"Hello everyone, and welcome to the first episode of the Public Law Seminar! My name is Ron, but you can call me Teacher Ron."
"The purpose of this program is to raise your legal awareness and teach you how to use the law as a weapon to protect yourselves."
"Now, let's discuss some recent controversial cases."
"John Doe married his wife, but just three days later, she accused him of forcing himself on her..."
"John Doe was taking landscape photos with his Kamera on the Aquabus when a woman on board accused him of secretly filming her..."
"John Doe.."
Soon after, with Neuvillette's unwavering support, Ron's Public Law Seminar was launched with great fanfare.
Today, Ron delivered a small but impactful legal shock to the Fontainians, then approached Neuvillette with a satisfied expression.
Neuvillette observed Ron, who seemed hesitant to speak, before slowly remarking, "Monsieur Ron, are you certain the cases you've selected don't pose any problems?"
"No problems at all, Monsieur Neuvillette," Ron replied. "It's precisely these kinds of cases that will capture the attention of the Fontaine citizens and make them more vigilant."
"Moreover, these are all real cases that actually occurred. They may have been buried among numerous other reports at the time, which is why many people are still unaware of them."
Just then, an excited Melusine approached them.
"Monsieur Ron, Monsieur Neuvillette, the audience response to the Public Law Seminar has been overwhelmingly positive! Many viewers are eagerly anticipating the next episode!"
Hearing this, Neuvillette glanced at Ron's beaming face before finally nodding.
"For now, we'll proceed according to your plan. We'll review the impact again after some time has passed."
"Then thank you for your understanding, Monsieur Neuvillette," Ron said with a smile, nodding to him.
"How are the others doing lately?"
"Terribly. They've been protesting repeatedly about not being able to work overtime anymore."
"Oh, and by the way, after finding out it was your idea, Monsieur Neuvillette, they've been secretly cursing you."
Hearing Ron's reply, Neuvillette's expression remained calm as he replied calmly, "That's alright, as long as they get their rest."
"Heh heh heh, Monsieur Neuvillette, you're truly magnanimous."
"Alright, I was just joking earlier. After learning it was your idea, they only complained out loud; no one actually spoke ill of you."
Just as a flicker of relief crossed Neuvillette's face, Ron continued, "Because if they did, Miss Vinani would reward them with double desserts. So everyone's been keeping their mouths shut tight."
"They're telling me right now to ask you to transfer Miss Vinani elsewhere when I see you, Monsieur Neuvillette."
Ron shrugged, his expression somewhat helpless.
After listening, Neuvillette smiled faintly.
"I may find it difficult to fulfill this request."
"Those desserts likely contain medications to aid their recovery."
"Please ask them to endure a little longer. This is for the sake of everyone's health."
Hearing Neuvillette's words, Ron nodded.
"Very well. I will relay Monsieur Neuvillette's message to everyone verbatim."
"But before that, Monsieur Neuvillette, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"
"Before I left, they warned me that if I failed this time, I'd have to eat all of Miss Vinani's desserts by myself."
"If you don't help me out, Monsieur Neuvillette, my life might be in danger this time," Ron pleaded, his voice sounding rather pathetic.
Seeing his plight, Neuvillette paused briefly, considering his schedule for the day, before agreeing.
Upon hearing Neuvillette's affirmative reply, Ron's face immediately lit up with a grin.
-
Before long, Ron's Public Law Seminar gained widespread attention.
Ron had selected cases with absurdly far-fetched plots, catering perfectly to those who, due to work or other commitments, couldn't personally attend the Judgment proceedings.
Even those already familiar with the cases found Ron's storytelling thoroughly engaging. Soon, the moniker "Teacher Ron" spread like wildfire across Fontaine.
Another topic fueling public fascination was John Doe's remarkably colorful past.
During tea breaks and after meals, people buzzed with speculation about John Doe's latest outlandish methods of killing. To the uninitiated, it seemed Fontaine had recently gained a notorious outlaw named John Doe.
Meanwhile, Lyney's investigation had yielded significant findings, discoveries that sent a chill down his spine.
Over the past few weeks, his inquiries revealed that individuals across various domains in Fontaine had experienced periods of unexplained absence, and those living in the same towns often vanished during closely overlapping timeframes.
