Fiona and Cossette are on their way to Meltz to solve a murder case: that of the nobleman Damon Giroud, a businessman whose company is called Maison des nuages (Cloud House). But why was he murdered? That is exactly what Fiona and Cossette want to find out… While Remy and Casper stayed behind in Roux.
(Choo! Choo!)
The train whistle was so loud and yet so calm…
The train ride took quite a while, and Cossette and Fiona fell asleep…
Cossette fell asleep on Fiona's shoulder… Fiona was also very tired… After all, she had barely slept for days… For her, it was important to sleep here…
The train rolled over bridges…
And under the bridges were the lilac-colored clouds…
The moon sat between the sea above and the clouds below…
The stars by the clouds were shining, they were lilac, which is why the clouds also looked lilac…
In truth they were like normal clouds, but the light of the stars made them look lilac…
The fish… and the whales swam in the sea; you only had to look up to see them… the whales…
Of course you couldn't forget the birds that flew above the clouds either…
Grimmhoth is a truly mysterious world, but still a cool one…
And still… full of dangers…
(In Meltz!)
(Tap!) (Tap!)
Luis: "Hmmmm…"
(Click!)
(Fwoosh!)
(Exhales smoke!)
Luis: "Pffff… The Fool… is here… Hehehe…"
The Guardian, the Fool — the brother of the Guardian, the Clown William…
(Meanwhile)
(Turned to stone)
Plague Doctor Member: "I… need help… Project 439 Medusa Project has failed… I repeat, Project 439 Medusa has failed… Huh!"
Camilia: "Hhhhhh…"
Plague Doctor Member: "Urkkkk!"
(Turns to stone)
(A few hours later, on the train to Meltz!)
Cossette and Fiona woke up… Cossette wanted to go outside for some fresh air for a moment…
(Krrrr-clonk!)
Cossette: "Hahhh… It's so nice out here, Fiona."
Fiona: "Mhm…"
Cossette: "Do you think we can go get something to eat?"
Fiona: "Mhm…"
Cossette: "Is something wrong?"
Fiona: "Cossette… why didn't you stay with Remy and Casper?… Why did you want to come with me?"
Cossette: "I like you…"
Fiona: "Hmm… You do know I don't like talking much, right? Also, get used to me always looking serious and not smiling…"
Cossette: "Why don't you smile?"
Fiona: "Because I don't need to. Simple as that."
Cossette: "Hmm…"
Fiona: "About the food… What exactly do you want to eat?"
Cossette: "Do you have enough money?"
Fiona: "Of course… Remy gave me a share of their cut, about 2,000 coins out of 8,000…"
Cossette: "That much?"
Fiona: "I didn't really want it, but I do need the money… It was nice of him…"
Cossette: "Hmm… Can I have something sweet… and maybe something to drink too?"
Fiona: "Then come with me…"
Cossette: "Okay…"
She held Fiona's hand… Fiona didn't say anything, but she didn't pull away either… It wasn't that she didn't want to, more that she still wasn't used to something like this…
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Cossette: "Your hands are warm… Fiona…"
Fiona: "Hmm?… Of course they're warm, I held them in front of the fireplace."
Cossette: "(Pouts)… That's not how I meant it… Never mind…"
Fiona: "Hmm?…"
They went to the part of the train where you could buy food.
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Cossette: "Beer?"
Fiona: "No… Beer is unhealthy… remember that… You're still a child…"
Cossette: "Do you drink beer?"
Fiona: "Hmm?… No… I don't like the smell… and I'm worried about the taste too…"
Cossette: "Jean said beer makes people lose control."
Fiona: "Jean?"
Cossette: "Jean Valjean."
She smiled.
Cossette: "The one who took care of me."
Fiona: "Oh… Why didn't you tell me about him… Well, if you say so… Anyway, he's right… Getting drunk isn't good. Not for a woman… Then some people might take advantage of it…"
Cossette: "What do you mean?"
Fiona: "It's not good for me to tell you that now…"
Cossette: "I'm 12…"
Fiona: "You act more like 11, I don't know…"
Cossette: "Uh…"
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Cossette: "Well, 12 is still young too…"
Fiona: "Hahh… okay… You said it yourself, so I won't tell you what I meant about what happens if a woman gets drunk… Now sit down over there… I'll go buy some sweet cake… Any preference?"
