Chapter Text
Ever since the continuous chaotic events in Nod Krai, Wanderer finally get to catch his breath the moment he stepped back to Sumeru. He’s helping Lesser Lord Kusanali tying back the fraying end caused by The Doctor's deed, sure. But he couldn’t be more grateful of the fact that he doesn’t need to see The Doctor’s face for now. At least, if his intuition proven to be true, there’s still time until The Doctor makes his next move.
Perhaps it’s a good thing that the others have no knowledge on how exactly The Doctor operates. He, on the other hand, knows, perhaps even too familiar with it. And to be the last to receive the news on The Doctor’s supposed “death” sounds more like a mockery to him. But as of now, nobody’s got a clue on what he’s planning and heading to. He could think about it all night, only to be left without a lead even if he went through countless sleepless night. All that he could do right now is focus on the present, be more aware of his surroundings, and...
“–And please send my regard to the Iudex, and Furina too if you happen to meet her! I really appreciate your help, Wanderer,” he recalls Nahida’s task to him.
A short trip to Fontaine, passing on the message and collecting the records of the recent event. Making sure nothing gets left out or fall into cracks. Perhaps this trip was also the so called “short break” that Nahida mentioned to him, because he’s pretty sure that Nahida could’ve done it herself, given she’s an archon. But it’s no use to dwell over such a simple matter. The aquabus he’s been sitting on will soon arrive at Court of Fontaine. After this, he’ll make his way to the Palais Mermonia, deliver what he’s asked to, and perhaps he’ll need to wait out for a few documents, then he’ll call it a day. The moment he stepped down from the aquabus, he didn’t waste time to ask for direction and immediately headed up.
As it is very high up above the ground, he could see both the vast scenery of the mountains and the lively town itself. He must admit it wasn’t too bad of a scenery himself and kind of glad that Nahida sent him. But still, there’s no time to lose. So, after taking in the view for a few more second, he headed inside the grand building just in front of him, kept safe by both the guarde and the shorter creature – melusine, was it? – patrolling nearby.
The inside felt much fancier with its interior adorned with chandelier and tall windows, it’s almost laughable when you think about its possible budget. Maybe its purpose was to make those who doesn’t have any real business coming here feel small, but Wanderer strides the hall and makes his way to the main counter bearing an important task. A melusine, a bit too short for working at the counter, greets him.
“Hello there,” she started, “If you’re lost, please turn back. Some of the rooms here are restricted access only.”
And to that, Wanderer internally scoffed at the remark.
“I am Sumeru representative trusted by Lesser Lord Kusanali to deliver some important matter to the Iudex. I’m sure you’re informed beforehand?"
Wanderer handed the melusine an introduction letter. She carefully read it and her ears perks with acknowledgement.
“Oh! So, you’re the guest that Monsieur Neuvillette expecting today, I see. Please head to the room just by the side, he’s currently inside,” she directs him and gives his letter back. He knocked the big jade-colored door before entering,
“Come in,” was the reply.
As he opened the door, he saw the man with long white locks, dressed in the most formal attire he had ever seen. He stood tall with the utmost grace; expression remained unchanging. You could tell from his stature alone that he is a man of his word.
“I trust that you are the Sumeru representative that Lesser Lord Kusanali mentioned in her letter?” He looked up from his desk, eyes staring right into his indigo-colored pair.
“That I am, Monsieur. You can call me Wanderer, and Lesser Lord Kusanali also sent her regards to you,” He politely introduced himself.
“Thank you. As you may have known by now, I’m the Chief of Justice, or the Iudex of Fontaine, but you may simply address me as Neuvillette. Please take a seat, you must be weary from the trip,” he suggested as he tidies up some papers that covered his workspace.
Wanderer shook his head, “forgive me if I’m being too forward, Monsieur, but I’d rather explain and present to you what has been going on immediately in Nod Krai immediately, just in case anything comes up.”
“I see,” Neuvillette nodded, calm and brief. “If that’s the case, then I’ll prepare my notes and we’ll start right away.”
It’s almost impressive how the Iudex moved around the neatly organized room. You can tell how all the documents here were greatly taken care and used accordingly. Soon enough, the Iudex beckoned him to come closer to his workspace and started their discussion right there. All things are told in an efficient manner to not waste time without leaving the details. The Iudex takes his time taking notes of the things that caught his attention. Sheets of documents are opened, left and right. But it’s nothing to complain about, as the main priority of this discussion is to inform each region, in this case Sumeru and Fontaine, their findings about the recent events. All this information is needed to keep their own region safe, and the more there is, the better.
⟢
Before they realized it, it’s been hours of non-stop information exchange and brainstorm session. There are still some topics that they have yet to break down and truthfully, Wanderer could still go on. But the Iudex is a busy man, so, any further discussion will have to wait.
Both are amid tidying up, when suddenly, it got livelier outside the room. They could hear familiar voices just beyond the door.
