join."

Carl rubbed the soft flesh beneath her chin and said helplessly,

"I just wanted to ask, is Troupe the name of our organization? Aren't you going to add a prefix?"

"A prefix?"

Paku lowered her head in thought. After a while, she spoke.

"How about the Sun Troupe? It means we'll be like the sun, lighting the road ahead for Meteor City!"

"..."

Everyone, led by Uvogin, shook their heads.

"The Dark Troupe? We punish darkness and protect Meteor City's children," Paku suggested again.

Everyone shook their heads.

Hey, you guys...

After several names were rejected in a row, Paku puffed out her cheeks and turned to Chrollo.

"Phantom. How about the Phantom Troupe?"

"Darkness drowns in the phantom, and the sun gouges itself out in the light."

When Chrollo finished speaking, a light suddenly flashed before everyone's eyes.

"Fwoosh!"

Seeing everyone looking at her, Carl said with a perfectly straight face,

"What are you looking at me for? The room's so dark. What's wrong with lighting a kerosene lamp?"

With that, Carl gently set down the oil lamp in her hand and casually raised her right hand.

"I agree!"

"So do we!"

Everyone raised their hands in agreement, and the name Phantom Troupe was unanimously approved.

"Patter!"

Outside the window, raindrops fell onto the edge of the bed with a crisp sound.

The rain had grown lighter, though the sky was still gloomy.

Half an hour later, Chrollo, whom everyone had spontaneously chosen as their leader, finished drawing up and explaining a three-year plan focused primarily on physical training and learning the art of killing, with reading, studying, and keeping up with changes on the internet as secondary goals.

Uvogin and the others were left utterly dizzy by it all.

In the meantime, Carl had also taken a pumpkin out of the manor.

Since they were companions now, she naturally wouldn't be stingy about contributing some resources!

A wedge of pumpkin was cut into nine slices and divided equally among every member of the troupe.

"Mmm~"

Holding a piece of pumpkin as wide as a bowl, Carl took a bite. The crisp flesh slid down his esophagus and into his stomach.

In only a moment, streams of warmth spread from his stomach throughout his limbs and body.

His body, chilled by the downpour, warmed up again, and he couldn't help letting out a sound of comfort.

"This is the... plant you grew, Carl?"

Looking at the pumpkin flesh in his hand, translucent as red jade, Phinks looked a little embarrassed.

"I thought you were daydreaming, collecting seeds all day..."

He wasn't the only one who had thought so. In fact, none of the troupe had imagined that Carl could actually keep those seeds alive in Meteor City!

"If you're not eating it, give it to me!"

Uvogin stared longingly at the pumpkin in his hand, his mouth watering.

His own portion had long since gone down his throat, and he had already digested it completely.

"Get lost!" Phinks glared at Uvogin.

In thirteen years, this was the first time he had eaten normal fruit! How could he possibly give it to someone else?!

With just one bite, the pumpkin's fresh sweetness had completely conquered Phinks's tongue.

"A wondrous plant..."

Looking at the tiny scar on his fingertip that had miraculously healed, Chrollo glanced thoughtfully toward Carl.

If he hadn't seen wrong, Carl had just pulled that wedge of pumpkin out of thin air, hadn't she?

It looked like she had mastered a very special ability?!!

"Carl..."

Seeing Chrollo hesitate to speak, Carl understood.

Hadn't she deliberately revealed what made her special precisely so that Chrollo would bring it up himself, allowing her to naturally set the troupe to work gathering seeds for her?!!

Carl had thought it through. Working alone, never mind the small number and variety of seeds she could collect, her efficiency was low too!

But relying on the troupe to collect them was different. The combined effect of several times the manpower and connections would sharply increase her collection efficiency, effectively accelerating her growth!!!

From the very beginning, Carl had known that the manor could provide her with unlimited resources. What she had to do was convert those resources into strength and backing, so she could better protect herself!

Thus, she would join the troupe and use resources to nurture a group of powerful people, forming a community of shared interests with herself at its core;

Then, using the powerful troupe as a foothold, she would further take control of the forces in Meteor City and gather more resources;

And ultimately form a vast interest group to protect her own safety and interests.

This three-step plan was what Carl had had on her mind all along.

"Have you heard of... Nen users?"

Holding up a golden ear of wheat 1.2 meters long, Carl asked everyone with a smile.

Its golden brilliance stung their retinas, leaving the troupe momentarily dazed.