Chapter 246.2: The Fans' Locations (Part 2)
Mira was also there, and she understood what the detective wanted. So she accepted the offer, though it was also true that she wanted to eat more. That response also seemed to have an effect on the three sisters, which the detective picked up on.
「Are you three sure you don't want more? There's no need to feel any reserve, I used to be a rank A adventurer after all.」
That was the final push they needed, and after a short while they began mentioning what they wanted too, one wanting a strawberry bavarois, another a chocolate one, and the last one custard.
As everyone ate their second order, a man arrived at the store. He seemed to be friends with the owner, as he sat in front of the counter and began talking to the owner casually.
「That thief, Fuzzy Dice, is more popular than I thought.」
He was talking of everything he saw on his way to the shop, describing everything like it was a large festival.
He had been attending the church's seasonal ceremony, and when it concluded, he went out to the street and found himself face to face with an enormous crowd of fangirls. And even more shockingly, when he got to the shop, he found a similar crowd there.
「You know, this probably means that there's also a huge crowd over at Doles' place, and I'm sure that guy will lose everything soon. Knowing the thief's track record, I'm sure all of his crimes will finally be exposed and he'll go rot in prison like he deserves. I wouldn't call myself a fan of the thief, but I still appreciate his work. Hopefully this city will become safer again.」
The Doles Company seemed to have a bad reputation amongst the common populace, showing just how corrupt they really were behind the scenes. But no one spoke openly about it, because of the company's broad influence, until now.
Everyone was convinced that Fuzzy Dice would bring an end to their crimes, so they no longer had a reason to watch their tone when talking about them.
「Yeah, maybe it's actually true that Fuzzy Dice was sent by the Gods.」
The other clients at the shop started celebrating the downfall of the Doles Company as well, and seeing that, the man who entered muttered that.
That was something that a few religious people were starting to believe. A theory that Fuzzy Dice was actually an angel sent by God. The thief's righteousness was part of what led to it, but also the fact that he would always show up during the church's seasonal ceremonies.
The detective believed that was only because Fuzzy Dice could be certain the archbishop would be at the church during that day, but it was hard to say what the real reason was.
「I figured that'd be the case seeing how crowded these streets are, but I guess the fans do gather around the church too.」
Mira had overheard some bits of the conversation, so she mentioned that at her table.
「Yes, they always gather around the target's mansion, the church, and the Spellcasters' Union. That's also how I came up with this plan.」
Fuzzy Dice would always conduct his heist, steal all the evidence he could, then leave some at the church and the rest at the Spellcasters' Union, before vanishing without a trace. That was something that happened every time, so the fans had also picked up on it, just like the detective had.
「Hmmm, but wouldn't it still be better to watch him at the mansion itself? That's the main location, so they'd be able to see everything. At least that's what I think.」
All Fuzzy Dice did at the church and Spellcasters' Union was to leave the evidence and run off. From what Mira had heard, he never spent too much time in those locations, so the fans would only be able to see him pass by quickly.
Meanwhile he would need to do a lot more work over at the target's mansion, like the Doles Company's in this case.
Usually, it took him around ten minutes to neutralize the target's defenses, find the evidence, and dash off victoriously.
So Mira felt like the fans would be able to witness a lot more of him there.
「I used to wonder the same, Mira.」
The detective chuckled a little in response, and then spoke at length about all the information he had gathered in respect to that.
According to the fans he had interviewed, they were looking for different things at each of the three locations.
As Mira had pointed out, staking out the mansion and watching there would allow them to watch Fuzzy Dice in action, utilizing all his abilities to break through the target's guard. It was also a window to the scene of justice triumphing over evil.
Once he had collected all the evidence and ill-gotten riches he needed, he would escape in a marvelous manner.
In other words, the mansion was the best place to watch Fuzzy Dice's allure and skill.
「Apparently, all the new fans of Fuzzy Dice go there first. Most rumors and tales about him sprout from that location after all. It's always the most popular spot, and according to those girls, you can't be a true fan if you haven't seen him in action first.」
The detective finished explaining why the mansion was such a popular spot. He still made sure to mention that it was also there that he himself started to gain fame amongst the fans.
The detective would show up time and time again, trying to stop Fuzzy Dice, and would not give up no matter how many times he failed. With time, the fans took notice of that, and recognized him as a proper rival.
「That's such a bizarre connection...」
Mira could not help but mutter that. Regular people saw the detective as someone evil, trying to stop a thief that helped everybody. But the hardcore fans of the thief saw the detective as a rival they respected. Mira had also noticed that not a single one of the fangirls she saw earlier had mentioned anything about the detective aiding evil.
Mira found it almost comical how things were backward, with regular people antagonizing the detective, while Fuzzy Dice's hardcore fans accepted him.
「Now, the church is considered the place to go if you're a rising fan of Fuzzy Dice.」
Women entranced by the thief would first watch him at the mansion, and once they had done that a couple of times and had witnessed Fuzzy Dice's marvels first hand, they would move onto the next stage.
According to the fans interviewed by the detective, once they watched Fuzzy Dice at the church, a new emotion flourished within them.
「Hmm... an emotion, you say...」