With it comes a set of knocks and the door opens,
“Good afternoon, Neuvillette,”
A white-haired lady in dark blue, fancy attire greets him. Her eyes were a pair of mismatched shade of blue. She immediately noticed Wanderer standing in the room, but no more than a few seconds later, two familiar silhouettes emerged behind her.
“Hat guy?”
“Ah, Mr. Guy, we meet again.”
He blinked, once, and furrowed his brow. What is Durin and Albedo doing here of all places?
“Hmm? Ah, you’re acquainted, I see!” the white-haired lady catches on quickly.
“Mhm! That’s Hat Guy, our friend! What are you doing here?” Durin excitedly closed their distance, almost too quickly, with Albedo and the white-haired lady following not too far behind.
“That’s none of your business,” Wanderer stopped Durin from getting a hold of him. The Iudex lowered his gaze upon the new arrivals, then softly to the lady in the room.
“Are these your guests, Miss Furina?”
...Furina?
“Oh, no no, we just met earlier by the adventurer’s guild. They told me that they wanted to have a word with you regarding a research they’re meaning to conduct,” the white-haired lady, Furina, filled him in on the situation.
Wanderer is now eyeing Albedo for an explanation. The said man caught his glance and nodded, he then calmly explained his request to the Iudex. From Albedo’s words, he understood that Albedo and Durin wanted to see if the mechanism of Fontaine’s clockwork mechanics can enhance the outcome of the art of khemia he’s been studying for all these past years. All of this is to increase the efficiency and the chances of making a greater device in case of emergency. And after what happened in Nod Krai, it’d just makes sense if the chief alchemist would look into alternatives. There’s also no harm in knowing how the clockwork operates, especially after witnessing the downfall of The Marionette.
Neuvillette intently listened to his reasoning and carefully thought about it. It was never done before, hence the Iudex’s hesitation. But with Albedo’s persuasion and bearing, he wrote a letter of recommendation that was addressed to the head of Fontaine Research Institute, allowing the research to be conducted for a few days. He also warned Albedo to not be reckless as Fontaine has seen a few differing results to that extend.
“We will monitor our research closely and practice caution around it, we promise,” Albedo said firmly.
“Very well, then, is there anything else you’d like to discuss? Or would you like to join me for some tea?”
“Tea?” Wanderer repeats,
“Actually, if you’d like to join us, I’d be more than happy to extend my invitation to the three of you!” Furina exclaimed. Her eyes, although it sparkles bright now, Wanderer also saw something deeper to the mismatched eyes of her.
He makes a mental note of it.
“If Monsieur Neuvillette doesn’t mind, we’ll gladly join you for some tea,” Albedo glanced at Durin before smiling towards Furina.
“What about you, umm, Mr. Hat Guy was it?” Furina eyed him expectantly.
“Come on Hat Guy! Join us!” The dragon also looked at him with his usual pleading eyes.
And with that little push, he easily complies.
“Fine, I’ll join you,” he said with a huff. Just for today, he’ll accept the invitation extended by the Iudex to the so called ‘tea party’ out of respect. Not because he’s curious about how the tea tastes in Fontaine, surely.
“Shall we all get going then?” Neuvillette said as he led all of them out.
⟢
“This is very generous of you, Monsieur Neuvillette and Miss Furina. These cakes taste very good,” Albedo hummed as he places his fork down in exchange of a teacup. Durin was deep in his head thinking on which cake he wants to take next, while Wanderer could only finish a singular macaroon served on the tray before opting to drinking tea. The teapot was kindly put beside him by Furina, if she noticed his fondness of tea, she didn’t mention anything. And there’s also the Iudex who didn’t drink any tea at all, instead, he drinks water. As funny as it sounds, the host doesn’t seem to mind if everyone’s having a good time on the table.
“Mr. Hat Guy,” Furina suddenly called out to him, “Is the cake not to your liking? We can always order something else for you if you want.”
“I’m not a fan of sweets if that’s what you want to know. I’ll just have the tea,” he said, continuing to sip his tea.
“Augh you drank all of it...” Durin commented when he opened the teapot only to find it empty. He looks dejected for a few second before focusing back on to what the Iudex has to say.
They seem to be busy talking about how those clockwork meka works and other similar mechanism used in Fontaine. From their talks, it’s clear that Albedo and Durin have done their homework regarding stuff that involves Fontaine’s Research Institute. The Iudex patiently answered their questions to the extent of his knowledge. The topic of Oratrice Mechanique d’Analyse Cardinale came up somewhere in their lengthy banter. He learns that there used to be a unique energy source accumulated by the said judgement device, called Indemnitium.
“It used to be the main source of energy for all of Fontaine, but now that it has cease in function, I’ve been personally handling the power for Fontaine,” the Iudex explained briefly.
“Did it break down due to the overwhelming power coming from the Indemnitium?” Durin asked.
The Iudex shook his head, “No, the Oratrice was designed to hold Indemnitium for centuries, even millenia,” he added whilst placing his glass down on the table. “The Indemnitium has a greater purpose. Thus, it was exhausted for that very reason, and now that it has completed its main objective, it’s normal for the machine to be inactive.”
