Recently, the energy fluctuations emanating from the Dottores' confinement area had significantly diminished. However, this didn't mean Neuvillette had relaxed his control over them. Rather, they had been fitted with special chains that could suppress their physiques, Elemental Power, and even Abyss Power.
In other words, bound by these chains, they were now as ordinary as humans—perhaps even weaker than the average adult.
During this time, Dottore No. N experienced his best days yet, as the beatings he endured were no longer as painful.
The Dottores, far from finding the chains burdensome, were actually thrilled by them.
Previously, since losing Neuvillette's trust, their daily routine had been limited to bland meals, sleep, and beating Dottore No. N. Now, they had a new activity to add to their daily routine: studying the principles behind their chains.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of equipment, they remained baffled.
But today, the long-unopened door stirred to life.
The Dottores froze for a moment, then immediately rushed out of their rooms. They beheld the long-absent Neuvillette, and their faces lit up with triumphant smiles.
Just as they predicted, he'd been forced to cooperate with them after all.
However, the moment they spotted Dottore No. 6 trailing behind Neuvillette, their expressions instantly collapsed.
"Ugh, this thing again? What rotten luck!"
At that moment, Dottore No. 6 strode in with a smug expression. He casually flashed his mobile phone before having the mechanical arm mounted on his shoulder adjust his collar. Only then, under the envious, jealous, and hateful glares of the other Dottores, did he speak.
"Long time no see, everyone. I trust you've all been well?"
He continued, "I pulled some overtime the other day to prepare these little gifts for you. I wonder, do they fit properly?"
Hearing this, the Dottores froze for a moment before their gazes simultaneously dropped to the chains shackling their ankles. Their composure shattered.
He couldn't possibly be talking about these things, could he?!
They had assumed the shackles were a product of Fontaine's core technology. But to learn they were created by another version of themselves—and then used against them—instantly made the high-tech chains feel utterly worthless.
That bastard! When will the Prime finally put him in his place?!
Neuvillette watched the Dottores' "friendly" interaction from the side, neither speaking nor intervening.
Internal conflict among the Dottores served his current interests perfectly. Only by fostering such division could he feel more secure in trusting Dottore No. 6.
Once Dottore No. 6 had thoroughly incurred the wrath of the others, he would have no one left to trust but Neuvillette.
Neuvillette believed Dottore No. 6 was keenly aware of this, which was why he was deliberately trying to escalate the conflict between himself and the other Dottores.
Of course, Neuvillette couldn't rule out the possibility that Dottore No. 6 had genuinely seen the light and wanted to completely sever ties with his former comrades. After all, he had been the first to willingly reveal everything he knew—even confessing his own past misdeeds.
"Watch your glares," Dottore No. 6 warned, his voice sharp. "Don't forget Monsieur Neuvillette is still here!"
He then turned to Neuvillette, his tone shifting to one of feigned distress. "Monsieur Neuvillette, you see? Even with you present, they look like they're ready to kill me. I can't even imagine what would happen if I were alone with them."
Why do we want to kill you? Don't you have a fucking clue?!
Seeing Dottore No. 6 brazenly using Neuvillette's authority to intimidate them, the other Dottores unleashed a torrent of curses against him in their Mind Chatroom.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, they're secretly cursing me again!" Dottore No. 6 exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger. "And they're cursing you too!"
"I see no sign of remorse in them whatsoever!"
Hearing Dottore No. 6's words, the other Dottores suddenly remembered that he could bypass their message blocks and eavesdrop on their private conversations. The realization made them feel even more disgusted.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, he's lying," Dottore No. 1 stepped forward, his gaze fixed coldly on Dottore No. 6.
He couldn't just let No. 6 slander them. If he did, any slim hope they had might vanish, and Neuvillette might abandon them completely.
Initially, Dottore No. 1 had wondered if the previous incident had been No. 6's subtle way of signaling that he hadn't truly betrayed them—that he was merely playing a long game, hiding his true intentions deep within.
