Fenrico Macbeth.
He was the current Primus of the Order of the Deep. From the very day he had seized the reins of power, he had shrouded this city beneath an iron fist that brooked no dissent.
In his hands, the Order was no longer merely a beacon of faith. It had become a silent, overarching yardstick of law suspended above every person's head.
In the past, the pilgrim ships that sailed to and from the sea had still borne the weight of piety and prayer.
But ever since Fenrico had taken the throne, deep within the holds of those vessels, the clanking of chains and commandments had gradually begun to echo more and more.
Had it not been for House Montelli time and again pushing back against that invisible hand amidst the dark tides, the Ragunna of today would likely have long since sunk into the abyss, stifled and lifeless.
"…Primus Fenrico?" Cantarella inquired, her expression unreadable. "Why has he ordered this area to be sealed off?"
The clergyman's posture remained perfectly deferential, but his answer was utterly watertight. "The reasons for this, I am not yet privy to. The Primus, as the Sentinel's appointed steward in the mortal realm, acts always with profound purpose. We who serve the Sentinel need only follow his decrees and attend to our duties with the utmost diligence."
Cantarella pressed her lips tightly together, knowing full well that pressing further would be futile. She gave Ray an almost imperceptible shake of her head and gestured for them to turn back.
"Why would the Order suddenly issue an order to seal off this place?" Ray was deeply puzzled. "Has the Order ever taken such action before?"
Cantarella shook her head. "Never."
"Then why are they suddenly blockading this area today?"
"Who knows?" Cantarella mused in silence for a moment, then suddenly looked up. "You mentioned earlier that the theft of the stone tablet was connected to the Fractsidus?"
"Yes. The Order logically shouldn't know about this matter. It's just…" Ray paused, his voice trailing off.
"Just what?"
Ray hesitated briefly before continuing. "The truth is, Phoebe also knows about the stone tablet."
"Yes, I'm aware. You've told me about that before." Cantarella fell silent for a moment, then pressed, "Could it be… you suspect Phoebe?"
"Impossible." Ray was resolute. "I know better than anyone what kind of person Phoebe is. Since she promised to keep it secret, she would never willingly reveal it. It's just… she's so pure-hearted. I'm afraid she might have let something slip without meaning to."
He shook his head again, dismissing his own thought.
"No, that doesn't make sense either. I saw Phoebe just before coming here. If she had truly let slip anything about Cartethyia, knowing how the Order operates, there's no way they would have allowed her to move freely. Her involvement… can be ruled out."
"Then the only remaining possibility is—"
Their gazes met briefly in the dim light, and both uttered the name at the same time.
"The Fractsidus."
The very moment the tablet was stolen, the Order had dispatched men to seal off the ruins of the old seminary.
If something like this had happened before, it could still be dismissed as coincidence or happenstance.
But now…
How could it possibly be such a coincidence?
The answer, then, was all too clear.
Cantarella's fingertips silently curled inward, her knuckles turning faintly white. In the end, they tapped lightly against the metal handrail of the funicular. The faint, almost inaudible sound seemed to shatter some final, lingering hope.
"…I truly never imagined," her voice was low, yet every word was steeped in cold fury, "that the Order would have fallen so far as to collude with the Fractsidus."
She had long known that the present Order of the Deep had long since betrayed its original creed and vows. But she had never expected that this betrayal would be so absolute, so utterly undisguised.
She had once believed Fenrico Macbeth to be nothing more than a madman drunk on power. Now, it seemed she had been far too naive.
Fenrico Macbeth…
Was a lucid, clear-headed madman, through and through.
Ray pressed his lips tightly together. A heavy silence filled the carriage.
After a moment, he raised his hand. A halo of light swirled and coalesced from within his tacet mark, ultimately taking shape in his palm as that ancient, sacred longsword.
The Divine Sword—Tyrvine.
"Though I'm not sure exactly what kind of deal the Order and the Fractsidus have struck… at the very least, the key to that world is still in our hands."
