After bringing back the Maison Gardiennage officer, Neuvillette instructed the group, who had been resting, to take a headcount. They confirmed that a total of seven individuals had tragically fallen victim to the attacker.
The seven corpses were laid out in a row and covered with white cloths, leaving the group deeply shaken.
As they reminisced about the victims, faint memories surfaced of their quiet, diligent natures—individuals who rarely socialized and dedicated themselves to their work.
Once overlooked as mere background figures, these individuals would now forever remain etched in everyone's hearts in such a tragic way.
"They must have fought the murderer to their last breath..." a Melusine said, her voice trembling with tears. Sadly, they had all been unconscious and hadn't witnessed the victims' final, valiant stand.
A suppressed flame burned in many hearts, threatening to erupt at any moment.
The group sent to rescue the other survivor was also found. They had been fleeing the murderer's pursuit when the attacker, seemingly sensing Neuvillette's return, abandoned the chase and fled.
According to the survivors' accounts, the murderer was covered in blood at the time. Initially, they assumed it was all their companions' blood, but upon closer analysis, they realized the attacker must have been severely wounded, which explained why they didn't pursue them further.
When the survivors saw their companions' corpses, their eyes instantly turned red with grief and regret.
They bitterly regretted not seizing the perfect opportunity to confront the heavily wounded murderer, thinking they might have avenged their comrades right then and there.
But at the time, their priority had been rescuing the others. If they had stopped to fight the murderer, there would have been no chance of saving anyone.
A flicker of self-reproach crossed Neuvillette's eyes. If he had not merely wounded the attacker before leaving, but had instead restrained him, this tragedy might never have occurred, and they would have captured one of the masterminds.
The attacker had identified himself as "No. 6." The previous operative had mentioned "Lord No. 2" and their ability to wield Elemental Power without a Vision. This organization's scale was terrifyingly vast!
One detail stood out: the attacker who ambushed Navia's group had wielded five elemental powers, while this one only wielded three. It seemed this method of wielding Elemental Power wasn't without its limitations.
Neuvillette knew of only one method to wield Elemental Power without a Vision: the Fatui's Delusions. Yet even Delusions couldn't allow simultaneous use of so many elements.
Could this individual's name hold some significance...?
As Neuvillette pondered, a Melusine suddenly rushed forward, her face beaming with joy, and exclaimed, "Monsieur Neuvillette, they're safe! We rescued them both!"
Neuvillette paused, then felt a surge of relief.
Then he saw Lyney and his companions approaching. Lynette was cradling a Melusine who appeared to be sound asleep. Neuvillette immediately went to greet them.
Lyney and his group had initially believed they had thwarted the enemy's scheme, but arriving at the scene revealed the situation to be far more complex than they'd imagined. Their expressions instantly darkened.
"Thank you all for your intervention," Neuvillette said sincerely. "Thank you for saving this child."
"Monsieur Neuvillette, what exactly happened here?" Navia asked, her eyes scanning the battle-scarred surroundings, her expression growing more grave. "Could it be the same assailant who attacked my team before?"
"No, it was someone else."
Neuvillette's words immediately cast a pall over the group.
"He called himself 'No. 6,' while the one who fought you was likely 'No. 2.'"
This revelation sent another shockwave through the group. Even under the most optimistic scenario, the enemy organization likely had at least six combatants of similar caliber.
The group quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. Lyney, having witnessed Navia's current strength firsthand, realized he might be slightly inferior to her. Yet No. 2 had held his own against her in combat.
"And who is this?"
Neuvillette first instructed his men to carry the sleeping Vinani aside for a medical examination. Afterward, he noticed an unfamiliar face among Lyney's group.
"This is Miss Kelly. She was instrumental in helping us rescue Miss Vinani," Lyney immediately introduced the young girl behind him, sensing Neuvillette's questioning gaze.
"Greetings, Monsieur Neuvillette," the girl said with a smile, curtsying politely as she held the hem of her skirt.
"I can provide you with extensive intelligence about that organization. In a way, I belong to the same category of people as them."
The young girl then began to recount her encounter with Lyney and the others at a measured pace...
-
Early this morning, the streets were nearly deserted as Charlotte hurried through them.
Days of fruitless investigation had weighed heavily on the group's spirits. Today was the day Neuvillette was scheduled to meet with the mysterious organization, and Charlotte decided to take one last chance.
If she spotted a young girl who matched the Murderer's target profile, she would approach her, subtly reveal key pieces of information, and observe her reaction.
It was a desperate measure. The Fatui had been spreading intel for weeks, yet Lyney had yet to report any progress. It seemed their efforts had yielded nothing.
The early hour of her interviews, combined with the sensitive nature of her questions, led many to believe Charlotte was cursing them to become the Murderer's next target. They hurled curses and insults at her, but she merely smiled placidly, soothing their anger without being shaken.
As time passed, although no new victims had appeared in Poisson, Charlotte's unease grew. She had a premonition that this exchange was far from over.
Realizing that continuing to rely on luck would yield no results, Charlotte decided to check in with Navia, as their agreed-upon meeting time was rapidly approaching.
"I should go ask Navia if she's found any unusual traces near Poisson," Charlotte muttered to herself, changing her course.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Charlotte?"
Hearing the greeting behind her, Charlotte lowered her raised foot and turned around.
The woman standing there appeared to be in her early twenties, strikingly beautiful, wearing a pale blue dress that exuded an air of intelligence.
At first glance, Charlotte found her gaze involuntarily drawn to the woman's captivating presence.
