Because there were quite a few pedestrians outside at the moment, Fiammetta suppressed her temper and wordlessly got into the car with the others to leave. However, for the duration of the ride, she didn't utter a single word. She simply sat there with a face like ice, causing the temperature inside the vehicle to seemingly drop several degrees.
Mostima, sitting beside her, tried to coax her into cooling off, but the fiery Liberi just snapped that she wasn't angry while staring pointedly out the window. Seeing this, Lemuen finally decided to offer an explanation.
"He actually visited a few times before, but you have to consider the situation! That was a sanatorium. You know how troublesome his Originium Arts can be—what if nearby patients had been caught in the crossfire?"
Mostima nodded in agreement. Truthfully, she had considered capturing the man alongside Fiammetta before. Even if she didn't care about her own "falling" because of him, and could more or less forgive him for the state he left Lemuen in, she would still jump at the chance to let Fiammetta punch him out just to vent some of that lingering bitterness.
Perhaps it would help the last of their trio move on from the shadows of the past? If it were possible, Mostima would have no reason to refuse.
But the problem remained: he knew them far too well. After years of living and working together, Andoain could likely guess whether they were going to lead with their left or right hand. As a master observer, he understood their combat habits better than they did themselves! Combined with his Arts, he was a nightmare to fight. He would likely strike at their specific weaknesses. While Mostima had changed after obtaining the "Lock and Key," the others' combat styles hadn't evolved much over the years.
"So what is he back for this time? It's not about Mostima's staves again, is it?" Fiammetta's expression thawed slightly after hearing their reasoning, but that didn't mean the matter was settled.
The priority now was understanding his goal and finding a way to catch him. No matter how furious she was, Fiammetta's ultimate goal was to beat him down and hand him over to the Notarial Hall for legal judgment.
"He wants an answer. An answer he's sought for many years. And this time, he's going to find the person who knows all the secrets."
"An answer? What answer? That [Laterano Slang] ruined both of your lives just for an answer?" Fiammetta's eyebrows shot up. To Jeanne, she looked like a phoenix wreathed in the flames of her own fury.
These feelings had been bottled up for too long. Fiammetta seemed to be losing her cool, her mind consumed by the heat of revenge. Yet, considering she had endured this fire for years, the fact that she was still standing was impressive in itself.
"I don't know the specifics. I can only feel that his obsession with this is deeper than even your desire to catch him," Lemuen explained. She sensed that even if they stopped him today, there would always be a next time. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for Laterano.
Fiammetta grew increasingly agitated. If she possessed fire-based Originium Arts, she likely would have torched the entire block by now. But then she paused... The person who knows all the secrets? If she guessed correctly, his target was the Pope.
Her anger was momentarily replaced by concern. If that were true, was the old man in actual danger? Despite the fact that he gave her a new, embarrassing, and impossible-to-remember codename every month, she couldn't let anything happen to him! If he fell, Laterano would be plunged into chaos.
She decided they needed to go to the Basilica immediately. Maybe they could intercept him before he acted!
"Calm down. He wouldn't just waltz into the Basilica right now. No matter how skilled Andoain is, he's no match for the Apostolic Knights!" Mostima's words brought Fiammetta back to reality.
Indeed, at least ten Knights were patrolling the Basilica at any given time. Even Andoain would be helpless against that kind of force. They all knew he wasn't the type to fight a battle he hadn't prepared for. This meant his move would likely happen during the New Year's celebration the day after tomorrow, when the crowds would distract the Knights.
So what now? Just wait? Fiammetta couldn't bear the thought of waiting two more days while knowing he was in the city. Her eyes fell on the yellow irises—clearly a gift from him.
As mentioned before, irises were rare in Laterano. Aside from the Pope's new white iris garden, there were only three places where they grew.
"I remember the closest growing area is at the Requiem Church, right?" Fiammetta looked at Mostima. The fallen angel sighed, realizing her peaceful vacation was officially over. She couldn't let Fiammetta go alone; if they ran into him, who knew if he'd ambush her too?
"Stop the car. I'll take this one to the Requiem Church. My poor holiday... why does this always happen?" Mostima lamented as she stepped out.
As the two of them walked away, Jeanne had a gut feeling they wouldn't find anything. The most important thing now was to inform the old man.
When Jeanne arrived at the Basilica to tell the Pope, the Knights in charge of security were shocked. The Pope, however, remained silent for a moment before casually chatting with her and even offering her some cake!
"Actually, you don't need to worry about that old man," a Knight whispered. "He's as sharp as they come. He has so many schemes running his heart is practically hollow."
Jeanne nodded. She knew the Pope was safe. There were enough people in Terra who wanted him dead to fill his office, and the city dealt with similar plots every year. To many outsiders, Laterano was a radiant paradise that was painful to look at—a "sinful" light in the dark of Terra that many wished to see burn.
Since her Revelation hadn't warned her of impending doom, she felt certain Laterano would weather this storm.
Meanwhile, Mostima and Fiammetta searched the Requiem Church but found no sign of him. He likely had a secret passage; he had operated there for years, after all. After waiting a full day with no results, they redirected their efforts to wait like "rabbits at the base of a tree" near the Basilica.
"The festival lasts three days! If we catch him tomorrow, I'll pay for everything and we'll celebrate for the remaining two days, okay?" Fiammetta promised to quiet Mostima's grumbling.
That did the trick. Mostima stopped complaining about her lost vacation and focused on helping her friend wait for the "rabbit" to arrive.