"Something's wrong! There could be trouble, Paimon, let's go!"
"Huh? What's happening?"
Before Paimon could even react, Lumine had already darted out into the rain. As she ran, she called back to Chu Xi, "Chu Xi, stay here and wait for the rain to stop before coming out!"
Paimon gave Chu Xi an apologetic smile before braving the downpour to follow Lumine.
"Hey, Lumine, wait for me!"
The pair moved with incredible speed, vanishing from Chu Xi's sight within moments.
Once Lumine and Paimon were gone, Chu Xi stretched out her small hand, curious to test whether she was waterproof.
Raindrops pelted her arm, causing no discomfort whatsoever.
Undeterred, Chu Xi continued her reckless experiment, stepping fully into the rain and standing there for a while. Finding no ill effects, she confirmed that she was indeed waterproof.
Well, that makes sense. If the Doctor had created her, it would be absurd if a mere bucket of water could disable her.
Braving the heavy rain, Chu Xi raced in the direction Lumine and Paimon had vanished.
-
Earlier that day,
Palais Mermonia, in Neuvillette's office.
Navia and Melus told the Melusine guarding Neuvillette's office that they had urgent business with him. The Melusine didn't stop them and let them pass.
Navia took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She had already cried on the way here, and her eyes were still red.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Come in."
Neuvillette looked up in surprise. "Miss Navia, is there something you need?"
Navia cut straight to the point. "Yesterday, a massive surge of Primordial Sea water suddenly erupted from the underground pipes beneath Poisson, flooding the town. The surviving residents have been evacuated to higher ground. I've come to request emergency supplies."
"What?!"
Neuvillette shot to his feet. Poisson flooded by Primordial Sea water?!
"What are the casualties?"
Navia sniffled and handed Neuvillette the report they had prepared earlier, detailing the extent of the disaster.
Navia: "Before the Primordial Sea water erupted, Fidelle sensed something was wrong. She found me and urged me to organize the evacuation of Poisson's residents, but we were still too late. Eleven... eleven people... were dissolved in the Primordial Sea, and Fidelle... she... was dissolved too..."
Neuvillette saw Fidelle's name on the list of those who had been dissolved. His grip tightened on the list, creasing a corner.
Boom—
Thunder suddenly rumbled across Fontaine's sky. Within moments, the once-clear sky was blanketed by dark storm clouds.
Neuvillette closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"Fidelle was skilled enough to escape, but she was surrounded by a second surge of Primordial Sea water while trying to save a little girl. That's how she..."
Remembering the scene, Navia's voice broke into a sob.
"I... I understand..."
Neuvillette's voice carried fatigue and grief. His finger traced Fidelle's name on the list, moving lightly across the page.
Neuvillette continued to review the reports on the disaster's aftermath.
Poisson was a densely populated town, and when he learned it had been submerged by Primordial Sea water, his heart skipped a beat.
He had steeled himself for news of catastrophic casualties and horrifying devastation, but while the losses were still significant, they were far fewer than he had anticipated.
Fidelle's efforts...
The Prophecy... Furina, you're not as hopeless as you seem. You've been diligently investigating, haven't you? But Fidelle...
Fidelle had joined the Maison Gardiennage long ago, becoming Furina's personal guard and her closest confidante. Now that she was gone, how would Furina cope?
Neuvillette felt a profound sense of loss. Fidelle wasn't just Furina's protector; she had also played a crucial role within Fontaine's high command, and she was his dear friend.
Though his heart ached, his expression remained impassive.
"I will immediately mobilize the Maison Gardiennage to dispatch supplies swiftly to the disaster area."
-
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon had arrived at Palais Mermonia.
"Monsieur Neuvillette is currently meeting with Miss Navia. If you have urgent matters, please proceed directly inside," a guard informed them.
"Navia's here too?" Paimon asked.
The pair entered Neuvillette's office and immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere.
Lumine noticed Neuvillette's grim expression, confirming her suspicion that the torrential rain in Fontaine was indeed connected to him.
"What's happened?" Paimon asked. "Navia, why are you here?"
Navia's spirits were low. Neuvillette took over the explanation:
"Allow me to explain. Roughly around the time you were meeting with Furina and the Knave, a tremor occurred in the Poisson region. After the tremor, the water level in the Poisson area began to rise."
"I remember that!" Paimon exclaimed. "We even asked the Duke about it, and he said the tremor didn't originate underwater. So it was Poisson all along!"
Lumine turned to Navia. "The people there..."
The Primordial Sea water had already merged with the sea. Given Poisson's low elevation, Lumine could already guess the situation.
"It wasn't seawater that flooded the region," Navia said. "It was highly concentrated Primordial Sea water. Thanks to Fidelle's early warning, casualties were relatively low, but Fidelle herself..."
Lumine's eyes widened as she shot a fierce look at Neuvillette.
"Fidelle is also on the dissolving list," Neuvillette confirmed.
-
Live Stream
[ "Holy crap, what are they saying? Fidelle's gone?!" ]
[ "Oh no, Furina's going to cry herself unconscious in the bathroom." ]
[ "What the hell? That was way too sudden!" ]
[ "I knew it! Fidelle had a Pure Soul—something bad was bound to happen!" ]
[ "She dissolved... ugh—the Traveler was too late!" ]
[ "I have a question: can the Abyss still steal Fidelle's soul after she's dissolved?" ]
-
In Neuvillette's office, Paimon covered her mouth in shock. "Fidelle... she actually..."
Lumine frowned deeply, still struggling to believe it. She had witnessed Fidelle's formidable strength firsthand—how could she possibly...?
Her gaze was drawn to a set of clothes on Neuvillette's desk. She slowly approached them.
Navia: "We found her clothes after the water receded."
Lumine reached out and touched the fabric. It was unmistakably Fidelle's clothing. She really had been... dissolved!
Neuvillette: "Traveler, regarding Fidelle's dissolution, I request that you keep it a secret from Furina for the time being."
"Why?"
Neuvillette: "Furina has been concealing something, something she clearly doesn't intend to reveal. I've noticed the immense pressure she's under lately. Fidelle's departure would be a devastating blow to her."
Lumine: "But this is the truth. Something this significant can't be kept from her forever."
Neuvillette fell silent. The Traveler's words rang true.
Over the years, Furina had cultivated her own network of informants. He couldn't keep this from her.
Crash!
The sound of something shattering echoed from outside Neuvillette's office. The group turned to look.
The door swung open, and Furina strode in, her eyes red-rimmed.