Now, it was clear he had been overthinking it.
"Let's get to business," Neuvillette said, showing no interest in hearing Dottore No. 1's defense. He turned to Dottore No. 6 and spoke slowly.
"Of course, Monsieur Neuvillette."
Dottore No. 6's calm smile returned as he addressed the other Dottores. "You should thank Monsieur Neuvillette for his leniency. After careful consideration, he has decided to grant you one final chance."
He paused for effect. "Now that the situation in Fontaine has been completely stabilized, Monsieur Neuvillette intends to settle old scores with the Prime once and for all."
"If Monsieur Neuvillette succeeds, all of us can finally be freed from the Prime's control. This has always been our greatest wish—no one wants to exist as a mere counterfeit."
Hearing Dottore No. 6's words, the other Dottores' expressions grew solemn. The day had finally come.
Aside from studying Fontaine's advanced science, their most fervent desire had always been to escape the Prime's threat. However, internal turmoil in Fontaine had kept Neuvillette from taking action.
"What does Monsieur Neuvillette want us to do?" Dottore No. 1 asked after a brief, hushed discussion.
"The time is not yet right to reveal the details. You simply need to follow my instructions."
"Your instructions?"
Dottore No. 6 smiled faintly. "That's right. Monsieur Neuvillette has entrusted this matter to me."
The other Dottores stared at him, their faces masks of disbelief.
The sting of humiliation was as sharp as their earlier confidence had been absolute. They had been so certain Neuvillette would never trust Dottore No. 6—and now, they were being proven spectacularly wrong.
The pain Dottore had inflicted upon the people of Fontaine enraged Neuvillette. The Dottores knew he would never entrust such a critical matter to someone he didn't trust.
They looked at Neuvillette, their expressions a mixture of shock and suspicion. It was then that they sensed something was wrong.
Neuvillette seemed... different.
The sudden appearance of Dottore No. 6 had distracted them, preventing them from noticing the change in Neuvillette until now.
With their own powers sealed, the Dottores couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of the transformation. Yet, based on past experience, they could tell that Neuvillette's very stature had become far more exalted.
In that moment, they finally understood why Neuvillette had confidently entrusted this task to Dottore No. 6. It wasn't because he needed help—it was because he was offering them one last chance.
Just as Dottore No. 6 had claimed from the beginning, the Neuvillette before them now possessed the power to handle this matter entirely on his own. His presence here was an act of pure mercy.
Once they grasped this truth, the Dottores realized they no longer had a choice.
-
"My apologies, Your Excellencies."
"The Fortress of Meropide is currently under lockdown. No one is permitted to enter or exit freely."
"Do you know who I am?! Let me in, now!"
"Even if it's locked down, let me in first! I don't care if I can't get out afterward!"
"My apologies. This order was issued by Monsieur Neuvillette. We are merely relaying his instructions."
"We heard that Monsieur Neuvillette discovered an extremely dangerous presence deep within the Fortress. He ordered the temporary lockdown to prevent any innocent people from being harmed."
"Is that so... Well then, alright..."
Hearing that the Fortress of Meropide was dangerous, Furina was startled and quickly turned to leave.
Focalors, however, understood that Neuvillette had already begun his operation. She sighed, realizing she likely wouldn't get a chance to see him, and followed Furina.
As they made their way back to Fontaine, the bustling city gradually loomed larger in their vision, their expressions growing distant and dazed.
In that moment, Fontaine appeared to them like a vision of hell.
If they had a choice, neither of them would ever want to return to Fontaine. But the verdict was already out, and if they didn't want it publicly announced across the nation, they had no choice but to report to the Palais Mermonia.
Suddenly, Furina slapped her thigh in frustration and exclaimed angrily.
"Wait a minute! If there really was danger, shouldn't they be evacuating the people inside the Fortress of Meropide?"
"Damn it! Neuvillette lied to me!"
