When the unconscious members of the Court of Justice were rescued to the riverbank by the remaining Clockwork Mekas, passersby alerted the Maison Gardiennage. It was then that Fontaine's high-ranking officials received news of the operation's complete failure.
The defeat utterly baffled the nobles. How could they have lost? How was such a thing even possible?
What did those commoners possess?
Not to mention that the Spina di Rosula's main force was mostly occupied protecting civilians evacuated to Poisson, even if they had gone all out, they couldn't possibly have confronted the Court of Justice head-on!
Many nobles seethed with anger, convinced that good-for-nothings like Roggs and others had squandered their overwhelming advantage.
Worse still, they couldn't even report the incident publicly. No one would believe that the impoverished residents of Fleuve Cendre could muster the strength to directly oppose the Court of Justice—it would be an insult to their intelligence!
Moreover, public discontent was already high due to the earlier ground tremors and thunderous explosions beneath Fontaine. Countless disgruntled citizens were lodging complaints, accusing the Court of Justice of overreacting and arguing that deploying so many Clockwork Mekas for such destructive purposes had severely disrupted their lives. This predicament left the nobles unable to voice their bitterness.
Even Furina, who rarely intervened in such matters, was alarmed by the situation and sent envoys to investigate. The nobles could only offer vague reassurances, claiming the matter was under investigation.
Clorinde, however, sensed something amiss. The recent unrest in Fontaine seemed far more complex than it appeared. Though eager to investigate, she found herself tethered to Furina, who remained deeply shaken by the recent heinous incident. Protecting the Hydro Archon remained Clorinde's primary duty.
Meanwhile, the nobles reconvened at Hotel Debord, this time fully resolved to crush the rebellious forces in Fleuve Cendre once and for all.
They couldn't fathom how the insurgents had managed it, but there was no doubt they had descended into mob rule. Unless completely eradicated, they would haunt the nobles' every waking moment, even more so than when they first learned the methods of the serial suicide case perpetrator.
After all, the likelihood of a lone desperate commoner breaching bodyguards and Gardemeks to harm them paled in comparison to the threat posed by tens of thousands gathering to overthrow their rule.
Yet, as they debated how to permanently eliminate the Fleuve Cendre rebels, the butler of one of the Viscounts suddenly burst into the room, knocking frantically on the door.
Though Marquis Relf was deeply displeased by the interruption, he gestured for the Viscount to inquire about the matter with his butler.
Seeing the Marquis's icy expression, the Viscount knew he had incurred his wrath and was certain to have made a poor impression. His chest swelled with fury as he stormed toward his butler.
"Damn you! If this isn't urgent, you'll be fish food!" the Viscount snarled, his voice cold and merciless. His decade-long loyalty meant nothing; the butler shivered under his icy glare, knowing he wasn't joking.
"Viscount! This is urgent—you've been accused of a crime!"
"What?!" The Viscount froze, dumbfounded. He had assumed the issue would involve the Court of Justice, which fell under his authority, never imagining that he himself would be the target of such accusations.
His face twisted in disbelief. "Are you telling the truth? If you're lying, you'll pay dearly!"
"Viscount, I swear on my life, it's absolutely true!"
Seeing the Viscount's disbelief, the butler continued anxiously, "Just moments ago, a common worker seized the opportunity when Chief Justice Neuvillette left Palais Mermonia. He confronted him directly and publicly accused you, Viscount, of corruption, abuse of power, framing the loyal, and oppressing the people."
"The worker claimed to possess irrefutable evidence and swore upon his life to its authenticity."
"Upon hearing this, Neuvillette immediately declared the accusation valid, and the Judgment will commence in two days."
By this point, the Viscount was seething with rage.
"How dare he! Which insolent wretch had the audacity?!"
"This is slander! Pure, unadulterated slander! Damn Neuvillette for believing the words of such rabble!"
"That wretch has signed his own death warrant! How dare he accuse me? I'll make him pay with his life, and his entire family will share his fate!"
The commotion at the Viscount's residence drew the attention of Marquis Relf. Upon learning of the accusations, the Marquis frowned deeply.
"You fool! Even with the Court of Justice at your disposal, you still left yourself vulnerable to such attacks!"
"That's not true, Marquis Relf! I've covered my tracks meticulously. There are hardly any people left who know what I've done," the Viscount stammered, desperate to explain himself after hearing the Marquis's displeasure.
"Unless there's a traitor among my men!" The Viscount shot a cold glare at his butler, suddenly realizing the man knew everything.
The butler panicked, stammering assurances of unwavering loyalty.
"Enough. The damage is done. Let's focus on fixing this," Marquis Relf said, his eyes fixed on the Viscount with undisguised disappointment. The Court of Justice's previous failure, combined with this new accusation, had left him deeply disillusioned with the man.
However, Marquis Relf knew that abandoning the Viscount outright would set a dangerous precedent. The men gathered here were his loyal followers, and such a move might make them wary.
"Fine. Stay out of this. You'll only botch it further."
"I'll have the Marechaussee Hunter handle it. Let's make him the next victim in our serial suicide case."
-
"We won! We actually won!"
This marked their first true confrontation with the Court of Justice, and the victory was immensely significant. It shattered the Court's aura of invincibility in everyone's minds.
But before the celebration could even begin, they realized that one of their greatest heroes was nowhere to be found.
This individual had single-handedly ambushed a small squad from the Court of Justice, nearly wiping them out entirely. It was this bold act that forced the Court's commanders to order all their units to regroup, creating the perfect opportunity for their counterattack.
Without this person's contribution, they might have inflicted heavy casualties, but the disparity in weaponry would have inevitably dragged them into a grueling battle.
It was undeniable: this victory owed everything to this person!
As the wait for their hero stretched on and the victory celebration remained on hold, a growing sense of unease settled over the group. They couldn't shake a bad feeling.
Navia swiftly ordered everyone to split up and begin searching.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was conducting an exclusive interview with an ordinary worker who had fearlessly confronted a corrupt Viscount, publicly accusing him of abuse.