The rain continued to fall relentlessly.
After finally dispersing the crowds, Neuvillette and Furina returned to Palais Mermonia, both visibly exhausted. They had endured far too much that day.
What frustrated them most was that, despite exhausting every resource to repel the Giant Whale, they had thought temporarily resolving Fontaine's crisis would be a monumental achievement. Yet their opponent had done even better.
They had also reviewed the recordings that had swayed so many Fontaine citizens. The footage showed Dark Furina not only suppressing the surging Primordial Sea Water with absolute force, but also demonstrating their prototype of the Primordial Sea Suppression Ray—the very device they had been working on—which she had successfully used to prevent mass casualties in the towns.
Even if the data might be somewhat fabricated, Furina understood that the civilian casualties on Dark Furina's side were far lower than on theirs. It was no wonder that even after watching the livestream, the people still flocked to worship Dark Furina.
"If this keeps up, I'll become the imposter!"
Isn't that already the case?
Neuvillette glanced at Furina, wondering if she was too immersed in her role.
"Neuvillette, don't you think she's going too far?" Furina suddenly ran up to him, her eyes brimming with expectation.
Just as Neuvillette was about to offer a perfunctory agreement, Furina cut him off again.
"She actually claimed I was her younger sister! That's utterly outrageous!"
"By chronological order, I'm clearly years older than her! At the very least, I should be the elder sister, right?!"
Neuvillette's face darkened, his gaze at Furina incredibly complex.
Is that really what she's focusing on?!
He shook his head, unwilling to waste any more mental energy on this. He already had enough headaches to deal with.
Besides, at this rate, he felt like he was turning into the resident straight man.
"Neuvillette, why are you looking at me like that?"
Sensing Neuvillette's gaze, Furina grew somewhat displeased.
"Do you also think I can only ever be your 'little sister'?"
Neuvillette took a deep breath. He couldn't take it anymore!
"Lady Furina, if there's nothing urgent, you may return to your chambers to rest. I still have much work to complete."
Neuvillette was trying to dismiss her. Being around Furina was truly testing his patience.
However, Furina completely missed the unspoken meaning in his words.
"What are you saying, Neuvillette?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. "As the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, how can I possibly rest during such a crisis?"
"Though I may have been a bit playful in the past, I understand the gravity of this situation!"
"Of course I wouldn't leave you to handle this alone! I'm here to help too!"
Just let me handle it alone!
Do you have no self-awareness at all?
Your presence here will only hinder me!
Neuvillette exerted tremendous effort to restrain himself from voicing these thoughts, instead rising abruptly and heading for the door.
"Where are you going, Neuvillette?"
"I'm going to deal with Rene and Jacob's matter. You stay here."
"See if you can handle any of the paperwork on the desk yourself."
With that, Neuvillette closed the door behind him, leaving Furina utterly dumbfounded in the room.
"Hmph! That infuriating Neuvillette! Leaving me here to work alone? This is blatant retaliation!" Furina muttered indignantly to herself after a long moment of stunned silence.
"He's so petty! I only slacked off for a few years—is that any reason to treat me like this?"
Despite her incessant grumbling, Furina began sifting through the documents on the desk, searching for tasks she could manage.
After rummaging for ages through piles of documents she couldn't understand, her expression turned despairing.
"No use. I can't make head or tail of any of this!"
But wasn't she supposed to be smarter than Neuvillette? If he could understand this stuff, she should be able to grasp it even more easily!
Furina recalled the explanation of the Covenant Seal she had heard earlier. She had understood it perfectly.
Aha! The mystery is solved! It's not my problem; it's these report writers who are at fault!
Why make such a simple concept so needlessly complicated? They're just trying to increase our workload on purpose!
"Someone, come here!"
"What is it, Lady Furina?"
A Melusine entered the room in response to Furina's summons, asking for instructions.
"Return all these reports. Tell them to reduce the content to one-tenth of the original length and resubmit them."
"Ah, this..."
"Lady Furina, does Monsieur Neuvillette know about this?"
Furina bristled at the Melusine's tentative question.
"Does my word carry less weight than Neuvillette's?" she snapped. "Don't forget, I am the Hydro Archon of Fontaine!"
"Yes, Lady Furina! I'll get right to it!"
The Melusine scurried away in a panic.
Watching the Melusine's retreating figure, Furina nodded triumphantly. This should finally help Neuvillette!
Reducing the content to one-tenth will cut the workload by the same amount. I'm a genius!
Fontaine would fall apart without me. Neuvillette just grinds away tirelessly without ever thinking creatively.
Having dealt with official matters, Furina collapsed onto the sofa, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. She couldn't help but replay her earlier encounter in her mind.
Forcing me to acknowledge him as my superior! That detestable man!
"Never mind. Even though she tricked many people into following her, at least she saved quite a few."
