With the illusion spell still active on her body, Hinagiku quietly returned to the hall from outside.
The four who had been keeping an eye on the main entrance immediately noticed her.
They all turned to watch as Hinagiku made her way back to them.
The trio of fools moved in closer without hesitation.
"Just as we expected, he knows a lot, but refuses to reveal even the smallest bit. He's clearly an insider, but unwilling to say anything," Hinagiku stated bluntly.
"The insider part wasn't wrong. He admitted it himself. But the issue is, he won't say anything important," Risa Asakaze muttered, more frustrated than surprised.
"Risa, do you think someone in that position wouldn't be warned against saying too much?" Kasumi Aika asked, shaking her head with a sigh before rephrasing the question.
"Well... yeah, that makes sense."
Risa nodded after thinking it over.
"So, don't you think revealing anything would just invite trouble? If he knows something and still chooses not to speak, what does that tell you?"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it."
"Then why are you even asking?"
Aika rolled her eyes at her.
"You think everyone's like you? Reckless and fearless when it comes to taking risks? Most people aren't."
"Besides, this isn't something you can deal with just because you say you can."
"Do you think Sakuya has fewer connections than you? Even she was told not to talk. What makes you think others are allowed?"
Risa had no comeback. Deep down, she understood just how serious the secret was.
Even Aika had been unusually tight-lipped about it. That alone showed how heavy the matter really was.
"Then how come we're even allowed to know any of this?" asked Izumi Segawa.
"They didn't forbid you from investigating. If you can figure it out on your own, then that's your ability. This is a screening process," Aika answered directly.
And that was the truth. Some secrets weren't blocked off entirely. If you could uncover them with your own ability, that meant you were qualified.
Aika had said this because she suspected that Hinagiku had already been invited in.
It wasn't just a hunch. Aika knew who Hinagiku was most likely to pursue when investigating.
And since Ren was the one hiding the most, and at the center of everything, she could only assume that Hinagiku had targeted him from the start.
But now, seeing that Hinagiku had come back seemingly empty-handed... Was that really possible?
No. It wasn't.
Especially when Hinagiku started making excuses and downplaying things, Aika pieced it all together.
Hinagiku had found out the truth. She just wasn't saying it.
And if she wasn't letting anyone else approach Ren, then it meant only one thing—Hinagiku had already become part of their circle.
But all she said was, "He didn't elaborate."
"Didn't say anything important. Still tight-lipped," she added with a frown, frustration creeping into her voice as if disappointed at hitting a dead end.
"I thought he'd be a good starting point. Guess I'll have to start with Nagi-chan instead…"
Seeing her act so disheartened, Risa, Miki, and Izumi all started to feel a little guilty.
Only Yukiji watched the scene with subtle amusement.
She never imagined her usually upright and honest little sister would start spouting such obvious lies.
It was too suspicious.
To Yukiji, the moment Hinagiku said she'd "start with Nagi," she knew it was fake.
That was the last person Hinagiku would try to use as a breakthrough. It went against her instincts.
And the fact that Hinagiku made that her go-to excuse told Yukiji everything.
Her little sister had clearly been pulled into the whole thing already.
But as her older sister, Yukiji decided not to call her out on it.
Instead, she watched silently, thinking it was probably better this way.
If Hinagiku had stepped into something serious, knowing her personality, it wasn't for selfish reasons.
More likely than not, it was because she wanted to pull someone else out of it—most likely Nagi.
That was just how Hina was.
Yukiji sighed quietly to herself and continued observing from the side.
"This isn't your fault," Risa said gently.
She knew it wasn't fair to pin this on Hinagiku. After all, they were the ones who had roped her into it.
"Yeah, you didn't do anything wrong," Izumi echoed, trying to ease the mood.
"Miki, say something too."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's not your fault."
Though she said it, Miki felt something was off. Still, she decided to follow along and support her friend.
With the three of them comforting her together, Hinagiku's expression relaxed. Her mood noticeably improved, and before long, the group returned to quietly discussing how to gather more intel.
The banquet's atmosphere hadn't been thrown off by any of this. Everything continued in an orderly manner.
The police placed heavy importance on this event. After all, it had led to them catching Phantom Thief Kid twice in a row. The only regret was that the thief managed to rescue his assistant.
Still, even as the cruise ship approached Tokyo Port and the banquet neared its end, Kid never made another appearance.
This, strangely enough, frustrated the police even more.
They were convinced that Kid and his assistant were hiding somewhere among the guests. But the thief didn't act, as if he was deliberately staying quiet just to throw them off.
(To be continued.)