Fortress of Meropide.
Red lights flashed incessantly throughout the fortress, accompanied by a cold, robotic voice repeating an announcement.
[ALERT: INTRUDER DETECTED. FORTRESS OF MEROPIDE IS NOW UNDER LEVEL THREE LOCKDOWN. ALL UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL, RETURN TO YOUR ROOMS IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT MOVE AROUND FREELY!]
[ANY INDIVIDUALS FOUND LOITERING WILL BE ARRESTED ON SIGHT!]
[ALERT...]
"Intruders? Someone's trying to break someone out?"
"Who's got that much nerve?"
"I dunno. But why would anyone need to break out? Life's pretty good in here."
"It's gotta be for those nobles. They're not like us. They've been treated as superior since birth, so of course they can't stand the rules in the Fortress of Meropide."
"You lot over there! Get back to your rooms now, or I'll haul you all away!"
Hearing the overseer's angry shout, the group of inmates immediately quickened their pace, heading back to their rooms with their heads down.
Similar scenes unfolded in every corner of the Fortress of Meropide. Prison breaks were so rare that everyone seemed rather excited.
As for safety concerns? Please. The invincible Neuvillette was right here in the Fortress of Meropide. Even if an Archon invaded, they wouldn't stand a chance.
In fact, many inmates felt the overseers were overreacting. It was just a minor incident!
"Damn it, how could a prison break happen? It's been centuries since anything like this occurred!"
"And how did the intruders get in? Why didn't the searchlights outside the Fortress of Meropide spot any trace of them?"
"Damn it! The Gardemek program has been tampered with! We have a traitor among us!"
As the Gardemeks they had built turned on their own creators, the overseers, who had been puzzling over how the intruders had breached the fortress, finally understood the profound truth: "The strongest fortresses are always breached from within."
-
Meanwhile, Wriothesley was led by the Fortress of Meropide's most brilliant genius into a private workshop. The genius promptly ignored Wriothesley and began rummaging through the clutter.
Wriothesley glanced around the workshop and urged, "Please hurry. It seems some rats have slipped in."
"Don't rush me. Let me think... where did I put it?" the genius muttered. "I set it aside right after I finished building it. I wanted Monsieur Warden to try it out, but you were too busy at the time."
Wriothesley nodded. Back then, he had been helping Neuvillette clean up a mess, so he'd had to postpone matters here.
When intruders breached the Fortress of Meropide today, Wriothesley had been ready to teach them a harsh lesson immediately. However, the genius had summoned him, claiming to have something to give him.
Wriothesley considered that the new Gardemeks were several times more powerful than their predecessors. His current strength was starting to feel outdated. That was why he had accepted the invitation and come here.
"Found it!" the genius suddenly exclaimed with delight.
From a pile of metal scraps, they pulled out several metallic components. As they laid the pieces on the floor, Wriothesley could vaguely make out the shape of something resembling a suit of armor.
"Interesting."
Wriothesley picked up the objects, his interest piqued. He was surprised to find the metallic creations were far lighter than he'd expected.
"Mr. Warden," the automaton explained, "this is a custom-built composite armor I designed specifically for you. In its passive, unactivated state, it provides substantial protection. When activated, its built-in energy converter amplifies your strength and can release a massive burst of energy to form a protective shield around you for a short time."
Intrigued by the description, Wriothesley squeezed a piece of the armor in his hand. Despite its lightness, it was far harder than most metals he had ever encountered. He nodded in satisfaction.
"This looks promising."
As he spoke, Wriothesley began assembling and equipping the metal plates. Once fully suited up, he examined his reflection in a mirror. Nearly half his body was now encased in silver-gray metal, and he felt even more pleased.
It was clear the creator had been meticulous. The armor fit his frame perfectly, didn't hinder his movements in the slightest, and even complemented his usual attire.
"Is there a testing area? I'd like to try this out."
"Yes, Mr. Warden. Please follow me."
The automaton led Wriothesley to a slightly more open space. It was piled high with countless metal scraps—less a testing ground and more a scrap metal dump.
But that didn't matter. As long as there was something to test the armor on, he was fine.
Already itching to get started, Wriothesley quickly asked for instructions.
"I have named this armor 'Star Platinum.' Its primary function is to enhance the user's strength and speed. To help you better understand its capabilities, Mr. Warden, I have also compiled its data panel."
The automaton then displayed the Star Platinum's stats:
Destructive Power: A
Speed: A
Range: C
Durability: A
Precision: A
Development Potential: A
A smile spread across Wriothesley's face as he saw the invincible stats.
"As for activation," the automaton continued, "it's quite simple. Just shout 'ORA!' when you strike, and the energy stored within Star Platinum will be released."
"The amount of energy released depends on the spirit and determination in your shout."
After hearing the explanation, Wriothesley slowly walked up to a metal plate standing upright on the ground, already missing a third of its mass. He took a deep breath.
"ORA!"
As he shouted, he felt Star Platinum and his fist achieve a state of perfect synchronization. The power erupted flawlessly, concentrated into a single point as he struck.
Even though this was just a trial run and Wriothesley hadn't used much force, his fist left a clear imprint on the thick steel plate. His knuckles felt only slightly warm.
"This is incredible!"
Wriothesley's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise. Casting aside all restraint, he began testing Star Platinum's performance with his full might.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA..."
"ORA!"
He rapidly hammered the metal plate, leaving a series of clear fist imprints. For his final punch, he unleashed his full strength, coating both fists in a thick layer of Cryo energy that turned them white.
BOOM!
A massive hole had been blasted through the metal plate in front of Wriothesley, occupying a third of its entire surface. This specialized test plate was essentially ruined.
