Neuvillette was directing the Marechaussee Phantoms as they escorted the captured Cult of No. 6 members away when he suddenly felt a jolt.
Something was wrong at the Fortress of Meropide!
Through his mastery of the Hydro Element, Neuvillette finally received the urgent message carried by the sea. He immediately took to the air, ready to rush to the fortress.
"Monsieur Neuvillette?"
The Melusine beside him called out, puzzled by his abrupt departure.
Her voice snapped Neuvillette back to his senses.
No, I can't abandon them like this.
Despite his overwhelming concern for the situation at the fortress, Neuvillette suppressed his impulsive urge to leave.
He had brought these people here; he couldn't abandon them now.
If he left, the Cult of No. 6 might seize the opportunity to strike, leaving his charges in grave danger.
This was a very real possibility, considering there were cult members embedded among the Marechaussee Phantoms he had brought along.
Neuvillette landed heavily, his expression grim.
Whatever was happening at the Fortress of Meropide was likely beyond Wriothesley's ability to handle alone. If he didn't intervene swiftly, the situation could spiral into disaster.
Sensing Neuvillette's inner turmoil, the Melusine spoke up.
"If Monsieur Neuvillette has important matters to attend to, please proceed."
"You need not worry about the members of the Marechaussee Phantoms."
"The Marechaussee Phantoms were established precisely to combat criminals in Fontaine."
"If we require Monsieur Neuvillette's protection to safely investigate criminals, the Marechaussee Phantoms would lose its very purpose."
Neuvillette was taken aback by her keen intuition, having detected his inner turmoil. After a moment of surprise, he shook his head and replied,
"No need to say more. This danger is unlike any we've faced before. I will escort you all to safety before leaving."
Just then, a figure came running from the distance.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, urgent news from the Fortress of Meropide!"
Hearing this, Neuvillette immediately approached and asked,
"What's the situation at the Fortress of Meropide now?"
The messenger, clearly out of breath from running, paused to catch his breath before urgently reporting,
"Primordial Sea Water has appeared at the Fortress of Meropide! The fortress has fallen!"
Upon hearing this dire news, both Neuvillette and the Melusine's moods darkened. However, the messenger's next words brought a glimmer of hope.
"Fortunately, Duke Wriothesley had prepared in advance and constructed a massive airship, which saved many lives."
Upon hearing this, Neuvillette visibly relaxed slightly before inquiring further, "What about the Hydro Archon, Furina?"
"Um... I heard Lady Furina is in very low spirits, apparently due to the loss of a close guard."
"Guard?"
"Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette."
"It's Miss Emily, the current President of the Mutual Aid Network."
"Apparently, Emily served as Lady Furina's temporary guard during her stay in the Fortress of Meropide."
"Moreover, according to survivors, Miss Emily and the other members of the Mutual Aid Network rescued countless people, but they themselves sacrificed their lives..."
Upon hearing this, Neuvillette's mood turned somber once more.
It seemed he had been mistaken. He had initially believed the young woman was allied with Amos, but it now appeared she belonged to a third faction.
Neuvillette felt both relieved and regretful.
Though the young woman had aided them, she hadn't shared any intelligence or shown any willingness to collaborate, choosing instead to pursue her own agenda in the shadows.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, while the vast majority of people in the Fortress of Meropide have been rescued, the seawater has been contaminated with Primordial Sea Water. Your intervention is required."
"Mm, I understand," Neuvillette nodded, then instructed the Melusine beside him to gather everyone.
The most pressing issue now was identifying the mole among them.
Without rooting out the mole, even if Neuvillette were to create a protective barrier that allowed only exits, it would be meaningless—the mole could strike at any moment.
Ultimately, Neuvillette devised a less-than-ideal solution: he would put all the Marechaussee Phantoms he had brought with him, including the Melusine, into a deep slumber.
Though Neuvillette didn't believe Amos could manipulate the Melusine, he had to treat everyone equally to avoid public scrutiny.
However, when he assembled the group, Neuvillette discovered that Vinani had disobeyed his orders and ventured further afield to search. He couldn't reach her, leaving him feeling rather helpless.
Still, Neuvillette couldn't abandon his mission to address the situation at the Fortress of Meropide just for Vinani. He proceeded as originally planned.
After everyone had fallen asleep, Neuvillette erected a protective barrier and finally set off for the Fortress of Meropide.
As he approached the fortress's location, he spotted a large ship drifting aimlessly on the sea from afar.
Neuvillette quickly landed on the ship, drawing curious glances from those on board.
"Monsieur Neuvillette!"
Many people recognized his figure and exclaimed in relief, their hearts filling with a sense of security.
Standing beside Neuvillette, even with the towering waves crashing around them, they felt no fear.
"You've finally arrived," Wriothesley said, approaching with a smile. He shook the cup in his hand and offered, "Want a cup? This is top-grade black tea."
