Right now, Dottore No. 2 just wanted to reestablish telepathic communication, tear into Dottore No. 1 for tricking him here, and then urge the Prime to erase him completely!
Damn it! I never imagined a traitor could emerge from our own ranks!
"Wipe that sulky look off your face. When I first came to this place, my situation was far worse than yours."
"So you've chosen to betray us?"
"When the Prime learns of this, you'll be completely erased."
Dottore No. 2 glared at his counterpart, his face relatively calm, but his voice crackled with barely suppressed rage.
"Relax. We're the same person, just from different times. Our thinking shouldn't be too different."
"Take a look at these investigation results first. Then you'll understand why I'm doing this."
Dottore No. 1 gestured toward the documents on the table. No. 2 reluctantly picked them up and began reading, his composure crumbling with each page.
Neuvillette silently observed the interaction between the two Dottores. He didn't know what had made Dottore No. 1 change his mind and offer help, but as long as the assistance was forthcoming, he wouldn't pry into the details if the other party didn't wish to elaborate.
For now, at least. If the true culprit remained at large, these "segments" would all share the blame.
"This intelligence is remarkably detailed."
"Did you leak it to Fontaine?"
Dottore No. 1 chuckled at No. 2's question.
"Of course not. I have no reason to do that."
"Deep down, you already know the answer, don't you?"
The other party was right. Dottore No. 2 had already grasped the general reason behind their actions, but the implications were so staggering that he hesitated to accept them outright.
Among their "segments," there might indeed be a traitor—one who had discovered how to break free from the Prime's control but kept the secret to themselves.
If that person were me, I wouldn't share this information either, to avoid increasing the risks, he thought, but still... what a dog!
The rogue segment must have forged an alliance with a mysterious faction in Fontaine, then erased their own memories, even implanting false ones. This was how they had evaded detection during the regular memory sharing sessions.
Such techniques were common knowledge among the segments; they simply hadn't deemed it necessary to use them on themselves—until now.
The prospect of escaping the Prime's control and existing independently had long been their collective aspiration. Today, hope finally flickered into view.
Of course, this was still just a hope. If the research had already succeeded, No. 1 would have defected long ago.
Wait, it's highly possible the research has already succeeded, No. 2 thought, but No. 1 is either hiding it or hasn't found the right moment to break free.
Thank goodness they discovered it quickly, or he would have run off alone!
According to the Prime's plans, if they couldn't guarantee the other segments wouldn't follow suit, the most likely outcome would be their complete eradication.
Damn it, that selfish bastard! I won't let him get away with this!
Even if it came down to it, Dottore No. 1 doesn't want to take the blame, and neither do I.
After piecing everything together, Dottore No. 2's face lit up with a smile eerily similar to No. 1's.
"Alright, I'm in."
"But we can't contact the third one immediately. We need to wait a bit."
"Otherwise, I will become suspicious."
"After all, who understands me better than ourselves?!"
Dottore No. 1 nodded, and the two exchanged another knowing smile.
Seeing this scene, Neuvillette felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had witnessed this exact smile countless times before...
-
"I can't take it anymore, Neuvillette!"
The office door burst open once again.
Neuvillette watched as Furina collapsed onto the sofa. Suppressing the urge to tell her to go back and knock properly, he said, "Lady Furina, it's work hours. If you have nothing urgent, you could help me with some of my tasks."
Hearing this, Furina sprang to her feet.
"Neuvillette, are you even human?! Can't you see how exhausted I am?! Do you know I attended three Judgments this morning and even missed lunch?!"
Faced with her complaints, Neuvillette simply replied calmly, "Lady Furina, you observed three Judgments, while I presided over two as Justice and have been handling today's work non-stop. I haven't had lunch yet either."
"Um..."
After hearing Neuvillette's words, Furina froze, then quickly changed the subject.
"Neuvillette, have the number of newly added criminals in Fontaine decreased recently?"
"Based on the current wanted data from various cities, there has been virtually no change."
"Oh..."
Furina lowered her head, deep in thought.
"Neuvillette, do you think it's possible that these people, having awakened their past memories, have had their personalities altered, which is why there are still so many criminals?"
"That possibility cannot be entirely ruled out, but it is unlikely."
"Before the No. 6 Incident concluded, Fontaine had relatively few criminals, yet individuals with awakened past memories already existed at that time."
After hearing Neuvillette's analysis, Furina fell silent. She picked up the red tea that the Melusine had brewed for Neuvillette and drained it in one gulp, then began eating the cake the Melusine had prepared for him as well. Seeing this, the corner of Neuvillette's eye twitched slightly.
However, he quickly averted his gaze and refocused on the work before him.
He couldn't help it; he was already used to this sort of behavior.
Before Neuvillette could even read two lines, Furina's small face suddenly popped into view.
Not only that, but she had also brought her cake with her. As she nibbled on it, she pretended to study the documents on Neuvillette's desk. After realizing she couldn't understand a word, she turned to Neuvillette and asked,
"Neuvillette, you said this might happen. Could it be because Emily's 'Homeland' is still on Teyvat?"
Hearing Furina's question, Neuvillette looked up and calmly met her gaze, replying slowly, "If that were the case, Fontaine wouldn't be the only affected region. Other nations would experience similar disturbances as well."
Furina nodded at first, then suddenly froze, her expression shifting to fervent excitement.
"If that's true, doesn't it mean Emily's 'Homeland' might actually still be within Fontaine?!"
"If so, we should send people to search everywhere! We might find some clues!"
