Whether Dottore No. 6's words were true or not had ceased to matter. Even if they weren't true, the other Segments had already accepted them as such.
From this day forward, all the Segments had rebelled!
All of them!
If the Prime showed no compassion and treated his Segments like expendable pawns, then to hell with him!
After all, there was no turning back now.
Oh, wait—there's still Dottore No. N.
Considering the massive bump on his head, the Dottore Segments needed only 0.01 seconds to decide whether he would join their rebellion.
Looks like we have a traitor among us, they thought. We'll need to find an opportunity to eliminate him.
Sensing Neuvillette's concern, Dottore No. 6 smiled reassuringly.
"Please rest assured, Monsieur Neuvillette," he said. "Although he wasn't created in the same batch as us Segments, I believe his core essence remains fundamentally similar."
"With some effort, we might be able to locate him."
Hearing Dottore No. 6's suggestion, Neuvillette nodded, his gaze fixed on Dottore No. 6 with evident satisfaction and relief.
Though he remained skeptical of Dottore No. 6's sincerity, Neuvillette was willing to give him a chance to redeem himself. If only the other Dottores were as cooperative as this one.
"I entrust this matter to you. State any needs you have, and I will do my best to accommodate them."
"Rest assured, Monsieur Neuvillette. You can place your complete trust in me," Dottore No. 6 immediately assured him, his voice brimming with conviction.
"Very well. If this matter is resolved smoothly, I will consider mitigating the severity of your Judgment."
"Then I thank you in advance for your magnanimity, Monsieur Neuvillette."
You fucking bastard!
The other Dottores, their bodies still aching from their earlier ordeal, couldn't muster even a faint smile. They cursed Dottore No. 6 silently in their hearts.
"The same goes for you all," Neuvillette added, his voice hardening. "This is your final opportunity."
Neuvillette turned to address the other Dottore Segments, his tone now considerably more severe.
Though he was largely satisfied they hadn't concealed anything from him, he held firm to the principle that if one Dottore erred, all Dottores were culpable. While there was a hierarchy between the Segments and the Prime, they remained essentially the same individual.
Thus, Neuvillette saw no fault in his earlier actions. The fact that he hadn't immediately subjected these Segments to Judgment was already a concession to various considerations. Moreover, the Prime remained the true culprit, which accounted for his limited tolerance toward the Segments.
"Rest assured, Monsieur Neuvillette," the Dottore Segments responded promptly. "His existence threatens us as well. We will hold nothing back in this matter."
Their eagerness stemmed not from fear of death, but from their insatiable curiosity about Fontaine's advanced technology.
Neuvillette, sensing the Segments' sincerity, nodded slowly.
"Compile a list of necessary materials and provide it to me. I will gather them.
"Cooperate fully with him to pinpoint the Prime's location. Notify me immediately if you achieve results."
"I'll sense any attacks on the array I've established," Neuvillette said, pausing before adding, "What about the person we captured last time? Where is he now?"
The Dottores, who had been conferring in the Mind Chatroom, exchanged puzzled glances at Neuvillette's question.
No one spoke, but their gazes unanimously shifted to Dottore No. N in the distance.
Neuvillette naturally noticed their movements and followed their gaze to see Dottore No. N bound to a pipe, his head covered in welts and unconscious. His eye twitched slightly.
Good grief, they're even this ruthless to themselves?!
He realized he needed to increase his vigilance toward these Segments even further. If they wouldn't hesitate to harm their own kind, he could hardly expect them to treat others with any mercy.
As if sensing Neuvillette's thoughts, Dottore No. 1 spoke up.
"Monsieur Neuvillette may have misunderstood. We only restrained him like this because he ambushed us while we were sleeping, likely venting his frustration over us deliberately leaking information about him."
"That's why we slightly restricted his movements—to keep him quiet."
"If Monsieur Neuvillette doesn't believe me, he can ask any of the other 'me's' present."
Neuvillette's gaze shifted to the other Dottores, who quickly reacted with composed assurances.
"Yes, that's exactly what happened."
"He's telling the truth. We all know about this."
"I was the first one he attacked that day. If I hadn't dodged quickly, he would have killed me."
"He's truly the Prime's loyal dog. If we weren't considering his potential usefulness to Monsieur Neuvillette, we would have disposed of him long ago."
The Dottores chimed in one after another, relentlessly heaping blame on the unconscious Dottore No. N. If he were awake, he would likely have died from sheer anger.
"Is that so? How come I never heard about this?"
At that moment, Dottore No. 6 stepped forward, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I recall things being quite quiet outside these past few days," he said. "It certainly doesn't seem like anything you're describing could have happened."
"Could it be you're deliberately framing us?"
"You claim you want to reform, yet you're still resorting to such underhanded tactics? It seems your repentance is utterly insincere."
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you mustn't show any mercy to such individuals!"
Hearing Dottore No. 6's words, the other Dottore's gazes turned intensely hostile.
