"Teacher, you must still be alive, right..."
Navia gently stroked the silver-white guitar leaning against the corner, unable to conceal the sorrow in her eyes.
Despite searching for so long, they had found nothing.
Some had already accepted the reality that Monsieur Grett was go...
2025-05-23 00:28:03 +0000 UTC View Post"Prove... trust..."
The young man's words left the group stunned.
"Yes, trust."
"Trust is the most crucial element of cooperation. After all, you yourselves told me that."
"So, those of you who brought it up must surely have a way to satisfy me, right?"
A chill ran t...
2025-05-23 00:26:48 +0000 UTC View PostMarquis Relf was so enraged he felt like vomiting blood. This was the second time this had happened. He'd just dispatched the Marechaussee Hunters, and now they were dead, leaving him to take the blame once again.
Who was plotting against him?!
A sea of faces swirled through Marquis R...
2025-05-23 00:25:05 +0000 UTC View Post"The doors and windows of the room were completely locked from the inside. The only object in the room, aside from the body, was an overturned stool."
"Although the deceased's hands and feet were bound, there were no signs of struggle or altercation on her body, nor were any drugs detected ...
2025-05-23 00:23:43 +0000 UTC View Post"What the hell is going on? How did he die ahead of schedule?"
"Who acted without authorization? Didn't I specifically say not to make any rash moves and to let the Marechaussee Hunter handle this?"
Marquis Relf was practically bursting with rage. The man deserved to die, yes, but not...
2025-05-23 00:20:42 +0000 UTC View Post"It seems everyone's been having a little trouble lately. I'm sure you're all quite distressed."
"But worry no more, because I'm here now! I love nothing more than helping people overcome their problems."
"I believe you've already recognized me. That's right, I'm the one who orchestra...
2025-05-23 00:18:04 +0000 UTC View PostAs public outrage gradually subsided, reporters eager for a sensational story began to emerge.
"I'm sure everyone has been following recent events closely."
"The three cases previously classified as suicides by the Maison Gardiennage have now been taken over by the Court of Justice."<...
2025-05-23 00:12:35 +0000 UTC View PostThe man standing before Charlotte appeared to be in his early forties. He wore a faded work uniform, washed pale from countless wearings, and his face was etched with the deep lines of hardship.
Yet this humble worker's face now burned with an irrepressible fury.
Charlotte observed hi...
2025-05-23 00:08:34 +0000 UTC View PostWhen the unconscious members of the Court of Justice were rescued to the riverbank by the remaining Clockwork Mekas, passersby alerted the Maison Gardiennage. It was then that Fontaine's high-ranking officials received news of the operation's complete failure.
The defeat ut...
2025-05-23 00:07:42 +0000 UTC View Post"What's going on?"
Roggs had barely recovered from the earlier tremors and deafening noises when he realized he had completely lost contact with one of his squads.
Judging by the commotion, Roggs surmised what had happened, and a look of utter horror washed over his face.
"How c...
2025-05-23 00:06:50 +0000 UTC View Post"The enemy's firepower is overwhelming! Retreat! Fall back to the next defensive line!"
"Damn it, they've pulverized our cover! I never knew Clockwork Mekas were this devastating!"
"Everyone, stay calm! Prioritize your own safety! Our mission is just to harass and delay them!"
"...
2025-05-23 00:06:20 +0000 UTC View PostLosing all their Clockwork Mekas due to underestimating the enemy was a responsibility the members of the Court of Justice team on this mission could not bear.
As expected, the team was soon placed on mandatory leave and sent home, replaced by a new team.
Roggs, the operation's lead s...
2025-05-23 00:04:12 +0000 UTC View Post"Charge, brothers! It's all ours for the taking!"
Contrary to what most expected, the Fleuve Cendre District wasn't filled with scenes of ragged residents being driven out by Gardemeks. Instead, a massive crowd swarmed the mechanical sentries as soon as they appeared.
"These fools act...
2025-05-23 00:03:54 +0000 UTC View PostThe nobles' reaction aligned perfectly with the plan. With the Spina di Rosula's main force needing to remain in Fleuve Cendre to resist Fontaine's ruling elite, the safety of the evacuees could not be guaranteed.
Without the threat from Fontaine's upper echelons, the evacuees no longer had...
2025-05-23 00:03:25 +0000 UTC View PostThe Maison Gardiennage finally conducted a thorough purge, rounding up the vast majority of their corrupt members and handing them over to the public to appease their anger.
While the officers cursed their inept colleagues, the nobles gathered once again.
"What a bunch of useless fool...
