At the sound of the voice, the crowd gradually parted, revealing a mature man in his forties or fifties who strolled forward with a faint smile.
None of the assembled crowd recognized the man, but they could sense an extraordinary presence about him.
"If you are Amos, the Cult Leader of the Cult of No. 6, then you are indeed the person I've been looking for," he said calmly as the Fatui soldiers retreated, stopping about ten meters from Arlecchino.
"Then I must be the one. I am Amos."
The crowd gasped in shock at this exchange.
They never imagined this man could be the infamous Cult Leader of the Cult of No. 6, nor did they expect that after orchestrating such a heinous incident, Arlecchino would be waiting for him.
"You're too late," Arlecchino remarked, her tone carrying a veiled implication.
The man merely chuckled softly, replying with deliberate calm, "Not late at all. The timing is perfect."
"It seems you truly don't care about their lives," Arlecchino said, her voice dripping with contempt. "You're far too confident in your methods of controlling them."
Arlecchino's words left the crowd stunned.
The people tied up in the plaza were members of the Cult of No. 6?
As the implications sank in, many gasped. If those people had indeed been members of the Cult of No. 6, it meant the cult's infiltration of Fontaine had reached an unimaginable level.
The prospect was terrifying—so terrifying that they desperately wanted to believe it couldn't be true.
This revelation meant there could very well be Cult of No. 6 members among them, their lives constantly hanging by a thread.
"I don't understand what Miss Arlecchino is implying," Amos said, a playful smile creeping across his face. "I have no control over them. They're merely ordinary Fontaine citizens brutally murdered by the Fatui."
Arlecchino merely stared intently at Amos, saying nothing further.
Amos continued, "This entire area has been sealed off by the Fatui, so Monsieur Neuvillette remains unaware of Miss Arlecchino's actions."
"Miss Arlecchino, what do you think Monsieur Neuvillette's reaction would be if he learned about your mass slaughter of Fontaine's citizens?"
"And what about the millions of Fontaine citizens? They would undoubtedly be shocked and enraged, realizing they had been deceived by your false mask."
Amos suddenly raised his arms, his face contorted with righteous fury.
"All Fatui are the same! There's no difference between them!"
"I imagine that's exactly what the people of Fontaine will think soon enough."
With that, Amos lowered his arms, his smile returning.
"I wonder what price Snezhnaya will have to pay to atone for Miss Arlecchino's heinous actions in Fontaine?"
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?" Arlecchino glared coldly at Amos.
"You were willing to sacrifice these pawns just to take me out of the game."
"Very well. I'll indulge your wishes."
"Now, can you release my two 'children'?"
"Oh, so you're resorting to negotiation?" Amos asked, surprised.
"I thought Miss Arlecchino would resort to brute force."
"And let me correct one thing: those people have nothing to do with me, Miss Arlecchino. It's crucial you understand that."
"Though the Cult of No. 6 may have a tarnished reputation, we won't stand for just any mudslinging. Those who tried this before have already received a stern lesson—I doubt they'll repeat such actions in their next lives."
Hearing Amos vehemently deny any connection to these people, clearly treating them as expendable pawns, Arlecchino let out a disdainful snort before abruptly changing the subject.
"If you didn't have some kind of leverage, why would you dare appear before me alone?"
Amos nodded.
"It seems Miss Arlecchino is as astute as they say."
"But releasing them—Miss Arlecchino overstates things."
"I merely invited Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette to my place for some hot tea. They're free to leave whenever they wish; I certainly wouldn't stop them."
"I hadn't anticipated that these 'children' would get so engrossed in their games and forget the time, causing Miss Arlecchino such concern."
"Very well. I'll inform Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette immediately. They'll be back by your side in no time."
With that, Amos clapped his hands sharply, a slightly apologetic smile spreading across his face.
"Oh, right, how forgetful of me."
"Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette bid me farewell not long ago. They should have already returned to the House of the Hearth by now."
"To ensure their safety, I even arranged for an escort to accompany them back."
"There's no need for thanks, Miss Arlecchino. Your concern is appreciated."
Upon hearing Amos's words, Arlecchino's gaze grew colder, a terrifying and frenzied aura began to emanate from her, and the Pyro Element in the air surged violently.
In an instant, the surrounding crowd felt an unbearable heat suffusing the air. They retreated in panic, yet refused to leave entirely.
Those who remained were already bold and mentally resilient, and the shocking content of the conversation held them captive.
Gossip now, die happy later!
Abruptly, Arlecchino's terrifying aura vanished, and everything returned to calm.
"Let's hope your words are true."
"Of course, Miss Arlecchino. The reason you haven't received any news yet must be because the area has been sealed off so tightly."
Upon hearing Amos's words, Arlecchino immediately responded, "It seems even with this area completely sealed off, your information network remains remarkably robust."
"We underestimated you. You're even more formidable than No. 6."
"You must have a Designation as well, then?"
Arlecchino's words sent another shockwave through the crowd. They hadn't expected this matter to be connected to that mysterious organization.
"Thank you for the compliment, Miss Arlecchino." Amos's smile deepened.
"As a follower of Lord No. 6, to be compared to him is my greatest honor."
"As for my Designation, while I don't have one yet, I've already decided: I shall become No. 666."
Seeing Amos's unwillingness to divulge more, Arlecchino decided not to waste any more time. She ordered the Fatui soldiers to clean up the scene and prepare for withdrawal.