Albedo then commented on the matter, “Then having to keep up with the Oratrice’s power, you must be someone of great authority too, Monsieur Neuvillette.”
The Iudex neither confirmed nor refuted, only a short hum that shows his interest of what Albedo had hypothesized. Ever since they talked about the Oratrice, Wanderer would notice how Furina become angsty with the way her eyes would wander around the room and her thumb would fidget over the cup handle. It’s only natural when you think about it. Apart from that, he was surprised that he enjoyed the tea party although he was only listening to the others discussion over the table. It felt a lot more genuine, unlike the Harbingers’ banquets. He surprisingly enjoyed it, a table where he gets to drink bitter tea and doesn’t get forced to talk. But as much as he enjoyed it, today’s tea party has to come to a close.
“It’s been a pleasant time with all of you, however, it’s getting late,” he said as he stood back up, “I must leave due to my demanding work. Mr. Wanderer, I’ll be sure to let you know when the discussion will be taking time tomorrow. And thank you, Miss Furina, for arranging this tea party for us.”
Wanderer only nodded in answer, while Durin followed suit in thanking the host, “Yes, thank you for inviting us along, Miss Furina.”
“Oh, It was no problem at all! I’m happy to have all of you as my guests! Now, to wrap it off...” Furina said as she stood up, heading for the counter if not for Neuvillette stopping her.
“Miss Furina, I’ve made sure they put it on my tab instead of yours just for today, so you needn’t to worry. Just please invite me to your next tea party,” Neuvillette lightly said. Upon hearing that Furina blinked slowly, “O-oh my there’s no need to do that, I can’t have you do that for me,” she frowned. But Neuvillette stood firmly, “I insist, the next time when it’s only the two of us, you can pay them back.” Furina then sighed in defeat before thanking him. Just like that, the Iudex was quick to disappear, leaving the four of them. Aside from Wanderer, none of them are making a move to leave.
“Don’t you two have plan after this?” she finally asked.
“Actually, Miss Furina,” Albedo started, “we have a favor to ask you, as you are the resident of Fontaine, correct?”
Furina furrowed her brow. “And what could this favor be? If you’re asking for assistance in your research, then I’m afraid I’m not adept in that sort of field,” she stated a bit too quickly.
Albedo then shook his head, “It’s not that kind of favor, it’s a rather simple one– “
“–I’d like you to be our guide around Fontaine,” he said as he stepped closer.
From the look on her face, Furina is not expecting to be asked to become a tour guide. She pondered upon it before repeating the absurd sounding request coming from the alchemist.
“You want me, Fontaine’s biggest star, to be your tour guide? You should know by now that I’m not an adventurer of some sort, yes?” Her tone showed a hint of unwillingness, not due to lack of interest, but due to uncertainty of the idea of her being useful in the process.
But despite the slight waver in her tone, Albedo pushed his personal agenda that leads him into saying, “Yes, I don’t see why not, as you surely know more about Fontaine compared to us,” stating the obvious.
Furina once again mulled over the request. And right before exiting the building, Wanderer took a good look at her and smiled mischievously.
“And here I thought you’re the most confident when it comes to show?” Wanderer said loud enough for the lady to hear with his arm crossed.
“Hey! Being a star and a tour guide is two different jobs, okay? I’m most confident when it comes to art and theatrics,” she shot back and finally gave in.
“If you insist, then fine! I can be your guide, but I can’t promise it’d be the best one. We’ll go around the town tomorrow, so you better prepare!” she crossed her arm in return, taking the bait. Wanderer scoffed internally.
“We would also need to go to Fontaine’s Research Institute if you don’t mind,” Albedo added.
“Alright, I’ll have them added to our itinerary. How about you Mr. Hat Guy? Care to add something else to the list?” she asked in an almost jeering tone.
“I’m not in for your school trip,” he shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing.
“What do you mean you’re not coming with us, Hat Guy?” Durin’s eyes sparkled at him, sending shiver to his spine.
“Yeah! Especially after setting me into agreeing to Mr. Albedo’s plea?”
“Why does it sound like you’re blaming me? It’s your fault that you’re quick to give in,” he easily disagreed.
“But Monsieur Neuvillette hasn’t given you the meeting time, right? Until then, that means you still have time!” Durin smile smugly. A click of a tongue escapes Wanderer’s lips. In the corner of his eyes, he could’ve sworn that Furina flinched at that bad habit of his.
“Do I look like I got time anyway?” He throws a sharp stare at the dragon, although he knows very well that it wouldn’t work on him.
“That’s why I’m saying, if you’re free, then come join us tomorrow, Hat Guy!”
Wanderer rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. We’ll see tomorrow.”
He then left the hotel and wandered the town alone. It still surprises him that Albedo and Durin are both at Fontaine. On the top of that, he met Furina de Fontaine, alive and well.
“The former Hydro Archon... how interesting,” he murmured quietly.
He tips his hat up and looked at the night sky before making his way to the inn underground.
Maybe this short visit will be more eventful than he thought afterall.