After Yuto handed these two approved documents to Sedna for relay, he went to Neuvillette's office.
Yuto looked at the serious-faced Neuvillette and gently asked:
"Neuvillette, this afternoon Miss Furina and I have a diplomatic meeting with The Fourth Seat. Are you coming?"
Hearing Yuto's question, Neuvillette was first stunned, then shook his head in refusal.
"Sorry, I'm not good at communicating with people outside of Judgment."
Yuto didn't seem surprised by Neuvillette's answer. He just nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked:
"Instead of letting her detect the information about the Vanguard's disappearance, why don't we take the initiative and have non-Palais Mermonia personnel investigate Meropide?"
"Firstly, this can avoid alerting the enemy, and secondly, we can gain the right to speak on a diplomatic level."
Hearing Yuto's words, Neuvillette slightly raised his head and softly asked:
"What do you need me to do?"
"Find someone trustworthy, have him find Lumine, and we'll jointly sign a conviction document for her, asking her to investigate this matter."
...
After Yuto finished instructing Neuvillette to have Lumine personally investigate Meropide, he plunged into the kitchen to begin his preparations for the afternoon.
Although it was a bit strange for an Assistant Administrator to do so, it was part of the plan.
To be honest, Yuto never thought the small cakes sold in limited quantities of sixteen slices daily at Hotel Debord were that delicious.
—If their cakes were better than Yuto's, then Furina wouldn't be eating his small cakes every day.
The dessert skills honed over nearly five hundred years, with just a slight effort, were already at the top level in Fontaine's dessert industry.
Although the nature of this afternoon's meeting meant these desserts wouldn't be eaten, the necessary display still had to be made.
Diplomacy... is never just an activity centered around 'conversation' and 'rhetoric,' but a meticulous task involving all aspects.
Since Yuto intended to gain an advantage over the Fatui in diplomacy, he naturally had to pay attention to many details, including desserts and attire.
With the dessert skills honed over nearly five hundred years, Yuto quickly finished the desserts for today's display,
and then changed into the Law Enforcement Agency uniform, slightly modified by Chiori, to serve as the 'face' for this meeting.
He slightly raised his head, looked at the clock on the wall, and found that there were three minutes left until the agreed meeting time. Then he said to the slightly fearful Miss Furina beside him:
"Furina, we should leave."
"I'm here this time, so you don't have to be afraid of The Knave doing anything to you."
"Although I don't think The Knave is a reckless person who doesn't like to use her brain, but... if she wants to act, I will definitely not stand by and do nothing."
"Just as I said before, I will always stand in front of you, shielding you from open and hidden attacks, as well as rumors."
Hearing this, Miss Furina immediately felt the temperature of her face rising, as if it was about to ignite the next second.
Although she had been with Yuto for nearly five hundred years, this did not mean that Miss Furina had developed any special resistance to some of his straightforward remarks.
In fact, for her, Yuto's statements were the only concept-level existence that could expose her God disguise.
Thinking of this, Miss Furina slightly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried her best to calm herself down.
A moment later, the young woman slightly raised her head, looked at Yuto, who was still smiling gently at her, and softly said:
"The meeting time is almost here, shouldn't we leave?"
"Of course, my God."
...
Arlecchino arrived in the reception room half an hour early.
Although she was The Fourth Seat Executive, possessing power almost comparable to a God, this did not mean she would have any ridiculous 'arrogance' in diplomatic matters.
Moreover, this time... her goal was to retrieve her battle-crazed colleague from Meropide.
To put it nicely, this was respect; to put it bluntly... it was the proper attitude when asking someone for a favor.
She slightly raised her black eyes with blood-red markings, looking at the exquisite macarons and various desserts in front of her, and couldn't help but sigh.
"He truly is an Assistant Administrator proficient in everything..."
Arlecchino thought to herself, while putting the pastries she had originally brought back into her Vision's internal space.
She knew very well that this was the Assistant Administrator's advance preparation.
As if hearing footsteps from outside the door, Arlecchino slightly closed her eyes and elegantly took a sip of black tea.
By the time she opened her eyes again, Yuto and Miss Furina were already seated.
Looking at the two power-holders in front of her, Arlecchino broke the brief silence and spoke first:
"...Although it can indeed be called a diplomatic meeting, I prefer to view our meeting today as an ordinary 'tea party'."
"You must think so too, Mr. Yuto."
Looking at those characteristic black and red eyes, Yuto smiled lightly and nodded.
"Of course, many diplomatic issues can actually be resolved in this way, but... both sides need to be more honest."
Hearing this, Arlecchino nodded without surprise.
"Since the busy Chief Justice has said so... then I can't use those boring diplomatic terms to communicate with the two of you anymore."
"I hope that at today's 'tea party,' Fontaine and Snezhnaya can resolve two issues."
"Firstly, to ascertain the true situation of the Vanguard in Meropide, and secondly, Mr. Yuto's response to some suggestions from Northland Bank."
At this point, Arlecchino paused slightly, then looked at Yuto and said:
"As a diplomatic envoy of Snezhnaya and an Executive of the Fatui, the Vanguard and I have always been colleagues..."
"Should anything happen in Fontaine, we should act as each other's 'Licensed Agent' and come forward to resolve the issue."
"I have no objections to the investigation report jointly issued by Palais Mermonia and Shadowy Court."
"At the same time, I also have no objection to the two charges of 'resisting Law Enforcement' and 'deliberately damaging public property'."
"And now, Northland Bank is willing to pay mora twice the amount of the loss on Fontaine's public property accounts, in exchange for the right to dispose of the Vanguard."
Hearing this, Yuto smiled lightly and shook his head, looking at Arlecchino with a feigned smile and saying:
"You should know very well that Fontaine's law does not have this clause; those who do wrong should be punished, not get off by paying more money."
"Moreover... as a Fontaine native, you should know very well that Meropide is in an 'autonomous' state and is not directly governed by Palais Mermonia, right?"
Yuto's answer and counter-question did not surprise Arlecchino; in fact... she had not expected her request to be met in the first place.
"Then... what if I take a step back?"
"I don't require Fontaine to hand over the Vanguard; I only request to enter Meropide to meet the Vanguard and confirm his specific situation."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Miss Furina, her black and red eyes looking at her with a half-smile, and softly said:
"Surely you can't even fulfill this small request, Miss Furina?"
Hearing the spearhead suddenly turn to herself, Miss Furina was momentarily flustered, then looked at Yuto as if for help, seemingly waiting for him to extricate her.
However, Yuto did not speak, merely smiled at Miss Furina, as if encouraging her to take a step towards overcoming her fear.
Perhaps Yuto's encouragement and his previous reassuring words had an effect, as Miss Furina took a deep breath, trying her best to remain calm and said:
"Didn't my Assistant Administrator just say? Meropide is autonomous, and Palais Mermonia has no right to interfere."
"This means that even diplomatic issues... cannot be a reason for 'innocent people' to enter Meropide."
-------------------------------
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