Chapter 118: Attack on Focalors
Watching Neuvillette's somber figure standing before Callas's grave, Conan Edogawa's curiosity got the better of him. "Mr. Neuvillette," he began, "did you know Mr. Callas?"
"Hm…" Neuvillette's gaze lingered on the cold stone of the tombstone before turning to the boy. "Mr. Callas was a respectable man who made many contributions to Fontaine. I am aware of what transpired just now, and I thank you for your efforts in clearing his name."
"It was nothing, we just did what we had to…" Being praised by someone so austere and serious, the group felt a collective wave of awkwardness. A few of them shuffled their feet, unable to meet his intense gaze.
They hadn't expected Neuvillette to have such a personality. Judging by his regal bearing and formal attire, they had all assumed he would be cold and unapproachable. Yet, after just a brief conversation, they found him surprisingly easy to talk to. He could feel sadness and frustration like anyone else; he wasn't the aloof, emotionless judge they had imagined.
The conversation naturally drifted to the prophecy that loomed over the nation.
At its mention, Neuvillette let out a soft sigh. "When I first learned of the Primordial Seawater, I immediately connected it to the prophecy. I have some understanding of it myself; I once discovered several stone tablets in the ancient ruins of Poisson, which had engravings depicting the prophecy carved onto them."
"What was carved on the tablets?" the group asked in unison, leaning in.
Neuvillette replied, "The main content was the same as the prophecy we all know. However, one of the tablets depicted the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, kneeling on the ground and facing the sky, as if confessing her sins. As for what she was confessing… that I do not know."
Ai Haibara's eyes widened in shock. "The previous Hydro Archon?! Can gods even die?!"
"Then is Focalors the second Hydro Archon?" Conan pressed, his mind racing.
Neuvillette didn't seem to mind the children's interruptions, patiently explaining, "Gods can indeed die. Nothing is eternal; everything is fragile when washed away by the tides of time. As for Lady Furina, she is indeed the second Hydro Archon. Before the first Archon, Egeria, perished, she passed the authority and responsibilities of the Hydro Archon to Lady Furina. Not long after Lady Furina inherited the position, she approached me and suggested that I serve as the Chief Justice of Fontaine. I did not refuse."
Moroboshi spoke up, his expression a mixture of confusion and skepticism. "How did that first Hydro Archon choose her successor? Did she pick the wrong person? I heard this new Hydro Archon loves watching the drama in court and has never missed a single trial. Is the leader of a nation really that free?"
Emori and Kikukawa, both hailing from influential families in politics and finance, were equally puzzled. They were used to seeing the powerful figures in their lives constantly buried in work. They harbored the same doubts but only dared to wonder about it internally, feeling a surge of admiration for Moroboshi's audacity in asking the question aloud.
Neuvillette, however, remained unbothered by the boy's somewhat impertinent question. His temperament was as placid as ever. "Lady Furina is never as shallow as she appears. In fact, as far as I am aware, she has also been using various resources to conduct a certain investigation. I suspect it is related to the prophecy."
He paused, a thoughtful look crossing his features. "Based on the information from the stone tablets, I suspect the previous Hydro Archon knew about the prophecy. Yet, when I asked Lady Furina about her predecessor, she strangely claimed to know nothing., after dispatching people to investigate the prophecy, she took no further action… I know she is hiding secrets, but she has consistently refused to communicate with me on these matters, and I cannot force her to speak."
'So Focalors was investigating the prophecy all along?' The group was taken aback. Seeing her carefree and dramatic demeanor, they had all assumed she truly didn't care about her nation's impending doom.
But if she did care, why not share what she knew? Judging from the ancient engravings, Egeria must have been aware of the prophecy. It was impossible that Focalors, who was entrusted with the divine seat before Egeria's death, would be completely ignorant. Why hide it? With more people working on the problem, they might have already found a solution.
The logic behind Focalors's actions was a complete mystery. Unable to decipher it, they could only set the question aside for now.
Seeing that Neuvillette was so approachable, the group chatted with him and the quiet woman at his side for a while longer before finally saying their goodbyes.
Perhaps it was the children's innocent words of comfort, but Neuvillette's heavy mood seemed to lift. As if mirroring his emotions, the persistent rain began to taper off. By the time they parted ways, the downpour had ceased entirely, and the sun was faintly peeking through the clouds.
Fortunately, with the rain gone, it didn't take them long to make their way back toward the Fountain of Lucine.
The court confrontation was scheduled for the next day. It was still uncertain if time would accelerate again, so to prevent any accidents and ensure they didn't miss the trial, everyone unanimously decided to head to the Opera Epiclese. They would find a quiet spot to organize the clues they had gathered over the past few days and wait for the trial to begin.
By now, the sun was slanting west, and the sky was gradually darkening. By the time they reached the vicinity of the grand opera house, the sun had completely set.
Since there were no trials scheduled for today, the area around the Opera Epiclese was nearly deserted.
Suddenly, a faint murmur of human voices drifted from around a corner ahead. An unspoken tension seized the group. Footsteps fell silent as they exchanged wary glances, then lightened their steps and crept slowly toward the corner, quietly poking their heads out to survey the situation.
To their surprise, it was Focalors. She was crouched down, playing with a stray cat.
In this moment, she bore none of the magnificent mannerisms or exaggerated speech they had seen before. With a snack in hand, she patiently fed the little feline, looking for all the world like an ordinary young girl. Anyone who didn't know her would never connect this gentle scene with the dramatic Hydro Archon.
Just as everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, realizing it was no one suspicious, they were about to step out and say hello. But in that very instant, the real suspicious person appeared.
Before the group could react, a tall woman shrouded in a black cloak that obscured her face materialized behind Focalors. Under their astonished gazes, she slowly drew a weapon, preparing to strike. All the while, Focalors remained focused on feeding the stray cat, seemingly oblivious to the mortal danger looming just behind her.
For a split second, no one was overly worried. After all, Focalors was the Hydro Archon; surely she possessed the power to protect herself. The children were even a little curious, wondering what a god's fighting style looked like and whether it would be incredibly loud…
But to their utter astonishment, Focalors did not engage the attacker. It was the stray cat's terrified screech as it bolted away that finally alerted her to the danger. She whipped her head around, saw the gleaming scythe slowly being raised by the cloaked figure, and with a piercing scream, she collapsed to the ground in a heap.
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