"Lady Furina, I will help you uncover the truth."
Furina grew even more delighted. "Yes, yes! Together, we'll defeat the Traveler!"
Though their words seemed to carry different meanings, neither noticed the discrepancy.
-
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon sought out Lyney and Lynette. The siblings solemnly thanked Lumine, explaining that since they couldn't leave, the investigation into the truth still rested on her shoulders.
Lyney: "Though others see me as the prime suspect, to me, this whole affair is shrouded in mystery, leaving only confusion in its wake.
"I can't determine if the onstage incident was a mere accident. I don't know why Cowell was there, nor why the chosen girl suddenly vanished. These things remain unknown. If someone orchestrated this, what methods did they use?"
"Even someone who fully understands this magic couldn't pull it off in under a minute, right?" Lumine mused.
She found it incredibly bizarre, yet the fact remained: it had happened.
Paimon's small face suddenly grew serious. "That's exactly why it's worth investigating," she declared, her voice low and resolute. "Just like it says in the books: Impossible things can't happen, but if they do, they must be possible."
As she spoke, Paimon turned her face away. When she turned back, a tiny pair of glasses and a miniature mustache had appeared on her face.
"Pfft—!"
Lumine couldn't help but burst into laughter. The miniature glasses and mustache suited Paimon remarkably well, making her look utterly adorable.
"Where did you conjure up those glasses... and that mustache?" Lumine asked, still chuckling.
"I picked them up while we were browsing books in the city!" Paimon replied proudly. "I thought they looked so cool!"
Lynette chimed in, "They're so cute! They really suit you, Paimon."
Paimon crossed her tiny arms, puffing out her chest. "Hmph! You have good taste..."
-
[ Player World. ]
Chen Xiyao couldn't help but giggle when she saw Paimon dressed as Sherlock Holmes.
"Hahaha, Paimon, you little cutie! How can you be so adorable?!"
From the game's launch until now, Paimon had been the Traveler's constant companion. Though she could be a bit annoying at times, there was no denying she was the best partner any player could ask for!
Chen Xiyao had listened to countless fan-made songs sung by Paimon's voice actress and absolutely adored the little sprite.
"I really want to raise a little Paimon..."
[Wake up, streamer! You don't! Paimon eats like a bottomless pit—can you even afford that?]
[Actually, it looks like the streamer could afford it...]
[Forget the streamer, I want to raise one too! Come to Sister's arms, Paimon, and I'll fatten you up nice and round!]
-
Inside the Opera House, Lumine and Paimon chatted briefly with Lyney and his companions before departing.
Having grown accustomed to investigations, Lumine and Paimon headed to the scene of the incident, where they uncovered several clues.
Near the Opera House entrance, they encountered Navia, the current President of the Spina di Rosula of Fontaine.
Accompanying Navia were two assistants dressed in sharp suits: an elderly man named Melus and a younger man named Silver.
Learning that Lumine was Lyney's representative, Navia offered to join the investigation to assist Lumine and Paimon. The group quickly agreed and set out to find Lyney and uncover the truth behind the magic trick...
-
Meanwhile, Fidelle was also gathering information from the Maison Gardiennage.
Lady Furina, as a God, would never personally involve herself in such matters. As her divine protector, Fidelle was perfectly suited to act in her stead.
"The number selector was tampered with, the rope was burned through by fireworks, and there was a sudden loud noise... The murderer must be intimately familiar with this magic trick. Lyney is Fontaine's most renowned magician, so the only ones who could know this trick are members of his magic troupe..."
"All the evidence seems to point to Lyney, but if it were him, he would have no motive, and he certainly wouldn't put himself in such a precarious situation..."
Fidelle pondered as she organized the clues at the scene, preparing to report back to Lady Furina.
While squatting down to examine water stains on the ground, Fidelle spotted a shattered balloon. She removed her white glove and gently pinched a fragment between her index and middle fingers...
Hiss—
A sharp stinging sensation shot through her fingers. Fidelle quickly released the fragment, letting it fall back to the ground.
"This is..."
Rubbing her fingers, Fidelle frowned slightly.
She picked up the balloon fragment again, but this time there was no stinging sensation.
Fidelle knew what had just happened wasn't her imagination. What could have caused that stinging sensation? Could it be...
Just as the thought formed in her mind, Fidelle abruptly stood up, her gaze turning south.
In the depths of her senses, she felt a strange presence...
-
Fontaine Territory, Port
A passenger ship approached the coast of Fontaine. A young woman disembarked, heavily clothed and tightly wrapped from head to toe.
She wore a wide, white hood that completely obscured her face.
After arriving in Fontaine, the young woman removed the hood.
Beneath the hood, her hair was snow-white, her right eye drooped lifelessly, and her left eye darted rapidly—a stark contrast to normal human eyes.
The girl was Chu Xi—no, at this point, she should no longer be called Chu Xi. The one controlling her body now was the Doctor.
Tilting her head slightly, "Chu Xi" gazed at the Fontaine mainland still visible on another platform and took a step forward.
After a few steps, "Chu Xi" stopped abruptly, clutching her forehead.
"Damn it! Be quiet! Stop nagging in my head. The other fragments made that promise, not me. Cooperate properly, and you might suffer less!"
After forcefully pounding her head several times, "Chu Xi" finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Miss, you seem troubled. Might I offer my assistance?" A wealthy middle-aged Fontainian man extended a polite hand toward "Chu Xi."
"Chu Xi" glared at him, dark lines crossing her forehead. "Get lost!" she snarled.
Her voice seethed with fury, and her gaze threatened murder.
"Heh... my apologies for the intrusion," the man chuckled, though his smile didn't reach his eyes.
As the man left, "Chu Xi" glared at his retreating figure, her expression venomous.
It was clear that the fragment controlling Chu Xi's body had a particularly volatile temper.
-
Palais Mermonia.
Fidelle shared the clues she had gathered with Furina. After a moment of contemplation, Furina suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha... I understand now! I understand! It must have happened like this: First, before the audience's countdown began, Lyney had already entered the tunnel."
"As the flatcar passed through the tunnel, he opened the box, tangled with Halsey, and created that muffled thud."
"Then, Lyney knocked Halsey unconscious with the vase. To prevent her from being recognized, he stripped off her outer clothing."
"But at that moment, Cowell, hearing the commotion, came to the tunnel and encountered Lyney in the act. So Lyney knocked Cowell unconscious as well and stuffed him into the box."
"Afterward, Lyney handed the unconscious Halsey over to his accomplice through the Magic Box in the audience seating. Then he manipulated the mechanism to make it appear as though Cowell had died in an accident."
Furina replayed her deduction, then turned to Fidelle with an excited expression. "Fidelle, do you think my theory makes sense?"
Fidelle: "..."
"Ahem, Lady Furina is largely correct, but there are a few details I may not have adequately highlighted. I'll explain them to you now."