Lofan, who appeared to be playing joyfully with the children as he distributed the small metal toys he had just crafted, was inwardly replaying the details of his earlier interaction with Navia.
Lofan was none other than Grett, the man whose reputation had been steadily growing in Fleuve Cendre.
When Lofan learned that Fontaine's upper echelons were preparing to take action against Fleuve Cendre, he immediately began making preparations.
First, he dug up all the hidden money he had stashed away, saving the points he would have otherwise invested in wealth.
Lofan didn't need to invest too many Points in his identity and status. While joining the Spina di Rosula might have made his entry into the game easier, it would also mean that everything he did would be attributed to the organization. Establishing a new image was the best course of action.
With the necessary Points allocated, Lofan poured the rest into enhancing his strength. This was why his 3,000-Point body had so easily defeated the Gardemek.
He had spent ten thousand Points to acquire Basic Pyro Element Mastery. As for the Vision, it was merely a decorative item; even without it, he could still control Pyro element.
In addition, Lofan had exchanged for other Skills like musical arts, craftsmanship, and Art of Language leaving him with barely any Points remaining.
After all these preparations, he had expected immediate success. However, Navia, the President of the Spina di Rosula, proved far more naive than he had anticipated. Lofan believed that if Callas, the previous President, had been the one to approach him, they would likely already be discussing how to usher in a new era.
Although he still had more cards to play, with Navia clearly suppressing her initial impulsiveness, revealing them now wouldn't significantly alter the situation.
Still, Lofan knew that Navia was just one spark away from fully committing to rebellion against Fontaine's authority.
And he would be the one to ignite that spark.
"I'm going out on patrol. Everyone stay safe."
"Monsieur Grett, please be careful yourself!" Lofan smiled farewell and quickly vanished into the shadows.
After relaying the events of Poisson to the others, Navia saw the undisguised despair on their faces, and her heart clenched once more.
"Everyone, don't lose hope! There must be another way!"
"I'll go find Monsieur Neuvillette!"
Navia gritted her teeth, forcing herself to utter the name she had been avoiding.
Back when her father's case had been investigated, Neuvillette had clearly sensed a possible injustice. Yet, even as she wept and begged him to prevent the duel, he had refused.
Regardless, Neuvillette remained her only hope now.
Melus and Silver, aware of Navia's inner turmoil, could only watch her with concern, finally sighing inwardly with helpless resignation.
Hearing Neuvillette's name, the previously despondent crowd felt a flicker of hope. Determined to meet their expectations, Navia braved the heavily guarded Palais Mermonia, enduring countless hardships to finally reach Neuvillette's presence.
Yet, faced with Navia's plea, Neuvillette's voice remained as cold and detached as ever, devoid of any trace of emotion.
"Miss Navia, I deeply regret to inform you that this matter falls outside the scope of my responsibilities."
"However, I have already submitted my internal concerns regarding this issue. I trust a resolution will be reached in due course."
Hearing Neuvillette's words and recalling her father's fate, Navia struggled to contain her emotions.
"Responsibilities? Is duty truly so paramount to you?!"
"You coldly send me back to wait for results, knowing how many lives will be lost in the meantime?!"
"In your eyes, the value of human life is nothing compared to your precious authority and rules, isn't it?!"
"You have the power to prevent this tragedy! Why, why do you simply stand by and watch?!"
"You understand nothing of human emotions!"
"I suppose I came to the wrong person. I shouldn't have held onto even a shred of hope for you."
"I should have learned my lesson from my father's case."
"Let's go, Melus, Silver."
Navia gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, barely managing to suppress the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She didn't want Neuvillette to see her vulnerability. She was the President of the Spina di Rosula now, no longer the sheltered girl her father had protected.
"Goodbye, Chief Justice."
Navia turned back one last time and spat the words at Neuvillette. The last shred of hope she'd clung to vanished completely in the face of his silence.
A light rain had begun to fall, though she didn't know when.
Navia held out her hand, feeling the icy drops on her palm. Melus hastily opened an umbrella, shielding her completely from the rain.
"It seems like it's been raining a lot lately, hasn't it?"
"Could it be the sky weeping, knowing the fate of the Fleuve Cendre residents?"
With her last hope extinguished, Navia's heart grew so heavy she could barely breathe.
Navia gave a self-deprecating smile. She had been determined to find the true culprit who framed her father, but now she could barely protect herself.
"Miss Navia..." Melus and Silver wanted to comfort her, but they didn't know what to say. The weight of this burden felt suffocating, especially for a young woman who had only just begun to emerge from the grief of her father's death.
"Let's go back, Melus, Silver," Navia said, her voice firm. "We should go back now."
Navia had thought her current situation was as dire as it could possibly be. But when she returned to the Spina di Rosula's stronghold, she realized an even more agonizing future awaited her.
She stared in stunned silence at the dozens of corpses lying on the straw mats—men, women, and children.