Furina knew the woman's actions were aimed at gaining more followers, but she couldn't deny that she had indeed rescued those people.
"If only her goal wasn't to destroy Fontaine..."
"With her and Neuvillette's protection, even on the Day of Prophecy, I believe they can keep everyone safe."
Furina sighed, then patted her cheeks.
No, I can't think like that!
Even if it's just me and Neuvillette, we can still save Fontaine, save everyone!
After all, I still have my final trump card—the true Hydro Archon is on our side!
Lady Focalors... how long must I keep up this act before you fulfill your promise to me...?
Meanwhile, Neuvillette first went to the Maison Gardiennage to retrieve Rene and Jacob.
In truth, this was Neuvillette's test for the two men. He hadn't sealed their powers, but he had assigned Clorinde to escort them.
If they harbored any ulterior motives, Clorinde's strength would be more than sufficient to handle them.
After all, Jacob hadn't absorbed enough Abyss Energy, and Rene possessed very little combat ability.
Neuvillette had questioned Clorinde, and their cooperation on the journey suggested they might be trustworthy enough to share some non-core technologies.
As he pondered this, Neuvillette led the pair to the Fontaine Research Institute.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, what brings you here?!"
The Head of the Research Institute rushed forward upon seeing Neuvillette, his voice unusually loud.
Just then, a considerable commotion erupted from within the Academy.
Sensing Neuvillette's gaze, the Head of the Research Institute quickly added:
"Ha ha ha! It seems everyone is working diligently."
"We received Monsieur Neuvillette's instructions earlier, and everyone is taking them very seriously."
"Rest assured, Monsieur Neuvillette, no one minds working overtime. In fact, everyone is eager to contribute extra hours."
"After discussing it, we've decided to add another two—no, four hours to our workdays, starting today!"
"Monsieur Neuvillette, there's absolutely no need for you to come here personally. Everyone's been working so diligently!"
Neuvillette withdrew his gaze, studying the man's pained expression. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
I'm already paying generous overtime wages... And even if that weren't the case, with Fontaine on the brink of destruction, can they really afford to slack off?
Originally, Neuvillette had worried that the Academy's staff might overwork themselves due to the high overtime pay, neglecting sleep and meals. Now, it seemed his concerns had been misplaced.
"And these two are...?" the man inquired, noticing Rene and Jacob beside Neuvillette.
"This is Monsieur Rene, and this is Monsieur Jacob. I'd like to assign them to your division."
"Monsieur Rene possesses exceptional scientific talent, while Monsieur Jacob serves as his assistant and bodyguard."
Though it struck Neuvillette as odd that the man didn't recognize Rene and Jacob—the earlier events had been broadcast throughout Fontaine—he explained the purpose of his visit.
"Of course, of course! I'll gladly take them both."
"Really, for something so minor, there was no need for Monsieur Neuvillette to come himself. You could have just sent them here."
The man readily agreed, then approached Rene and Jacob, extending his hand.
"You must be Monsieur Rene! Welcome, welcome!"
Rene reached out his small hand to shake, but the man's arm swept past him, grasping Jacob's hand instead.
"Such a distinguished figure! You can tell he's destined for research!"
Rene and Jacob exchanged awkward glances.
"Ahem," Neuvillette cleared his throat, then said, "This is Monsieur Rene."
With a nod towards Rene beside Jacob, Neuvillette signaled the correction. The man, realizing his mistake, quickly switched to shake Rene's hand.
"Ah, my apologies! My eyesight isn't what it used to be. I mistook you for someone else!"
"Truly a researcher through and through! Even your appearance is so... distinctive!"
Neuvillette shook his head wearily. "Let's go inside and talk," he said.
"What? Talk inside?"
The man's voice suddenly shot up several octaves, making Rene's ears ring.
Jacob frowned slightly.
"Could you speak a little softer? We can hear you just fine."
"Oh, my apologies! I'll be more mindful of that."
"Sigh, as we age, our hearing begins to fade. We often don't realize how loud we're speaking."
"Speaking of which, it's already afternoon tea time. How about we all enjoy a couple of cups of hot tea first and then discuss business later?"
"I have work to attend to shortly," Neuvillette replied, shaking his head and declining the offer.
He felt uneasy leaving Furina alone in Fontaine. He couldn't quite explain it, but a nagging sense of unease had settled in his heart.
"Let's handle this matter now," he insisted.
Seeing Neuvillette's unwavering resolve, the other party relented. "Very well, then. Please follow me."
The group was quickly led to the Academy's main gate, which the official pushed open.
As they stepped inside, Neuvillette, Furina, and Clorinde couldn't help but stiffen. Before them loomed a massive screen, emblazoned with the words: "Fontaine is my home, I love my home."
"This is to cultivate everyone's sense of patriotism. It wouldn't do for our well-trained talents to run off to other countries."