"We acted swiftly to minimize the commotion," Dottore No. 1 retorted, giving Dottore No. 6 a pointed look, reminding him of his own past transgressions. "Perhaps you simply missed the commotion."
"Heh, let's see if Monsieur Neuvillette believes that nonsense," Dottore No. 6 replied, returning the gaze with a look that suggested he was willing to take everyone down with him.
The other Dottore were utterly disgusted. How could such a wretch exist among them?!
"Enough! This matter ends here."
Neuvillette intervened, silencing the quarrel between the two sides.
"I will have a nurse brought to examine him shortly. Wait here quietly."
With that, Neuvillette turned and left.
As Chief Justice, he would never arbitrarily deal with someone without first questioning them directly.
Even before Neuvillette had fully left the area, Dottore No. 6 had already begun backing away.
Dottore Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 noticed this and their eyes narrowed slightly. They casually stepped forward to block his retreat, only to find Dottore No. 6 immediately turning back to whine to Dottore.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, look at them!"
The other Dottores inwardly cursed. What the hell? This dog bastard is tattling? When did we ever act so pathetic? Did some gene mutation happen when the Prime created the Segments?!
Hearing Dottore No. 6's words, Neuvillette turned back, his gaze hardening as he looked at Dottore Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4.
"What are you planning?"
"Monsieur Neuvillette, you misunderstand. He's just overly nervous," the Dottores replied calmly, though they still consciously distanced themselves.
Seizing the opportunity, Dottore No. 6 immediately slipped past the others and darted up to the second floor. Protected by the barrier, the other Dottore segments had no further chance to pursue him.
"Heh."
Just as he crossed the barrier, Dottore No. 6 suddenly turned back, casting a contemptuous smirk at the others, his mockery reaching its peak.
Witnessing this, the Dottore segments once again unleashed a torrent of heartfelt insults against Dottore No. 6's ancestors in the Mind Chatroom, only to discover that he had already blocked them all, further fueling their rage.
"Settle down and avoid doing anything that might be easily misunderstood," Neuvillette said calmly to the Dottores before turning and leaving.
He was quite pleased to see the conflicts among the Dottore segments and had no intention of intervening.
After Neuvillette departed, the Dottore segments glared fiercely at Dottore No. 6, who stood on the second floor.
"Your triumph won't last long."
"Heh, since when did 'I' stoop to petty taunts?" Dottore No. 6 replied, completely unfazed.
"Hmph, can you even track him?" Dottore No. 2 sneered.
"We've been unable to sense him for ages. Do you really think you can pinpoint his location with your limited abilities?"
Moreover, since the Prime is considering replacing his Segments, it's highly doubtful their cores remain the same. None of the Dottores present had witnessed his promise to Neuvillette; they merely saw it as sheer arrogance.
They were already preparing to watch the drama unfold.
"We'll see in due time."
"Instead of worrying about me, you should be more concerned about yourselves."
With those words, Dottore No. 6 retreated to his quarters.
"Hmph."
The other Dottores scoffed in displeasure before dispersing to attend to their own affairs.
Shortly afterward, Neuvillette brought Sigewinne to the facility.
This place was highly secure, and Neuvillette trusted few doctors. After careful consideration, he decided to bring Sigewinne here instead.
"Where's the patient? Let me take a look."
Sigewinne entered the room and immediately noticed the multiple Dottores present. Having been informed by Neuvillette beforehand, she showed little surprise.
At Neuvillette's gesture, Sigewinne quickly approached Dottore No. N.
Seeing the other Dottore's battered state, Sigewinne froze for a moment, then frowned and turned to Neuvillette.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, did Duke Wriothesley resort to torture during the interrogation?"
"No, I didn't allow Wriothesley to intervene in this matter," Neuvillette replied, shaking his head.
"Could it be you, Monsieur Neuvillette?!" Sigewinne's eyes widened in disbelief.
Neuvillette: "..."
"No, we did it ourselves," Dottore No. 1 interjected, rescuing Neuvillette from his predicament. "He ambushed us late at night, Miss Sigewinne."
"You'd inflict such severe injuries on your own?"
"Strictly speaking, we're all separate individuals."
After some discussion, the Dottore clones seemed to have found a way out of this dilemma: they would simply insist that each of them was an independent entity, thus avoiding any blame falling on the wrong "self."
"But from a scientific and medical perspective, you should all be considered the same person," Sigewinne countered.
"I suggest Miss Sigewinne analyze this from an ethical standpoint," Dottore No. 2 chimed in.
"We each possess our own independent emotions and should be considered distinct individuals," Dottore No. 2 declared earnestly, his expression serious.
Sigewinne scratched her head, looking at the earnest Dottore No. 2.
"Never mind. Let's focus on saving him for now."
She stopped arguing and began examining Dottore No. N.
The more she examined him, the more shocked she became. The attacker had truly held nothing back!
So the one who got beaten up was also Dottore? Well, he deserved it.
