"As expected of Duke Wriothesley—his body hasn't reached its limit even now."
After the girl left, the remaining Overseer took charge, directing the Gardemek present to launch a coordinated assault on Wriothesley. However, aside from adding a few more tears to his clothing, their efforts proved futile.
In contrast, the fallen Gardemek lay piled up like mountains, roughly numbering over seventy units.
These upgraded Gardemek, equipped with enhanced weaponry and freed from their restraints, were formidable foes. A single unit could overwhelm most Vision users, yet against Wriothesley, they fared little better than slightly more troublesome cannon fodder. This stark contrast highlighted the sheer extent of Wriothesley's power.
However, Wriothesley was no machine. Exhaustion had begun to set in, his labored breathing becoming increasingly noticeable.
Wriothesley didn't answer the Overseer. Partly because he didn't want to waste his energy on pointless exchanges, and partly because the Gardemek continued their relentless assault.
Previously, a single full-force strike from him could destroy a Gardemek. Now, he had to pummel their core regions with at least three punches to disable them. This meant that while the number of active Gardemek had significantly dwindled, dealing with them had become far more troublesome, as he could easily be pinned down by a single unit.
Just moments ago, Wriothesley had clung to the hope that the commotion here would draw the attention of others. But with no reinforcements arriving, his heart sank completely.
So everyone around me is truly on the girl's side now...
Damn it!
Wriothesley felt utterly humiliated. Even if he were to ultimately lose to the girl herself, it wouldn't be as galling as this. Yet she had merely ordered a swarm of Gardemek to overwhelm him, even leaving the scene herself. Didn't this mean she didn't regard him as a threat at all?
That woman... I want to smash my fist into her face so badly!
Wriothesley's expression flickered momentarily. By the time he regained his senses, many attacks had become unavoidable, leaving him no choice but to block them with his arms.
This final blow proved to be the last straw, sending his massive frame crashing heavily to the ground.
Is this the end...?
Wriothesley tried to rise, but the fall seemed to have drained every ounce of strength from his body. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, weighing down his eyelids with leaden heaviness.
"Not bad, Duke. You lasted far longer than Monsieur Tartaglia," the Overseer mocked, waving his hand dismissively. "Seize him."
At the Overseer's command, the Gardemeks lowered their weapons and slowly advanced on Wriothesley.
"Stay still, sir!"
Suddenly, the Overseer felt something press against his lower back, freezing him in place.
"Miss Sigewinne?"
"Mm-hmm, that's me."
"Don't turn around, or I'll have to shoot."
The Overseer immediately abandoned any further movement, even raising both hands in surrender, utterly compliant.
Hearing Sigewinne's name, Wriothesley felt a surge of strength and pushed himself upright.
"Go! Get out of here!" he shouted at Sigewinne with all his might, though his voice barely carried.
Sigewinne heard Wriothesley's words, but she showed no intention of leaving. Instead, she addressed the Overseer:
"Monsieur, how about we make a deal?"
"You release the Duke, and I'll take my gun off you."
"Miss Sigewinne, I strongly advise against interfering in this matter."
"I don't want to interfere either," Sigewinne replied with a hint of exasperation, "but Monsieur Neuvillette entrusted me with taking good care of the Duke. I can't just stand by and watch him get bullied, can I?"
"You've been with the Duke long enough to know, haven't you? He's always been such a handful."
Too weak to lie back down and catch his breath, Wriothesley listened to the exchange between Sigewinne and the Overseer, staring silently at the cartoon stickers on his gauntlets.
"If I remember correctly, Miss Sigewinne's gun has always been a tranquilizer gun, hasn't it?"
"That's right. So, even if you order the Gardemek to seize me and the Duke, firing my gun would only incapacitate you temporarily. The situation remains very unfavorable for us."
"Then, will you accept the deal I've proposed?"
Hearing Sigewinne's words, the Overseer smiled and replied, "Of course. This deal is perfectly fair. Miss Sigewinne is free to take the Duke away."
Upon hearing the Overseer's words, Wriothesley forced himself to sit up again, about to warn Sigewinne not to fall for his trick. But before he could speak, Sigewinne had already lowered her gun from the Overseer.
Instantly, Wriothesley's body tensed. He mustered the last sliver of his regained strength, watching Sigewinne with mounting anxiety.
He had promised Neuvillette he would protect her.
"Alright, alright, relax. He won't make any further moves."
To Wriothesley's surprise, the Overseer genuinely seemed uninterested in seizing the opportunity to strike. Distracted by this unexpected development, Wriothesley's mind began to wander.
