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Two days later, in the morning, at Fleuve Cendre, the lower district of the Court of Fontaine.
Inside the small tavern next to the Spina di Rosula headquarters, Shao Yun sat quietly at the bar counter.
On the counter in front of him was only a single bottle of liquor he had taken out of his own backpack.
At the moment, he was simply sitting there, occasionally lifting the bottle to take a small sip, using it to pass what felt like an unusually long stretch of time.
It wasn't that Shao Yun was being stingy or unwilling to spend money on the tavern's drinks—rather, after his first attempt at tasting their alcohol, that bizarre flavor had left an unforgettable impression on him…
How should one describe it?
It was like drinking wastewater mixed straight out of the sewers!
Drinking bootleg liquor might make you go blind—but drinking this kind of alcohol, Shao Yun felt, would give you dysentery even faster!
Just then, a young man wearing Fontaine-style one-piece work overalls walked in and sat directly beside Shao Yun.
The young man called out to the bartender, "Bartender, one drink, please."
Hearing this, the bartender immediately lit up with joy—after all, a paying customer had finally arrived.
He swiftly poured a full mug of beer and handed it to the young man, saying enthusiastically, "Here you go. Enjoy."
Seeing that someone actually dared to drink something that might cause explosive diarrhea, Shao Yun couldn't help but feel a wave of shock.
But before he could fully react, the stranger who had just sat down took the initiative to strike up a conversation.
"Hey, friend. You look pretty unfamiliar…"
Shao Yun snapped back to his senses, frowned warily, and said, "Did you come here to drink, or to conduct a census? Why so many questions?"
In response to Shao Yun's sharp tone, the mysterious stranger didn't answer directly.
Instead, the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly, revealing an almost imperceptible smile, as he spoke to himself:
"Mr. Tacitus's package has been delivered. Please go and sign for it as soon as possible."
Before the words had fully faded, he lifted the mug, drained it in one go, stood up, and left without another glance.
Hearing this, Shao Yun immediately made the connection—Was this a message from the House of the Hearth?
Murmuring to himself, he said, "Their efficiency really is something else…"
…
Shao Yun promptly set off for Hotel Bouffes d'ete.
Thanks to Arlecchino's prior instructions, when Shao Yun arrived at the gate, the guards didn't stop him at all. Instead, they led him straight into the reception room.
At that moment, Arlecchino was seated on the sofa, her long, slender legs crossed elegantly.
She held a freshly brewed cup of black tea in her hands, savoring its fragrance with calm composure.
Seeing Shao Yun enter, she gestured for him to sit.
Then her gaze fell upon the thick stack of documents on the coffee table as she spoke softly, "Here. These are what you wanted. The children put in quite a bit of effort to gather them for you."
Hearing this, Shao Yun casually picked up one of the files.
As he flipped through it, he muttered under his breath, "Much appreciated. But that said… what do you mean by 'the children'?"
Arlecchino gently placed the now-empty teacup on the table beside her. A cool, noble air radiated from her as she explained in a voice like flowing cold spring water:
"Other than the information from the Snezhnaya Adventurers' Guild, most of the key evidence was found by Lyney and Lynette."
Shao Yun paused slightly at her words, then instinctively nodded. "Really? Wow… so that's how it is."
With that, he focused his attention entirely on examining the evidence.
The first thing that caught his eye was irrefutable proof directly confirming that Marcel was, in fact, Vacher—the backup records of his membership in the Snezhnaya Adventurers' Guild.
Next came detailed route maps documenting how the Cabrière Commerce Guild illegally transported Sinthe.
After that were maps clearly marking the precise locations of multiple secret storage warehouses, along with thick stacks of account books.
Yet among all these materials, the most crucial evidence of all lay in the detailed information regarding the families of the victims from the serial missing-girls case.
As Shao Yun carefully reviewed each document, Arlecchino—who had been sitting quietly across from him—suddenly spoke a completely unexpected line.
"As a 'Father,' watching my children work to atone for the mistakes they believe they've made… brings me great satisfaction."