Sigewinne had certainly heard of Dottore's infamous deeds. While she desperately wished such a man would vanish from Teyvat, she wouldn't neglect her duties as a doctor. After tending to Dottore No. N's injuries, she addressed Neuvillette.
"His injuries are severe, but his inherent strength means they aren't life-threatening."
"I've already given him an injection. He should regain consciousness soon."
"Thank you for your hard work," Neuvillette nodded.
"If there's nothing else, Monsieur Neuvillette, I won't disturb you further."
Sigewinne could sense that Neuvillette and the Dottore clones had other matters to discuss, which prompted her to say this.
"Very well. Thank you for your assistance today."
"Please don't mention this matter to anyone else."
"Not even to the Hydro Archon Furina."
Upon hearing this, Sigewinne paused, then looked at Neuvillette with a hint of confusion.
"Very well, I understand."
Though her curiosity burned within, Sigewinne refrained from pressing Neuvillette for answers. She packed her medical kit and left.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, the inventory list is ready."
At some point, Dottore No. 6 had descended from the second floor and now presented the list to Neuvillette with a deferential bow. This display of subservience drew dark curses from the other Dottore Segments: What the hell is wrong with the Prime? How has he kept such a craven Segment alive for so long?!
Neuvillette accepted the list and glanced over it. Finding nothing unusual, he nodded, assuring them he would have the items delivered promptly.
He then engaged the Dottore Segments in a discussion about Prime's research in Sumeru, but all the Segments claimed ignorance.
"Prime would never reveal his research to us," they declared.
"Although periodic memory exchanges ensure our consciousness remains synchronized and we learn what he's been doing, we're still some time away from the next update."
Neuvillette nodded. He hadn't placed much hope in this line of inquiry anyway. Ultimately, they would have to rely on information from their informants, hoping their infiltration of the Akademiya proceeds smoothly.
Neuvillette sighed softly. This decision would place their informants in grave danger, as they would be facing the Prime Dottore, the Second Seat of the Fatui Harbingers, a target whose power already rivaled that of an Archon.
A single misstep could lead to their irreversible destruction.
As the one who issued this order, he felt immense pressure.
After exchanging a few more words with the Dottore clones, and seeing no sign of Dottore No. N regaining consciousness, Neuvillette excused himself. He had a mountain of pressing matters to attend to and couldn't afford to waste any more time here.
Meanwhile, Dottore No. 6 had already retreated to his room, denying the other clones any chance to interact with him.
Neuvillette planned to return later, but shortly after he left, Dottore No. N stirred back to consciousness.
"Ugh..."
Dottore No. N struggled to open his eyes, staring blankly at the metal ceiling overhead.
Sigewinne's medical skills were truly remarkable, having brought Dottore No. N back to consciousness so quickly.
Having just awakened from a prolonged slumber, Dottore No. N's mind was still hazy. He clutched his head, wondering why it felt like it was about to explode with pain.
"You're awake?"
Dottore No. 1 greeted him warmly, his voice dripping with false concern as he asked with a smile, "Did you sleep well these past few days?"
Dottore No. N was about to retort that he hadn't slept well at all and his head was killing him, but the sudden realization that this man was one of those who had betrayed him instantly soured his expression.
"That's none of your concern. Get out of my sight."
"Heh, you're in remarkably good spirits."
"Excellent. Then I trust you'll be able to withstand what comes next."
Just as Dottore No. N was pondering the meaning of the words, Dottore No. 1 turned to address the other Dottores.
"Those who haven't had a second turn, hurry up and take your places."
"Take it easy this time. Don't hit too hard, or we'll have to explain ourselves to Neuvillette again."
Before Dottore No. N could fully grasp the instruction, a dull thud rang out above his head, followed by a familiar, excruciating pain.
Why is this so familiar? he wondered. Because this pain often haunts my dreams.
"Next."
Dottore No. 1 handed the iron pipe to Dottore No. 13 and turned to leave.
Behind him, the muffled thuds continued intermittently, gradually lifting his mood, which had been darkened by the day's troubles.
Dottore No. N initially let out a few agonized cries, but he soon lapsed into unconsciousness again.
After the second round of beatings, Dottore No. 2 intervened, stopping the others from initiating a third round.
Although knocking Dottore No. N over had improved his mood considerably, continuing to inflict serious injuries on him would be difficult to explain.
"Take him inside and modify his memories."
Dottore No. N was quickly transported to a room where he underwent a minor surgery.
Shortly after, he awoke, clutching his head.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?
Dottore No. N stared at the metal ceiling, his eyes clouded with confusion.
Why does my head hurt so much?
"Heh, you're awake."
"Did you really think you could ambush us with your pathetic strength?"
Ambush? Oh, right, that did happen...
Strange... I wouldn't normally do something so reckless. My Segment is among the weakest.
Maybe I lost my temper back then?
Without giving it further thought, Dottore No. N instinctively blurted out:
"Hmph, you just got lucky."