Lyney and his team initially believed this mission would be routine, just like the previous ones.
However, when they finally located the secret stronghold in this area, their faces lit up with excitement.
The stronghold was far larger than any they had discovered before, exceeding all previous findings by a considerable margin.
This time, we're sure to uncover something significant, they all thought.
Of course, they also knew this mission would likely be more dangerous. Lyney had specifically requested reinforcements, even deploying several elite Fatui members—Anemo Operatives and Cryo Operatives—the full extent of his current available manpower.
As the elite of the Fatui, Operatives not only underwent rigorous training in various assassination techniques from childhood but also endured countless eliminations to earn the title "Operative." Their combat prowess was unparalleled.
Surveying his assembled team, Lyney felt a surge of confidence.
"Lynette, lead all the Operatives through the sea to find the sewage pipes and infiltrate the stronghold covertly."
"Understood, Older Brother."
Lynette naturally had no objections to Lyney's plan. She nodded and led the Operatives away to begin their infiltration.
Lyney didn't act immediately. Instead, he waited in place to give Lynette ample time to complete her preparations.
Sensing that enough time had passed, Lyney issued a direct command:
"Everyone else, follow me! We're breaking through the front line!"
The group responded with a resounding cheer, their morale high.
Just then, Lyney approached the young woman and whispered:
"Miss Kelly, just like before, please stay here. I'll arrange for guards to protect you."
To Lyney's surprise, the young woman refused this time.
"Let me come with you. I'm worried something unexpected might happen."
"If I'm there, I can warn you about any unforeseen dangers."
"Mr. Lyney, you know my special ability can help you avoid perilous situations."
Hearing her words, Lyney immediately rejected the idea.
"Miss Kelly, please trust us. Trust in our capabilities."
"You should rest properly. I absolutely won't allow you to join the operation. It's far too dangerous for you."
Sighing softly, the young woman turned to Lyney and said:
"Mr. Lyney, you'll regret this."
"The danger this time is likely far greater than you anticipate."
"It's alright, Miss Kelly."
Lyney didn't get angry at the girl's words. Instead, he gave her a reassuring smile.
"I've prepared everything meticulously. If something still goes wrong despite all our precautions, then it must be our fate."
"But Miss Kelly, I won't let anything happen to you."
Lyney's words moved the girl slightly. After a long pause, she spoke softly.
"Alright, I understand."
"Mr. Lyney, thank you for your trust."
"Then, Mr. Lyney, see you later."
"I should be the one saying that." Lyney chuckled.
"Mm, I'll come find you after everything's settled."
"See you later, Miss Kelly."
Soon, Lyney led the main group away, leaving only two guards to protect the girl.
"Miss Kelly, do you need to rest? We'll protect you," one of the guards asked. But she shook her head.
"I'm not tired. Why don't you two rest instead?"
"We're not tired either, Miss Kelly."
"No, you are tired."
The two guards visibly froze at her words. After scratching their heads and exchanging confused glances, they looked back at the girl and said, "Miss Kelly, we're really not tired..."
Bang!
Their heads collided violently, followed by the thud of heavy objects falling to the ground.
The girl calmly withdrew her hands and murmured, "I told you, you're tired."
This afternoon, Neuvillette found himself working with exceptional efficiency. Tasks that usually kept him occupied until dinnertime were completed a full hour ahead of schedule.
"Monsieur Neuvillette seems to be in a particularly good mood today," a Melusine remarked.
"Is that so?" Neuvillette responded, his curiosity piqued.
Am I really that obvious?
"Yes. I've always sensed a heaviness in your demeanor, but now you seem noticeably more relaxed."
"It must be because Vinani has finally awakened," another Melusine chimed in.
"I'm so happy to hear that news too."
"Vinani's prolonged unconsciousness had everyone worried sick."
"Would you like to visit her?"
The Melusine froze at Neuvillette's question, her expression turning peculiar.
"Ah... Well, alright. I'll go gather my things first."
As Neuvillette watched the figure depart, he suddenly recalled that Vinani wasn't exactly popular, thanks to her brutally honest tongue.
He couldn't help but chuckle. After so long in the doldrums of routine, his weary heart had finally begun to mend.
Following through on his promise to Vinani, Neuvillette summoned everyone who knew her.
Among them were several Melusines in similar circumstances to the previous one. Neuvillette had no intention of excluding them, after all, Vinani seemed blissfully unaware of her less-than-stellar social standing.
Of course, the others merely disliked Vinani's sharp tongue; when she kept quiet, they found her rather endearing.
Before long, a towering figure led a cluster of smaller figures into motion.
The group quickly arrived at Vinani's location, where they collided with a hurried figure rushing toward them.
Upon recognizing Neuvillette, the newcomer immediately exclaimed with great excitement.
"Excellent, Monsieur Neuvillette! I was just about to come find you!"
"Just now, that Maison Gardiennage officer named Henry woke up too!"
"Good."
Hearing this news, Neuvillette felt another wave of relief wash over him. The two individuals most likely targeted had both regained consciousness—how could he not be overjoyed?
At that moment, Neuvillette even wondered if he had been overthinking things. It had been so long since he'd seen any further activity from that mysterious faction. Perhaps their earlier threats had merely been empty words, born out of sheer unwillingness to accept defeat.
Meanwhile, the Melusines nearby began chattering among themselves.
"Isn't that Henry the Maison Gardiennage officer Vinani just made friends with?"