Hearing this, Shao Yun continued reviewing the victims' family files, his expression calm and composed as he asked casually,
"From what I understand, those two don't seem to have committed any serious wrongdoing, do they?"
Seeing him play dumb, Arlecchino laid out the logic plainly.
"You and I both know that Lyney and Lynette took on this task to prove that they harbor no ill intent—only a desire to befriend you and repay you for helping them hire legal defense. That's why they volunteered."
As she finished speaking, Arlecchino raised her hand and lightly pointed toward the ceiling.
"Lyney's room is on the second floor. Room 203."
After a brief pause, she added with a hint of teasing,
"As for Lynette's room… I assume you wouldn't be interested in paying her a visit, would you?"
At this point, Shao Yun figured that since Arlecchino had already spelled things out so clearly, not visiting Lyney would indeed seem rather cold-hearted.
After all, at the end of the day, he was still a minor—and he hadn't harmed Shao Yun's side in any way.
With that in mind, Shao Yun nodded, agreeing to go check on Lyney.
He efficiently gathered all the documents on the table, stood up, and replied to Arlecchino's earlier remark as he did so.
"You're right. I'm not some pervert with weird tastes who barges into little girls' rooms."
…
Shao Yun arrived at Lyney's door and found it slightly ajar.
After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and gently pushed it open.
The room's decor was filled with strong personal flair—undeniably Lyney's style.
Various magic props were scattered everywhere: some hung on the walls, others lay atop tables, and a few were tucked into corners.
On the bed, Lyney lay quietly.
His body was wrapped in layers of bandages—around his arms, his thighs, even his face bore several adhesive bandages.
His head was tightly wrapped in gauze, leaving only his closed eyes and high-bridged nose exposed.
In this state, Lyney looked incredibly fragile—like a wounded porcelain doll.
At his bedside stood Freminet, one of the House of the Hearth trio, carefully tending to him.
Sometimes he gently tucked the blanket around Lyney, and other times he used a towel to softly wipe sweat from Lyney's forehead.
Just then, Freminet heard faint footsteps behind him.
He instinctively turned around, eyes widening in shock.
"Huh? Mr. Shao Yun—"
Before he could finish, Shao Yun swiftly raised his right index finger to his lips and shot him a warning look, whispering, "Shh."
Understanding immediately, Freminet nodded and obediently fell silent.
Shao Yun walked to the bedside, his gaze naturally falling on the sleeping Lyney.
Looking at this usually lively boy—now so weak and battered—Shao Yun felt a complicated mix of emotions rise within him.
Suddenly, without warning, Shao Yun reached out and lightly pinched Lyney's bandaged arm.
Lyney, deep in sleep, was jolted awake by a sharp pain.
"OW—!!"
He screamed as his eyes flew open, his face twisting into an expression of pain and shock.
"So, you're still alive? I thought that was a Sumeru mummy lying there," Shao Yun said impatiently.
"Agh! It hurts, it hurts—!" Lyney cried out.
Shao Yun showed not the slightest hint of sympathy and instead sneered, "Good. Comfort is reserved for the dead."
He folded his arms and coldly observed Lyney's pained expression.
Lyney clenched his teeth, forcing himself to endure the pain as he blinked repeatedly, trying to see clearly who this fierce-looking person was.
Once he recognized Shao Yun, he let out a long sigh and said helplessly,
"Mr. Shao Yun… so it's you…"
Shao Yun looked him up and down and asked, "I heard you and Lynette took on the task of investigating the Cabrière Commerce Guild. Is this how you got all these injuries?"
Lyney struggled to sit up but could only lean weakly against the headboard, nodding faintly.
"Yes… that's right."
In truth, Shao Yun already knew why Lyney and Lynette had taken such a risk—Arlecchino had told him everything.
Still, he deliberately pretended ignorance and pressed on.
"Oh? Then I'd like to hear it—why exactly did you decide to wade into this mess?"
Lyney glanced toward Freminet, as if asking whether he had really said those things a few days ago.
Freminet instantly understood and replied firmly, "Yes, Mr. Shao Yun. Two days ago, he said exactly that to me."
"He said we'd discuss the details after the dive—and he even patted my head."
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