When the events at the Opera Epiclese were reported by the press, they caused quite a stir in Fontaine.
People weren't particularly panicked by the Cult of No. 6's actions during the magic show, but they did complain about how the cult's members seemed to be everywhere.
What truly captivated them was the story the Magic Assistant told, causing nearly everyone who heard it to exclaim, "Holy shit!"
Beyond this, Lyney and Lynette's activities in Fontaine had stirred considerable resentment.
Although Lyney claimed his actions were to counter the Prophecy, many Fontaine citizens didn't believe in prophecies at all.
Neuvillette naturally seized this opportunity to demand accountability from Snezhnaya, hoping to leverage the incident to mitigate the fallout from Tartaglia's Judgment.
However, Neuvillette found himself increasingly perplexed. Several days had passed, yet Snezhnaya hadn't demanded accountability from Fontaine over Tartaglia's affair, as if they had already abandoned him.
Could it be true, as Tartaglia claimed, that he was merely on vacation, explaining Snezhnaya's lack of response?
After the matter concluded, Neuvillette sought out Lyney to inquire about his findings.
In his view, the Prophecy was imminent, yet Furina still seemed to be taking no action. He felt he couldn't place all his hopes on her.
Upon learning that the chamber housing the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale's core contained an immense, immeasurable quantity of Indemnitium, Neuvillette had been pondering Furina's purpose in collecting such vast reserves.
According to Lyney's account, even a fraction of that Indemnitium could sustain Fontaine's entire nation for centuries, suggesting the Oratrice's purpose extended far beyond simply extracting Indemnitium through Judgments to supply Fontaine's daily needs.
However, Neuvillette refrained from further investigating the Oratrice. Knowing Furina had a plan was sufficient. As for her intentions with the Indemnitium, he would simply have to wait until she chose to reveal them.
Of course, this hinged on whether the Oratrice's anomaly was indeed connected to Furina.
Neuvillette wasn't entirely certain about this, as Furina seemed to have limited knowledge of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
However, if the prophecy were to come true, the Fortress of Meropide would likely be the first place to face problems.
Since Furina was currently there, he had to trust that she had countermeasures in place.
Neuvillette nodded and bid Lyney farewell.
As for the matter of Lyney gathering intelligence, Neuvillette intended to communicate directly with Arlecchino but had no plans to hold them accountable.
On one hand, during the previous incident, Arlecchino's Fatui had provided considerable assistance to Fontaine. Yet Fontaine had offered no thanks and instead purged the Fatui's informants and captured one of their Harbingers.
On the other hand, over the years, Neuvillette had witnessed firsthand the tireless efforts Lyney and Lynette had made to keep the public vigilant about the prophecy.
Though few at the scene seemed to believe Lyney's words, Neuvillette was one of them. He trusted that Lyney's investigation into the Oratrice was a proactive measure to prepare for the prophecy's imminent arrival.
Just as Neuvillette turned to leave, Lyney suddenly spoke up.
"Monsieur Neuvillette..."
"Mr. Lyney, do you have a question?"
Lyney hesitated briefly before finally speaking.
"It's nothing urgent. I just noticed you seem overly tired and wanted to remind you to rest more."
"You're the spiritual pillar of Fontaine's citizens. If you were to collapse, it would have unimaginable consequences for Fontaine."
Neuvillette gazed at Lyney in silence for a long moment before replying.
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Lyney. I will take your words to heart."
"Please refrain from taking actions that could easily cause misunderstandings between Fontaine and Snezhnaya in the future."
-
Neuvillette departed, sensing that Lyney had wanted to say something more but ultimately held back.
Did Lyney discover something else earlier?
Neuvillette shook his head. Wild speculation would only drain his energy without yielding any clues, so he decided to set the matter aside for now.
He also noted that neither Lyney nor Lynette had inquired about Tartaglia, the "Childe." This seemed to confirm his suspicion that Tartaglia was being overlooked.
It seems Tartaglia wasn't particularly well-liked among the Harbingers, Neuvillette mused as he walked down the corridor.
This will certainly make things easier for me...
Soon after, Neuvillette returned to the Palais Mermonia.
However, he hadn't even settled into his seat when a Melusine rushed into the room.
At this sight, the skies over Fontaine outside the window immediately darkened.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, Monsieur Ron has something he wishes to discuss with you. He requests you meet him at 'the usual spot'," the Melusine said, placing a stack of documents on Neuvillette's desk.
"Oh, and Monsieur Neuvillette, these are the documents requiring your attention today."
Neuvillette first glanced at the mountain of documents piled on his desk, then quickly averted his gaze. The sky outside had grown even darker, and rain seemed imminent.
The streets were thronged with pedestrians hurrying home, many grumbling about the sudden change in weather.
"Did Ron tell you why he wanted to see me?" Neuvillette asked.
The Melusine, who had been about to leave, immediately stopped, placing a finger to her lips in thought.
"Monsieur Ron mentioned something about promoting Fontaine Law more effectively."
"He said he wanted to organize a law lecture series, focusing on captivating cases to explain the relevant legal principles and discourage illegal activities."
Hearing this, Neuvillette nodded, and the sky outside instantly cleared.
Pedestrians stared in confusion at the sudden sunshine, inwardly complaining that Fontaine's weather truly changed on a dime!
"A promising idea," Neuvillette remarked. "I'll discuss it with Ron after I finish my work."
"Then I won't disturb you any further, Monsieur Neuvillette."
The Melusine smiled, gave a slight nod, and swayed out of the room.
