Wriothesley agreed, posing three questions. If Lumine answered them all correctly, he would spare Lynette and her companions.
The first question concerned the hidden rule Lumine and her companions had investigated earlier: working continuously for three days would grant them a strange luncheon meat at noon on the third day.
Initially, they had assumed this was some terrifying rule. In reality, it stemmed from Head Nurse Sigewinne's kindness.
She frequently observed inmates working in the Production Zone, using her keen eyes to assess their physical condition. When she noticed someone's health deteriorating, she would personally prepare a nutritious meal for them at the Coupon Cafeteria.
Because Melusines perceive things differently, the strange meal appeared normal to them.
Sigewinne's half-hour absence from the medical room before each lunch was also for this reason.
The first question was answered, and the deduction proved correct.
The second question involved the secret rule of the Underground Fighting Ring: if one bet on both fighters to win simultaneously, they would receive a strange bottle filled with red liquid the following morning.
This rule stemmed from the Fonta Company's sponsorship of the fighting ring. When the company's promoter approached Wriothesley, he dismissed the idea, believing that only fools ignorant of the true value of Credit Coupons would engage in such bets.
Those who bought fighters on both sides perfectly fit the definition of a fool.
Lumine correctly answered the second question. Wriothesley then posed the third:
What secrets are hidden within the medical ward?
Lumine and her companions hadn't gathered enough clues to answer this question at all.
Lumine grew displeased, feeling that Wriothesley was merely toying with her.
Lyney, convinced Wriothesley had no intention of releasing Lynette and Freminet, charged forward recklessly. At the critical moment, Sigewinne injected him with an anesthetic dart at the nape of his neck.
Sigewinne was still complaining about Wriothesley's cryptic way of speaking when Clorinde burst into his office, carrying Freminet over her shoulder.
Clorinde set Freminet down, and Lyney, still groggy, struggled over to his side.
Sigewinne remarked that Freminet's condition resembled symptoms of Primordial Sea water intoxication. But how could Freminet, who lived in the sea, have consumed too much of the water?
Could it be...?
Wriothesley sighed in resignation, abandoning his pretense. He ordered both Lynette and Freminet to be packaged and sent to the medical ward.
In the end, only Lumine, Paimon, and Chu Xi remained behind.
Lumine inquired about the Forbidden Zone. After a moment's thought, Wriothesley decided to abandon his secrecy.
The Underwater Defense Line had reached its breaking point and would inevitably be exposed sooner or later. There was no point in maintaining the pretense any longer.
Wriothesley led Lumine and her companions to the deepest level of his office, unlocking three successive gates until they stood before a massive sluice gate.
"This is..."
"The Forbidden Zone you've been so eager to learn about."
Wriothesley approached the gate and pointed to the gauge above it. "Since I took charge of the Fortress of Meropide, the needle on this gauge hasn't moved at all. But in the past year, it has begun to subtly rotate, likely indicating a minute shift in some underlying parameter."
"Normally, this would have been overlooked. However, I had some spare time back then, so I decided to investigate. What do you think it measures?"
Lumine: "Pressure."
Wriothesley: "Hmm, a logical guess. I considered that as well. But it's not so straightforward. Temperature fluctuates with the climate, making water pressure a more plausible candidate. We conducted external experiments, attempting to increase the pressure, but the gauge remained unaffected."
"Later, I considered other possibilities related to the Primordial Sea. Based on this hypothesis, I began making preparations."
"Over the past two days, the indicator has moved again. Combined with the diver's symptoms upon returning, I'm now certain that this index represents the concentration of Primordial Sea water."
Paimon: "Concentration?! But we're underwater..."
Wriothesley: "That's precisely the problem. We're underwater, yet the seawater is subtly changing, mixing with Primordial Sea water, and the concentration is steadily increasing."
Lumine: "...Primordial Sea water is constantly seeping into the seawater?"
Wriothesley: "Yes, that's highly likely."
Paimon: "But even Neuvillette and the others don't know where the Primordial Sea is. Where is this Primordial Sea water even coming from...? Ah!"
As she spoke, Paimon suddenly realized something.
Wriothesley: "You seem to understand. Correct. I believe the Primordial Sea lies beneath this Gate. For some reason, the Primordial Sea water behind the Gate has begun rising dramatically, drawing dangerously close to us..."
-
Fontaine, Palais Mermonia.
Time was running out. Fidelle needed to find a reason to leave Fontaine and head to Poisson.
She went to Furina's room, knocked on the door, and waited a long time without getting an answer.
Assuming Furina was asleep, Fidelle spoke briefly to the guard stationed nearby, left a note, and departed.
Over an hour later, Furina emerged from her room, rubbing her temples, looking utterly exhausted.
The nearby guard immediately approached her. "Lady Furina, Lady Fidelle came to see you earlier. Since you were asleep, she left this note for me to deliver to you."
"Oh? A note from Fidelle?"
Furina frowned slightly. What could be so important that she needed to leave a note instead of speaking to me in person?
Furina opened the note and read:
Lady Furina, I've made a new discovery regarding the "Prophecy." I need to investigate immediately. Please forgive me for not saying goodbye in person. I'll be back within three days at most. There are three small cakes in the kitchen—Lady Furina, please finish them within two days, or they'll spoil...
Wait for my return!
"News about the Prophecy?"
Furina had subtly hinted to Fidelle to investigate the Prophecy, a request Fidelle had taken to heart.
Now that a promising lead had emerged, it was understandable why Fidelle was in such a hurry, even neglecting to explain the situation in person.
Three days... that's not too long to wait. Fidelle has never lied to me. Maybe she'll be back in two days, or even just one?
As Furina pondered this, she made her way to the kitchen where Fidelle had prepared the cakes.
She was exhausted and desperately needed to replenish her energy. Fidelle's small cakes were the perfect choice.
Hmm, three small cakes...
Since Fidelle's not here, can I eat a bit extra?
Hehehe...
-
Fortress of Meropide.
Guided by Wriothesley, Lumine, Paimon, and Chu Xi were shown the colossal ship he was constructing. The real-life ship dwarfed its in-game counterpart, now submerged at the bottom of the sea.
Wriothesley shared all the details with Lumine, leaving it to her discretion whether to inform Lyney and the others.
Lumine believed Lyney and the others were actively seeking ways to save Fontaine. Sharing this intelligence would allow the Fatui to prepare sooner, greatly aiding the people of Fontaine in confronting the Prophecy.
Upon returning to the infirmary, Lumine relayed all the information she had learned from Wriothesley to Lyney and the others.
Freminet had already regained consciousness. The three were arguing in the infirmary about whose fault their current predicament was.
Each insisted it was their own fault until Lynette finally declared that they all shared responsibility, putting an end to their blame game.