At last, at last, he could quietly savor his tea time undisturbed. No one would bother him now.
This feeling could be summed up in two words: pure bliss!
"No, thank you," Neuvillette replied, glancing at Wriothesley before turning his gaze to the massive ship. "A flying vessel?"
"Ahem, that functionality isn't fully developed yet," Wriothesley admitted, "but it will definitely be able to fly someday. The future holds great promise."
Hearing Wriothesley's words, Neuvillette paused, unsure how to respond. After a moment, he finally spoke again: "This ship doesn't seem to be heading toward the nearest coastline."
"Ah, right. I'll need your help with that in a moment."
"This ship has no propulsion system, so after we've dealt with the Primordial Sea Water, I'll need you to give us a little push to shore."
Neuvillette: "..."
Just then, Sigewinne approached.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, after such a long journey, you must be thirsty! I have a refreshing drink here—please have some!"
"Thank you, but I don't experience thirst."
"If there's nothing else, I'll go deal with the Primordial Sea Water."
With that, Neuvillette immediately slipped away.
Seeing Neuvillette's somewhat flustered departure, Wriothesley chuckled knowingly as he sipped his tea. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He turned to see Sigewinne, milkshake in hand, staring at him with a piercing gaze...
Meanwhile, floating on the sea's surface, Neuvillette observed the rapidly changing color of the water. His expression turned grave.
I never expected so much Primordial Sea Water to surge forth this time. If we don't act quickly, the nearby cities could be affected.
With that thought, Neuvillette no longer hesitated. His body erupted in a dazzling azure aura as unimaginable amounts of Hydro Element surged around him.
He raised his hand, then thrust it downward, commanding the Primordial Sea Water that had spread outward to converge toward the center.
Finally, Neuvillette confined all the Primordial Sea Water to a small patch of ocean and sealed it, temporarily neutralizing its lingering effects.
However, this was merely a stopgap measure. Unless a way to alter the Prophecy could be found, Fontaine would soon be swallowed by the sea, and all its people would perish.
As this realization settled in, Neuvillette couldn't help but think of the girl named Emily.
The Primordial Sea Water had breached the Fortress of Meropide's valves ahead of schedule. Yet if Emily was responsible, why would she sacrifice herself to save others?
Furina likely knew more. He needed to find her first.
Neuvillette hadn't seen Furina aboard the ship, clearly indicating she had left the Fortress of Meropide through some other means.
News of Furina also reached Neuvillette, leading him to conclude that she and the other survivors must have made it to a nearby city. With this thought, he immediately began searching the surrounding cities.
Meanwhile, back at Merusea Village, the Melusine residents, along with Navia and Vinani who had recently arrived, breathed a collective sigh of relief after temporarily trapping No. 2 in the deep sea.
"I never imagined you'd find your way here," Clorinde remarked to Navia and Vinani as they returned to Merusea Village through a spatial portal.
"We owe it all to Vinani. Without her, I would never have located this place," Navia explained, turning to Vinani. "Vinani seems to have discovered the clues you left behind and determined that you and No. 2 were likely in the vicinity of Merusea Village. She then tracked you down here."
"But Vinani, that was incredibly reckless! Your control over Elemental Power is still too raw. You can handle ordinary Treasure Hoarders, but facing No. 2 was far too dangerous."
"Thank goodness I arrived in time, following the directions Monsieur Neuvillette provided. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Hearing Navia's scolding, Vinani lowered her head in embarrassment.
"It's just... I discovered that No. 2 had come to Merusea Village, and I was worried about everyone there, so I..."
"Hmm, I understand your concern, Miss Vinani," Clorinde nodded. "I also bear some responsibility for this. I never imagined that our escape would drag the village's Melusines into danger."
"This isn't your fault, Miss Clorinde," a Melusine beside them shook her head. "We chose to help you willingly after finding you."
"Even though we chose to stay in the village, we're still citizens of Fontaine, you know?"
"Alright, alright, stop blaming yourselves. Everything turned out fine in the end, didn't it?" Navia smiled at the group.
"Miss Navia is right. We worked together to trap No. 2. We should be celebrating!"
"Even if he manages to break free from that place, it'll take him quite some time, I imagine."
Silver and Melus chimed in from behind Navia, echoing her sentiments.
"It's a pity we couldn't defeat him."
A flicker of regret and concern crossed Clorinde's eyes. Navia's smile faded slightly as she sighed softly.
"That No. 2 is practically a monster obsessed with combat. He was already adept at using five Elemental Powers for both ranged and close-quarters combat. This time, he's even mastered the remaining two elements, and his control over each element has grown even stronger."
Navia shook her head, recalling how even her full-power Pyro and Geo Elemental Powers had been completely overwhelmed by him.
Her current strength far surpassed what it had been during their initial encounter, yet No. 2's growth had been terrifying.
