However, just as Yuto and Furina were discussing cupcakes and afternoon tea, the Golden-haired Traveler and Paimon yawned and walked out of their room in the Grey River.
"Ugh... I slept so well, is it because this place makes me feel so safe...?"
Paimon said, still a bit groggy.
She instinctively looked around and found that Miles and Silver, who should have been sitting at the long table by the door, were gone, leaving only Miss Navia sitting there.
The elegant Miss Navia sat there, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, as if she had encountered some difficulty.
As if noticing their gaze, Miss Navia instinctively looked up at them.
The moment she saw the Golden-haired Traveler and Paimon, her furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
"Ah, it's you... How did you sleep last night?"
Miss Navia asked with a smile.
Paimon lightly nodded her small head, then waved her hand and said:
"Mm! I slept very well~ I felt especially safe!"
"Hahahaha, that's good, that's good. I was worried you wouldn't be used to sleeping here~"
"No way~ She and I are very adaptable!"
Paimon replied to Miss Navia while looking around, and was a bit confused when she realized that the two people who were originally with Miss Navia were gone.
"Eh? By the way, Miss Navia, where did your two followers go?"
Hearing Paimon's question, Miss Navia laughed heartily:
"I sent them back to Bai Song Town first, which is the birthplace and headquarters of our Spina di Rosula. There's nothing here that needs their help for now."
"I see... By the way, when did you arrive? Have you been waiting here all this time?"
Miss Navia gently shook her head. "No, I just got back from outside not long ago. Last night, I conducted a preliminary investigation into the name 'Vasher.'"
"Whoa! Did you not sleep all night?!"
Paimon looked at the still energetic golden-haired girl in front of her with some surprise, momentarily speechless.
If she and the Golden-haired Traveler didn't sleep all night... they probably wouldn't have the energy to do anything or take on commissions the next day!
Miss Navia seemed to have anticipated Paimon's surprised tone. She chuckled softly and said:
"With such important information appearing, who could possibly sleep?"
"Uh... I think I just said something about sleeping very well..."
Paimon felt a bit awkward for a moment. She suddenly felt like she had let Miss Navia down.
And Miss Navia naturally noticed their awkwardness and immediately changed the subject.
"However... there were no gains. The existence of this name seems to have been completely erased; it can't be found anywhere."
"I think the masterminds behind this probably tampered with it long ago. Precisely because they're afraid of people investigating this person, I believe... this person named 'Vasher' is actually a key witness."
Miss Navia's words made the Golden-haired Traveler's expression darken.
A hidden witness... It's as if there's a door to the truth, and these people have completely sealed it off.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh, then asked with some worry:
"Are we already too late? How... how should we investigate this person next?"
Hearing the Golden-haired Traveler's words, Miss Navia gently blinked at her, then said mysteriously:
"No, we still have hope, and... a lot of hope."
"Eh?"
"In Fontaine, there are two places where personal archives and information about people are always beyond their reach."
"One is the personal archives recorded by Chief Justice Neuvillette himself, and the other... is Auxiliary Officer Chang Ming's case records and document approvals over the years."
"I think... they both must know something."
With that, Miss Navia raised her eyes to look at the Golden-haired Traveler in front of her, and said thoughtfully:
"I think... if the Oceanid you saw is indeed the recently missing girl, then you'll definitely be able to find some information from the two of them."
Hearing Miss Navia's words, Paimon was surprised for a moment, then exclaimed:
"I thought all the Judgment paperwork was handed over to Yuto... So Mr. Neuvillette also works so diligently~"
"Let's go find them now!"
...
Inside Palais Mermonia, Yuto looked at the last remaining document and let out a slight sigh of relief, muttering softly:
"Finally almost done with the revisions... I'll leave it here, and the Melusine can pick it up herself in the afternoon."
Yuto said as he slowly stood up and began to tidy his desk.
The reason he cleared his schedule this afternoon was not only for afternoon tea with Furina but also for the plotlines he had previewed.
Although the plot cover still showed Miss Navia speaking to Neuvillette with tears in her eyes, given his previous actions, Miss Navia and her companions were very likely to come looking for him first.
So, in order to cope with unexpected situations... he still had to make all sorts of preparations in advance.
Thinking of this, Yuto wrote a few flowing characters on the application form in front of him, which proposed to lead the production of a wooden ark:
"Excessive consumption of manpower and resources, design concept too absurd, rejected."
Of course, if Wriothesley hadn't been secretly researching and designing ships, Yuto might have actually considered this.
But then again... there were no 'ifs.'
However, just as Yuto finished reviewing the documents at hand, the door to his office was slightly ajar, and a small Melusine head poked out from the outside.
"Um... Lord Yuto, Miss Navia and the Golden-haired Traveler wish to see you."
Hearing this, Yuto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, seemingly a bit... at a loss for words regarding how quickly these people arrived.
Was this a coincidence, or... was he himself a Prophet? Did whatever he thought of come true?
However, he only said this to himself in his mind, then looked up and replied:
"Let them in."
"Okay!"
...
Soon, Miss Navia and the two others were led in by the Melusine.
Looking at the three in front of him, Yuto slowly stood up as a sign of respect, then asked:
"The three of you came to see me today... do you need my help with something?"
"I've got a very important lead, a person named Vasher. He might be a witness to a 'missing girl case'!"
Hearing this name, Yuto nodded slightly, then lowered his head and took out two large notebooks from the cabinet of his desk, beginning to flip through them.
Paimon was a bit stunned looking at the astonishingly thick notebooks.
It wasn't that she hadn't seen the notebooks of ordinary scholars in Sumeru, but this was... a bit too exaggerated, wasn't it?
However, out of politeness, Paimon remained silent and waited quietly with everyone.
After about two or three minutes, with a "thud," Yuto gently closed his notebook, then said:
"I'm very sorry, Miss Navia, I don't have anyone named Vasher registered here."
"However... your arrival did remind me of something."
"Perhaps you could change your approach and investigate this matter from the perspective of illegal drugs."