"Kidnapped?"
"By whom?"
The Melusine Secretary quickly answered Furina's question.
"It seems the Cult of the Dragon was responsible."
"The Cult of the Dragon?"
Hearing the somewhat familiar name, both Furina and Focalors paused for a moment.
They recognized it because they had frequently encountered the group's troublemaking while sifting through their paperwork over the past few days.
Of course, it had all been minor disturbances until now. The organization was deeply dissatisfied with Neuvillette's imprisonment in the Fortress of Meropide and had been trying to use public opinion to secure his release. They never expected the Cult to take such a drastic step.
Still, hearing that the Cult of the Dragon was responsible, Furina and Focalors breathed a small sigh of relief. At least Ron's life probably wasn't in immediate danger.
In fact, Furina and Focalors felt like giving the Cult a thumbs-up.
"Well done!"
Furina, caught up in the excitement, blurted out her thoughts before she could stop herself. The room instantly fell silent.
Facing the astonished gazes of Focalors and the Melusine Secretary, Furina coughed awkwardly.
"No, I mean... we need to find Ron and rescue him as quickly as possible."
"We could take our time rescuing him, too."
Furina whipped her head around, joining the Melusine Secretary in staring at Focalors, whose shocking words made her expression stiffen.
"Ahem, pretend I didn't say that. Let's rescue him quickly."
Can't you be a little less obvious?!
Furina rolled her eyes at Focalors, who shot back a glare that clearly conveyed: You're one to talk!
After another moment of mutual glaring, Furina looked away and excitedly swept all the documents off the table.
Finally, I can take a break from this mind-numbing paperwork. So refreshing!
It's been so long since we've had any good news.
The Cult of the Dragon actually kidnapped Ron. Nice!
If she weren't worried about being too obvious, Furina would have personally awarded the Cult a medal.
"What are the specific details?"
At Furina's question, the Melusine Secretary quickly explained, "Monsieur Ron was abducted on his way home. There were many witnesses."
"As for their demands, it seems they want us to release Monsieur Neuvillette."
"They believe Monsieur Neuvillette is innocent and hold a grudge against Monsieur Ron, who was the one responsible for sending him to the Fortress of Meropide."
"Given Monsieur Ron's high status, they likely kidnapped him to pressure us into agreeing to their terms."
Hearing the Melusine Secretary's analysis, Furina's eyes lit up.
Exactly!
This is a demand I support with every fiber of my being!
What did Neuvillette even do wrong?
Anyone who says he's guilty should be rounded up and arrested!
See? Everyone saw it! It's not that I'm trying to slack off—the criminals are using a hostage to force me to release Neuvillette.
With that thought, Furina's exhaustion vanished. She eagerly declared in a loud voice, "Say no more! The hostage's safety comes first!"
"Immediately notify Wriothesley to release Neuvillette, then hand this entire matter over to him to handle!"
"Also, warn those people from the Cult of the Dragon. A good beating to let Ron vent his anger should be enough. Tell them not to go too far. Otherwise, I'll have every last one of them thrown into the tower."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The Melusine Secretary quickly replied, then hurried out of the room.
However, just as she stepped outside, she suddenly felt that Lady Furina's earlier words seemed... a bit off.
A good beating to let off some steam?
Did Lady Furina misspeak?
-
Before long, news of Ron's kidnapping by the Cult of the Dragon had spread throughout all of Fontaine.
Many celebrated the news, while others worried for his safety.
Still, no one was particularly surprised by this turn of events. After all, Ron had previously accused Neuvillette of several crimes in court. It was only natural that Neuvillette's admirers would hold a grudge against him.
In fact, many felt this retribution had come far too late.
"All evil will eventually be brought to justice... That bastard Ron finally got what he deserved!"
"Justice may be delayed, but it is never denied... I heard the Cult of the Dragon was behind the kidnapping. Does anyone know how to donate to them? I have to support this!"
In the square, people gathered in small groups, holding the latest newspapers and discussing the news of Ron's kidnapping by the Cult of the Dragon.
Of course, with such polarized opinions, verbal clashes were inevitable. Some people vehemently disagreed with the celebratory remarks.
"Don't you dare go too far! Mr. Ron was simply doing what he believed was right. What crime did he commit?"
"I admit, Monsieur Neuvillette's contributions to Fontaine are immeasurable. But wrong is wrong, and those who do wrong must face punishment."
"Should someone be exempt from the law simply because of their high status and great contributions?"
"If that's the case, wouldn't Fontaine's laws become nothing more than a shield for the powerful?"
"Well said!"
This line of reasoning garnered support from many, but the opposing side didn't back down. Instead, they let out a disdainful scoff and launched a fierce counter-argument.
The two factions argued until they were red in the face, looking as if they might come to blows at any moment.
Just then, someone shouted.
"The official response is out!"
"So soon?!"
At these words, both sides immediately abandoned their quarrel and rushed to check the latest official announcement.
When people saw the announcement of Neuvillette's acquittal, everyone—supporters and detractors alike—felt a complex mix of emotions.
After all, Neuvillette's guilt had been determined by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. To have the verdict overturned so easily made the whole affair feel like a farce. Even with the kidnapping incident as a factor, the decision seemed far too hasty.
"I thought Lady Furina was handling government affairs now, wasn't she?"
"Lady Furina? Well, that explains it."
Furina, who had used the pretext of rescuing Ron to sneak out for some fresh air, overheard the discussion and gritted her teeth in frustration.
I'm already trying my best, okay?! But I'm just not cut out for this! What am I supposed to do?!
Still, Furina pondered for a moment and realized she might have overlooked some details. She turned to Focalors, who was also slacking off nearby.
"Focalors, did I make a mistake?"