Sigewinne examined Wriothesley's body and, after confirming he was uninjured, gave him a stamina recovery potion to drink before helping him to his feet.
"He was once gravely ill, and I pulled him back from the brink of death," Sigewinne explained to Wriothesley, noticing the look on his face.
"Besides, Duke, you must have forgotten. When you rescued him from a brutal beating, his body covered in bruises, he has always been deeply grateful for your kindness. He wouldn't dare harm us."
"Yet he still betrayed me."
Wriothesley hadn't forgotten, but recalling the incident would only make the betrayal feel even more suffocating.
"I don't know what their ultimate goal is, but the Gardemek's attack frequency was clearly restricted earlier. I believe you would be the first to recognize that, Duke."
Wriothesley found himself speechless. He had indeed noticed this anomaly during the tense battle, though he hadn't had time to ponder it properly.
"Miss Sigewinne, are you planning to stay? Or would you prefer I escort you out?"
"Ehehe."
"Very well, then. We'll be leaving now."
With that, Sigewinne helped Wriothesley, who had regained some of his strength, slip through the ranks of Gardemeks.
Though Wriothesley had recovered enough to walk unassisted, he didn't want Sigewinne to realize this. As she supported him, he secretly conserved his energy, preparing for any unexpected situations.
To his surprise, their escape went far more smoothly than he had anticipated. Even after they had passed the Gardemeks and walked a considerable distance, the guards made no move to stop them.
As Wriothesley turned back, his gaze locked with the Overseer's complex expression.
Wriothesley narrowed his eyes, stared deeply at the Overseer, and finally left through the Secret Door with Sigewinne...
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"I did pass by here earlier."
After a long silence, Furina finally composed herself and spoke.
"The reason I came to this place is to handle an important matter."
"As for what that matter is, you don't need to know."
Most of the people present flatly refused to believe Furina's words, and her dismissive attitude only fueled their fury.
"No one will buy that flimsy excuse!"
"A so-called Archon, yet too cowardly to admit her own actions!"
"But then again, your behavior over the past five hundred years has been plain for all to see. It's no surprise you'd shirk your responsibilities like this."
"You turn a blind eye to the exploitation of laborers, to people starving to death in the streets, and to the tens of thousands living in perpetual darkness in the Fleuve Cendre!"
"Even though they've recently returned to the surface, this has nothing to do with you, the Hydro Archon!"
"You remain utterly indifferent to the suffering of us mortals, living a life of celebrity. Most Fontainians are more like your fans than your worshippers!"
"And you sit high above the Judgment stage, watching the agonizing experiences of those on trial as if they were a theatrical performance, even offering commentary!"
"Hydro Archon, Lady Furina, please tell me!"
"If not for enduring pain and despair, how many would still be standing here, let alone choose to remain in the Fortress of Meropide—this so-called prison—to live out their lives?!"
The man scoffed coldly before continuing.
"For people like us, this tower is more like Paradise than the outside world. What a cruel joke!"
His words resonated deeply with the crowd. Unlike many nations, Fontaine had rigidly stratified its society from birth, dividing people into predetermined classes.
If you were born the child of a criminal, no matter how hard you worked, you could never obtain Fontaine citizenship. This meant you were a ghost, unable to enjoy even the basic rights of a normal life.
If this was simply the way Fontaine had to be, they might have resigned themselves to fate. After all, who could blame them for being born into such a country, into such a lowly family?
But after arriving at the Fortress of Meropide, they finally realized it wasn't that Fontaine couldn't be better—it was the indifference and inaction of those in power that kept it from changing.
As the Hydro Archon governing all of Fontaine, the ultimate authority, Furina inevitably became the target of everyone's resentment.
"He's right! You haven't fulfilled your duties as Hydro Archon! You don't deserve to be Fontaine's Archon!"
The crowd's emotions surged, their faces flushed with anger as they pressed closer to Furina.
Charlotte stepped forward, ready to plead for calm, but after witnessing the Fleuve Cendre incident firsthand, she inwardly acknowledged the truth in their accusations. Fontaine's rigid social hierarchy was so deeply entrenched that even the Melusine—a race of ethereal beauty—suffered from internal discrimination.
The revelation that even this enchanting race harbored such prejudices was unimaginable to Charlotte before.
"I..."
Under the weight of the crowd's accusatory gaze, Furina involuntarily retreated a step, a flicker of guilt crossing her face before quickly vanishing.
Furina knew she had failed as Hydro Archon. But she was just an ordinary person—someone who loved watching plays, savoring cakes, and sipping red tea. All she could do was entrust Fontaine's governance to capable hands.
