The trio stood before the dilapidated house, a knot of tension tightening in their chests.
If Lofan was truly connected to the mysterious organization they suspected, their next move could be extremely dangerous.
Lynette disabled the lock, nodded to Lyney and Charlotte, and then vanished into the wind, disappearing completely before their eyes.
Lyney and Charlotte waited anxiously for a moment. Lynette reappeared inside the house, signaling that everything was clear.
The three of them quietly slipped into the room and began their search.
The interior was sparsely furnished, containing little more than scattered mechanical components and raw materials.
They exchanged glances before carefully examining the metallic materials strewn across the floor, taking great care not to let them clatter against each other.
Though Lofan and the native residents of Fleuve Cendre had already left, if their deduction was correct, someone might still be guarding the place.
It didn't take long for the trio to thoroughly inspect the pile of metal materials, but they found nothing unusual.
This was exactly what they had anticipated. They didn't believe Lofan would be arrogant enough to leave clues in plain sight.
Next, they began searching the room for hidden chambers. As expected, Lyney quickly noticed a patch of floor that seemed unusually clean and tapped it lightly.
Sensing something amiss, Lyney gestured to the others. Charlotte and Lynette approached.
After groping around on the floor for a moment, Lynette soon discovered a barely perceptible protrusion. With a slight twist, she managed to pry open a gap in the floor, revealing a dimly lit staircase that sloped downward into the darkness.
The sight deepened their apprehension. They felt they were closing in on the truth.
After exchanging silent signals to ensure everyone was alert, Lyney took the lead, Charlotte followed in the middle, and Lynette brought up the rear, keeping watch behind them. They descended the staircase, one step at a time.
Halfway down the staircase, the trio began to hear the distant rumble of machinery and see a faint glow ahead.
When they reached the bottom, they entered a vast, brightly lit chamber filled with rows of operating machines. The sight of the mechanical devices left them momentarily stunned.
Judging by the finished products scattered across the floor, the place—apart from its somewhat sinister atmosphere—seemed surprisingly ordinary.
This was a weapons manufacturing facility.
After confirming that no one else was present, Lyney turned to Charlotte and Lynette. "Check these machines for any anomalies, especially the ones that have stopped working."
Charlotte and Lynette nodded in response to Lyney's instructions, and the three began to investigate the room.
As expected, they found nothing amiss. Lyney stroked his chin, his expression clouded with confusion.
Even he was beginning to doubt his own deductions. Could he have truly wronged an innocent man?
But that couldn't be right. All the clues pointed to this mysterious man; Lyney's deduction had to be correct.
Where had he overlooked something?
Could it be that the secret wasn't hidden in his home at all, but somewhere else entirely?
This realization brought a wave of relief to Charlotte, and she let out a long sigh.
"Just as I thought, Monsieur Grett is a good person after all. It seems our reasoning was flawed."
"I knew it! Miss Navia is no fool. How could someone she admires and follows be connected to the serial suicide case?"
"Here."
Lynette's voice drew Lyney and Charlotte's attention. They hurried to her side, Lyney leading the way. "Lynette, what did you find?"
"There's another room here."
Lynette pointed to the wall, and the discovery sent a jolt through Lyney and Charlotte.
Perhaps the culprit had grown overconfident, for this second hidden chamber was even simpler to access than the first. With a light push, the wall flipped inward, revealing the secret room. The trio slipped inside.
The moment they entered the room, a sharp, pungent odor assaulted their nostrils.
Tensing up, they held their breath until they were sure there was no immediate danger, then relaxed.
The room was pitch black, and they weren't about to risk searching for a light switch. Lyney simply produced a card depicting a lantern and, with a flourish, plucked the glowing lamp right out of the illustration. Lynette mirrored his action, leaving Charlotte utterly dumbfounded.
A smug grin spread across Lyney's face as he took in Charlotte's stunned expression. "It's magic," he announced.
"Oh," Charlotte replied flatly.
As if I'd believe that!
"Heh heh heh."
Lyney could practically read Charlotte's thoughts and chuckled softly.
It was magic, of course, but he had no intention of explaining the underlying principles. Astonishing his audience with his illusions was what truly satisfied him.
"Older brother," Lynette warned.
"I know," Lyney replied, quickly composing himself.
"Let's finally uncover the true face of this man called Grett," Lyney declared.
The trio continued down the corridor. This passage was short, and they soon reached the next chamber.
When Lyney and Lynette shone their lanterns forward, their faces contorted in utter shock.
Grett... they saw multiple "Gretts"!
These "Gretts" floated motionless within massive glass tanks, their eyes closed, silently soaking in a pale green liquid. Each tank was labeled with a number at its base.
Tanks numbered 1 through 5 stood empty. Tanks 6 through 9 each contained a single "Grett," appearing as if asleep. In one corner, they spotted four identical corpses sealed within transparent glass cases.
Another corner held a collection of alchemical materials and instruments, some stained with what appeared to be coagulated dark brown blood.
Bizarre, incomprehensible patterns adorned the adjacent wall.
The scene sent a chill down their spines. Though they had braced themselves for something disturbing, confronting the truth firsthand shattered their composure.
What truly chilled the trio to the bone was the implication: if the number of glass jars corresponded to the number of bodies, then besides the body labeled "5" currently with Navia and the three corpses lying in sealed glass cases...
Where was the fourth body?