Fortress of Meropide, Coupon Cafeteria
The delicacies they had brought from Hotel Debord in Fontaine were long gone. Lumine and the others had been eating at the Coupon Cafeteria for over ten days.
Chu Xi's black beverage supply had also run out. Without her daily dose, her condition had deteriorated.
"Ah, Traveler, Paimon, Chu Xi, come quickly! Over here!"
Sigewinne waved her small hand, calling out to the trio from beside the cafeteria.
"Head Nurse! Are you here for a meal too?"
"Yes, and I'm also preparing dinner for Miss Clorinde."
Sigewinne glanced in a particular direction, and Lumine and the others followed her gaze. They saw Clorinde sitting alone at a nearby table.
Paimon: "Wow, she's actually eating in the Fortress of Meropide's cafeteria..."
Sigewinne chuckled softly and turned back to Lumine and Paimon, asking what they wanted to eat.
She didn't bother asking Chu Xi, as it was common knowledge throughout the Fortress of Meropide that Chu Xi rarely ate anything. Those who followed her closely knew this well.
"Eh? Can we just pick anything?"
Sigewinne put her hands on her hips. "Absolutely! I've already spoken with Chef Wolsey. Today's on me—just tell me what you want."
Lumine exclaimed, "I want the tastiest dish, and make it a huge portion!"
Paimon stomped her tiny feet excitedly. "Me too! Me too!"
Chu Xi remained silent, sitting quietly at the table.
Soon, Lumine and Paimon's special meals were ready, and they devoured them with gusto.
Sigewinne carried over a large bottle and placed it on the table. When Chu Xi saw what it contained, her eyes lit up.
"I know you don't eat ordinary food, but you do drink this. I asked the Duke for some. Feel free to ask me for more when you're done!"
In that moment, Chu Xi's affection for Sigewinne soared.
A dozen minutes later...
"Uwaaaah—! This is so good!" Paimon patted her little belly. "So satisfying! I wish we could feast like this every day, heh heh."
Chu Xi reclined in her chair, having drained over half the bottle of black liquid.
Sigewinne: "Are you full? How was the taste?"
Paimon: "Delicious!"
Lumine: "Everything was delicious, except the milk... I mean, everything was great!"
Chu Xi simply replied, "It was delicious!"
However, her tastes were beyond ordinary comprehension. No one could truly imagine what she found appealing.
"Mm, seeing you all so happy makes me happy too! Look, your expression right now... the muscles here are moving, which means you're really relaxed," Sigewinne said, pointing to her small face with a gentle smile.
Paimon: "Head Nurse, are you studying these things to help patients? Or to understand humans?"
Sigewinne: "Both, I suppose. I'm a Melusine, quite different from humans in many ways. To care for everyone properly here, I need to know what you're thinking."
Paimon: "You're such a good caregiver! Even though you're so small, you talk and act like a big sister."
Chu Xi raised her hand: "Agreed."
"Really? You think I seem like a big sister? Hehe, that's wonderful!" Sigewinne scratched the back of her head, clearly pleased.
"Oh, right! Earlier in the Duke's office, you said you were also protecting Lyney and the others. What did you mean by that?"
Sigewinne: "Ah, that. I simply asked the Duke to keep an eye on those children, especially the diver. I heard the water quality had issues, so I was a little worried..."
"Fortunately, Miss Clorinde acted swiftly and rescued him. After Miss Clorinde left, the Duke sealed the pipe to prevent Mr. Lyney from impulsively following her."
"Although that path is impassable, we've stationed guards there to prevent anyone from approaching. We'll open the gate as soon as Miss Clorinde returns..."
After hearing Sigewinne's explanation, Lumine finally understood the full sequence of events.
During the Trial at the opera house, "The Knave" had made no attempt to defend Lyney and his companions, instead allowing them to enter the Fortress of Meropide unimpeded. Once inside, Lyney and his team began investigating "Childe" and the "Forbidden Zone."
Their actions irritated Wriothesley, who saw an opportunity to discipline them and issue a minor rebuke to the Fatui, thereby asserting Fontaine's authority.
From the beginning, he had no intention of harming the three.
After their conversation with Sigewinne, Lumine, Paimon, and Chu Xi sought out Clorinde to thank her for saving Freminet.
Paimon, feeling sleepy, was carried back to the Quarters by Lumine, who then lay down to rest as well.
Chu Xi also brought back the black drink. Refusing to sleep, she sat by the Quarters entrance, occasionally taking small sips.
Time slowly passed. Around dawn, before the sky had even begun to lighten, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Chu Xi quickly woke Lumine and Paimon.
"Lumine, Paimon, wake up! Something's happening outside! Hurry, let's go see what's going on!"
When the trio emerged, they found crowds of people running in the same direction.
Alarms blared everywhere, signaling a dire situation.
A voice boomed over the intercom:
"Attention everyone! If you hear this broadcast, seek immediate shelter! Evacuate outward! Evacuate outward! First, move upward. If you've already reached the highest level, continue moving outward!"
Paimon: "What's going on? Why are we evacuating outward?"
Lumine: "Could it be...? Come on, let's go check it out!"
Paimon and Chu Xi realized what Lumine meant. They followed her as they raced toward Wriothesley's office.
-
Beneath Wriothesley's office, in the so-called "Forbidden Zone" Lumine and her companions had previously explored, Wriothesley and Clorinde stood vigil.
Staring intently at the valve, Wriothesley murmured, "Just as I suspected..."
Clorinde retorted, "I told you so..."
The Trio arrived just as Paimon was about to ask what was happening when a deafening explosion erupted from the valve.
Wriothesley's expression turned grave as he noticed the valve's needle spinning wildly. The Primordial Sea water beneath the valve seemed to be surging violently, on the verge of bursting forth!
Clorinde turned to the newcomers. "You've arrived at just the right time... but you should leave now."
"Huh?" Paimon exclaimed.
Another deafening explosion shook the valve, and the surrounding mechanisms began to disintegrate.
Wriothesley casually flicked the mechanical gauntlet on his right hand, releasing a wave of frigid air.
BOOM!
The Primordial Sea water shattered the valve completely, erupting in a massive torrent.
Wriothesley channeled a massive surge of Elemental Energy into his fist, unleashing a devastating punch that temporarily froze the gushing Primordial Seawater with his Ice Elemental Power.
"Great!" Paimon exclaimed.
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the Primordial Seawater surged upward from below, shattering the ice barrier. The group scrambled to escape.
Clorinde timed her move perfectly, slamming shut the three massive gates. Wriothesley escaped just as the last gate slammed shut.
Once clear, Wriothesley immediately conjured solid ice, freezing the gates shut.
"This place won't hold for long," he warned. "Find Neuvillette immediately and tell him the Underwater Defense Line is about to collapse."
"Huh?! What about you guys?!" Paimon protested.
"Until he arrives, we're the last line of defense," Clorinde replied grimly.
Lumine and her companions didn't dare waste another moment and bolted toward the exit.
"How long do you think the gates will hold?" Clorinde asked.
Wriothesley glanced at his gauntlet-clad right hand. "That depends on us."