Thanks to Emperor, Felix secured a VIP seat. Since all tickets were free, VIP seating was especially sought after and had to be claimed quickly.
Although Mostima had Felix's tacit approval, she had been advised not to approach them rashly before Cronin's operation was complete.
On the surface, the Obsidian Festival was in full swing, lively and radiant. Yet in the shadows, the Volcano was under discreet surveillance. Several inconspicuous entrances were being monitored to ensure that no residents other than miners accidentally wandered into the volcano.
Mostima, licking an ice cream beside Felix, paused briefly and glanced toward the volcano.
"What's wrong?" Felix asked.
"My drone noticed someone approaching the volcano," Mostima replied. "An ordinary resident. Their purpose is clear. They're trying to climb the mountain path."
"Alright."
Felix nodded. Mostima took out her lock and key, and in the blink of an eye, her figure vanished into the crowd.
Felix looked away, still feeling a lingering warmth on his lips, and couldn't help but smile. Before leaving, Mostima had playfully stolen a kiss, very much in line with her usual style.
At the foot of the mountain, far from Siesta's bustling city center, only a few streetlights cast their faint glow.
Under the dim light stood a figure with an anxious expression.
The girl hurried toward the volcano, a schoolbag slung over her shoulders, making her look like a student.
Just as she was about to crawl through the barbed-wire fence, she was stopped before she could even bend down.
"It's very dangerous to be here at this hour, miss."
Startled, the girl nearly jumped out of her skin and quickly turned around.
Seeing that it was an unfamiliar Sankta woman, she secretly let out a sigh of relief. This was clearly not a government official, and it was their first meeting.
"Who are you?" the girl asked warily.
"Just a tourist," Mostima replied casually. "And you?"
Her tone was relaxed, almost teasing rather than confrontational. "Thinking of sneaking into the volcano to collect obsidian?"
"No," the girl answered seriously. "I just want to see what's happening inside the volcano. The temperature changes have been too drastic. Something must have happened."
Mostima nodded and gestured for her to go on.
Seeing that the Sankta woman showed no hostility and made no move to stop her, the girl slipped through a gap in the barbed wire and entered the forest at the foot of the volcano.
She followed the path through the trees, and five minutes later, her desperate cries echoed through the forest.
"Come on, they're just a few bugs! I can handle them right here!"
"Damn it, my skirt is caught…"
"Sister Sankta, help me! Why are there so many Originium slugs gathered here?!"
Mostima sighed helplessly. A white light flashed from her staff, and when she reappeared, she was holding the girl in her arms like a princess. The girl was still trembling, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, and the hem of her dress was badly torn.
"…Never mind," Mostima muttered. "We'll talk about this when we get back."
The two figures vanished swiftly from the foot of the mountain.
Mostima brought the girl back to the villa. Felix's residence was unusually quiet at the moment, as he and the other guests were still enjoying the Obsidian Festival. She escorted the girl to a room and helped her settle down.
"Thank you for saving me," the girl said softly. She had calmed down considerably, her voice now composed and refined, betraying a good upbringing. "My name is Ceylon Doykos. I graduated from Victoria National University, majoring in Originium research. I'm also the daughter of this city's mayor."
"Herman Doykos is your father?" Mostima rested her chin on her hand, letting out a small sound of realization. She had never met him personally, but Felix had mentioned him before, an ambitious mayor who worked tirelessly for Siesta's livelihood.
"And the reason you went out so late must be related to your field of study, right?"
"Yes." Ceylon accepted the teacup Mostima offered and thanked her politely. "I grew up in this city. If the Originium slugs were truly that dangerous, my father would have taken action long ago." She paused before continuing, "Since the day before yesterday, I've been observing data showing that Siesta's summer temperatures are unusually high. Perhaps the climate changes are what caused the Originium slugs to become agitated…"
As Ceylon spoke, she sank deeper into thought. "…Perhaps it's because of the volcano. The extreme heat caused by volcanic activity may have forced the Originium slugs to relocate their habitat."
Hearing this, Mostima couldn't help but feel a growing sense of approval toward Ceylon. Earlier that afternoon, she, Angelina, and Eyjafjalla had conducted a close-range observation. While they hadn't gone so far as to claim the volcano was on the verge of erupting, the truth was that all three had only ever encountered such disasters in textbooks and had never personally experienced a volcanic eruption. Still, they had all sensed that the volcano's activity and rising temperatures were abnormal. It was very possible, just as Ceylon suggested, that the volcano was approaching an eruption.
"Very few people know the volcano's true condition. It's usually handled by city hall and the relevant agencies," Ceylon continued. "But to ensure the safety of the citizens, I need to find people with professional experience in this field."
She looked up at Mostima, her expression earnest. "Could you help me? As the mayor's daughter, I can't promise much, but I'll give everything I can. Siesta is the city that gave birth to me and raised me. I don't want it to become a breeding ground for Originium slugs."
Her attitude was, at the very least, far better than her father's. After a brief moment of thought, Mostima decided to report the matter to Felix.
What pleased Felix most was Ceylon's stance. Unlike her calculating father, who waited for Tomorrow's Developments and Rhodes Island to take the initiative, Ceylon made a clear commitment. That was exactly what Felix wanted to see.
Mostima nodded lightly. "I'll help you. But before that, we need more manpower."
Ceylon bowed deeply. "On behalf of Siesta City, I thank Tomorrow's Developments for their assistance."
There were not many within their ranks who specialized in Originium theory. Aside from Mostima, a Catastrophe Messenger herself, there was Eyjafjalla, who had completed formal Catastrophe Messenger studies, and Glacier, a Catastrophe Messenger recruited from Leithanien who worked in geological exploration under codename Earthspirit.
By coincidence, both of them were currently in Siesta. Mostima immediately contacted Clever.
After receiving confirmation, Mostima turned back to Ceylon. "It's a bit late, but let's start the intelligence briefing right away. Are you hungry? I can order some food."
Ceylon's stomach betrayed her with a soft growl. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she coughed awkwardly. Mostima smiled and began contacting Clever to place the order.
Eyjafjalla and Earthspirit arrived at the villa one after another, and the four of them headed together to the conference room. As someone who had personally witnessed natural disasters firsthand, Eyjafjalla naturally possessed invaluable experience. Combined with the data Ceylon provided, she concluded that the volcano's activity frequency was indeed rising abnormally. If left unchecked, a volcanic disaster could occur within two to four weeks.
Ceylon's face immediately filled with anxiety. Two to four weeks. People were still immersed in the festivities of the Obsidian Festival, completely unaware of any need to evacuate. Siesta was not a mobile city, nor a place that could simply be relocated. If the volcano erupted, everything nearby would be swallowed by flames.
"We met your father the day before yesterday," Mostima said. "Didn't he mention anything?"
Ceylon blinked. "Father went to oversee the development of the new district three months ago. He only came back because everyone involved in the development will be starting work tomorrow, right?"
Mostima responded with a soft "oh." After a brief silence, Earthspirit spoke up. "If Miss Ceylon is correct, then Cronin is also a Catastrophe Messenger. Why hasn't he issued any warnings?"
"That's what I'm wondering too," Ceylon replied. "In any case, I was planning to go to city hall tomorrow morning to retrieve more detailed volcanic data."
Mostima shook her head. "That kind of data is easy for Clever to hack."
"…Hey, isn't that a little inappropriate?" Ceylon hesitated, but before she could finish, Clever emitted a rapid series of beeps.
"Hacking into the government system and attempting to obtain volcanic data. Access successful."
"?"
The speed left Ceylon speechless. The data had been obtained in the time it took to have the conversation. It made the Siesta government look utterly incompetent.
"Miss Ceylon, come take a look," Eyjafjalla said gravely.
Ceylon hurried over, and in her rush, completely forgot to take out her notebook. Eyjafjalla's understanding of volcanology alone was enough to captivate everyone present.
"These volcanic forecasts… are all normal," Eyjafjalla said as she looked up. "They're completely different from what we expected. According to the government's data, Siesta won't face a volcanic eruption within the next year. Miss Ceylon, what kind of person is Cronin?"
"He was my father's deputy for decades, and also a Catastrophe Messenger… but why?" Ceylon murmured, her brows drawn together.
"There are signs of tampering," Clever reported.
"Restore the data."
"Order received."
Before everyone's eyes, Clever began reconstructing the historical records. The restored data immediately aligned perfectly with the most recent observations recorded by Eyjafjalla and the others. According to the corrected information, volcanic activity had already begun before the start of the year, with temperatures steadily rising. If a Catastrophe Messenger had been monitoring the situation properly, evacuation procedures should have been initiated long ago. Yet the Obsidian Festival was proceeding as scheduled. It was obvious that Cronin had deliberately concealed the truth.
"…What happens now?" Ceylon asked quietly. "Cronin is the only one with access to this data. What reason could he have for hiding all of this?"
She stood up, lips pressed tightly together. "I'm going to find him and expose everything."
"Young lady, calm down," Mostima said with a faint smile. "Think about it carefully. If they wanted this to be public, it would have been announced long ago, and an evacuation would already be underway. A Catastrophe Messenger's duty is to inform the citizens and organize evacuation the moment danger is confirmed. But this data has been altered since before the new year. Why didn't they act then?"
She glanced at Clever floating nearby and continued, "The solution is actually very simple. Where is your father? This long wait should come to an end. The truth is already clear. If not now, then when?"
___
"You heard all of this too, Mayor Herman."
Backstage at Emperor's venue, Felix faced the mayor, who had recently been overseeing development in the new district and had returned for Tomorrow's Development. Though Herman had left Siesta for a time, his attention had never truly drifted away from the city.
"Next, all that remains is to arrest Cronin and bring him to justice," Felix said calmly. "After that, we can discuss the real issue."
Herman's expression remained indifferent, though a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Your Highness, what would you like to discuss?"
"How long can Siesta survive?"
"If this volcano erupts, all the residents will be reduced to ashes."
"I've been waiting for Cronin to make a mistake," Herman said quietly. "I never expected him to go this far."
"Once Siesta is destroyed, what will you do?"
"…I don't know," Herman admitted. "If we have sufficient manpower, I'll try to rebuild a brand-new Siesta."
"And what about the Columbian government?"
Herman shook his head. "Although Columbia is Siesta's suzerain state, they won't bear these costs. To them, a tourist city is insignificant."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Your Highness… do you have any advice for me?"
"Tomorrow's Development was outmaneuvered by you," Felix said with a faint smile, "but it wasn't without its gains."
He added half-jokingly, "Has Mayor Herman ever considered changing Siesta's suzerain state?"
"…That is…"
Herman immediately understood the implication. This was not a casual question, but one that could determine Siesta's future. Was he being asked whether he would abandon Columbia and turn to Kazdel instead?
"Your Highness, this subject is truly…" Herman hesitated. Siesta had once been abandoned by Columbia during the Great Tranquility, only to crawl back later out of fear of Victoria's invasion. Was he dissatisfied? Of course he was. But what alternatives had there been?
Both paths meant being treated like a dog. At the very least, a free city-state fared better than being gnawed away by nobles.
Now, Felix was testing him, asking whether he was willing to change Siesta's allegiance to Kazdel.