"Be that as it may, the longer we delay, the more variables will arise." Cantarella sighed softly. "I'm afraid we have no choice but to stop here for today."
Ray closed his eyes. In the end, all he could do was let out a helpless sigh of his own.
He had thought that today, at long last, he would finally be able to meet Cartethyia face to face. He never imagined—
That the Order and the Fractsidus would move even faster and more ruthlessly than he had anticipated.
...
...
They returned to Porto-veno Castle and made their way back to Cantarella's private chambers.
The pot of black tea from before had long since gone ice cold, so she brewed a fresh pot of hot tea. "Would you like a sugar cube?"
"No need." Ray's voice was steeped in exhaustion. He accepted the warm teacup and let the faint, sweet bitterness slide down his throat, gradually calling back some small measure of his scattered energy.
Cantarella seemed to read the worry in his heart and offered words of comfort. "Don't fret. The ruins have been there for twenty years, and I've never seen anyone manage to enter. Besides, with Tyrvine in your possession, even if the Fractsidus wants to get inside, they won't be able to do so in a short time."
"I know." Ray closed his eyes and sighed, sinking deep into the back of the chair. His gaze drifted toward the boundless night sky in the distance. "It's just… I suddenly feel a little tired."
"Tired?" Cantarella gently took his hand where it rested on the armrest, her fingertips cool and soothing. "Then would you like to stay here and rest for the night?"
"I'd better not." Ray shook his head. "I need to go back and explain the situation to the Young Miss. I've already caused her enough trouble today. If I don't show my face, she really will be furious."
The words had barely left his mouth when Cantarella's lips pursed into a faint pout.
She leaned in closer, cupping his face in both hands.
"And after all I've done for you… do I not deserve some token of appreciation?"
"Uh…"
"Don't worry." She drew closer still, their noses nearly touching. Starlight rippled within those wisteria-violet eyes. "As for what comes next… let that friend who came with you relay the message. You've been exhausted enough tonight…"
Her lips hovered right beside the shell of his ear, her whisper soft as silk. "Here… just leave your body and your thoughts to me."
"Tonight, all you need is a good rest."
"I promise… I won't touch you."
The moment that last syllable fell, Ray suddenly caught a whiff of an incredibly faint fragrance, as if moonlight and sandalwood had been blended together.
Then, like the tide, drowsiness surged over the embankment of his consciousness
He didn't even have time to respond before he sank into a deep, bottomless slumber.
Cantarella gazed at his sleeping profile, the corner of her lips curving into a sly, cunning arc.
"Truly… adorable."
She licked the corner of her lips, her fingertip brushing against her own faintly flushed cheek.
"Mm, I did promise not to touch you tonight."
"But when morning comes… I'll give you a little surprise you never expected."
Her words melted into the night. Only a wisp of triumphant laughter remained, quietly swaying along with the fading starlight outside the window.
...
...
"Y-Young Miss… I really, truly have no idea where he is right now."
In the guest lounge, Zani was reporting to Carlotta through the communicator with an expression of utter despair.
"Cantarella only agreed to see him alone. I… I've been waiting in the lounge the whole time."
"What they talked about, how it went, I'm completely in the dark."
There was a beat of silence from the other end of the line, and then Carlotta's voice practically exploded through.
"What?! He and that… that jellyfish have been alone together for how long now?!"
"How long?" Zanni glanced at the antique clock on the wall. "About… four or five hours, I'd say."
"Four or five hours?!" Carlotta's voice shot up sharply. Zani could almost picture the corner of her mouth twitching on the other end. "In that much time, that jellyfish has probably already been filled to the brim by now!"
Zani tugged helplessly at the corner of her own mouth. "S-surely it couldn't be that bad? They're discussing serious matters, how could they possibly…"
"You don't understand, Zani!" Carlotta's voice was practically squeezed through gritted teeth, carrying an irrepressible agitation and an all-too-familiar sense of looming crisis.
"That jellyfish… she's nothing like the prim and proper image she shows on the surface! She's capable of absolutely anything!"