Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
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"The Fortress of Meropide can roughly be divided into six levels. The first level is the area we just came down through—the reception zone for newcomers. I suppose there's no need to head back and take another look?"
"No need."
"Then where we are now is the third level, the Administrative Area. Up ahead is my personal office. I had refreshments prepared, but since you wish to tour the place, we can return afterward."
"Mhm, let's look around first."
…
"This is our Cafeteria Coupon. Each person can receive one Welfare Meal per day free of charge. The contents are completely random—it might be delicious, or it might be… rather strange. But in any case, it will fill your stomach."
"I remember the last time I came, even a glass of water cost coupons… Special Coupons, was it?"
"That's right. The Welfare Meal was added after I took over. After all, if people can't even get enough to eat, resentment would fester throughout the Fortress of Meropide. That would make things much more troublesome for me."
…
"Over here are our staff offices. Nearby are some privately operated shops run by members of the Fortress, as well as our Pankration Ring."
"Let's go to the next place…"
"Then please look up. Above us is the second level, the Dormitory Area. It shares the same overall space as the Administrative Area, just one level higher. As the name suggests, that's where the inmates rest… Would you like to take a look?"
"We'll skip that… If we're going deeper, it should be further below…"
"Further below? Certainly."
…
"This is the fifth level, the Lower Production Zone. In the Fortress of Meropide, inmates generally spend most of their daily activities between the Production Zone and the Dormitory Area. Working here in the Production Zone is the most stable way to earn Special Coupons. As for what we produce—nearly all the clockwork meka you see in Fontaine come from here."
…
"This is the fourth level, the Upper Production Zone. It occupies the same space as the Lower Production Zone, just one level higher."
"The last time I came, I already wanted to complain about this. I can understand why the first-level Reception Area connects directly to the third-level Administrative Area—management before assignment to the second-level Dormitory Area makes sense. But why does the elevator from the third-level Administrative Area only go down to the fifth-level Lower Production Zone, requiring a transfer there to reach the fourth-level Upper Production Zone?"
"Well…" Wriothesley spread his hands. "Purely historical reasons. I'm not entirely sure why it was designed that way. To be honest, I'm curious myself."
"Fine. Then isn't there somewhere more mysterious… somewhere that looks like it's hiding secrets?" Furina finally asked, unable to hold back.
"There is. The sixth level is the Abandoned Production Zone. It was already abandoned when I arrived. Sounds mysterious enough, doesn't it?"
"Take me there at once!"
…
"That's it?" Furina shook her head in disappointment.
"Lady Furina, you wouldn't happen to be searching for some 'hidden secret of the Fortress of Meropide,' would you?"
"You know about it?!"
"Before answering, I must ask—do you truly believe such a thing exists?"
"It absolutely does. And it concerns the prophecy."
Seeing how certain she was, Wriothesley murmured to himself, "So the Fortress of Meropide truly is connected to the prophecy…"
"Otherwise, why would the former Hydro Archon have built it here?"
After wandering for so long without results, finally stumbling upon a clue only to have it stall at Wriothesley, Furina's tone was less than friendly.
Wriothesley paid it no mind and instead pondered aloud.
"The origins of the Fortress of Meropide… There wasn't a traditional founder in the usual sense. What I know comes from stories left behind by those before us.
It is said that during the reign of the former Hydro Archon, Egeria, Fontainians who committed crimes were exiled. The people offered criminals no sympathy of any kind. They were left to endure hardship and suffering along the barren shores.
Later, some exiles began to repent. They prayed to the Archon, asking whether there was anything they could still do.
Moved by their plea, the former Hydro Archon responded: 'Go beneath the sea and guard my secret.'
Thus, with the former Hydro Archon's power, those exiles gathered beneath the sea and began constructing a fortress, taking up residence there. Gradually, more exiles joined them.
When the first generation passed away, they left the still-imperfect Fortress of Meropide to those who came after. From afar, the former Hydro Archon continued to send aid, helping the fortress of the exiled grow ever stronger.
Located beneath the sea, far from sunlight, the Fortress of Meropide became the only refuge for sinners.
That is why the people here do not call it a prison. They believe they are atoning, that one day their sins will be repaid in full, and they will regain their freedom.
But over time, some began to realize that the Fortress of Meropide is a lonely place. Once accustomed to life here, it becomes difficult to readapt to the world above the waters.
When their sentences ended, some chose to leave. Others chose to remain, taking up minor posts here, letting their withered souls fade away alongside ancient secrets.
And so centuries passed. Few remember why the Fortress of Meropide first appeared. People simply believe it has always existed—where criminals are meant to go.
But the Hydro Archon who has coexisted with Fontaine for centuries would remember clearly."
"Indeed," Furina admitted openly. "The Fortress of Meropide should house a device capable of detecting the concentration of the Primordial Sea. And the Primordial Sea is what causes Fontainians to dissolve—that is Egeria's secret. Unfortunately, she only told me what the secret was. She never had the chance to bring me here to see it myself."
Wriothesley had long suspected as much. Now that it was confirmed, he lowered his head in thought for a moment, then calmly accepted the revelation.
Glancing at Victor Wang, who had been silently listening all along, he said, "I know where that device is. Follow me—come to my office."
…
With the activation of a concealed mechanism, the floor of Wriothesley's office revealed a staircase descending downward.
"It was hidden here?"
"Deeper still."
At the bottom of the stairs was another tightly sealed semicircular bulkhead door and an elevator leading further below.
Under Wriothesley's guidance, Furina and Victor Wang stepped into the elevator. It descended for a full thirty seconds…
The space it reached appeared empty at first glance, save for a massive steel gate standing opposite them. Once its switch was activated, they discovered it was not a single gate, but three in succession.
Beyond those three gates, Furina finally saw the sealed gate to the Primordial Sea that Victor Wang had described to her.
It was a circular hatch set flat into the floor, forged from heavy steel and massive stone. At its center was a semicircular gauge. The needle now pointed at roughly three-quarters of the dial.
"So, this is…"
Wriothesley said, "Since I took over the Fortress of Meropide, the gauge on this hatch had never changed. But in the past year, the needle has begun to move quietly. I didn't understand before, but now I suppose it must be what you described, Lady Furina—the rising concentration of the Primordial Sea."
Furina replied gravely, "That's correct. Beneath this hatch lies the Primordial Sea. The movement of the needle signifies the prophecy drawing near. When it reaches the end, that will be the moment the prophecy comes to pass."
"I see."
"You must monitor it closely. Report promptly. Respond swiftly. Even if I won't allow Fontaine's people to dissolve, once the water truly floods into the Fortress of Meropide, you will still face mortal danger. Therefore, I permit the people of the Fortress to relocate outward… Yet you don't seem particularly anxious?"
"Lady Furina… I sincerely thank you for your concern. In truth, inspired by the tale of Remuria founding a nation upon the sea aboard the great ship Fortuna, I happen to possess sufficient materials, technology, and manpower here. From the moment I learned the prophecy was approaching, I began constructing a vessel large enough to accommodate all members of the Fortress of Meropide. I was even fortunate enough to make contact with elites from the Fontaine Research Institute. With luck, our ship might even fly—just like the Institute."
"Since you have your own plans, very well… But regarding the Primordial Sea, I ask that you keep it confidential for now."
"Of course. The Fortress of Meropide differs from the freely moving world above. If people learned that we are directly above the Primordial Sea, inmates would immediately attempt escape. A riot would destroy this place before anything else—though I have been preparing countermeasures. So, the existence of this ship must also remain confidential between the two of you."
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