At the time, Neuvillette was still navigating the complexities of governance, while the nobles each harbored their own selfish motives. Seeing through their smiles to the darkness hidden within was precisely what Neuvillette struggled with.
Of course, Furina knew that even with these efforts, she was still an inadequate Archon.
But she had never been an Archon in the first place. She was already exhausted from merely playing the role of Hydro Archon; she simply lacked the capacity to handle anything more.
Furina had never wanted to be the Hydro Archon, but from the very beginning, she had no other choice.
None of this could she voice, not even a word of apology. An Archon could never be wrong.
In the end, Furina suppressed her urge to retreat, composed herself slightly, and addressed the crowd.
"If you have any grievances, please compile them and submit them to Wriothesley. I will review the situation with him when time permits."
"What good does it do to say that now?!" a man roared, his voice thick with anger.
"It's too late! Far too late!"
"No matter what you do now, the pain we've endured will never diminish!"
"You murderer! Don't dare feign sympathy here!"
"You have no idea what ordinary people like us have suffered!"
"Monsieur, please don't come any closer."
The young woman stepped in front of Furina, shielding her from the malicious gazes around them, while signaling to the crowd.
Several members wearing Mutual Aid Network badges quickly jogged forward to restrain the others.
"Everyone, please calm down. We can discuss any issues calmly and rationally."
"Yes, I know we all have painful pasts, but acting like this won't solve anything!"
"We can't change the past, but we can work together to ensure no one else suffers like we did in the future!"
The Mutual Aid Network members desperately tried to calm the crowd's emotions. Meanwhile, the Overseers belatedly realized the situation and joined the Network members in maintaining order.
Of course, this didn't mean they were siding with Furina, but rather fulfilling their duty.
Whether it was the Mutual Aid Network members' appeals or the crowd's instinctive fear of the Overseers, the crowd stopped advancing on Furina, though their gazes remained hostile.
"Miss Emily, are you really betraying us to side with the Hydro Archon?"
Faced with the man's accusation, the young woman merely smiled.
"We are all Fontainians, loyal to our nation's Archon. How could there be any betrayal?"
"Besides, you still haven't answered my earlier question."
"You're clearly close to them, so you must know why they're here."
"Over a dozen people simultaneously using Credit Coupons to skip work today, yet instead of watching the Pankration Ring matches like everyone else, they've gathered in this secluded spot..."
"That's completely irrelevant!" The man interrupted, his voice rising with agitation.
"Miss Emily, don't change the subject!"
"This has nothing to do with the case!"
"Is that so?"
The young woman smiled again, a knowing glint in her eyes.
"Very well, let's assume that's true."
"But I have evidence proving Lady Furina is not the murderer."
At that moment, Tartaglia was lost in thought. No matter how he looked at Furina, she lacked the dignity one would expect of an Archon.
Any other Archon—even a benevolent one—would never tolerate their citizens questioning them so aggressively.
Is the Archon of Fontaine really this easy to talk to? She doesn't even get angry when ordinary people accuse her?
Maybe I should just try to trade for her Gnosis directly. Even if she refuses, at least she won't beat me half to death for suggesting it.
Tartaglia recalled how Rosalyne had effortlessly obtained the Geo Archon's Gnosis, while he had worked himself to the bone and gained nothing but blame.
This method seems promising. Maybe I should give it a shot?
Just as Tartaglia was lost in thought, Furina heard Emily about to reveal her secret. Immediately panicked, she cut in to stop her.
"Wait, wait a moment, Emily!"
The girl chuckled softly, shook her head at Furina, and said, "Lady Furina, there's no need to worry. I know what I'm doing. Leave the rest to me."
With that, she turned her gaze back to the man.
"Since we're in Fontaine, let's resolve this according to Fontaine's rules. We'll hold a Judgment right here for this homicide case. Everyone present except us will act as Justice, judging the validity of our deductions."
After hearing the girl's words, the man hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement to her proposal.
This rule favored him. Most of the people present harbored animosity toward Furina and would naturally be biased in his favor.
"Emily, are you sure about this?" Furina whispered to the girl. If she didn't reveal her secret, she didn't know how Emily could prove her innocence.
"Yes, Lady Furina. Everything will be fine," Emily replied with a reassuring smile and a nod.
"I promise you, I'll prove your innocence."
"Alright, I believe you," Furina said earnestly, choosing to trust her.
While many were surprised by how the situation had escalated, they quickly accepted it—this was, after all, Fontaine.
Only Tartaglia, being a foreigner, looked utterly bewildered, but no one seemed to care about his confusion.
With both parties consenting, the Fortress of Meropide's unique form of "Judgment" was set to begin...