Neuvillette watched her go, a faint smile playing on his lips. This was one of the few pieces of good news he had heard recently...
-
"Father?"
When Lyney and Lynette returned to House of the Hearth, they were surprised to find Arlecchino had already returned to Fontaine.
"Tell me everything that happened today," Arlecchino said, setting down her cup of tea and gazing calmly at the twins.
As an intelligence operative, Arlecchino was already aware of the general outline of their day's events, but she wanted to hear their firsthand observations.
"Yes, Father," Lyney replied.
After composing himself, Lyney began to recount the day's events, with Lynette interjecting occasionally to provide additional details.
"So much Indemnitium hidden within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale..." Arlecchino murmured, her brow furrowing slightly.
She couldn't fathom what Furina intended to do with such a vast quantity of Indemnitium, but one thing was clear:
"It seems the Hydro Archon's Gnosis is housed within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, serving as its core operational mechanism."
"Oh, and Father," Lyney added, "in that chamber, I thought I heard a woman's sigh."
"It seems the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale has awakened a self-awareness," Lynette concluded.
"It's not that the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale has awakened its own consciousness," Arlecchino refuted Lyney's theory, then shared her own thoughts.
"I suspect that the Hydro Archon Furina placed a portion of her divine essence, along with the Gnosis, within the Oratrice."
"This would explain why my probing of Furina revealed no divine power, yet she emanated the aura of some kind of curse."
"Of course, it's also possible that Furina is a false Hydro Archon—merely an ordinary person. The curse could be the true reason she's remained youthful for five hundred years."
"The entity hidden within the Oratrice might be the true Hydro Archon, with Furina merely a puppet she's thrust onto the stage to deceive the Fontainians."
"A fake?" Lyney and Lynette exchanged surprised glances, never having imagined Furina, the Hydro Archon, could be a mere mortal in disguise.
"If this news were to spread, Fontaine would likely descend into chaos," Arlecchino mused, a faint smile playing on her lips before she dismissed the reckless thought.
Whether Furina was the true Hydro Archon or not, she must remain genuine in the eyes of the Fontainians. If panic were to grip the populace, surviving the calamity foretold in the Prophecy would become an even greater challenge.
This was a time when all of Fontaine needed to unite and overcome the crisis together. This was also the real reason why Arlecchino had not exposed Furina's secret, even to Neuvillette, whom she considered a troublesome figure.
"In addition to that, I have my own hypothesis, Father."
"I believe the Cult of No. 6 is far more complex than it appears on the surface. Their leader, Amos, is likely skilled at identifying and exploiting the flaws, weaknesses, and dark desires in people's hearts."
"The deceased woman was a perfect example. She likely volunteered for this mission, intending to frame me..."
As Lyney spoke, his expression turned peculiar. The Magic Assistant's desperate plea had left a lingering shadow on his heart.
Lyney took a deep breath, regained his composure, and continued speaking to Arlecchino.
"This is the true reason why the Cult of No. 6 remains impossible to eradicate from Fontaine."
"As long as malice, distortion, and weakness persist in people's hearts, the Cult of No. 6 will exploit them, absorbing them into their ranks."
"I suspect the recent surge in crime rates in Fontaine may also be connected to this individual."
"The Cult of No. 6's influence may have already infiltrated every aspect of Fontaine. They could be using text or images to awaken the latent evil and madness within people's hearts."
"I even suspect that Amos might be a member of No. 6's former organization. I just don't know if he has a numbered designation."
After hearing Lyney's deductions, Arlecchino nodded with satisfaction.
"Impressive. Your theories aren't entirely implausible."
"In fact, these ideas hadn't even occurred to me."
"Lyney, it seems you've already proven yourself worthy to replace me."
Lyney's heart jolted at those words, and he immediately spoke urgently to Arlecchino.
"No, Father! I'm still not mature enough!"
"Enough. I know you've always resisted this role," Arlecchino said, waving her hand dismissively.
"But remember, the younger siblings at the House of the Hearth still need your care. You are undoubtedly the best choice for them."
"Don't disappoint me, Lyney."
Arlecchino fixed Lyney with a deep, penetrating gaze.
"You possess sufficient potential, and you have no other choice."
"I, too, have no other choice."
After a long silence, Lyney finally spoke, his voice drained of all energy.
"I understand, Father."
"I will do everything in my power to protect my Family."
"And I will welcome new Family members who have suffered misfortunes similar to our own."
Lynette looked at Lyney with a hint of worry. Accepting this role meant Lyney would henceforth live in an environment of mutual deception and calculation.
This was Lyney's forte, but it wasn't what he truly wanted. He longed to use his talents to bring smiles to more people's faces.
"Go ahead, then. Investigate what you suspect."
"I hope you find something, Lyney."
"Wait, Father."
Seeing Arlecchino about to leave, Lyney immediately spoke up.
"What should we do about Childe?"
"Nothing needs to be done," Arlecchino replied, a mocking smile twisting her lips.
"Sending him to the Fortress of Meropide was part of my plan all along."
"What surprised me, though, was that he entered on his own before I even made a move. That saved me quite a bit of trouble."
"How should I put it? It's just like Tartaglia. No matter how absurd the circumstances surrounding him, he always manages to make it all seem perfectly reasonable."
Arlecchino strode out of the room, continuing to speak as she went.
"Let him stay in the Fortress of Meropide for now. Snezhnaya won't remember their 'Harbinger' until his vacation ends."
"As for the battle with Furina in a few days... it seems things are progressing exactly as I predicted."
"Things are getting more and more interesting..."