"Well... Mr. Lucian, is there anything else you need?"
Fulmine felt utterly mortified, certain that many of his colleagues from the Pioneer Association must be laughing at him after watching the live broadcast.
Lucian waved his hand dismissively. "I know you're in a hurry, but hold on for a moment."
"We actually have some serious business to discuss with you."
Seeing Lucian's glance, Zani nodded slightly and said, "We're here to ask for your help..."
"We're investigating the whereabouts of a Vitreum Dancer Echo. Not long ago, it caused a commotion near Margherita's Restaurant."
Zani pointed toward the road leading to the city gate. "—And then it fled in that direction. We'd like to know the details of what happened."
[Eternal Blaze: What happened?]
Seeing Changli's comment, Lucian briefly explained the situation.
[MayLightBeWithYou: Something like this actually happened...]
Phoebe, who had been screening tourists entering Ragunna City at the Resonance Nexus, hadn't noticed the incident.
[FirstMate'sLackey: Oh my, this reminds me of some bad memories from ten years ago...]
[Will this mean the Carnevale gets canceled outright?]
[Pero: Hmm... How could an Echo go out of control... I don't understand...]
[But as long as we can figure out why the Echo went berserk, that should be enough, right?]
Lucian nodded slightly. "Exactly, which is why we're here investigating, aren't we?"
Fulmine recalled, "I know the Echo you're talking about!"
"I saw it zoom out of the city like a flash, with a big group of Order of the Deep members chasing after it."
"As for the specifics..."
Fulmine glanced down at a somewhat old-fashioned little robot with a camera on its head by his feet.
"Mr. C-MOSS, my trusty partner, it's time to shine!"
Rover crouched down curiously. "What's this?"
Zani explained, "Mr. Fulmine's Resonance ability is 'Film Record,' which can convert events into special film, capturing everything that happens within a certain timeframe."
"And displaying those memories is precisely the ability of his Echo partner—Mr. C-MOSS's 'Projection Replay.'"
Lucian rubbed his chin. "There's a Resonance ability like that?"
"It seems my Resonance ability isn't Havoc or Aero, but rather Universal Love!"
Rover leaned in and gave Lucian's lips a light kiss. "Your Resonance ability should be 'Walk with Rover' instead."
Zani said exasperatedly, "I can see you two are very much in love, but please, no more public displays."
[Vermilion Blossom: I'm going to Rinascita too, and I'll show off my love!]
[Shorekeeper: No.]
[Vermilion Blossom: ?]
At that moment, Fulmine tapped his forehead excitedly. "Oh, oh, oh! I found the memory related to the Vitreum Dancer Echo!"
"Take a look at this!"
Fulmine opened his palm, and an image emerged from it.
The group looked closely and saw the fleeing Vitreum Dancer Echo, the image capturing its back as it escaped the city.
Zani sighed. "If it really left the city... this is going to be tricky."
"The area outside is too vast, and with Tacet Discord interference, the Vitreum Dancer is too small a target. We have no idea where to start."
Fulmine apologized, "Sorry, my ability can only record what I've seen, so this is all I can help with."
Zani was about to shake her head when Lucian suddenly said, "Wait, can you replay the scene around the restaurant when the chaos broke out?"
Lucian wanted to see if Phrolova was nearby, silently observing everything.
After all, he had seen a Red Spider Lily petal fall from the Vitreum Dancer Echo's body at the time.
Fulmine nodded slightly and tried to recall.
A moment later: "Got it! Check this out!"
Fulmine projected another image from his palm, showing the moment when two Vitreum Dancer Echoes had just gone out of control.
At that point, Lucian noticed a man wearing a mask, skulking suspiciously among the crowd, standing out prominently.
Zani noticed him too. "Look at this guy. His attire looks like... the Montelli Family!?"
"But how could that be... The Montelli Family wouldn't want any negative incidents..."
Rover frowned. "Wait, the Carnevale hasn't even started yet. Why is he wearing a mask so early?"
Lucian's expression darkened. "That's not the point. Look at what he's holding."
The group looked and saw the suspicious man holding a faintly glowing red flower.
Rover's eyes widened in surprise. "That's... a Red Spider Lily? Does this mean the Fractsidus is working with them?"
[MayLightBeWithYou: The Fractsidus? So the Fractsidus and the Montelli Family are in cahoots?]
Though young, Phoebe had heard about the Fractsidus from her seniors.
[GloryDemandsMore: Impossible.]
[MayLightBeWithYou: The evidence is right in front of you. Why are you so sure?]
Unfortunately, the user named GloryDemandsMore didn't respond further.
[Black Sheep White Sheep: Why is the Fractsidus so bad!]
[Next time we meet, Black Sheep will take them all down!]
Zani shook her head slightly. "Even if he's wearing Montelli Family clothes, that doesn't mean he's from the Montelli Family."
"And at a time like this, why is he wearing a mask? It's obvious he's trying to hide his identity."
[MayLightBeWithYou: Is that so?]
[Eternal Blaze: I think this lady's guess is quite likely.]
Lucian agreed with Zani's reasoning. It was entirely possible that someone from the Fisalia Family was trying to frame the Montelli Family.
If this person was truly from the Montelli Family, there was another possibility: an internal traitor within the Montelli Family.
But at such a sensitive time, it was unlikely anyone would dare stir up trouble.
At that moment, Lucian turned off the live broadcast.
"The next step is to investigate this person's true identity. Any ideas?"
Zani pondered, "In that case, why not ask Miss Nyarla for some information?"
"Almost all the masks in Ragunna City come from her shop. This mask looks intricate and refined, likely a custom design."
"But nobles value their privacy, so asking directly might raise suspicions..."
Lucian shook his head slightly. "No matter. We can guide the conversation subtly and might uncover some clues."
Zani nodded. "Since you've got a plan, let's go check it out."
Fulmine smiled. "Then I wish you all smooth sailing!"
Bidding farewell to Fulmine, Zani led the two toward the 'Masked Reverie' mask shop.
From a distance, Lucian caught sight of a faintly familiar magenta figure...