Rene slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat dazed.
He felt his thoughts were sluggish, making it difficult to think clearly.
"You're awake?"
A familiar voice suddenly came from beside him. Rene turned his gaze toward the speaker and recognized him.
It was Alva.
Ah, right. He and Jacob had been assisting Alva with his intelligence gathering. During the process, Rene's consciousness had gradually faded, as if he had fallen asleep.
"...Monsieur Alva, how did it go? Was the information gathering successful?" Rene asked, trying to sit up. But some invisible force seemed to be binding him to the bed, preventing him from moving.
Looking down, Rene discovered his body was restrained by an unknown energy.
"Of course it was successful. Things progressed very smoothly."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Monsieur Rene."
Rene watched Alva smile at him, but at that moment, the man's demeanor felt completely different. Gone was his usual languidness; instead, Alva exuded a chilling aura.
It must be my imagination.
Rene shook his head, but the restraints prevented him from even performing this simple movement properly.
"Monsieur Alva, could you please loosen these restraints? They're digging into my skin."
"Absolutely not, Monsieur Rene." Alva chuckled, refusing Rene's request before continuing, "Though your memories have been fully collected, I'm deeply curious about your current body. I want to understand precisely how it maintains vital functions based on its unique operational model."
"As fellow researchers, Monsieur Rene, I trust you understand what I mean."
"I... I don't understand..."
Rene finally realized something was amiss. He noticed that aside from a single candle casting a dim yellow light, there seemed to be no other light sources in the room.
Though it had been afternoon just moments ago, the room was now pitch-black. The candlelight cast an eerie glow across Alva's profile, making his smile seem particularly sinister.
"Where's Jacob, Monsieur Alva? Where is he right now?"
Hearing Rene's slightly panicked words, the smile on Alva's face grew even more unsettling.
"Ah, you mean Monsieur Jacob," Alva said. "He's currently soaking. I believe it won't be long before he becomes one of my prized possessions."
Rene stared at Alva, his pupils contracting sharply.
"Monsieur Alva, I don't understand what you mean."
"Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough, Monsieur Rene."
With that, Alva produced some surgical instruments from an unseen source, right in front of Rene. He selected a razor-sharp scalpel and deftly twirled it in his hand, displaying perfect familiarity with the instrument.
Seeing the scalpel gleam menacingly in the candlelight, Rene belatedly began to struggle.
Alva merely smiled and watched Rene's futile efforts with amusement.
"If you're ready, Monsieur Rene, we can begin."
"Why?! Why are you doing this, Monsieur Alva?!"
Rene's voice grew frantic and furious. He had glimpsed Fontaine's future, seen its breathtaking beauty, only to have Alva drag him back into the darkness.
"It's a simple question. I'm the mole hiding within the Academy."
"The rock-paper-scissors game? I threw it on purpose."
Hearing Alva's answer, Rene's heart sank to the pit of his stomach.
"Alright, now that you know the answer, it's time to get down to business."
"Farewell, Monsieur Rene."
"Oh, and give my regards to Monsieur Jacob in the other world."
As the scalpel drew closer, Rene seethed with rage but ultimately remained powerless. He lacked the strength to change his fate and could only slowly close his eyes, awaiting his end.
Click! The room flooded with light.
"Monsieur Alva, I brought the food from the cafeteria."
"Why were you keeping the lights off?"
Jacob walked in carrying several lunch boxes, looking curiously at Alva.
"And what's with those things in your hands?"
"Jacob!"
Hearing Jacob's voice, Rene's eyes snapped open in surprise. He immediately realized he'd been played, and glared at Alva with deadpan eyes.
"Rene, you're awake too!"
Jacob's voice brightened at the sight of Rene opening his eyes, but his attention was soon drawn to Rene's intense glare at Alva.
"What's going on here?"
"Ha ha ha! Just getting a little bored while we were waiting. I was just playing a little joke on Monsieur Rene."
Alva laughed heartily as he expertly tossed the scalpel into a medical instrument box and slid it back under the bed.
"Monsieur Alva, this joke isn't funny at all!"
"I almost thought you were really an undercover agent. You scared me half to death!"
"Hahaha, my apologies, my apologies."
Alva offered his apology without a hint of sincerity, leaving Rene with no choice but to sigh softly in resignation.
"Monsieur Alva, please don't do that again."
"Alright, alright. I just wanted to give you a surprise when you woke up."
More like a scare! Rene thought silently, then turned to Jacob.
"Looks like I slept for quite a while?"
"Indeed, Monsieur Rene. You've truly mastered the art of slacking off!"
"Since this matter was requested by Neuvillette, the Teacher has extended Group Two's overtime hours to six. Monsieur Rene, you woke up just in time!"