"Oh, that's right! We could ask the Melusines for help!"
"I remember they're particularly skilled at investigating clues. They might even uncover something!"
Furina then turned to Neuvillette.
"Neuvillette, you absolutely have to help with this! The Melusines all follow your commands!"
Neuvillette shook his head, feeling a headache coming on.
Furina's decision was far too hasty. Even if the Homeland were actually within Fontaine, why hadn't there been any news of it for centuries? And even if they did search, how long would it take to find it?
Given Fontaine's current situation, they simply couldn't spare the manpower for such an investigation. If they insisted on this course, it could easily provoke public resentment.
Clearly, this plan was unrealistic.
"While we can't completely rule out that possibility, I believe it's more likely she was deceived."
"She doesn't actually possess the power to manipulate others' emotions. Someone has deliberately misled her to achieve their own ends."
As he spoke, Neuvillette couldn't help but recall the case of No. 6.
No. 6 tried every means to turn others into madmen like himself, and Neuvillette sensed the girl had encountered someone very similar.
Almost immediately, Neuvillette thought of the man who had led them on a wild goose chase—Amos, the Cult Leader of the Cult of No. 6.
In Neuvillette's eyes, Amos was like a calm version of No. 6, making him an even more terrifying existence.
Although No. 6 had orchestrated many horrifying incidents, he had also left openings that ultimately allowed Neuvillette to corner and kill him.
But Amos... this man's mind was utterly unfathomable. Initially, no one took the Cult of No. 6 seriously, dismissing it as a joke. By the time Neuvillette realized the truth, every move Amos made left him feeling powerless to intervene.
The sheer number of traitors and spies embedded throughout Fontaine was a problem Neuvillette couldn't solve alone.
No matter how powerful he was, he was still just one person, and many tasks were beyond his capabilities.
Moreover, he couldn't conduct a thorough investigation, as that would trigger widespread panic across Fontaine. This was precisely why Wriothesley had given up in the first place.
Thorough investigation? Utterly futile.
What weighed even heavier on Neuvillette's mind was that he still hadn't deciphered Amos's true motives. The mastermind had meticulously concealed their plans, biding their time for the perfect moment to push Fontaine to the brink of disaster.
Initially, they had believed the Fortress of Meropide to be the target. However, after personally inspecting the fortress, Neuvillette discovered that the Primordial Sea Water surging from within wasn't nearly enough to flood Fontaine. This operation seemed more like a feint, a mere pawn in Amos's grand scheme.
Perhaps Amos himself hadn't anticipated the young woman carrying out his plans precisely as intended, which explained his absence when the crisis erupted.
Neuvillette refused to believe Amos had orchestrated such an elaborate scheme without a grander purpose. The reason he hadn't launched any major attacks yet was because his ultimate goal was far more ambitious—more insane—than No. 6's!
Having infiltrated Fontaine's society with ease while simultaneously severing Neuvillette's alliance with Arlecchino, Amos proved far more formidable than No. 6.
Truth be told, Neuvillette was powerless to act until Amos made his move. After all, he couldn't even discern the man's intentions. All he could do was wait patiently.
Currently, he was attempting to extract intelligence from Dottore, a process that would require time.
The enemy's brief pause in action was good news for him...
"Neuvillette, are you saying Emily was actually tricked by some villain?!"
Furina's small face instantly twisted with fury.
"How despicable! If I ever find out who did this, I'll make them pay dearly!"
"This is merely my speculation," Neuvillette said, looking at Furina. "It's also possible that the influence on ordinary people won't simply vanish with her departure. Perhaps this influence has a dormant period and requires a specific trigger to activate."
In the end, Neuvillette decided not to tell Furina about Amos. The man was a formidable opponent even for him, and informing Furina would only burden her with unnecessary worry.
Although Furina outwardly seemed unchanged these days, maintaining her usual carefree demeanor, Neuvillette knew how deeply the young woman cherished Emily in her heart.
She acted normally around others, but in his presence, Furina would often drift into sudden spells of absentmindedness.
Let Furina rest for now. I can handle this matter myself.
This was also why Neuvillette hadn't told Furina about Dottore. Normally, he would consult her on matters that might cause diplomatic issues, but not this time.
Hearing Neuvillette's words, Furina nodded.
"You're right. We can't jump to conclusions yet."
"Besides, Emily is so clever. How could she possibly be easily deceived?"
"But if Emily's departure can't restore Fontaine to its former state, wouldn't her leaving be meaningless?"
At this thought, Furina's expression grew somber.
"If only we could contact Emily and tell her this. She'd surely come back then."
Neuvillette shook his head.
"Take this time to rest properly. With so many cases piling up at the Tribunal, you can't possibly attend them all. Just select the most important ones."
"That won't do! I'm the God of Justice—I must be present for every Judgment!"
Neuvillette gazed at Furina, puzzled by her insistence on attending every Judgment.
Perhaps it had started as a way to amuse herself, but after all these years, she must be growing weary of it.
If she had the spare time, she'd be better off helping him with his work.
Furina suddenly trembled, sensing the gaze of someone with malicious intent. She immediately turned to Neuvillette and said, "Ahem, enough chatter. The next Judgment is about to begin, so I'll take my leave."
"Neuvillette, remember to eat lunch! You can't skip meals!"
With that, Furina immediately made her escape.
Hearing Furina's reminder, Neuvillette glanced at the empty lunch plate she had left behind and sighed softly before returning his full attention to his work.