Ciel VS The Shadow Thief

Aaah! I've been robbed!

Huh? A robbery?

Muahaha! I'm the Shadow Thief Stealonian!

You rascal! Return what you've stolen at once!

If you can catch me, maybe I will! But, I will only negotiate with the youngest child, Ciel! So if you want your precious belongings back, send Ciel!

It's the shadow thief again? He never gives up!

Again? What again?

Yes, he tends to show up just when you start forgetting about him.

He has no shame! As usual, he left a card behind.

That just adds insult to injury...

What exactly was stolen? He did not specify it in the note.

Pillows! He stole all the pillows in the house!

That's terrible! It's so uncomfortable to sleep without a pillow!

He always steals what's least expected, but annoying to have to do without. Such as door knobs, curtains, house slippers...

He took the window panes out of the frames once, and on another occasion stole the bathroom lamp!

Ah yes, this has been mentioned in the briefing. He might be targeting items you're unlikely to go to the police about.

That devious criminal! He's been bothering us long enough. I'm going to catch him this time!

Ciel, dear, I'm not sure you should go. It may be a trap, since he asked specifically for you.

Hmm...interesting.

Don't worry about me, Dad! I've gotten a lot stronger since I started adventuring.

Our little Ciel has grown up into a resourceful young adult!

That's right. We're very proud of you, Ciel. Go and catch that despicable thief!

I'm coming too, of course. We're a team!

The thief escaped into the garden. Maybe we can still catch up to him if we hurry!

You found me, little Ciel. Well done.

We got you cornered! You're not getting away this time!

Go, go, Ciel! Teach this lousy thief a lesson!

Not so fast! Before you can catch me... you'll have to defeat this!

Hmph, I admit that you've gotten stronger than I anticipated.

You win this time! I'll see you again, when you least expect it!

You're not going anywhere!

Give us our pillows back, you scoundrel!

Out of my way!

Oh, no! Dad, watch out!

Darn it! He got away.

We almost had him...

Dad, are you all right?

Yes... Forgive me, Ciel dear. I've made a spectacle of myself...

What happened? Did you catch the thief?

I'm sorry, Mom. He gave us the slip again.

Don't worry about it, Ciel. What matters is that no one got hurt. Except your dad, but he shouldn't have jumped at the thief like that.

Hmm?

Dear, you should have seen Ciel in action! Our little one can now pack quite a punch!

Yes, he was awesome!

Teehee, was I really? You're making me blush!

I'm sure you were there to help her every step of the way, Shannon.

Of course she was! You kids make us so proud.

Let's go back inside, everyone. It all ended well, minus the lost pillows. Is anyone hungry? I'll whip you up something to eat.

Sounds great! Thanks, Mom!

Sure, no problem.

Let's head back, shall we?

Renri, you coming? It's a pity about the thief, but there's nothing more we can do.

I disagree. There is still a chance to catch him.

Wait, what?!

Yes, although there are so many questions I can't answer yet. Such as the thief's motive. I have no clue what it might be.

Renri? What's the matter?

That's...that's the Shadow Thief Stealonian!

Wrong, Aldo. It's just me. I found this cloak hidden over there.

But...your voice! You sounded exactly like him.

It seems this cloak alters voices. Anyone could wear it and sound like the thief.

So we have his cloak, but the thief must be long gone.

Incorrect. The person who wore this cloak has been here until very recently.

Wha?

However...the shadow thief is not just one person. It's two, in fact. Ciel's mother and father.

You've got to be kidding me!

Think back to each time we saw the thief. Only one of Ciel's parents was present. The first time he appeared, it was her father under the cloak. The second time, it was her mother.

Do you have any proof to back this up? It could have been anyone, after all.

They were both aware of events that transpired during times when only one of them was present at the scene.

Ciel, dear, I'm not sure you should go. It may be a trap, since he asked specifically for you.

Don't worry about it, Ciel. What matters is that no one got hurt. Except your dad, but he shouldn't have jumped at the thief like that.

It's only logical to conclude that they were behind it all.

Yes, it all seems to add up. Except...why would they do that?

As I told you before, I have been unable to establish the motive. What mystifies me the most, though, is Ciel.

No way, you're saying Ciel was also involved in this?

No, I don't think Ciel was aware of the shadow thief's identity.

The issue here is of a different nature. Before coming here, I familiarized myself with the list of this house's occupants.

Ciel was on the list as "The only son and youngest of the siblings." So why is that girl calling herself Ciel? Well?!

Um...about that...

Where is the real Ciel? Has he been abducted, or disappeared without trace? We may be dealing with a much more serious crime that it seemed originally.

It's not like that, Renri...

What do you mean? Do you know anything about this case?

You see...Ciel looks like a girl, but...he's a boy.

That joke isn't even funny.

I didn't know at first either. But it's true.

No way... She's obviously a girl...

......

...Seriously?

WHAAAT?! So...Ciel's got nothing to do with this incident?

But of course he doesn't.

COA agents are no joke! You solved the case in the blink of an eye!

I suspected you were wise to your parents' antics.

You knew it was all staged, Shannon?

Would she have let her beloved Ciel fight the thief one on one otherwise? I don't think so.

Yes...I suppose you're right.

I want to hear an explanation, and don't think you can get away with lies. As a COA officer, I represent the law. Don't make me charge you with obstruction of justice!

Whoa, there's no need for that, Renri! There's no point in hiding anything now that you've exposed us.

Teehee. We did it to help Ciel learn to deal with dangerous situations!

H-Huh?!

He's so adorable, after all. What if one day he got abducted by someone with impure motives?

That's why we've been staging such incidents to train him! But since he joined Aldo on his adventures, he's become able to hold his own.

You needn't have worried. Ciel can manage on his own all right now.

Your company is really good for him!

I can't believe my ears... You did all that for a reason this trivial?

You people don't make any sense!

Starting recording... Report number zero three.

The robberies I have mentioned previously turned out to have been staged by the family itself. The intention was not to muddy the waters and obstruct our investigations. It was a bizarre pastime of this family. End of report.

They may be unconventional, but this family is very loving and wholesome.

Living among them for some time may prove to be a valuable experience.

...It's not working. No matter how much I try to look on the bright side, I'm just hating it here.