The group's original plan had been to permanently sink No. 2 into the depths of the sea. But his overwhelming power forced them to abandon that plan and settle for merely trapping him.
"Yeah, it's a good thing he's not too bright," Melus added. "Otherwise, we wouldn't even have had a chance to trap him."
Vinani chimed in. Before gaining Elemental Power, she had no real grasp of how formidable others were. In her mind, they were simply unbeatable. But now that she had tasted Elemental Power, she understood just how terrifying her opponents truly were.
Even mastering the precise control of the Hydro Element had left her head spinning. Yet her opponent had unleashed attacks using all seven elements with a mere flick of the wrist. The spectacle resembled a bullet hell game, an overwhelming experience for a novice like her.
It was nothing short of a miracle that she had managed to evade every attack. Vinani even suspected her opponent might have deliberately avoided her, but on second thought, that seemed unlikely. More likely, they simply hadn't considered her a threat and therefore hadn't bothered paying attention to her.
How infuriating!
Vinani clenched her tiny fist, resolving to temporarily abandon her beloved cooking and focus entirely on mastering Hydro Element control. Next time, she vowed, she would never be relegated to being a mere bystander on the battlefield again!
"Now that this matter is resolved, I need to find Neuvillette," Clorinde sighed.
"I wonder if it's too late after being delayed for so long?"
"Miss Clorinde, have you made any significant discoveries?" Navia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"They even deployed No. 2? This must be highly important intelligence."
"If it's inconvenient to share, don't worry about it."
Clorinde paused, considering her words, then spoke.
"It's not something I can't disclose."
"I suspect their target might be the Fortress of Meropide."
"The Fortress of Meropide? I recall Lady Furina is currently there, isn't she?" Navia's expression turned serious upon hearing Clorinde's words.
"They're targeting the Hydro Archon herself? Such audacious fools!"
"In any case, we need to contact Neuvillette immediately."
With that, Clorinde turned to the residents of Merusea Village who had assisted her.
"Your village might no longer be safe here. Come with us to find Neuvillette; he'll arrange new, suitable accommodations for you."
"Don't worry about us, Miss Clorinde," the Melusine replied with a gentle smile, shaking her head.
"Although we lack strength, Merusea Village is protected by our 'Father' (a bit odd that childbirth is referred to as 'fathering'). So, there's no real danger here."
"Besides, we've lived in Merusea Village for so many years. We don't want to move anywhere else."
"Hurry and deliver the message to Monsieur Neuvillette. There's no need to worry about us here."
After hearing this, Clorinde tried to persuade them a few more times, but to no avail. She had no choice but to go find Neuvillette.
The trio bid farewell to the Melusine and boarded the boat Navia had brought. As they approached the nearest city to contact Neuvillette, news of the Fortress of Meropide's fall reached them.
Their worst fears confirmed, the trio redoubled their efforts to contact Neuvillette. Only when they learned he had already departed for the Fortress of Meropide to deal with the Primordial Sea Water did they breathe a collective sigh of relief.
However, upon returning to Fontaine, an even more alarming discovery awaited them: Tartaglia had vanished.
Fontaine's imprisonment of Tartaglia without a clear charge would be difficult to justify to Snezhnaya.
Although Snezhnaya had remained silent about Tartaglia's case during this time, this didn't mean they had truly abandoned him. Now that he had vanished in Fontaine, Snezhnaya was bound to take action.
As for Fontaine claiming Tartaglia had disappeared on his own without their involvement, even the Fontainians themselves likely wouldn't believe it.
Moreover, there was no way to conceal the truth. The morning's battle had been broadcast nationwide, yet by afternoon, he was gone.
With no other choice, Clorinde, having barely escaped danger herself, led the Special Task Force to the shores near the Fortress of Meropide to search for any trace of Tartaglia. Navia also dispatched some of her personnel to assist Clorinde.
By the time Clorinde and the Special Task Force arrived at the coast near the Fortress of Meropide and began their search, night had already fallen.
Suddenly, someone noticed something on the sea and pointed toward it, exclaiming, "Miss Clorinde, what's that?"
Clorinde followed his gaze and spotted a massive dark shadow looming over the water.
Based on Clorinde's experience, the dark silhouette appeared to be a ship. However, this vessel was far too massive to be an ordinary fishing boat; it was likely a warship, and to her knowledge, Fontaine possessed no such large warships.
Clorinde nearly panicked, thinking Snezhnaya's forces had already invaded Fontaine. After a moment's reflection, she reasoned that it couldn't have happened so quickly, but still ordered everyone to remain on high alert.
As the colossal warship drew closer, its immense size became even more apparent.
Yet what struck the onlookers as odd was the ship's unusually slow speed.
With growing curiosity, the crowd along the shore soon made out the details of the ship—and their composure immediately crumbled.
The warship was being manually propelled by oars!
And standing on the ship's foredeck, with a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, was none other than Wriothesley...