The Marechaussee Phantom had withdrawn, but Neuvillette remained behind.
Not that it mattered. To the nobles, the Phantom's protection was enough; they had never relied on Neuvillette in the first place.
The sudden escalation of their tactics clearly indicated they were on the verge of a breakthrough in Poisson. Their strategy of tunneling at regular intervals seemed to be working effectively.
Now that the Marechaussee Phantom had withdrawn and the blockade of Poisson had been lifted, finding the enemy with the remaining forces would be virtually impossible.
Neuvillette stood alone in the torrential rain, his expression somewhat dazed.
Just then, a figure suddenly emerged from the distance, walking towards Neuvillette.
At first, Neuvillette paid no attention. But as the figure drew closer, his gaze shifted to the approaching man.
The man appeared to be in his late thirties, with an unremarkable appearance and weathered features. His clothing was worn and outdated, his face etched with the marks of time.
He was the kind of person who could vanish into a crowd without a trace. Yet his presence here, braving the torrential rain, was anything but ordinary.
Moreover, his purpose was clear: he walked directly toward Neuvillette.
Neuvillette simply regarded him with a deep, silent gaze, waiting for him to approach without making any move himself.
"Chief Justice Neuvillette," the man declared as he reached Neuvillette's side, stating his purpose bluntly. "I wish to accuse someone."
Neuvillette calmly observed the man, who maintained an unusual composure despite the torrential downpour. "Monsieur," he replied, "you may state the target of your accusation. If the allegations are substantiated, I will consider initiating a Judgment."
"Neuvillette."
"That is the name of the person I wish to accuse."
This declaration revealed the man's naked malice. Neuvillette, however, merely registered a slight surprise before quickly regaining his composure.
"Monsieur, on what charges do you wish to accuse Neuvillette?"
"Abusing Fontaine's Law for personal gain, twisting its principles to serve his own desires. For example, the requirement to refer to Melusine using the feminine pronoun 'she'—is that not sufficient?"
After a long silence, Neuvillette nodded.
"The accusation stands. You may attend the Judgment at noon two days hence at the Opera Epiclese. Please make every effort to attend unless prevented by exceptional circumstances."
"Due to the accused's unique status, multiple Justices may jointly preside over the Judgment..."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The man's sudden burst of laughter interrupted Neuvillette's explanation.
"My stomach is aching from laughing so much!"
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you truly are the embodiment of impartiality, rigidly adhering to the Law!"
Even under these circumstances, Neuvillette's face remained impassive as he calmly observed the man before him.
After a moment, the laughter subsided, and the man addressed Neuvillette with a sinister grin.
"But it's precisely this about you that I loathe even more."
"Judging everything as if you're above it all?"
"Monsieur Neuvillette, what exactly do you think you are?"
Hearing this, Neuvillette's expression remained unchanged. He simply replied, "No one can make everyone like them. I am no exception."
"It took me four centuries to earn the acceptance of the majority."
"I have no desire to stand above all things. I merely represent Fontaine's justice and laws."
"Tsk tsk."
"As expected of Chief Justice Neuvillette. It seems I can't outargue you."
"But I'm curious... since the Marechaussee Phantom have left, why are you still here, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
Seeing the mocking glint in the man's eyes, Neuvillette abandoned the evasive dance and spoke directly.
"What are your conditions?"
"Heh, Monsieur Neuvillette is truly impatient... The conditions are quite simple."
"Immediately release Marcel and deliver him to the location we specify."
After a moment's contemplation, Neuvillette replied, "I cannot make this decision alone. I need to consult with others."
Neuvillette's words prompted the man to chuckle mockingly. "Hahahaha, Monsieur Neuvillette, at a time like this, you still cling to your rules?"
"It seems two human lives are worth less to you than your so-called justice and rules."
"Consultation is acceptable, but you must act quickly. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee the hostages' safety."
Faced with this blatant threat, Neuvillette simply stated, "Now, immediately cease all your operations within Fontaine and stop adding to the number of missing victims."
"Heh, Monsieur Neuvillette."
"A deal, you know, requires give and take."
"Our previous arrangement only covered releasing those two."
The man waved his hand dismissively before continuing.
"As for this matter, that comes at a separate price."
"What do you want?" Neuvillette asked, his tone sharp. Whether he could accept their terms or not, he intended to deduce their true motives from their words.
"Monsieur Neuvillette is a straightforward man, indeed."
"Our condition is quite simple: just hand over the lady who fought our Lord No. 2 that day."
Neuvillette's gaze turned icy at this. But the man seemed completely oblivious, pressing on.
"A bargain, isn't it? One person for hundreds, perhaps thousands? No transaction in all the world could be more advantageous!"
Neuvillette's grip on his cane tightened, a surge of inexplicable emotion rising within him. Yet, just as quickly, his grip relaxed again.
"I cannot possibly agree to this condition."
"The value of life should not be measured by numbers."
"So, the negotiations have failed?"
Faced with Neuvillette's rejection, the man adopted a nonchalant attitude.
"Then I suppose Monsieur Neuvillette will have to spend more time mourning the dead."
"The negotiations are not over yet."
"I still have leverage."
As he finished speaking, an overwhelming pressure suddenly erupted from Neuvillette. He slammed his cane heavily against the ground, sending faint ripples of water across the floor.
Instantly, currents of water bound the man's entire body, immobilizing him completely.
"And I still have your life."
Neuvillette's eyes narrowed slightly. His actions served not only to threaten the man's life but also to reveal his true identity—hidden for years—in the hopes of instilling fear.
After all, being targeted by an Archon-level being could never be a good thing.
Of course, all of this assumed the man valued his life.
The man's face first registered astonishment, then erupted into gleeful laughter.
