The Iudex's day off

Chapter 42 - Why?

 "Slowly skim through the place and evacuate tho you can reach. Do not approach the group gathering at the other side under any circumstance and absolutely no one is to be up here in uniform. We wouldn't want to spook him into detonating the bombs."

 I have to say this token Wriothesely left with me came in quite handy.

 At first, I had thought that with my identity it would be difficult to get the people in Meropide to abide by my request during this operation, but thanks to the token, they did so without too much hesitation.

 This alone shows how much trust they hold in Wriothesely.

 Now...

 While I could knock the man responsible for this mess unconscious in mere seconds, I couldn't do that.

 Too many unknown variables.

 Not even knowing his motive, I cannot be sure whether these are the only explosives placed within Meropide. Maybe there are more. Maybe they are set on a timer.

 If tens of holes were suddenly blown in Meropide's outer walls, even I couldn't be confident to seal them all before water flooded the fortress.

 Hmm...

 For the life of me, I can't make sense of this man's motive.

 For a man with his circumstances to do something so drastic...

 It doesn't make sense.

 I had to approach the group. I had to talk to the man in question and hopefully figure out the size of this scheme.

 But I couldn't just walk over from this side. That would draw attention this way and likely reveal the stairs.

 Behind me, I could see the guards bringing inmate after inmate down the stairs.

 Those who had not joined the commotion could now be evacuated and I wasn't going to sabotage this opportunity.

 As such, I teleported to the other side, just out of the sight of the group, and listened.

 "Stop!"

 "You cannot do this!"

 "You'll kill yourself! You'll kill us all!"

 After the angry shouts came a voice shaking with fear.

 "Don-don't move! Nobody moves! If any of you move I-I'll blow this thing to pieces!"

 The man holding the detonator and shouting threats was afraid.

 He was utterly terrified and shaking so much that he barely managed to stand.

 Why?

 If he's this afraid why do this?

 Or perhaps...

 Was he forced into this?

 That would explain some things, but not all.

 The sound of my footsteps as I stepped out of my spot cut through the silence that had fallen after the man's threats.

 "Neu-Neuvillette?"

 "The Iudex?"

 "What is the Chief Justice doing here?"

 They all took a step back, standing some distance away from me as I approached.

 I walked all the way to the edge before stopping to look up at the man standing on one of the lamps under the rigged valve.

 "Is this really necessary?"

 "Y-yes. Yes, it is?"

 He seemed to have composed himself somewhat, but the shaking of his hands still didn't stop.

 "Just what is it that you wish for so urgently that you'd resort to this?"

 "What do you known, Monsieur Neuvillette? You probably don't even know-"

 "Terrance Lemair. Sentenced to 4 years in prison for smuggling explosives into Fontaine. Your sentence was handed out exactly a week ago at 18:37 by Lady Furina herself inside the Opera Eclipse."

 "How-"

 "I can connect a crime and the exact length of sentence to each and every person sentenced to stay within the walls of this fortress."

 Aside from that...

 "I also know that you have a child."

 He flinched as panic filled his whole being.

 "A daughter, merely five years old."

 That is why I cannot fathom why he's doing this.

 "While four years isn't a short time, after those four years your daughter would have her father back. Why take the risk and do this when it could only earn you a longer sentence? Why risk leaving your daughter orphaned after your death should you push that button?"

 After my last question, he finally broke down.

 He collapsed, his legs giving out.

 While he didn't say it loudly, I could still hear his desperate and broken mumbles.

 "They have her... They have my baby girl..."