Rene: "..."
"Hahaha, just kidding!"
Alva waved his hand dismissively with a grin.
"The reason for this seems to be that Monsieur Rene's consciousness isn't fully intact, so his recovery is far slower than Monsieur Jacob's."
Hearing Alva's words, Rene shook his head helplessly.
"It seems we can't keep this a secret any longer."
"Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't revealed it."
"Thank you for your understanding, Monsieur Alva, but it's not a particularly important secret anyway."
At this point, Rene glanced at Jacob before continuing.
"Jacob told me that when he rescued me, he purged all memories of my past failures."
"During that time, I apparently spent each day consumed by self-blame and regret. Since Jacob made that choice back then, I must have suffered a truly devastating blow."
"I see. That's understandable."
Alva nodded, and Rene spoke again.
"Will my condition cause any issues with the information gathering?"
"If it's a problem, I can retrieve that missing part of myself first, and then we can try again."
"Of course, Monsieur Alva, please don't misunderstand. I made the decision to recover my full self last night—it has nothing to do with this matter, so there's no need to worry."
"That won't be necessary. The impact isn't too severe."
Alva shook his head and continued.
"Next, we need to verify its effectiveness. If it works as intended, we can finally complete this mission."
"Ah? The device is finished?" Rene asked.
Alva nodded. "While you were gathering information, I had some free time and decided to assemble the device. It should be fully operational."
He gestured toward a semicircular, arch-like structure standing in the corner, resembling a doorway. "That's it."
"When an individual passes through there, the System will automatically scan them and compare the data against its database to identify any anomalies."
"The data has been mostly uploaded. I'll hand it over to my Teacher tomorrow."
"Oh, and while I was building it, I suddenly realized this approach might not be rigorous enough, so I integrated astrology into the device as well."
"Now, the device can also automatically perform a destiny divination for each person who passes through. If their destiny deviates too drastically from its predetermined course, it will issue a warning, even if other parameters show no major abnormalities."
"With this dual-layered safeguard, I'm confident that few will slip through the net."
After hearing Alva's explanation, Rene and Jacob were completely dumbfounded. They desperately wanted to crack open his skull to see what extraordinary thing lay inside.
In such a short span of time, he had devised a new verification method and put it into practice.
And it was completely divorced from scientific astrology! Was there no limit to the breadth of his skill mastery?
Moreover, did he realize how many astrologers this would put out of work? Some of them were already so poor they couldn't afford food. What would happen if they starved to death on the streets?
"Monsieur Alva," Rene couldn't help but lament, "if only you had been born a few centuries earlier."
Had Alva been born in that era, Rene believed he wouldn't have calculated the world's inevitable demise, thus avoiding his misguided path to saving it through unethical means.
With Alva's guidance, Rene believed his own achievements would have been unimaginable.
Of course, the gap between them remained vast—an insurmountable chasm. Alva was simply a prodigious talent!
"Ha ha ha, it's never too late to meet, Monsieur Rene," Alva chuckled. "Come, let's finish our meal and head home to sleep."
"Monsieur Alva, are we really just going to leave like this? What about the device?!"
Rene froze, stunned by Alva's words.
"Just leave it there for now. We'll deal with it tomorrow."
"We've already worked overtime today. And they don't pay extra for overtime! Only a fool would keep working without compensation."
"No pay? Not even if the sky is falling! I'm done for today!"
Hearing Alva's unwavering declaration, Rene and Jacob were both speechless...
The next day, as Neuvillette examined the device before him—manufactured to his specifications by the Fontaine Research Institute and named "Who's the Spy?"—he fell into deep thought.
Yesterday, he had suddenly realized that the Fontaine Research Institute might have a solution to Fontaine's recent crisis. He had tentatively sent word through an intermediary, and less than a day later, the completed device was already before him. This made him question whether all his previous worry over this matter had been worth it.
"What's wrong, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"Are you having trouble understanding how to use the device?"
The Head of the Research Institute noticed Neuvillette's prolonged silence and asked with a smile.
"It's quite simple. Just have people pass through it, and the System will automatically detect their memories."
"After our entire research team spent all night meticulously verifying its effectiveness, we confirmed it works. Several individuals at the Academy who had regained their memories but concealed the truth have already been identified and are currently undergoing further investigation."
Hearing this, Neuvillette immediately perked up. It's actually that effective?!
"Thank you for your hard work."
Considering the immense effort the Academy's researchers had put into this, Neuvillette softened his expression as much as possible.
The fact that they had completed his request so quickly must mean the Academy had prioritized his matter above all else, likely halting other research projects to focus all efforts on developing this device.