2025-05-23 00:02:43 +0000 UTC View Post"I understand the situation. Rest assured, Miss Navia, I will report on this inhumane atrocity as soon as possible."
Charlotte's heart burned with fury as she examined the gruesome photos Navia had handed her.
Under the guise of protecting the Fleuve Cendre residents, they had secretl...
2025-05-23 00:02:05 +0000 UTC View PostAlthough things had taken an unexpected turn—losing a comrade but gaining a student—Lofan considered it a minor setback.
The corpses Navia had seen earlier were, of course, all Lofan himself. While the System didn't currently support exchanging for multiple bodies, Lofan had devised a w...
2025-05-23 00:01:38 +0000 UTC View PostCompelled by an unknown force, Navia opened the book and found herself utterly captivated.
The world depicted within was like paradise to every resident of Fleuve Cendre.
If it were merely a fantasy, that would be one thing. But the book clearly outlined solutions to the very problems...
2025-05-23 00:01:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe bodies on the ground bore gruesome wounds: some pierced by bullets, others mangled by bombs, and still others sliced into pieces by razor-sharp blades.
Such injuries could only have been inflicted by Gardemeks. And every few moments, another hidden corpse was discovered in the shadows.<...
2025-05-23 00:00:38 +0000 UTC View PostLofan, who appeared to be playing joyfully with the children as he distributed the small metal toys he had just crafted, was inwardly replaying the details of his earlier interaction with Navia.
Lofan was none other than Grett, the man whose reputation had been steadily growing in Fleuve Ce...
2025-05-23 00:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post"So that's how it is. I always suspected Fontaine's leadership had more tricks up their sleeves, but I never imagined they'd leave us no way out."
"According to Miss Navia, the residents of Fleuve Cendre now face only two paths: either to carve out a new settlement in the monster-infested w...
2025-05-22 23:59:37 +0000 UTC View PostBefore long, led by the man, the group arrived at a bustling settlement.
Navia stared in awe at the scene before her. Countless tents lined both banks of the Fleuve Cendre, numbering in the hundreds at a rough count.
The tent fabric was clearly inexpensive, yet sturdy and durable, tho...
2025-05-22 23:59:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Thank you so much, Monsieur Grett."
"It was nothing, madam. Helping others is a virtue every gentleman should possess."
"Uncle Grett is so strong! I want to be just like him when I grow up and protect my mom!"
"Ha ha! Well, you'd better remember those words, little one. You'll ...
2025-05-22 23:58:30 +0000 UTC View Post"Miss Navia... It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I simply don't have the funds."
"Ever since Monsieur Callas was accused of murdering his friend, my business—as a sister company of the Spina di Rosula—has suffered significant losses. I've only recently managed to barely cover the...
2025-05-22 23:58:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Miss Navia..."
"Enough, Silver. Go gather everyone."
Navia refused Melus's offer to take the burden of conscience for her. As the leader of Spina di Rosula, she was ultimately responsible for the residents who trusted the organization.
Besides, her father was gone. She couldn't...
2025-05-22 23:57:36 +0000 UTC View Post"Miss Navia, I'm truly sorry. This order came from higher up, and there's nothing I can do."
Thierry spoke helplessly, looking at Navia's anxious face.
"When the order was first issued, I immediately used my connections to question it. But the person who issued it holds a very high po...
2025-05-22 23:56:55 +0000 UTC View PostWhen chaos begins to spread, those most worried aren't the impoverished masses struggling to survive, but rather those who've enjoyed the benefits of power and wealth.
They fear even the slightest change to their comfortable lives, unable to accept any deterioration from their current state...
2025-05-22 23:56:34 +0000 UTC View Post"Sigh."
Charlotte exhaled heavily. The Maison Gardiennage had clammed up completely; no matter how she tried to pry information, they didn't let slip any clues.
Yet the existing evidence suggested they'd also discovered the victims might have been manipulated. Therefore, the higher-up...
2025-05-22 23:56:13 +0000 UTC View Post"I'm furious! That despicable murderer has made me feel so guilty!"
When Furina learned from the Maison Gardiennage that the so-called lover of the victim was actually another victim himself, she found a note tucked in his underwear pocket. Its contents matched the bloodstained letter's mes...
2025-05-22 23:54:46 +0000 UTC View PostAt the House of the Hearth:
Under Lyney's guidance, Charlotte had thoroughly toured the House of the Hearth. The experience had greatly eased her initial tension.
Despite finding no abnormalities and even conducting an interview with Lyney, Charlotte still maintained considerable vigi...
2025-05-22 23:53:47 +0000 UTC View Post