"Oh my Archon! Vinani actually has a human friend now? That's a miracle!"
"Maybe Henry has some... unusual tastes."
"Ah, I see!"
Hearing the Melusines' chatter, Neuvillette shook his head in mild exasperation before turning to ask, "Is Vinani currently in the Maison Gardiennage officer's room?"
"Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette."
"The moment Miss Vinani heard the news, she rushed over there in a flurry of excitement."
Neuvillette nodded in acknowledgment. "Then let's head straight to the officer's room."
With that, Neuvillette led the group forward. But as they were halfway there, his expression suddenly changed.
He sensed a reaction from the countermeasures he had left in his room. In an instant, his body transformed into a surging current, vanishing from sight with astonishing speed.
The Melusines were utterly dumbfounded. They had never seen Neuvillette lose his composure like this before.
"Something must have gone terribly wrong! We need to hurry and check what's happening!"
One of the Melusine, realizing what had caused Neuvillette to lose his composure, immediately alerted the others. The Melusine quickly rushed toward the room.
Meanwhile, Neuvillette gripped his cane tightly, a wave of intense anxiety washing over him.
Please, please, let nothing have gone wrong!
Finally, a door came into view. Without hesitation, Neuvillette slammed it open, and the sight that greeted him made his pupils constrict sharply.
The previously unconscious Maison Gardiennage officer's hand had pierced straight through the Melusine's chest. His face was obscured by drooping strands of hair, making it impossible to discern his expression, while the Melusine wore a look of utter disbelief.
"Wh-why...?"
The officer offered no reply, yanking his hand free with a violent jerk.
With a sickening splurch, the Melusine's petite body crumpled to the ground, her pupils dilating as her life rapidly faded away.
The Maison Gardiennage officer merely watched with a cold gaze.
"No!"
Neuvillette roared in fury, summoning a torrent of water that shot toward Lofan. Lofan sensed the attack but had no time to react; the water slammed him against the wall with a dull thud.
Lofan immediately sustained significant injuries, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Worse, the water pinned him firmly against the wall, rendering him completely immobile.
Neuvillette rushed forward, taking two quick steps to reach Vinani's side. But by then, the light had completely faded from her eyes.
She was already dead.
Cradling Vinani's lifeless body, Neuvillette felt an icy chill seep into his bones.
He should have realized it sooner. If the physical examinations had revealed no abnormalities, then the problem must lie in her mind.
Though he had anticipated that these two were the targets, he never imagined Lofan would be the one to strike. The countermeasures he had put in place would never have triggered against either of them; otherwise, this tragedy would never have occurred!
If he had only realized it sooner, Vinani wouldn't have died.
Vinani had just woken up today!
Clutching a heart full of joy and anticipation, she had ultimately died at the hands of her own friend.
It was his fault, all his fault!
If he had only thought ahead, if he hadn't agreed to let Vinani visit Lofan, if only...
Neuvillette sank into profound self-reproach as a torrential downpour lashed against the window outside.
At that moment, the Melusine from earlier finally caught up and saw Vinani's lifeless body cradled in Neuvillette's arms. They were immediately overcome with profound grief.
Amidst the constant sobs around him, Neuvillette gradually regained his composure. He gently laid Vinani down and strode purposefully toward Lofan.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Lofan coughed violently several times. As Neuvillette approached, he spoke with a trace of helplessness in his voice:
"Monsieur Neuvillette, that Vinani was an imposter."
Neuvillette froze in his tracks, completely stunned by Lofan's words. He had never anticipated such a revelation.
"A fake?"
Hearing Lofan's words, the Melusines hastily wiped away their tears and began examining Vinani's body, only to burst into tears again.
"You're lying! She's clearly the real Vinani!"
"Yes, yes! Look at those short legs and tiny hands—they're exactly like Vinani's!"
"Stop crying, everyone. I'm telling the truth—she's definitely not the real Vinani."
"Please believe me. I consider myself a friend of Vinani's. I wouldn't make such a claim without absolute certainty."
Lofan paused, then continued.
"The real Vinani must still be imprisoned in one of their bases. I need to rescue her."
Lofan began to struggle, but Neuvillette, still unconvinced, maintained his grip. However, his composure had slightly improved.
"How can you be so sure she isn't the real Vinani?"
Hearing Neuvillette's question, Lofan smiled bitterly and replied.
"It seems Monsieur Neuvillette won't let me leave until I explain myself clearly."
"Actually, I share a certain connection with those people. In a sense, we're of the same kind, which is why I could easily discern their true identities."
"Of course, they could also easily detect me, which is why I remained unconscious all this time. It was the only way to deceive them and conceal my true identity."
Upon hearing Lofan's explanation, Neuvillette fell into deep thought. Lofan, without pausing, continued to elaborate.
"Just now, I detected a backdoor left by an extremely dangerous individual on that impostor's body. To prevent any unforeseen consequences, I acted preemptively."
"But you didn't have to kill her! You could have simply restrained her or let Monsieur Neuvillette control her movements."
"What if you were wrong? What if she really was Vinani? If that were the case, you would have killed her with your own hands!"
One of the Melusine couldn't help but question Lofan, who merely shook his head slightly.
"You have no idea what kind of madman you're dealing with. Simply restraining his movements won't stop him."
"To defeat him, you must be even more ruthless than he is!"
After hearing these words, Neuvillette gripped his cane tightly, unsure whether to trust Lofan.