Cossette: "No…"
Fiona: "Okay…"
She went to the seller.
Fiona: "Something cold, please. Two cups and one cake."
Vendor: "Right away, mademoiselle…"
Fiona: "Hmm."
Vendor: "That'll be 300 coins, please…"
Fiona: "Here."
Vendor: "Thank you very much."
She gave him the money and took the drinks. Cossette carried the cake. They sat down.
Cossette: "Fiona… When I said your hand was warm, I meant it was warm…"
Fiona: "Mhm."
Cossette: "And then you said it was because of the fireplace… but I didn't mean it like that, I meant I feel safe with you."
Fiona: "So you're telling me you feel warmth through comfort and emotion?"
Cossette: "Yes."
Fiona: "Hmm…"
She looked at her hand…
Cossette: "What did you feel when I held your hand… No warmth?"
Fiona: "I thought they were warm because of the fireplace."
Cossette: "Hehe… When it comes to that, it's hard for you…"
Fiona: "You feel safe with me… why?"
Cossette: "Because I like you… You saved me, you looked for me… That shows that you like me too…"
Fiona: "Ugh… What… no… I… uh… I was just worried about you…"
Cossette: "Exactly. That means you like me enough to worry about me."
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Cossette took Fiona's hand.
Cossette: "See… warm… Is my hand warm to you too?"
Fiona: "Yes…"
Cossette: "There's no fireplace here… do you notice?"
Fiona: "You were wearing gloves…"
Cossette: "Hehehe… You weren't… and I still feel your warmth…"
Fiona: "Hmm. Drink your drink before it gets warm… Then you'll definitely miss the cold…"
Fiona looked at her. Cossette giggled and drank…
Fiona: "Ugh… (…Cute… what am I saying… why am I calling her cute…)"
Cossette: "Mmm…"
Suddenly someone walked past their table and knocked over Cossette's drink.
Cossette: "Ugh…"
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Passenger: "Watch where you're going, now I've got that drink all over my shoe because of you…"
Cossette: "I'm sorry…"
Passenger: "Tch… Brat, no one taught you to be careful? Stupid child."
Fiona: "Ugh!"
Cossette: "I'm sorry…"
Passenger: "Where are you from?"
Cossette: "Havre Etienne…"
Passenger: "I see… That explains a lot. They really should have killed you all back then…"
Cossette: "Huh!"
Passenger: "Where are your parents?"
Cossette: "Dead…"
Passenger: "Tch… you should've died with them…"
He walked a bit further.
Fiona: "Hey Cossette… Ugh!"
Cossette: "(Sobs!)"
Cossette started crying…
Fiona: "Ugh…"
He was about to leave, but Fiona suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
Fiona: "Wait a second…"
Passenger: "What?"
Fiona: "Take it back."
Passenger: "Take what back?"
Fiona: "Apologize now."
Passenger: "Are you her sister?"
Fiona: "I'm Fiona Househould, detective, and I'm the one looking after this girl… She lost her parents…"
Passenger: "Not my problem… Since you're here, give me money for the suit."
Fiona: "You ran into her… And even if, she's just a child…"
Passenger: "A child from Havre Etienne…"
Fiona: "Every child is precious."
Passenger: "Not every one."
Fiona: "Apologize to her."
Passenger: "Hmph, I won't…"
Fiona: "Hhhh…"
Cossette: "Fiona…"
Fiona: "Ghh…"
She saw how the others were just watching…
Fiona: "So you won't apologize…"
Passenger: "Nope. What do you think, folks… Should I apologize to a Havre Etienne brat?"
Cossette: "(Sobs)…"
The other passengers started laughing…
Passenger: "See?"
Fiona: "Hmmmm…"
Cossette: "Huh…"
Fiona stood up, took Cossette's hand, and left the dining car.
Fiona: "We're leaving…"
Passengers: "Hmph…"
Fiona: "Tch…"
Cossette: "Fiona… you're angry…"
Fiona: "They laughed at you just because you were from Havre Etienne… They've learned nothing… That's why I don't want to understand others… I don't want to understand people who still haven't learned anything from war… The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over… and still expecting a different result…"
Fiona walked on, slightly angry, still holding Cossette's hand…
Fiona: "Sorry about your drink, I'll buy you another one…"
Cossette: "It's really okay… Fiona…"
Fiona: "You cried…"
Cossette: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "And I did nothing… I should've killed him… Maybe then the others wouldn't have laughed…"
Cossette: "Ugh… wait… Fiona…"
She pulled her hand away.