Hearing Furina's question, Focalors smiled.
"Don't worry. I've already arranged for the Fortress of Meropide to announce that Neuvillette refuses to accept the overturned verdict."
"This will uphold the impartiality of the law and buy us more time."
Hearing Focalors's explanation, Furina finally relaxed.
"But... is there really no chance Neuvillette can leave the Fortress of Meropide?"
"Of course not. After all, Neuvillette is the Chief Justice." Focalors shook her head. "His commitment to justice surpasses even yours and mine."
Of course, this was just a lie to placate Furina. In reality, Neuvillette had likely already left Fontaine, so his agreement or disagreement was irrelevant.
"Alright, then. Let's find Ron first and try to stall for as long as possible."
Focalors nodded in agreement with Furina's suggestion.
As for their official duties? They weren't worried. There were plenty of capable people to handle the work for them—and do a much better job, too. Once they found Ron and ensured his safety, they could drag this out for as long as they wanted.
Just as planned!
With renewed excitement, the two headed to the Maison Gardiennage to gather clues. However, the situation proved far more difficult than they had imagined.
When they heard that the Gardes had found absolutely no leads, they froze in stunned silence.
"Wait, why are they so professional?"
"Uh... maybe it's because the Cult of the Dragon has a lot of law enforcement personnel in its ranks."
Hearing this, Furina and Focalors were both stunned speechless.
After further investigation, they finally grasped the true gravity of the situation. Ordinary citizens made up only a small fraction of the Cult of the Dragon's members. The vast majority were law enforcement and legal professionals, including even two Justice candidates.
Damn! Knowingly breaking the law is a far greater crime!
This is bad. Really, really bad!
But then, a thought struck them, and it all made sense. Neuvillette was the Chief Justice; naturally, those who admired him most would be people connected to his work. It wasn't so strange after all.
"The Cult members have been hiding their true identities, using ordinary people as shields while they operate in the shadows. That's why we were so slow to realize the truth."
"My Ladies, this internal failure is the Maison Gardiennage's undeniable responsibility. Please give us some time. We swear we will provide an explanation to you and to the people of Fontaine!"
"And we will do our utmost to rescue Mr. Ron."
Seeing his sincere attitude, Furina and Focalors couldn't bring themselves to reprimand him further. They dismissed him for now.
Once he had left, only Furina and Focalors remained in the room, their faces etched with worry.
Furina looked at Focalors, her voice laced with concern. "Focalors, I feel like this is something Neuvillette should handle."
A deep unease settled in Furina's heart. Her first instinct was to turn to the seemingly invincible Neuvillette to resolve the matter.
"Since they respect Neuvillette so much, I'm sure this can be resolved peacefully if he just says the word."
"If only it were that simple."
A bitter smile touched Focalors's lips. She knew better than anyone that having Neuvillette step in was the best option.
But Neuvillette was most likely in Sumeru right now. How could she possibly call him back?
Moreover, she couldn't let Furina know about this. Since Neuvillette hadn't told Furina himself, Focalors felt it wasn't her place to reveal the information, even though she was aware of it.
"Forget it. I'll give it a try."
Focalors sighed, deciding to go to the Fortress of Meropide to look for Neuvillette. He might not have left Fontaine yet, though the chances were slim.
"But we should prepare ourselves. I suspect we'll have to rely on ourselves this time."
The thought that Neuvillette was likely not in Fontaine made Focalors's heart pound with anxiety.
In the past, Fontaine had been guarded by the invincible Neuvillette, and she herself had possessed Archon-level power. Even then, Fontaine had faced a crisis so severe it was nearly overthrown, culminating in all Fontainians being dissolved by the Primordial Sea.
Now, Neuvillette was probably gone, and she had lost her Archon-level strength. If this suddenly emerged Cult of the Dragon turned out to be connected to that faction... it would be disastrous.
Fontaine couldn't endure any more.
The thought that Fontaine's hard-won peace might be shattered again made Focalors's heart clench with tension.
No, I absolutely cannot let that happen!
Focalors's gaze hardened with renewed determination.
"Furina, I'll contact Neuvillette."
"I'll also contact the Marechaussee Phantoms. The Melusines' special vision might uncover some clues."
"You go find Navia. The Spina di Rosula is well-known among the populace and has its own independent intelligence-gathering network. We might discover something through their channels."
"As for Lyney and Lynette... let's not inform them for now. Their Fatui identities are too sensitive, and the matters they're involved in are significant. We'll wait for Neuvillette to make the decision on this."
Focalors quickly laid out the plan, considering every detail. She even guessed that Vinani was likely investigating Ron's whereabouts alone, given their close relationship. In this moment, she finally resembled the Hydro Archon she once was.
After listening to Focalors, Furina nodded seriously, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"No problem. Is there anything else we need to do?"
Focalors gently shook her head in response to Furina's question.
"That's all for now. Let's hurry."
"We must ensure Ron's safety immediately. Since many members of the Cult of the Dragon are public officials, they are fully aware of their actions."
"People like that are the most difficult to handle because they know precisely what they want to achieve."
"If the final outcome deviates significantly from their expectations, they might resort to irrational actions."
"What? Then we need to hurry, Focalors!"
Furina grew anxious. Although she was still upset that Ron had tricked her, she couldn't just stand by and watch him get hurt.
Without another word, Furina rushed out of the room, heading to the Spina di Rosula to gather intelligence.
Watching Furina's retreating figure, Focalors sighed deeply, hoping this incident wasn't connected to that organization.
She had to leave as well.
During Neuvillette's absence from Fontaine, she absolutely could not let the nation lose its hard-won peace.
Focalors abruptly stood up and slowly walked out of the room...