"Eh?! Illegal...drugs?"
Paimon was a little surprised for a moment, then suddenly realized:
"Oh! Yuto, are you talking about the organization Vaughn, who was dissolved, mentioned?"
Yuto looked at Paimon approvingly, then turned to Navia in front of him and said, "Give me some time, I need to find their clues."
"However...whether I can find them, or how much I can find, I can't be entirely sure right now, because it's been a long time, and also my office..."
Yuto looked at his office, where documents were piled everywhere, smiled awkwardly, then sighed.
"Sigh... I've been searching ever since the Judgment ended yesterday. At this rate, I should be done by tomorrow morning..."
After saying this, Yuto fell silent, and only slowly spoke after a long while:
"How about this, if you have time tomorrow noon, come to Palais Mermonia again. I will give you an accurate answer then."
"Of course, I don't have human archives here, otherwise... I could take you to Neuvillette's place to check? At least that would add another source of information and means."
"Hmm... it's not out of the question that I might need to participate in a Judgment on short notice. If you can't find me at Palais Mermonia, then come to the Opera House."
Yuto's suggestion made Navia fall silent, and it took her a while to react.
She said somewhat dejectedly, "Hmm... alright, thank you, Mr. Yuto."
"You're welcome, Navia."
"Cares is my good friend. For years, I have also been investigating information related to the Serial Disappearance of Young Girls, but..."
Yuto sighed softly, pointed to the stack of neatly organized documents on the desk, then continued:
"However, I'm tied up with official duties, and these guys are too good at hiding, so the investigation progress is like a snail's crawl..."
"That you can help investigate... I am... very grateful."
Looking at Navia's expression in front of him, Yuto sighed softly.
He knew very well why Navia's mood had suddenly become so low.
But... that wasn't Neuvillette's fault.
Thinking of this, Yuto gently shook his head, then led everyone out of the office door to find Neuvillette.
...
"Mr. Neuvillette, are you there? I have some things I'd like to ask you about."
Yuto gently knocked on Neuvillette's office door and asked softly.
"I am here, please come in."
Neuvillette's majestic voice came from within, and Yuto pushed open the door without any hesitation.
Neuvillette, who was sitting at his desk reviewing a Judgment report, was momentarily surprised to see four people enter at once.
However, this hint of surprise quickly faded, and he then asked, "Do you have something important to discuss with me?"
"To be precise, it's these three behind me. They need to investigate a name, 'Vasher'."
Yuto said concisely.
"He is very likely a witness to the Serial Disappearance of Young Girls, and I think... this will be a very important clue!"
Hearing this, Neuvillette looked at Yuto in front of him, then at the two people beside him, and nodded thoughtfully.
"I understand, please wait a moment, I will consult the archives."
As Neuvillette spoke, he walked towards the large bookshelves nearby and began to search through them.
During this time, Navia nervously watched Neuvillette searching through the archives, constantly praying internally... that things would have a good outcome.
As time passed little by little, Neuvillette finally finished searching the archives, then shook his head at the group.
"It's very regrettable. Neither in the paper files nor in my mind is there any mention of the name Vasher."
Hearing this, Lumine sighed with some regret.
"There's nothing we can do... it was all for naught in the end..."
Paimon shook her small head dejectedly, then continued:
"Could it be... Lumine, that you really just had a dream...?"
Hearing the words of the two beside her, Navia's expression gradually became downcast.
She slightly lowered her head, hiding her facial expression beneath the brim of her hat, making it difficult to see clearly.
"Is that so... alright, thank you, Lord Neuvillette, and thank you, Mr. Yuto. We'll... head back first."
After Navia finished speaking, she walked towards Neuvillette's office door, and her slightly heavy footsteps made these two people, who had lived for nearly five hundred years... feel a little uncomfortable.
Neuvillette slowly spoke after a moment of silence:
"...Miss Navia, I can understand your feelings. Your Father, Cares, was an exceptionally talented individual, and his death is truly regrettable."
"Neuvillette!" Yuto exclaimed in a low voice.
But... the words had already been spoken, and it was too late.
Hearing Neuvillette's words, Navia's already low and depressed emotions instantly exploded.
Her voice trembled slightly as she retorted:
"Mr. Neuvillette... what is this supposed to be?"
"Sympathy for me? Comfort? Or the 'regret' you speak of?"
"No... none of them..."
After Navia finished speaking, she turned around, her grey-blue eyes looking directly at Neuvillette, and said with some suppression:
"I can tell that there's no emotion in your words at all; you just think that's what you should say right now..."
"Navia..."
Yuto looked worriedly at the young woman who had quickly walked up to Neuvillette, momentarily unsure what to say.
Even if he had a silver tongue, even if he had already prepared for the possible script, still...
He still couldn't do it.
He was a living person; he had no right to stop others from expressing their emotions.
Just like now, even with a thousand words accumulated in his heart, he still couldn't utter a single one.
He knew that Navia... needed an emotional outlet.
From the current situation, Cares's case back then was a miscarriage of justice, but... the person is gone, so nothing can be done.
And now, Navia, who had finally found a clue after years of investigation, was suddenly told that everything was in vain. She really couldn't hold it together anymore.
"Never mind... I'll help them later..."
Yuto sighed softly, quietly listening to Navia's accusations.
"You clearly told me you also thought there were still irregularities in the case, yet you still condoned the duel."
"In your eyes, the value of life simply cannot compare to the ruthless rules and laws in your hands, can it?!"
"If you truly felt regret over my Father's death, then why didn't you stop him back then?!"
"Why... why didn't you give me the right to stop him?!"
"Why did you just let him die bearing a bad name?!"
"I still had so many things I wanted to tell him... he still owed me answers to so many questions..."
"If you truly feel regret... then look at me! Look into my eyes and see what this so-called 'regret' truly feels like!"
Hearing this, Neuvillette subconsciously raised his head to glance at Navia in front of him, then immediately lowered his head, closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and said:
"I apologize... Miss Navia."
All of Neuvillette's reactions were seen by Navia.
She looked at the man in front of her, gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, then softly shook her head.
"You truly are very much like him, just like my old man. You always suppress a lot of things in your heart and are never willing to talk about them with others."
"You clearly feel many things, but you never express them."
"Never mind..."
Navia gently shook her head, turned around, said a few words to Lumine and Paimon, then left the office together.