After a tense search revealed no immediate dangers in the room, the trio breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The discovery that one body was missing made them feel as if the missing corpse might materialize behind them at any moment, ready to strike.
Fortunately, that didn't happen.
Only after confirming their safety did they gradually approach the grotesque display for a closer inspection.
"This is truly... an unspeakably evil experiment," Charlotte murmured.
"Considering Monsieur Grett's past," Albedo said, "he originally aspired to become a great musician."
Lyney, who had witnessed his fair share of darkness, was still stunned by the scene before him. He couldn't help but think of another Fatui Harbinger—an equally terrifying and deranged researcher.
Unlike that other esteemed figure, Grett's research seemed to focus on cloning and consciousness transfer.
"Ah, that's it! I understand now!" Lyney suddenly exclaimed, a realization striking him. "It seems our deduction was slightly off. The victims weren't being controlled; Grett was transferring his own consciousness into their bodies."
Charlotte nodded in agreement. "You're right. That's highly probable."
"But if that's the case," she wondered, "why would Grett choose to commit suicide after transferring his consciousness into someone else?"
Lyney had no immediate answer. "We can only speculate at this point. My best guess is that consciousness transfer requires the death of the current host."
It had to be said that Lyney, Arlecchino's successor as The Knave, possessed exceptional capabilities and intellect. From just a few clues, he had pieced together a remarkably accurate explanation.
All of this, however, had been anticipated by Lofan. He knew that revealing certain secrets was inevitable if he wanted to accumulate a substantial number of Points quickly.
He didn't care. As long as the System's secrets remained hidden, no one could touch him.
Besides, the System unlocked new features every time he accumulated a certain number of Points. Those who simply followed in his wake would never uncover the full truth.
"Are you saying that consciousness transfer is only possible after physical death?" Charlotte blurted out, her eyes gleaming with an indecipherable light as she urgently sought confirmation from Lyney.
Lyney quickly surmised the unspoken hope stirring within Charlotte's heart. The death of that young man remained an unresolved knot in her mind.
However, Lyney truly didn't want to give Charlotte too much hope regarding this matter, lest her eventual despair be even greater.
Gathering his thoughts, Lyney spoke softly to Charlotte.
"Lofan is my family. I, too, wish he were still alive."
"But based on both possibilities, the chances of him being alive now are slim. The first is that he was chosen as a subject for consciousness transfer, but something went wrong during the process, causing it to fail. That might be why he secretly leaked information before he died."
"For example, that crucial song, or Grett's hiding place."
"Perhaps he couldn't directly tell others for some reason, so he resorted to this method."
"Or, the second possibility is that he was also a member of that mysterious organization, but he developed second thoughts halfway through. Even if he had the ability to transfer his consciousness, as a traitor to the organization, he's likely..."
Lyney trailed off, but Charlotte already understood the implication. Yet the spark in her eyes refused to fade.
"But Lofan still has a chance to survive, doesn't he?"
"He might be being punished by the organization for his betrayal, but as long as he's alive, I still have a chance to rescue him, right?"
"Grett!"
"Grett must know something!"
Seeing Charlotte's unwavering determination, Lyney inwardly sighed, though a reassuring smile quickly reappeared on his face. "You're right," he said. "Little Lofan could still be alive, waiting for us to save him!"
"Now that we know Grett is a member of that mysterious organization, we need to carefully consider how to take them all down in one fell swoop."
Lyney sank into deep thought. This organization was far more terrifying than he had imagined. Grett alone had managed to consolidate the majority of the Fleuve Cendre Faction. If they were allowed to grow, Lyney couldn't begin to fathom the consequences.
Perhaps even Father would have to intervene in this matter...
"Take a look at this," Lynette said, snapping Charlotte and Lyney out of their reverie. She donned gloves and retrieved a bloodstained outfit and a clown mask from a corner.
In that instant, a lightning bolt struck Lyney's mind.
He recognized the mask immediately and understood the implications of the identity hidden beneath it. His breathing quickened as his thoughts raced.
Grett and the serial suicide case perpetrator were the same person!
No wonder these two identities had never appeared simultaneously. No wonder someone capable of transferring consciousness would still hide their face behind a mask.
The only thing Lyney couldn't understand was how Lofan could wield two distinct Elemental Powers simultaneously.
Even with all the clues, Lyney had never considered the possibility that the two identities were merely different personas of the same person. The reason was simple: their Elemental Powers were fundamentally different.
But now, despite never having heard of such a case before, Lyney was forced to believe that individuals capable of wielding two Elemental Powers truly existed.
"Lyney, you look terrible. Could this mask be...?" Charlotte stammered, her mind racing.
Lyney had only mentioned the mask to Charlotte in passing, so she hadn't initially made the connection. But seeing his sudden pallor, she realized the implication.
At that moment, Lynette began rummaging through the clothing in her hands. She pulled a folded piece of white paper from a pocket, unfolded it, glanced at it, and urgently said to Lyney:
"Brother, you need to see this."
Snapping out of his daze, Lyney took the paper from her hand.
The white paper was covered in calculations, likely estimating the explosive yield of Pneumousia Energy upon contact. The calculations involved a staggering amount of Pneumousia Energy, even after accounting for the reduction in potency due to underground burial.
After Lyney finished reading the paper and combined it with recent intelligence about Marquis Relf, a terrifying realization struck him:
Lofan had planted an incredibly powerful Pneumousia Energy bomb beneath the current settlement of the Fleuve Cendre residents!