Neuvillette nodded, as if the explanation barely passed muster.
Continuing down the corridor, they soon reached another corner where another screen displayed the phrase "I love working overtime! Overtime makes me happy!"
"Upon receiving Monsieur Neuvillette's instructions, we immediately placed this in a prominent location to motivate us to focus on our work!"
Neuvillette said nothing, simply following his guide further ahead until they arrived at the work area.
The first impression was one of utter chaos. Various objects were strewn about haphazardly, while the other employees sat hunched over their desks, not even looking up at their arrival.
"Heh, everyone's very busy, so they haven't had time to tidy up. Please excuse the mess, gentlemen."
Seeing the others fidgeting like they were sitting on pins and needles, Neuvillette resolved to resolve the matter quickly and leave as soon as possible.
"Assign them some tasks, starting with the basics."
Jacob bristled immediately. Rene? A genius among geniuses! How dare you assign such a once-in-a-millennium prodigy to menial labor? Even you, Neuvillette, have no right to insult him like this!
Just as Jacob was about to erupt, Rene restrained him, shaking his head. Jacob eventually deflated, his anger subsiding.
Rene took it all in stride. He understood that Neuvillette wouldn't immediately trust him with core technologies. The important thing was that he'd been given the chance to prove himself. He was confident that his abilities would soon earn the trust of everyone at the Academy, including Neuvillette himself.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, we're ready for anything. Just tell us what needs to be done."
"Hmm, let me think... Ah, I remember Group Two is working on a very simple project. It would be perfect for newcomers..."
Jacob wanted to protest, but he bit back his words, his gaze toward the Head of the Research Institute growing decidedly unfriendly.
Hmph, that old fool dared to humiliate Rene like this!
Just wait until Rene showcases his talent. You'll be groveling at his feet!
"Alva, come over here."
The Head of the Research Institute waved to a young man standing in a secluded corner. The youth quickly approached, looking remarkably young for his position.
"Teacher, you called for me?"
"Yes. From now on, Monsieur Rene will be your colleague. And beside him is his assistant, Monsieur Jacob. Please introduce yourselves."
Hearing this, Alva stepped forward to greet Rene and Jacob, extending a hand with a smile.
"Hello, I'm Alva, the leader of Group Two. It's a pleasure to meet you both, Monsieur Rene and Monsieur Jacob."
Rene shook Alva's hand warmly. Jacob, though reluctant, nodded in acknowledgment, unwilling to embarrass Rene by refusing.
Seeing Rene's onboarding process proceed smoothly, Neuvillette nodded, satisfied with having completed an important task. He prepared to return and check if Furina had caused any trouble in his absence.
Just then, Neuvillette caught a glimpse of the research book Alva was holding, and his pupils constricted sharply.
The book's cover had slightly separated from the pages, revealing the title The Two Musketeers beneath.
Though Neuvillette had steeled himself for this possibility before entering the room, the sight still made his breathing quicken.
No, I can't take it anymore! If I don't leave now, I'll lose my composure.
Neuvillette summoned the Head of the Research Institute and hurried away to discuss urgent matters elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Rene and Jacob followed Alva to their new workstations.
"Monsieur Alva," Rene asked, his voice brimming with anticipation as they neared their familiar domain, "what exactly will Group Two be working on?"
"Our mission is simple," Alva replied. "We're creating a device that allows remote communication, integrates photography, audio recording, and videography, and is compact enough to fit in one hand for easy portability."
"For now, I'll call this thing a 'mobile phone'!"
Rene and Jacob were instantly dumbfounded. Even a single one of the functions he'd described would be impossible to fit into such a small device, let alone all of them combined. And he called that simple?
Did he even understand what "simple" meant?!
Just then, someone shouted, "Neuvillette's gone!"
In an instant, the room—which had been so quiet you could hear a pin drop—erupted into chaos.
"He's finally gone! I'm going back to sleep—I only got eight hours last night. I'm seriously sleep-deprived, and I have overtime later!"
"I'm going to see my girlfriend. If Neuvillette comes back, cover for me, okay?"
"Neuvillette's timing couldn't be worse! Miss Barbara's concert is at its peak! Go, Barbara! Charge!"
The chaotic scene left Rene and Jacob utterly bewildered. A hand suddenly landed on Jacob's shoulder, while another gently patted Rene's round head twice.
"No need to be alarmed. This is just the Academy's style. You'll get used to it."
With that, Alva plopped down in his chair, crossed his legs, and tossed aside the book jacket, revealing the novel beneath: The Two Musketeers.
Rene and Jacob, witnessing this scene, were utterly speechless.
"Oh, right." Alva suddenly remembered something. He set the novel aside, grabbed a stack of books from beside him, and tossed them at the two newcomers. "Since you're new here, start with these introductory texts."
Rene and Jacob glanced down. The titles read: Advanced Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry...