Uvogin was even tempted to applaud.
But after thinking it over, he realized that aside from words like good and excellent, there wasn't anything else he could say to praise it.
So, he silently shut his mouth. But the visible excitement welled up in him, causing his body to tremble slightly.
At last, they had finally reached this moment!
"Phantom Troupe?"
Ahead of them, Chrollo's eyes lit up slightly.
Such a name resonated with some of his thoughts.
It seemed to perfectly fit his vision of the brigade.
If Phantom Troupe were the name…
"And if we add something related to hunting... Maybe something like a spider would fit even better…"
He was already beginning to think.
But just then…
"I'm planning to use playing cards as our team's identity, as well as our member names and symbols."
Luke's words made Chrollo's train of thought pause for a moment.
"Huh?!"
The Phantom Troupe's original symbol was a spider.
Each member had a tattoo of a twelve-legged spider.
Also, the member's number was engraved on the spider's abdomen.
Therefore, those familiar with the Phantom Troupe also call them the spider troupe or simply, spiders.
The spider, as the Phantom Troupe's symbol, is a reflection of two ironclad rules established by Chrollo: First, the survival of the troupe is more important than the life of the leader. If the leader dies, the position of leader is inherited by a member of the troupe.
When the troupe was founded, Chrollo had emphasized this point: "In the troupe, I am the brain; you are my limbs. The greatest principle is that the limbs must obey the commands of the brain."
"However, that only applies when executing missions; it does not concern matters of life and death. If the brain dies, as long as someone can inherit it, that's enough."
"Depending on the situation, sometimes the limbs can be even more important than the brain. Remember, never misjudge the situation!"
"My orders take priority, but you don't need to put my life first."
"I am also a member of the troupe. What must survive is not me as an individual, but the troupe itself! Never forget that!"
That was the foundational tone Chrollo had set for the Phantom Troupe from the very beginning.
He wanted to ensure that, even after his death, any member could step up and succeed him as the new leader, continuing to lead the troupe forward.
Chrollo's thinking was spot on, and he himself believed so, firmly adhering to this rule.
But unfortunately, Chrollo overlooked one thing.
The spider is a whole being, relying on its brain for movement.
If he, the brain, died, would the other limbs still be able to move?!
If the spider symbolized the troupe… then once the leader met an unfortunate end, instead of having members step up and take his place as he imagined, the entire Phantom Troupe would likely collapse instantly.
Humans, after all, are emotional creatures.
Even the coldest, most heartless people still carry a trace of humanity.
So, from a certain perspective, when Nobunaga, Machi, and the others risked their lives to save Chrollo during the Yorknew City arc, it was the right thing to do.
And for Feitan and Phinks, who understood Chrollo's will, respected his orders, and immediately focused on killing the enemy without caring for the leader's survival, that too was correct.
Their actions proved how deeply they respected Chrollo's rules and how much they truly honored him as their leader.
Because of this, Luke intended to eliminate that flaw from the start.
He did not plan to use a spider as the troupe's emblem.
That would be the first real change he made to the group.
"Playing cards have numbers from 2 to 10, followed by the letters J, Q, K, and A, for a total of thirteen."
Luke explained calmly.
The number of cards happened to align perfectly with the troupe's thirteen original members, the same count as the twelve spider legs plus the leader's head.
The only difference was that, compared to the spider, playing cards also had two jokers.
The jokers represent the wild cards, the big and little jokers.
And within the Phantom Troupe, the meaning behind them couldn't be clearer.
"The big and little jokers will represent me and Chrollo."
Luke smiled, glanced at Chrollo, who lifted his head and was about to say something, but Luke simply pressed him down with a gesture of his hand.
"What do you think?"
Except for Chrollo, who had something to say, no one voiced any opinions.
Chrollo had already earned everyone's recognition through his talent and ability.
For him and Luke to become the troupe's two jokers, the big and little wild cards, none of them had any complaints.
As for which one was the big joker and which the little joker, no one was foolish enough to ask.
"Good. It's unanimously approved."
Luke smiled cheerfully, then glanced at Chrollo.
The latter could only smile and spread his hands. He also accepted it. There were no further questions.
After confirming the two jokers, the remaining thirteen cards, 2 through 10, plus J, Q, K, and A, were left to be assigned.
In playing cards, J, Q, A, and K represent the Jack, Queen, Ace, and King.
But no one seemed particularly interested in those meanings.
"I want the biggest number."
Uvogin said casually. "I'll take number 10!"
This time, he didn't choose his old number, 11.
The others soon began choosing their numbers one after another.
"I'll take number 2."
Feitan muttered quietly.
He chose the lowest number.
"Then which number shall I choose..."
Phinks pondered.
"If you're not sure…"
Luke backhandedly formed a deck of cards.
"Why not leave the number you will bear to the fate?"
Deciding their numbers with the cards they drew, it was the perfect idea.
No one objected, and everyone stepped forward to draw.
"Number 7."
Franklin looked at the number, reported it, and quietly put it away.
"Ah, mine's number 6!"
Shalnark looked at his card and twirled it between his fingers.
"It's a good number!"
He quite liked it.
But when he turned to look at Pakunoda beside him: "Ah? Pakunoda, you're number 6 too?!"
He exclaimed in a playful tone: "Our numbers are the same!"
"No…"
Pakunoda glanced at him. "Mine's number 9."
"They look similar, but it's upside down. You can tell the difference, right?"
"I've been caught."