"That's me. How can I help you?" Charlotte replied.
The young woman smiled, a radiant smile so captivating that even Charlotte, a woman herself, couldn't help but be drawn in.
"I just wanted to ask you something."
"How does Miss Charlotte know about the Homeland?"
The young girl's words instantly snapped Charlotte out of her reverie. An irrepressible surge of excitement flooded her face.
"Are you one of them too?"
The girl remained silent, tacitly confirming Charlotte's inquiry.
After so long, Charlotte had finally made contact with a key figure. How could she not be overjoyed? She immediately began explaining.
"One of your members told me about it."
"Then he's currently..."
Hearing the girl's question, the smile gradually faded from Charlotte's face, replaced by a wistful expression. After a moment, she slowly replied:
"He seems to have returned to the Homeland."
"What exactly is the Homeland?"
Under Charlotte's probing gaze, the girl simply smiled faintly.
"I'm sorry, Miss Charlotte, but this information is our most fundamental secret. I must respectfully decline to elaborate."
"However, I can offer assistance on other matters, to you or your group."
"I've been observing you for several days now, and only today did I decide to make contact."
"As for why I haven't observed the others, it's primarily because I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't be discovered by them."
Charlotte's expression turned somewhat awkward at the young girl's words. Was she implying that Charlotte was the weakest among them?
Even if it's true, you don't have to point it out, Charlotte thought. As a somewhat renowned journalist, I still have my pride.
Still, the fact that this girl had managed to track her, a Vision user, immediately earned her a "handle with caution" label in Charlotte's mind.
"Oh, I don't think I've introduced myself yet," the young girl said. "My name is Kelly. I hope we can get along well from now on."
Kelly extended her hand, and Charlotte reciprocated the gesture.
Soon after, having received Charlotte's message, Navia arrived with Melus and Silver on one side, while the siblings Lyney and Lynette gathered at the agreed-upon meeting place.
"Let me introduce you all," Charlotte announced. "This is Miss Kelly. She's decided to help us."
Hearing Charlotte's words, the group immediately warmed to the young girl, greeting her warmly.
"I suppose I don't need to introduce them, right? You must have done some research already," Charlotte said.
Kelly nodded with a smile.
"Indeed, I have a basic understanding of each of you," she replied. "Though I must admit, I didn't expect Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette to be Fatui operatives."
"Miss Kelly, please rest assured," Navia said, defending Lyney and Lynette. "We've cooperated with them several times before. While the Fatui's reputation isn't the best, at least Lyney and Lynette are genuinely our friends."
Melus and Silver echoed Navia's sentiments, nodding in agreement.
"Of course I wouldn't mind," the young girl replied. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have revealed myself to meet with you."
"Regarding your recent inquiries, I believe I can provide some answers."
The young girl waved her hand dismissively and continued, "Miss Kelly, were the recent victims all similar to you?"
Lyney asked directly, "Forgive me for the urgency, and please pardon any offense."
The others turned their attention to the young girl, eager for her response.
"Your deduction is correct, Mr. Lyney."
"I'm quite surprised you were able to deduce this much from such meager clues."
Lyney's heart leaped with satisfaction. He had been on the right track all along.
"You're all familiar with the serial suicide case from a while back, right?"
The young girl's next words startled everyone present, and their expressions turned strange.
Of course we know! They knew far too well.
Seeing their reactions, the girl already knew the answer and continued.
"Some of us who've regained our memories have accepted our past lives and chosen to return to the Homeland by shedding our physical bodies. The victims of the serial suicide case were such individuals."
"As for why they made such a spectacle of it all, I suspect they wanted to do something sensational in the final moments of their otherwise uneventful lives."
The girl smiled faintly.
The others present knew the true reason, but none of them corrected her. That incident had become their deepest, darkest secret.
"Now, the recent victims are all individuals who refuse to abandon their physical bodies, who refuse to return to the Homeland, and who desperately want to maintain their ordinary lives."
"The ones targeting them—the Murderer you're searching for—their goal seems to be eliminating everyone in this world who refuses to return to the Homeland. Whether they have ulterior motives beyond this, I can't say for sure."
Lyney's earlier deductions were largely confirmed by the young girl's testimony. He then pressed her for more information.
"Miss Kelly, do you know how the murderer dissolved the victims?"
"And how did you and your companions verify each other's identities?"
The young girl frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
"I'm not entirely sure about their methods, but I can answer how we recognized each other. We were originally part of a collective consciousness. All of us are individual fragments that split off from this shared mind. Once we recovered our past memories, we could sense each other's presence."
"Of course, this sense requires a certain distance to function."
The young girl's explanation cleared up another major mystery for the group, but the murderer's modus operandi remained unknown.
"Miss Kelly, how much do you know about the Prophecy of Fontaine?"
After a moment's hesitation, Lyney finally asked the question that weighed most heavily on his mind.
"I do have some information on that matter."
"But are we really going to waste more time here?"
"My investigation reveals that the other party has no intention of negotiating in good faith with Neuvillette this time, as the two hostages were sent in separate directions."
The young girl shook her head gently.
"Although their primary targets are those of us unwilling to return to the 'Homeland,' they won't hesitate to harm innocent bystanders if their plans are thwarted."
"I think we should check on the situation immediately."
Upon hearing her warning, the group's expressions darkened, and they exchanged nods.
"Miss Kelly, do you know where the hostages were taken?"
"Follow me. I'll lead the way..."
-
SpyNote: Apparently the author caught covid at this point.