"Those madmen!" Lyney exclaimed, completely losing his composure.
Such a massive quantity of Pneumousia Energy would never be buried within Fontaine itself—the nobles wouldn't risk blowing themselves to smithereens along with the rest of the city.
This meant the Pneumousia Energy could only be buried beneath the designated settlement area of Fleuve Cendre. Lyney had underestimated the nobles' ruthlessness.
Having never been a noble himself, he couldn't fully grasp the depths of their hatred for the Fleuve Cendre residents, a hatred born from watching their power erode relentlessly.
Originally, Lyney had only been collaborating with Marquis Relf, but the Marquis's capabilities alone were insufficient to procure such a vast amount of Pneumousia Energy in such a short time.
The only reason it was possible was because someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
"Lyney, what's wrong? Why has your expression suddenly turned so grim?" Charlotte asked, noticing his sudden pallor.
This was the first time Charlotte had ever seen Lyney so visibly shaken. Even when they first encountered the mask, he had only shown shock. Before that, he had always exuded an air of unwavering confidence.
"Miss Navia and the others in Fleuve Cendre are in danger," Lyney said, taking a deep breath. He quickly refolded the white paper and slipped it into his pocket.
"We don't have time to waste. We need to find Miss Navia immediately and warn her about the potential explosives buried underground."
"Lynette, put on the mask. Charlotte, photograph everything here to convince Miss Navia that we need these items. Once that's done, we're leaving!"
Charlotte, who had been about to ask more questions, turned deathly pale upon hearing Lyney's words. She could scarcely believe that Lofan would go to such extreme lengths.
Tens of thousands of lives!
Were all those who approved this plan demons?!
Without hesitation, Charlotte pulled out her Kamera and began filming. The three of them hastily left Lofan's house, rushing toward the nearest route back to the Upper District.
As they hurried along, Charlotte turned to Lyney. "Why would Grett do this? Wasn't his goal to control the people of Fleuve Cendre and force them to work for his organization?"
"That's why I call him a complete madman!" Lyney replied. "His only motivation is the twisted pleasure of giving hope to the desperate, only to crush it with his own hands!"
Time continued to slip away, and Lyney's anxiety grew with each passing moment.
I hope... I hope we're not too late.
The group had just secured another resounding victory and began celebrating in their camp.
"I almost lost an arm to that Gardemek!" one of them exclaimed. "But just as its blade was about to strike, Monsieur Grett's guitar music surged through me. I suddenly felt a surge of strength and crushed that machine in a single blow!"
"Hahaha! Serves those bastards right!" another chimed in. "They thought they could ambush us, but Monsieur Grett had already seen through their scheme!"
Lofan's guitar music had amplified their strength, especially in contrast to their earlier struggles against the Clockwork Mekas. This decisive victory deepened everyone's heartfelt respect and admiration for him.
However, pushing his rudimentary Pyro elemental control to such extremes had already pushed his body far beyond its limits.
The fact that Lofan could still sit upright in his position of authority was entirely due to his meticulous manipulation of his bodily functions, using hormones to force his exhausted body to endure.
But none of that mattered now, because this body likely wouldn't survive until morning anyway.
"Teacher, are you alright?" Navia asked with concern, remembering Lofan's injuries and his reckless exertion.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Just a little tired. I'll rest soon."
Lofan slowly replied to Navia, then complimented her.
"You performed admirably earlier."
Hearing his praise, Navia blushed and averted her gaze.
"That's because Melus and Silver kept the enemies occupied."
"Yes, everyone did exceptionally well tonight."
Lofan nodded, then turned to Clorinde, who was standing nearby.
"Miss Clorinde, are you preparing to leave?"
"Yes, I need to return and handle the aftermath."
Clorinde, recalling the night's events, felt utterly disillusioned with the nobles' lack of moral compass. This time, she was determined to persuade the influential figures that the punishment must go beyond merely curbing their power.
"Monsieur Grett, I sincerely apologize for what happened tonight."
"It's not your fault, Miss Clorinde," Lofan replied gravely. "You have no need to apologize for those scoundrels. On the contrary, you have done us a great service, and we will all remember it."
Initially, many had harbored resentment toward Clorinde for killing Callas. However, after these recent encounters, their attitudes toward her had softened considerably.
"That's right, Miss Clorinde," one of the people Clorinde had rescued said with immense gratitude. "Thank you for saving my life. I'll repay this debt sooner or later!"
Clorinde had helped many people during these two incidents, and most of them were straightforward in expressing their thanks.
Clorinde felt a pang of emotion. She witnessed the purest forms of human sentiment from these individuals, and she couldn't help but think of Callas, the man who had originally gathered them together.
Her gaze then shifted to Lofan. She sensed a similar aura to Callas emanating from him.
Finally, Clorinde sighed deeply, collected some potential evidence, and left.
Lofan watched her retreating figure until it disappeared, a hint of regret in his heart.
Unexpected. The new actors haven't even arrived, yet one of the original players has already exited the stage.
He quickly regained his composure. Forcing Clorinde to stay might introduce unforeseen complications.
Indeed, one shouldn't be too greedy.
Lofan turned his attention back to the group, picked up his wine glass, and addressed them.
"Come now, ladies and gentlemen, raise your glasses! Those who don't drink alcohol can substitute with water."
"Let's celebrate this monumental victory together!" Lofan declared.
"We've emerged from the shadows and stepped back into the sunlight. From this day forward, we're no different from any other Fontainian, no longer subjected to scornful glances."
"Even though we still face persecution from the nobles, I believe our future will undoubtedly be brighter than our present!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
Lofan's words ignited an even greater fervor among the crowd.
As he watched everyone drain their glasses, a subtle smile crept onto his lips.
The real show is about to begin.
With that, Lofan emptied his own glass in one swift motion.