Their domains spanned medicine, education, science, and more.
Lyney could scarcely imagine the catastrophic consequences for Fontaine if these individuals were to suddenly malfunction and erupt collectively.
Though he was almost certain these people were compromised, Lyney still ordered a covert investigation of several suspects as a precaution.
Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed. The individuals his agents had tracked all converged at the same remote location: a secluded cabin.
When Lyney and Lynette arrived at the location, watching the faces from their investigation list file into the remote dwelling, their expressions grew grave.
While their suspicions had been validated, this was far from good news.
Finally, once nearly all the individuals had gathered, the cabin door slowly creaked shut.
Seeing this, Lyney decided to withdraw his team temporarily to avoid raising any alarms.
"Let's go, Lynette," he said. "We need to report this to Father immediately."
After hearing Lyney's words, Lynette nodded.
Lyney then began instructing the others to clear the traces left on the ground, preparing to withdraw.
Just then, one of the Fatui soldiers approached Lyney and spoke.
"Lord Lyney, I have a question I hope you can answer for me."
"What is it? Go ahead."
Though Lyney found the Fatui soldier's unusual behavior strange, he ultimately nodded in agreement.
"Actually, someone asked me to deliver this message to you."
"'Mr. Lyney, while you're investigating, have you ever considered that someone among you might be one of ours?'"
As he spoke, a sinister smile spread across the Fatui soldier's face.
Lyney's pupils constricted, his body instantly turned ice-cold and completely rigid.
Lynette's eyes turned icy. She immediately concealed herself within the Anemo elements, rapidly closing the distance to the Fatui soldier. She only materialized again when the cold blade of her sword pressed against his neck.
Even with his life hanging by a thread, the soldier remained unfazed, his gaze fixed on Lyney.
"Mr. Lyney, Bishop Amos sends his regards!"
Lynette, observing Lyney's dazed state, couldn't help but feel a flicker of concern. She turned to the other Fatui soldiers and ordered, "Arrest him."
"Yes, Lady Lynette!"
As if jolted awake, the soldiers immediately responded to Lynette's command and moved to obey.
But then, chaos erupted. While some Fatui soldiers advanced to capture the rogue soldier, others turned against their own comrades, unleashing a sudden and deadly assault that caused heavy casualties.
"You—what are you doing?!"
"Damn it! Are you a traitor too?!"
"No! We went to the blubber beast sanctuary together yesterday! How could you be a traitor? Anyone who loves blubber beast can't be a bad person!"
-
The Fatui soldiers fell into brief chaos before a battle erupted, with the situation quickly turning in favor of the traitors.
Lynette was clearly taken aback by this turn of events, which fell outside her predictions. She froze for a moment.
Seizing the opportunity, the Fatui soldier she was holding hostage immediately knocked her weapon aside and retreated to a safer position.
Lyney remained motionless, the shock of this betrayal overwhelming him.
He had personally vetted every Fatui soldier selected for this investigation, even including several survivors from the previous No. 6 Incident. Yet betrayal had still struck, and in considerable numbers.
What truly staggered Lyney was the realization that he could no longer fully trust even the remaining Fatui soldiers. He couldn't shake the fear that another member of the Cult of No. 6 might surface at any moment.
That day, Lyney was once again haunted by the terror he had once experienced under No. 6's control.
Though No. 6 was now dead, his followers were everywhere. He was already surrounded by Six!
"Snap out of it, older brother."
Lynette sensed that Lyney was acting strangely. She momentarily abandoned her attempt to break free from the Fatui soldier who had her in his grip.
Having never experienced the horrors Lyney had endured—she had only wandered through the Maze for a long time—she couldn't fully comprehend his extreme reaction.
After a brief moment of shock, Lynette regained her composure and rushed to Lyney's side, trying to rouse him.
When Lyney remained unresponsive, Lynette raised her voice, her tone laced with an uncharacteristic urgency.
"Brother, are you really going to abandon us so easily?!"
"Wake up! Please, wake up!"
Lynette's words finally snapped Lyney back to himself, pulling him free from the swamp of despair and terror.