This Fatui team would travel to Sumeru by water route, and she would follow only after personally confirming Lyney and Lynette's safety.
She had underestimated her opponent this time and had to concede defeat.
This wasn't about Lyney and Lynette being captured; it was about the complete infiltration of the Fatui's internal structure.
This meant any action she took would be immediately detected, making it impossible for her to continue operating in Fontaine.
As for today's events, she would have Lyney and Lynette explain everything.
Even if the enemy denied any connection to the deceased, investigating this lead would inevitably yield some discoveries.
To be safe, she wouldn't appear before Neuvillette for the time being. After all, she couldn't be certain whether any innocent individuals had been among those she had executed.
Even if she could guarantee it, Neuvillette would never believe her.
One Fatui Harbinger imprisoned in the Fortress of Meropide was enough for her; she wouldn't compete with Tartaglia for a cell.
As soon as Arlecchino left, Amos had vanished without a trace. No one saw how he disappeared; it was as if he blinked and the man was gone.
However, the group had no time to ponder Amos's method of vanishing. The sheer volume of information they had received today was overwhelming and required careful digestion.
-
Arlecchino swiftly returned to the House of the Hearth and found Lyney and Lynette seemingly unharmed.
"Father, we're sorry. The mission failed," Lyney and Lynette said in unison, their faces etched with shame as they lowered their heads.
"Amos infiltrated the Fatui with the Cult of No. 6, leading us into their ambush," Lyney explained, briefly recounting the day's events to Arlecchino.
Amos had seized Lynette to demonstrate his formidable power, but capturing Lyney was far simpler: a sharp blade pressed against Lynette's neck brought his immediate surrender.
In truth, even if Lyney had tried to resist, it would have been futile. The fact that their opponent hadn't struck immediately showed they were absolutely confident of capturing him.
"Afterward, Lynette, the others, and I were blindfolded and taken to an unfamiliar place—likely their base in the wilderness."
"There, Lynette and I..."
As Lyney spoke, a strange expression crept across his face, mirrored by Lynette's. It was as if they were recalling a terrible memory, their hearts still trembling with lingering fear.
"...They forced us to drink so much Mellow Black Tea at that place, calling it 'inviting us for tea'! They're all lunatics!"
Arlecchino was momentarily taken aback. Even she hadn't expected the "tea" incident to be literal. Her expression shifted slightly, becoming equally peculiar.
"Father, they only released us because you intervened, didn't you?"
Arlecchino nodded lightly, then explained the events that had transpired earlier.
Lyney and Lynette listened in stunned silence, their hearts twisting with remorse and guilt. If they hadn't been so careless and fallen into the enemy's trap, Arlecchino wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic measures.
"The rest is up to you now, Lyney," Arlecchino said. "Though this isn't the ideal time, Fontaine must be left in your hands."
"I won't be appearing in Fontaine for the foreseeable future, and Neuvillette certainly doesn't want me around either. However, as victims who were captured precisely because you were investigating this organization, you may continue your operations in Fontaine."
Lyney and Lynette's eyes were filled with reluctance, but they understood that Arlecchino's continued presence in Fontaine was untenable. In fact, most Fatui agents needed to withdraw from Fontaine entirely. They responded solemnly, "Yes, Father."
"I'll take good care of our younger siblings at the House of the Hearth," Lyney solemnly vowed to Arlecchino, as Lynette added, "I'll help my older brother too."
Satisfied with their assurances, Arlecchino departed immediately. If her calculations were correct, news of her actions would spread swiftly. Any further delay would risk her escape being cut off entirely.
Indeed, Arlecchino's assessment proved accurate. At that very moment, Neuvillette had just received reports regarding the two towns blockaded by the Fatui.
When Neuvillette saw the report that Arlecchino had publicly executed hundreds of people in front of countless civilians, his breathing grew heavy.
He had considered that Arlecchino might lose her composure and act rashly, but he never imagined she would disregard the consequences so completely.
Massacring Fontaine's citizens on Fontaine's own territory, regardless of the reason, was an absolutely unforgivable crime.
Though Neuvillette also possessed testimonies from other sources claiming the executed were members of the Cult of No. 6, he knew Arlecchino lacked concrete evidence to prove this. Otherwise, she would have notified him beforehand.
Arlecchino likely understood that while most of the victims were likely Cult of No. 6 members, there was a high probability of innocent casualties.
For Arlecchino, sacrificing a small number of innocent lives might be acceptable, but Neuvillette could never condone such actions.
Arlecchino knew Neuvillette would never approve of her methods, which is why she kept her plans secret. Instead, she decisively sealed off both towns and implemented her plan without consulting him.
Neuvillette immediately issued an arrest warrant for Arlecchino, ordered all other Fatui members to leave Fontaine within a set timeframe, and sent a letter of condemnation to Snezhnaya.
Having dealt with these matters, Neuvillette felt a heavy weight on his heart.
He understood Arlecchino's motives, but he could not forgive her actions. This incident had plunged relations between Fontaine and Snezhnaya to an all-time low.
Neuvillette took a deep breath, then turned to those around him and asked, "Have we uncovered any new leads recently?"
"I apologize, Monsieur Neuvillette, but it seems someone has deliberately erased Miss Clorinde's tracks. We still haven't found any trace of her."
Hearing the expected answer, Neuvillette shook his head and said, "Inform everyone to collect samples of seawater at regular intervals from the surrounding areas and bring them to me."