Although Lumine, who wouldn't be affected by the Seawater, was present, it was still somewhat risky for her.
After all, no one knew what was beneath the water or what state Lumine would be in after going down.
So... this matter naturally fell to Neuvillette.
He slightly raised his head, looking at the clear water in the pool, and slowly extended his right hand.
Buzz—
With a hum, the previously calm water surface rippled in layers, and a sea-blue light gathered in Neuvillette's outstretched right hand.
As the sea-blue light in Neuvillette's palm grew stronger, the clear water in the pool began to churn.
With the help of the remaining water element authority, Neuvillette's consciousness began to spread along the clear water, gradually deepening.
As time passed second by second, Neuvillette's consciousness finally reached the bottom of the clear water.
Here, he "saw" a "line" shimmering with a strange light.
This "line" was like something cutting, dividing the entire pool into two areas.
The upper layer of the "line" was harmless clear water, while the lower layer... was the primordial sea water that could "dissolve" the people of Fontaine.
Looking at the primordial sea water shimmering with an eerie glow, Neuvillette's brows slightly relaxed. He then intended to spread his consciousness to make contact with it, aiming for resonance... when an accident occurred.
Before Neuvillette's consciousness could even touch the Seawater shimmering with an eerie glow, the "line" used to separate the clear water and the Seawater directly blocked the spread of his consciousness.
"Ugh..."
Feeling the pain originating from the depths of his consciousness, Neuvillette's recently relaxed brows furrowed once again, and he let out an unconscious groan.
However, he did not give up. Instead, he continued to try and spread his consciousness, attempting to find the reason for the severance.
It seemed to sense Neuvillette's consciousness approaching again. The "line" shimmering with an unusual glow began to twist and deform, finally forming a purplish-black magic circle.
—Just like the seal Neuvillette placed on the "Forbidden Zone" gate.
Before Neuvillette's consciousness could carefully observe this seal, the purplish-black magic circle burst forth with a dazzling purplish-black light, directly repelling Neuvillette's consciousness.
However, just as Neuvillette's consciousness was pushed back by this strange magic circle, he sensed a trace of Yuto's aura from it...
...
Neuvillette suddenly opened his eyes, adjusted his overly hurried breathing, and then subconsciously touched his chin, falling into contemplation.
Everyone also noticed the change in Neuvillette's posture and focused their gaze on him, expecting him to provide an answer.
After a while of silence, Neuvillette gently shook his head.
"Apologies... perhaps because the Seawater is temporarily sealed, I cannot resonate with it again."
"However, this exploration was not without Gains."
Hearing this, Furina suddenly looked up, her beautiful heterochromatic eyes fixed on Neuvillette, waiting for his next statement.
For the current Furina, any gain, or rather... knowing that Yuto had not been "dissolved," was the best news.
Seemingly sensing Furina's eager gaze, Neuvillette did not keep them in suspense and said very straightforwardly:
"When exploring the space at the bottom of the pool, I found a seal that completely separated the normal water from the Seawater."
"Moreover, the repulsion of this seal is particularly strong; one could even say it absolutely will not allow anyone to touch it."
"But... I sensed a faint aura of Yuto on this seal."
Hearing this, Navia fell into thought, then spoke:
"So... Mr. Yuto's current state is definitely not being "dissolved," but rather being "swept away"?"
Neuvillette nodded.
"That's one way to understand it, but if you want more specific information... I apologize, I am powerless."
Hearing Neuvillette and Navia's words, Furina's small face, which had been tense with anxiety and worry, finally showed signs of relaxation.
Although she still hadn't found where Yuto was, the fact that he hadn't been dissolved was enough.
Furina knew very well that as long as he was alive, he would never abandon her.
Absolutely not.
So, there was only one thing she needed to do now: play the role of Hydro Archon Focalors well and quietly wait for Yuto to return.
Then, when The Prophecy ended, she would confess to him and ask him if, as she thought, he had known everything from the beginning but chose to remain silent and protect her.
Of course, Yuto's answer didn't matter, because her affection for him had long overflowed and wouldn't change because of that answer.
To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, if Furina didn't have that "responsibility"... she and Yuto would probably already have children.
It seemed that Little Sanhua in Furina's arms also sensed the change in Furina's mood. It placed its cat head in Furina's palm, purring and rubbing against her hand.
Navia also noticed the change in the kitten in Furina's arms. She blinked slightly, asking with some confusion:
"Lady Furina, isn't this... Mr. Yuto's little cat that he keeps in his office? Why did you bring it?"
Hearing this, Furina's brain momentarily crashed, then began to rapidly process, thinking about what words she should use to explain her actions.
She certainly couldn't say, "It's because I didn't want to believe the fact that Yuto fell into the Primordial Sea, so I hugged the cat that he and I jointly raised to seek a little comfort"!
However, Furina was still Furina. In her five hundred years of performing, she had learned to use eccentricity to mask her other emotions.
As a flash of inspiration crossed her mind, Furina cleared her throat and slowly began to speak:
"...I believe there's a certain bond between pets and their owners, so I wanted to find Yuto through this little one."
Hearing this, Navia blinked with some confusion.
She thought what Furina said made a little sense, but... not much, though it sounded like something Furina would say.
Just as Navia was about to ask further, Paimon, floating nearby, raised a very crucial question.
"Speaking of which, since Yuto isn't here now... who's going to take on all the work he usually handles?"
"I remember Charlotte said last time that Yuto's work involves every aspect of Fontaine. He's not here now... so what are you going to do?"
Hearing this, Navia and Clorinde looked at Furina and Neuvillette, who were standing to the side.
Although they didn't know whose work Yuto's appearance had originally alleviated, the only two people in all of Fontaine with the authority to take over Yuto's work were them.
Seemingly sensing everyone's gaze, Furina slightly lowered her head and played with Little Sanhua, whom she held in her arms.
—This was the best way to divert attention.
Of course, no one expected Furina to do anything, after all... in the eyes of the people of Fontaine, Furina only had two labels:
"Water God" and "Mascot"
The word "work" had nothing to do with her, and no one expected Furina, who inherently disliked paperwork, to suddenly engage in it.
Seeing this, everyone naturally shifted their gaze from Furina to Neuvillette.
When Neuvillette first joined Palais Mermonia, the work that Yuto now handled was actually his responsibility.
So... he had eleven years of experience, which made him much more reliable than the completely inexperienced Furina.
Seemingly understanding this point, Neuvillette sighed slightly, then stated without any emotional fluctuation:
"I once handled eleven years of paperwork, so I should be able to temporarily take over Mr. Yuto's duties."
As he said this, dark clouds began to rapidly gather above Fontaine, and the previously somewhat sunny weather instantly turned gloomy, as if it were about to rain the next second.
At this moment, Neuvillette recalled the feeling of being dominated by paperwork.
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