Shalnark grinned, showing no sign of embarrassment or shame at being caught.
"But maybe someone else will actually draw the same number."
Nobunaga, standing beside him, said casually, then drew a card from the deck.
It was an ace.
Nobunaga: "..."
"I think I'll just call this number 1. It sounds better."
He laughed: "Let's just leave it at that."
No one paid any attention to his casual change, because…
"No way..."
Phinks' eyes widened as he looked at Machi's card and saw it was identical to his.
"They really are the same?!"
Everyone turned to see that both Phinks and Machi held the same card: number 4!
"See? It actually happened."
Shalnark laughed even more brightly beside her.
"If it's the same, then neither of us should pick that one."
Machi glanced at the others' numbers: "I'll take the digit before 4, so 3 will do."
No one had picked number 3 yet, so she chose it.
"I'll take the one after 4."
Phinks didn't want the duplicate number either: "Number 5, then."
Neither of them chose the drawn number 4, both rather disdaining it.
Thus, the number classification of the initial members was determined.
From smallest to largest, they were: Nobunaga's A(1), Feitan's 2, Machi's 3, Phinks' 5, and Shalnark's 6. Franklin's 7, Pakunoda's 9, and Uvogin's 10.
With the two jokers belonging to Luke and Chrollo, it made ten people in total.
But besides the ten of them…
"There are also Sarasa and Sheila."
Luke put away the remaining playing cards: "When they come back to join us, we will let them draw their own numbers."
And with that, the founding rules of the Phantom Troupe were set.
Luke also laid down the regulations for the brigade, now officially called the Phantom Troupe: "First, no members are allowed to kill each other. That's the most basic rule."
Luke said calmly: "Unless someone officially chooses to leave the troupe."
"And if members disagree on something, they can decide by drawing cards, whether it's red or black. Whoever guesses wrong must unconditionally follow the one who guesses right."
In playing cards, aside from the two jokers, red was diamonds and hearts, while black was clubs and spades, perfectly balanced in color.
Guessing whether it's red or black was a fair and impartial method.
"Next, orders from the captain take priority. But you don't have to place the leader's life above your own."
"The captain is also a member of the Phantom Troupe. What must survive isn't any single person, but the Phantom Troupe itself."
Before anyone could speak, Luke emphasized: "If one day something happens to me, then Chrollo will immediately take over as the new captain."
"In a deck of cards, if the big joker is gone, the small joker takes the highest rank."
"I believe..."
Luke looked calmly into Chrollo's eyes. "You won't disappoint me, right, Chrollo?"
"Of course not, captain."
Chrollo responded calmly and softly: "I will follow every one of your instructions, including this one."
The rest of the Phantom Troupe: "..."
Well, since both their leaders said so, they naturally had no reason to object.
Besides, they believed it too.
With Luke's power, skill, and intellect, it was almost impossible for any accident to happen to him.
And even in the worst-case scenario, with a dual-joker system, the Phantom Troupe could seamlessly continue.
The new captain would guide the troupe onward without disruption.
This dual-joker structure was also Luke's final instruction to the troupe: "If I'm ever gone, then Chrollo becomes the new captain of the Phantom Troupe, and everyone must obey his orders unconditionally."
"Just as I said earlier, in a deck of cards, aside from the big joker, the little joker has the greatest authority."
"At that time, Chrollo will be the sole leader."
"And if anyone disagrees with Chrollo, you don't need to settle it with a red-or-black draw."
"The Joker's authority always takes precedence."
Upon hearing this, Franklin, Pakunoda, and Shalnark, all who had followed Chrollo closely, had no objections.
Uvogin, Machi, and Nobunaga had also seen Chrollo's sermon performances at the church and had grown to admire and respect him.
Only Feitan and Phinks exchanged glances.
Before, both of them had primarily extorted Chrollo.
Although Chrollo later earned their approval through his action, that was only within Meteor City.
The one who helped them open their aura node, leading them out of Meteor City and into the outside world, was Luke.
It was Luke who taught them about the life game called Earth Online, helped them earn their first legal income, and guided them through countless dangerous and thrilling experiences.
To them, the only person they truly respected was Luke.
And only Luke.
And have them follow Chrollo's orders when Luke isn't around, well, since this was Luke's request, the two of them naturally obeyed without objections.
But they would also be watching to see whether Chrollo could really shoulder that responsibility.
And whether he possessed the ability to lead them toward a brighter future.
The two remained silent, offering no objections.
However, the more complacent they seemed, the more closely they would watch what came next.
With the general tone agreed upon, the Phantom Troupe was quietly formed at the end of 1986.
In this abandoned warehouse that no one cared about, they were established without so much as a sound.
After the establishment, Luke's mind was as calm as still water.
There was no excitement or sentimentality; everything felt as if it had been anticipated, as if it had come about naturally.
Only the personnel and the intent differed somewhat from the original fate line.
If Luke had any thoughts at all, the single notion was: "I finally understand why the Phantom Troupe's meeting places are always in abandoned buildings."
"In the Phantom Troupe's future gathering place in Yorknew City. The facilities in the abandoned building are exactly the same as the layout of the abandoned warehouse now. The troupe's main focus is habit and nostalgia."
"But now, there's no time to dwell on the past. The most crucial mission right now is…"
"Find Risnorth, the chairman of the Mom's Help Foundation, and make him and his foundation pay the price."
Luke looked at the members before him and issued the Phantom Troupe's first mission.
"It's time to let the outside world hear the voice of Meteor City."