So you're only just realizing that now?
Focalors shot Furina a helpless glance. Why is this version of me so dense? She didn't inherit any of my intelligence at all!
Focalors's thought was perfectly justified. After all, her sentence was three times longer than Furina's—clearly, she was far more sentenced than Furina.
"This is infuriating! Why is everyone against me?!"
"A whole month of working 24/7... How am I supposed to survive this?!"
Hearing Furina's complaints, Focalors's mood instantly soured.
Furina couldn't even handle one month? Focalors might as well just bury herself now with her three-month sentence.
Suddenly, freedom didn't seem so appealing anymore. She'd rather be back inside the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, watching the amusing cases unfold during the Judgments.
"It's all your fault! Why did you let that guy Ron become the Justice? Wouldn't it have been better to just postpone the Judgment indefinitely?"
Hearing Furina's complaint, Focalors immediately bristled.
"You seemed to support it back then, didn't you? And now you're blaming it all on me?"
Rendered speechless by Focalors's retort, Furina quickly changed the subject.
"I don't remember there ever being a punishment other than imprisonment! How did this new law suddenly appear?!"
"I don't know which bastard came up with it, but when I find out who, I'll make them pay!"
Focalors was just as resentful. The Fontaine Law changed every few days—it was impossible to keep up!
And this time, the timing was just too perfect. The relevant law had just been enacted, and they immediately became the first test case.
They fell silent for a moment, a growing sense of unease creeping into their minds.
It really did seem too coincidental.
Having just arrived back in Fontaine, they decided to buy the latest edition of the Fontaine Law to see for themselves.
However, the moment they stepped into the city, two Maison Gardiennage officers, who had clearly been waiting for them, approached.
"Lady Furina, please come with us. You've been absent from your duties for too long. You must report to work immediately."
"W-Wait! I still have things to do!"
Furina's voice trembled as she faced the two Maison Gardiennage officers, who stood ramrod straight, their gazes fixed forward.
"It is currently working hours. Any personal matters can be attended to after your shift."
"Of course, Lady Furina may insist on continuing her leave. However, should you choose to do so, the time you've missed from work will be tripled and added to your sentence."
Are you demons?!
Furina's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the two men.
"This is also stipulated in Fontaine Law 20.0. We are simply following regulations."
"If you have any questions, Lady Furina, you may consult the Law yourself."
Fontaine Law, always Fontaine Law!
Furina was on the verge of a breakdown. Beside her, Focalors couldn't bring herself to laugh. Her own situation was even worse; she was merely delaying the inevitable.
"Focalors, you have to take over for me just like we planned!" Furina cried out, grabbing Focalors's hands with raw emotion as the officers began to lead her away.
"My life is in your hands now!"
Focalors replied with equal gravity.
"Don't worry, Furina. I'll take over for you right on schedule. We'll get through these next few months together!"
Furina and Focalors exchanged firm nods, and in that instant, an unbreakable bond of friendship was forged between them.
Just then, an ill-timed voice cut in.
"Lady Furina, you have thirty seconds remaining."
"Any time exceeded will be tripled and added to your sentence."
Hearing this, Furina didn't dare delay another moment. She immediately hurried after the Maison Gardiennage officers toward the Palais Mermonia.
After bidding Furina farewell, Focalors sighed heavily at the thought of taking her place in twelve hours.
She then went to a street vendor and bought the latest edition of the Fontaine Law. After some effort, she located the newly added sections.
To Focalors's surprise, the latest Fontaine Law hadn't changed much from the previous version. The only modifications were specific to her and Furina.
Essentially, due to their unique status, sending them to the Fortress of Meropide under the old law could disrupt Fontaine's operations. Therefore, their prison sentences were commuted to overtime work.
When Focalors saw the name of the proposer—Ron—she froze, stunned, for a long time.
Finally, she threw her head back and let out a groundhog-like scream.
"AHHHHHHHHH—!"