Neuvillette felt a twinge of emotion. While he'd heard rumors of Academy personnel occasionally slacking off, when it came to serious matters, their dedication was beyond reproach. They consistently delivered results at an astonishing pace.
With this in mind, Neuvillette addressed the Head of the Research Institute again:
"I will increase your funding by another 50% next month. When the funds arrive, allocate a portion to reward the researchers at the Academy."
"That's wonderful news!"
Upon hearing about the increased funding, Lémone, the head of the Fontaine Research Institute, immediately grew excited.
"On behalf of all the researchers at the Academy, I thank Monsieur Neuvillette for his generosity."
"There's no need for thanks. You've earned it."
With those words, Neuvillette eagerly approached the semicircular, gate-like device standing upright on the ground.
"Did the Academy collectively name this device?" Neuvillette asked curiously.
The Head of the Research Institute quickly denied it.
"No, no, no. It was named by my student, Alva, the little rascal you met last time."
"He's the device's primary researcher, and I couldn't refuse his naming suggestion."
Neuvillette shook his head.
"It doesn't matter. The name is insignificant. Let him have his way."
Though the name sounded somewhat odd, Neuvillette understood the importance of respecting others' scientific achievements.
Since the device was of their making, they had the right to name it as they pleased, free from external interference.
Of course, this applied as long as they didn't name it after Furina.
To verify the device's functionality, Neuvillette personally stepped through its arch.
As Neuvillette passed through the device, a projection of a cerulean sky suddenly appeared above it, followed by a beam of golden light cascading down from above.
"What's this?" Neuvillette asked.
Hearing Neuvillette's question, the Head of the Research Institute immediately explained:
"This is the divination effect. Our device combines big data screening with divinatory observation, achieving extremely high accuracy.
"However, some later raised concerns that this might lead to diviners losing their jobs and starving in the streets. So, we removed the divination results and only retained the visual representation of the divination process."
"Of course, you can still roughly discern a person's fate. For example, the golden light that appeared now is the best, followed by purple for average, and blue for slightly below average.
"If black light appears, it signifies a problem with the individual. Naturally, the device will also trigger a corresponding alarm."
After hearing the explanation, Neuvillette's lips twitched slightly.
"You've put considerable thought into this," he remarked.
"But doesn't divination contradict science?"
The Head of the Research Institute immediately replied: "That's no problem, Monsieur Neuvillette! The Academy is very open-minded!"
"We can conduct divination scientifically!"
Neuvillette: "..."
Just then, the golden glow above the device faded, and a green indicator light lit up at the top.
"Congratulations! You're not a spy!"
Hearing the device's voice, Neuvillette nearly lost his composure.
Isn't that Furina's voice?!
The Head of the Research Institute leaned closer, a sly smile spreading across his face.
"What do you think, Monsieur Neuvillette? Quite considerate, isn't it?"
"After verifying your identity, the device delivers the results in the gentlest voice in all of Fontaine, effectively alleviating any inner tension."
"And if we discover someone suspicious, the voice of the highest authority in Fontaine can instantly terrify them into confessing on the spot—a win-win!"
Whether it alleviates tension or not, I don't know. But it certainly startled me.
Neuvillette stared at the Head of the Research Institute for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Did you persuade Lady Furina to provide the voice acting?"
"No, this was recorded by one of our Academy personnel."
"How could we dare trouble Lady Furina with such a trivial matter?!"
Neuvillette rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Go back and rest for now. I'll have you notified if anything comes up."
Hearing Neuvillette's words, the Head of the Fontaine Research Institute promptly replied,
"Very well, Monsieur Neuvillette. I'll take my leave now."
"Oh, and are the preparations for the military exercise complete?"
"Of course, Monsieur Neuvillette. Our researchers have already inspected the weapons in advance and confirmed that there are no issues."
Hearing this, Neuvillette nodded.
"Very well. You've worked hard. Go get some rest."
As the person walked away, Neuvillette immediately ordered "Who's the Spy?" to be installed over his office door, perfectly aligned with the original entrance.
This way, Neuvillette could instantly detect any suspicious activity among those entering or leaving his office.
Next, he scheduled a meeting to be held in his office. By gathering Fontaine's core administrative staff there, he could initiate a direct screening of the entire group.
If he had summoned them individually, they might have prepared countermeasures, reducing the device's accuracy. Catching them off guard was the safest approach.
Fortunately, a military exercise was scheduled for the afternoon. Holding a meeting beforehand wouldn't raise any suspicion.
Of course, Neuvillette also temporarily restricted the staff currently on duty at Palais Mermonia from leaving, preventing them from leaking information.
With these measures in place, everything was foolproof.
Thinking this, Neuvillette urgently summoned the other nobles for a meeting.
This screening operation had to be conducted from top to bottom.