Cossette: "What is it?"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Cossette: "I get it, you think you should've protected me…"
Fiona: "Hhhhhahhh… Cossette… let's just go, okay…"
She knelt down…
Fiona: "Okay… Please…"
She wiped away her tears.
Fiona: "You're still crying…"
Cossette: "Ugh… By the way, I saw how that man was looking around while he was holding his wallet. It was empty. He didn't have any money left to buy clothes… I spilled my drink on him on purpose."
Fiona: "It wasn't your fault, Cossette… Go back to your compartment and get some rest…"
Cossette: "And you?"
Fiona: "I'm just going out for some fresh air, okay?"
Cossette: "Okay…"
She went to her compartment, but Fiona did not plan to only get fresh air…
(Tap!) (Tap!)
The passenger from before was standing there, smoking a cigarette and staring straight ahead…
Fiona: "Hmph."
Passenger: "Hmm…"
He just stood there.
Fiona: "Excuse me."
Passenger: "Hahhh… you again…"
Fiona: "You owe me coins."
Passenger: "Hmm? You mean for the drink? Hmph… 100 coins…"
Fiona: "And you owe my little Cossette an apology…"
Passenger: "Anything else…?"
Fiona: "Hmm."
She suddenly walked right up to him and grabbed him by the suit. She raised her staff…
Fiona: "Otherwise… I'll make sure you never make a child cry again… with force!!!"
Passenger: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "The reason you did all that was simple: you don't have money and wanted to leave without paying… That's why you knocked over Cossette's drink as a distraction… and then, while the passengers laughed and the staff cleaned up, you slipped away. You left exactly when we left. Why?… At first I thought you wanted to cause more trouble, but then I saw that you were just standing here staring at the clouds…"
Passenger: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "By the way, you actually owe me 300 coins, because the drink spilled on your suit and on our cake… 300 coins."
Passenger: "I don't have any money…"
Fiona: "The ring will do."
Passenger: "That belonged to my late wife…"
Fiona: "Do I look like I care?"
Passenger: "Ugggh…"
Fiona: "Cossette saw you look around and clutch your wallet. It was empty. She thought that, so… hand over the ring…"
Passenger: "Please… It was my wife's…"
Fiona: "Then give me this necklace instead…"
Passenger: "Ghhhh… I'm sorry, okay…"
Fiona: "Fine, keep your stuff. But if I ever see Cossette crying again because of you, you're dead. I hope I've made myself clear…?"
Passenger: "Okay…"
Fiona: "Now get out of here… before I take the necklace after all…"
He walked away…
Fiona: "Hmph…"
She went back to Cossette, who was already in the compartment.
Fiona: "Cossette?"
Cossette: "Hmm… Do you feel better now?"
Fiona: "I'm fine… Once we get off, I'll buy you a nice ice cream… How many scoops?"
Cossette: "… I don't mind… uh… as long as we share it…"
Fiona: "Okay…"
Cossette: "Okay…"
(A few hours later)
(Choo!) (Choo!)
Announcer: "Meltz… Meltz… This is the last stop… please disembark…"
They got off…
Fiona: "Ugh…"
Cossette: "Ugh… It feels… weird here."
Fiona: "Old-fashioned?… It looks kind of knightly…"
The houses looked like something from knight and soldier stories… Most of the buildings looked old… which felt strange to Fiona… and to Cossette as well…
Fiona: "Hmm."
But the strange thing was that the buildings looked like an old town… Like Heidelberg's old town, Marburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Balazuc, and Eguisheim in France… Just slightly different.
Fiona: "How beautiful…"
(Beep!)
Commander: "Soldiers!… One, two, three, four… and now, raise your swords!!"
Soldiers: "Yes, sir!"
Commander: "The anthem of Meltz, go."
Soldiers: "Les montagnes sont notre fierté, les épées portent notre honneur. Pour le château de Jeanne d'Arc, l'héroïne de Meltz, au nom de la justice, nous combattons pour notre terre, notre terre franque. Nous combattons avec le sang et le feu pour nos enfants et nos enfants, pour nos petits-enfants ! Jusqu'à la mort, nous honorons Meltz ! Œil pour œil, dent pour dent ! Pour la terre !"