Despite the intense exertion, Wriothesley didn't feel fatigued at all. In fact, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
"So, Mr. Warden? Does it meet your expectations?"
"It's excellent. I can see you put a lot of thought into it."
Wriothesley nodded at the other person. Star Platinum was a perfect fit in every way, clearly tailor-made for him.
"Once I've cleaned up all these rats, I'll come back to discuss the matter of research funding."
With that, Wriothesley left directly, still clad in Star Platinum.
Neuvillette had already departed the Fortress of Meropide. This information absolutely could not leak to the outside world, or it would create problems for Neuvillette.
However, the commotion the intruders were causing would likely lead them to discover Neuvillette's absence. Therefore, Wriothesley had to do everything in his power to keep them all here, ensuring the news never got out.
In this situation, if he wanted to minimize casualties, he would have to go all out. And as for those prison breakers, he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to leave any of them alive.
Of course, Wriothesley felt no burden about this. After all, the moment they decided to break into the prison and put their plan into action, their lives were forfeit.
As a man in power, Wriothesley wasn't as indecisive as Neuvillette. Sometimes, those who deserved to die simply had to be killed.
As he ran, Wriothesley noticed his speed had also increased significantly, making him even more satisfied with Star Platinum.
Just then, he burst into a squad of Gardemeks.
The Gardemeks froze for a moment before unhesitatingly raising their weapons at him. A brilliant smile spread across Wriothesley's face.
The next second, he moved. In the blink of an eye, he charged into the midst of the Gardemeks, and a rain of metal fell from the sky.
"ORA!"
-
"We've finished the investigation. The ones who kidnapped Mr. Ron are members of Lady Furina's and Lady Focalors's fan clubs."
"The verdict from the recent [Judgment] regarding Ron angered them, and in a moment of madness, they kidnapped him."
"But now that they've heard the Fortress of Meropide has been invaded by the Cult of the Dragon, they've released Mr. Ron unharmed. Should we pursue legal action against them?"
Hearing the Melusine Secretary's report, Furina pouted in displeasure.
"Tch, that Ron guy has all the luck. If only the Cult of the Dragon had acted a little later."
"Furina, this is no time for that!" Focalors snapped, her voice laced with anxiety. "Forget about Ron for now. The priority is dealing with this prison break. Have you learned anything? What's the situation at the Fortress of Meropide?"
She then turned to the Melusine Secretary. "As for the kidnappers, lock them up for two days as punishment. We'll consider this matter closed."
"Focalors, why are you in such a hurry?" Furina asked, puzzled by Focalors's frantic state. "Neuvillette is at the Fortress of Meropide. The ones who should be worried are the Cult of the Dragon."
"Those people have some nerve. First, they kidnap that Ron guy, and now they're even planning a prison break."
"Sigh, if only things were that simple!" Focalors exclaimed, growing increasingly agitated. The thought of the truth being exposed to everyone spurred her to finally stop hiding it.
"Neuvillette isn't at the Fortress of Meropide at all!"
"Huh?!"
Furina froze, completely dumbfounded.
Focalors dismissed the Melusine Secretary, leaving only the two of them in the office. Then, she slowly revealed the truth.
"Neuvillette previously orchestrated the capture of all the Segments of the Fatui's Second Harbinger, The Doctor, and had them imprisoned in the Fortress of Meropide. To avoid a diplomatic incident, this operation was conducted in absolute secrecy."
"Neuvillette's ultimate goal is to confront Dottore Prime and settle the score. He couldn't leave before because Fontaine has been in constant turmoil."
"The reason he accepted punishment and entered the Fortress of Meropide was to use this opportunity to temporarily escape his tedious duties and focus all his energy on dealing with Dottore."
"Neuvillette has likely already left Fontaine by now. As Fontaine's ruler and Archon, his unauthorized entry into another nation would be a serious transgression. That's why this operation must be kept completely secret."
Furina was utterly bewildered by this revelation.
She could never have imagined Neuvillette orchestrating such a massive operation in secret, let alone concealing it so effectively. His methods were a stark departure from his usual conduct.
"He must have already left Fontaine when we went to see him earlier," Focalors continued in a low, somber tone. "That's why we couldn't find him."
"Neuvillette likely had others cooperate with his plan. That's why Wriothesley pretended Neuvillette was still in the Fortress of Meropide."
"I even suspect Ron was in on it. I only realized this recently when Ron mentioned he'd asked Rene about my body. That means Ron must have visited the Fortress of Meropide at some point."
After hearing all this, Furina stood stunned for a long moment before finally speaking, her voice laced with disbelief.
"So... this was all a scheme orchestrated by Neuvillette?"
"That's highly likely," Focalors said, shaking her head. "But Neuvillette probably didn't anticipate his fans would become so extreme."
"The situation is critical. If the Cult of the Dragon infiltrates the Fortress of Meropide and doesn't find Neuvillette, the secret will be exposed."
"We must prepare for the worst and do everything in our power to help Neuvillette conceal the truth."
"If Dottore becomes aware of what's happening in Fontaine, it will become exponentially harder for Neuvillette to make his move."
"And if Dottore escapes, Fontaine will face his retaliation at any moment."
"Furthermore, Snezhnaya will exploit this incident to attack Fontaine, doing everything they can to tear a piece of flesh from us."
"Even though I've already given the Gnosis to Arlecchino, Fontaine still possesses many things Snezhnaya covets, such as our wealth and technology."
"We barely have enough Mora for ourselves, let alone to spare. And our technology is the very foundation of our nation—we absolutely cannot let Snezhnaya get their hands on it."
As Focalors laid out her analysis, Furina gradually grasped the gravity of the situation and finally understood why Focalors was so anxious.
But knowing the problem was one thing; Furina had no good solutions either. All she could do was share Focalors' anxiety.