"I never expected this, Monsieur Neuvillette! You've been hiding your true nature so deeply."
"You possess no Vision, yet you can wield Elemental Power."
"Your origins truly startle me."
"However..."
The man's tone abruptly shifted.
"None of this matters."
"I will make you understand this, Monsieur Neuvillette."
Under Neuvillette's gaze, the man's body began to disintegrate, slowly dissolving into liquid and merging with the rain.
Neuvillette paused for a moment before silently withdrawing his power. The man collapsed to the ground, still laughing wildly even as life slipped away.
"I was right, wasn't I, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"None of this matters."
"Remember, you must act quickly. You only have three days—no, two now."
"My death will make Lord No. 1 doubt your sincerity in this bargain."
"Of course, if Lord No. 1 takes a liking to you, that's another matter entirely."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The man's laughter echoed as he faded into oblivion.
Neuvillette's expression remained grave. The situation had spiraled far beyond his expectations.
Lofan's consciousness returned to his No. 1 "Fragment" body, but his mind was far from at peace. The discovery he had just made was utterly staggering.
Neuvillette possessed no Vision yet could directly wield Elemental Power. Could he be the true Hydro Archon of Fontaine, with Furina merely a figurehead?
After all, Lofan had yet to see any evidence of Furina's divinity. She seemed more like a celebrity or a princess.
Neuvillette, on the other hand, perfectly matched Lofan's mental image of the Hydro Archon. But how could Fontaine's history be explained? Surely the Hydro Archon wouldn't alter history out of boredom?
Yet if Neuvillette wasn't the Hydro Archon, not only would his mastery of Hydro Element be inexplicable, but the Points Lofan had gained upon the death of Neuvillette's previous body were several times the usual amount—nearly on par with what he'd receive from Furina.
And if Furina were merely an ordinary person, how could she provide him with such substantial Points?
Lofan considered various theories: hidden twin Archons, a father-daughter dynamic, and more. But none could be verified.
Even if the System were omnipotent, it couldn't possibly perform a blood test for paternity, right? Holy shit, it actually can!
My apologies, System. I retract everything I said earlier about you being useless.
Upon further reflection, you do have some value after all.
So, System, tell me how to get Neuvillette and Furina's blood... Wait, why are you recommending Advanced Elemental Mastery? Is that even something I can access right now?!
Lofan was speechless. Wasn't the System blatantly implying he should use force to obtain the blood himself?
"Never mind. This matter isn't critical. We need to stick to the plan."
"Let's see... The number of missing persons should have increased by about four to five hundred. We can use some of them to stock the newly built laboratories, saving us a significant amount of Points."
"Next, we'll scale the numbers up to a thousand and see how things go."
"Time to crank up the pressure on Neuvillette."
"But it's odd... such a massive undertaking, yet the Points reward is lower than last time, and we're even losing some."
"Why is Furina suddenly slacking? I was hoping at least to break even, even if I didn't profit."
"Hmm, next I'll exchange for a few identities that can provide information on Furina."
Exchanging for a specific identity, especially one with access to information about Furina, naturally cost significantly more Points than before. And there was virtually no chance of recouping the investment.
Still, to check on the status of his "money tree," Lofan gritted his teeth and exchanged for the identity of a Maison Gardiennage officer stationed at Furina's residence.
After reading through the memories of this body, Lofan was speechless.
No wonder his Point returns were so skewed—it turned out she had become a shrinking violet.
This won't do at all. If he wastes too many Points at this stage, he'll struggle to ensure the subsequent stages proceed smoothly.
As Lofan pondered how to coax Furina out of her secluded chamber, he simultaneously drafted his own crime announcement letter.
Soon, when the Maison Gardiennage officers learned that their beloved "flower of the force" had also been targeted by the Murderer, they felt as if the sky was about to fall.
To this day, not a single person named in the Murderer's pre-crime notices had escaped their clutches. The vast majority vanished without a trace, disappearing before protection could even be arranged.
A select few, under the meticulous protection of the Maison Gardiennage or the Court of Justice, inexplicably dissolved into pools of water.
Though no one wanted to accept this outcome, they couldn't bring themselves to promise Lofan, "I'll definitely protect you."
Seeing the Maison Gardiennage officers burying their faces in their hands, weeping, or staring blankly in despair, Lofan, surprisingly, turned to comfort them instead.
"It's alright. I'm already prepared."
"Are you even men? What's with all this sniveling?!"
"Everyone sit down and pretend this never happened."
"I'll just review these unsolved cases one last time."
Adhering to his principle of "since I'm here anyway, might as well solve a couple more cases before I go," Lofan picked up the case files from the table and flipped through them. He quickly selected the relatively simpler ones, jotting down potential clues and his deductions about the Murderer.
Of course, no case deemed "unsolved" was truly simple, leaving the other Maison Gardiennage officers utterly dumbfounded.
Could this be the latent potential awakened in a person's final moments?
Suddenly, the Maison Gardiennage officers, who had just begun to calm down, burst into tears again.
Lofan, speechless, roared at them: "What are you crying about now?!"
"We were just thinking... if this hadn't happened, we'd probably be getting a hefty bonus this month..."
One honest officer blurted out. The others, ashamed of their petty thoughts being exposed, dragged him to the restroom for some soap-picking punishment.
Lofan nearly cursed them for their lack of ambition, but then he remembered the Maison Gardiennage hadn't been paid properly in ages due to him. A sliver of guilt tugged at his conscience.
Maybe I should solve a couple more cases...
As Lofan pondered this, an uninvited guest arrived at the Maison Gardiennage Headquarters and stood directly before him.
"Madam, I can save your life," "The Knave" Arlecchino said slowly, her gaze fixed on Lofan.