(The mountains are our pride, the swords carry our honor. For the castle of Jeanne d'Arc, the heroine of Meltz, in the name of justice, we fight for our land, our Frankish land. We fight with blood and fire for our children and our children, for our grandchildren! Until death, we honor Meltz! Ash for ash! Blood for blood, for the land!)
Cossette: "Wooow…"
Fiona: "Impressive, if also a bit strange… Jeanne d'Arc… Hmm… That's the heroine of the Frankenlanders… The first female queen on the throne…"
Cossette: "Oh…"
Fiona: "Interesting…"
Cossette: "Fiona, where are we going to sleep tonight?"
Fiona: "Oh… We'll look for a hotel… of course…"
They walked on toward a hotel they found nearby, called Sirene.
Cossette: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Looks like this is the place…"
They went inside.
Fiona: "Excuse me…"
Hotel staff: "Oh… hello…"
Fiona: "My name is Fiona Househould, I'm a detective, and this girl here is Cossette Thomas. We'd like to rent a room, please… Two beds, if possible…"
Hotel staff: "Oh… that will be 8,000 coins…"
Fiona: "Ugh… What… so expensive… (That bastard Remy never mentioned this!)"
(Meanwhile)
Remy: "Ugh… damn…"
Casper: "What's wrong?"
Remy: "I forgot… In Meltz, the hotels are insanely expensive. It's just more expensive there than in Troye… Those 2,000 coins definitely won't be enough for Fiona…"
Casper: "You only realize that now!?"
(Back to Fiona and Cossette)
(Ding!)
Fiona: "Fantastic…"
Cossette: "Hmm…"
(Rain!)
Fiona: "Then let's look for another hotel…"
She walked on a bit.
Cossette: "Achoo!"
Fiona: "Oh no… Are you getting a cold now?"
Cossette: "Uh…"
Fiona: "Hmm… Let's hurry…"
Just as Fiona turned around, a woman was standing in front of her…
Fiona: "Oh… Sorry… what the… Ugh."
Cossette: "Ugh… That's the Gray Lady…"
Fiona: "Jade?!"
Jade: "… Fiona?"
Cossette: "Ugh…"
Jade: "What are you two doing here?"
Fiona: "I should be asking you the same thing… I thought you were in Roux?"
Jade: "No, I went back. I have to stay close to the clock tower in Meltz… I'm only allowed to live outside Meltz for 4 days…"
Fiona: "Oh… I see…"
Jade: "And what are you doing here?"
Fiona: "I wanted to solve the Damon Giroud case, but the hotels here are insanely expensive, and even though Remy gave me money, 2,000 coins, it's not enough. By the way, I only have 1,700 left…"
Jade: "Hahhhh… That's really not great in this rain…"
Cossette: "Achoo!"
Fiona: "Oh dear…"
Jade: "Oh… How about I help you two… I can give you some money…"
Fiona: "You'd do that?"
Jade: "Well, I can't just let a little one stand out in the rain… There's one problem though, I barely have any money myself… How about this: come with me to visit a good friend of mine. She works as a model… Her name is Naomi… Come with me…"
(A few hours later)
(Ding dong!)
The door didn't open…
Jade: "Takes a while…"
Fiona: "Hmm."
Cossette: "Hmm…"
The door finally opened…
Naomi: "Hello… Oh, Jade…"
Jade: "Hi Naomi… I came to visit you. I ran into my friends here by chance, and there's a problem—they barely have any money… Because Remy apparently forgot to tell them how expensive it is here, and the little one is catching a cold…"
Fiona: "I'm Fiona Househould, a detective, and this little one here is Cossette… Nice to meet you."
Naomi: "Oh… You poor little girl… Of course you can stay here… hehe… come in."
Fiona: "Hmm."
Cossette: "Yay!"
(Meanwhile)
Wolkenhaus, that's the name of the company owned by the late Damon Giroud… His daughter still lives there… Her name is Weny…
Weny: "(Sobs)… I know my father wasn't a good person… And still… it hurts…"
Maid Viki: "I'm so sorry, Miss Weny…"
Weny: "Hahhh…"
(A few seconds later)
Weny was still in her room… Somebody was watching from outside the window… It was an owl.
Owl: "Puhh…"