A deck of cards materialized in Lyney's hands, and in the blink of an eye, he hurled them all at the traitorous Fatui soldiers.
While traitors in the Fatui were typically executed, Lyney's compassion ultimately prevailed. Every card deliberately avoided vital points.
The Fatui soldiers struck by the cards groaned softly. The crumbling battle lines immediately stabilized, giving the Fatui soldiers a chance to breathe.
Lyney launched another volley of playing cards. Each time he chose a target, his heart would clench at the sight of those familiar faces, yet his hands moved without the slightest hesitation.
As the wounds multiplied, the Fatui soldiers gradually gained the upper hand. The traitors were quickly routed in the battle, some captured alive, others slain in the fray.
"Lyney is truly soft-hearted, showing mercy even to us, his enemies."
The Fatui soldier who had escaped Lynette's grasp was now pinned to the ground by her, yet a sinister smile lingered on his face.
"But Lyney's mercy is the last thing we want."
"We came here with the hope of being killed by you."
"Rather than a monotonous return ritual, I'd rather die by your hand, Mr. Lyney."
Lyney was about to begin his interrogation when a crucial detail in the soldier's words struck him, his expression instantly darkening.
"Everyone, abandon them immediately and retreat!"
Though puzzled by Lyney's sudden urgency, his comrades obeyed without hesitation.
They soon understood why Lyney was so frantic. A brilliant azure halo had appeared in the sky, gradually expanding like a dazzling meteor plummeting directly toward their location.
Lyney, ever vigilant of his surroundings, was the first to notice the anomaly in the sky.
When he saw that the halo's color closely resembled the Primordial Sea Water, his heart sank even further.
He swiftly drew his bow and arrows, firing intercepting shots. However, the immense Hydro Elemental Power contained within the halo rendered Lyney's attacks largely ineffective.
As the mass of what was likely Primordial Sea Water hurtled toward the ground, Lyney's anxiety reached a fever pitch.
Though its trajectory suggested it would strike the area they had previously occupied—and they had all retreated a considerable distance—the sheer force of the impact would inevitably trigger a localized rain of Primordial Sea Water upon detonation.
Such a deluge would pose a lethal threat to them all!
Fortunately, Lyney spotted an entrance to the underground sewage discharge pipes nearby. He immediately directed everyone to take refuge there.
"Lynette, lead the others inside first. I'll cover our retreat!"
Upon hearing Lyney's instructions, a flicker of worry crossed Lynette's eyes, but she ultimately didn't defy him. After all, there was no time to spare.
Lynette and the Fatui soldiers swiftly and orderly entered the underground passage, seeking refuge from the danger. Lyney followed last.
Just as Lyney sealed the entrance, he witnessed the blue light strike the ground. With a deafening roar and the creation of a deep crater, the traitors were dissolved into the Primordial Sea Water.
What chilled Lyney to the bone was the sight of those traitors' faces as their bodies dissolved—each one wore a smile of anticipation and longing.
Snapping back to his senses, Lyney slammed the entrance shut and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes glazed with shock.
At that moment, a hand reached out. Without looking, Lyney instinctively took it and pulled himself to his feet with the offered support.
"Thank you."
Assuming it was a Fatui soldier, Lyney looked up to see a mature, unfamiliar face.
The man wore a serene and humble smile, radiating a gentle aura. Yet, the instant Lyney laid eyes on him, every hair on his body stood on end.
"You're welcome, Mr. Lyney."
"Welcome," a voice said.
Footsteps echoed from all directions. Through the darkness, Lyney saw figures emerge—the very individuals he had witnessed entering the room earlier. Their faces were expressionless as they coldly stared at him.
Then, a dull thud resonated through the room. Lyney turned toward the sound and saw a mountain of unconscious Fatui soldiers piled high.
Lynette, her movements restrained, had been tossed into a corner. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, suggesting she had endured a fierce struggle.
"Lynette!"
Seeing her, Lyney instantly lost his composure.
Just then, the other party interrupted him again.
"Well, Mr. Lyney?"
Lyney's attention snapped back to the speaker. A faint smile played on the man's lips as he continued, "Have you reached a decision regarding the message I sent you earlier?"