Clues and Puzzle

"Here's your Macchiato." Isaac offered Navia her cup of coffee which had a thin layer of milk forming the shape of a flower. "We can't possibly depart without a proper energizer, yeah?"

"Thank you," Navia took the cup and held it in her hand, cradling it gently. Her beautiful blue eyes then looked at Isaac. "By the way, I recently watched the movie Lady Furina made during the film festival."

"It received a lot of positive reviews and even won first place." She added. She then chuckled lightly. "I actually liked it too since it represented Poisson."

"As the main character of the movie, your presence there would have livened up the atmosphere more."

"I believe that what I did is sufficient enough," Isaac shook his head as he scoffed lightly. "Moreover, since Spina Di Rosula is also one of the main organizers of the movie, it was bound to receive praise."

"You have a way with your words, Isaac." Navia smiled lightly as she received Isaac's praise. She then shook her head while smiling, "But let's stop the praises here. I have this feeling that we'd just be deflecting each other's praises."

"I agree." Sitting down on his stool behind the counter, Isaac took his cup of espresso. He then looked at her before uttering, "Then let's change the subject— About your commission..."

"Yes, it would be best if you have sufficient information regarding this matter," Navia said as she cradled the cup in her hand. She then asked him, "What do you want to know?"

"Well, first of all, how did you even find the traces of the Masked Clown and the painting he stole?" Isaac, playing along with Navia, put on his acting and looked at her with a curious expression.

"That's an easy question!" She nodded her head as she smiled. She then started explaining, "Recently, the local gangs and mafias in Fontaine have undergone tremendous changes. As an investigator, I trust you already knew this?"

"So I've heard," Isaac, still acting, habitually put his hand on his chin and grasped it. "I heard that a great change happened in the inner circles of these organizations' leadership."

Upon hearing Isaac's response, Navia nodded her head with satisfaction. "Indeed, that's exactly what we heard too."

"Apparently, a new organization has risen up and started bringing other organizations under it's chain of command," She explained as she recounted the details from the top of her mind. "This new organization is very systematic and knows how to avoid the eyes of the public, and to some extension, the law."

"Although... Ever since it appeared, the amount of criminal activities in Fontaine sharply dropped." She said before her face started showing an expression of disgust. "However, the Sinthe trade only grew stronger."

"What a terrible organization." Isaac shook his head as he also showed an expression of contempt.

'Forgive me but... this is necessary.' However, deep within, Isaac was apologizing to her. 'I did my best to limit the violence as much as possible. But the Sinthe... That's just a temporary measure to counteract the balance.'

'After all, there can't be no absolute goodness in this world...'

That's right. Isaac, who had been actively hunting down these gangs and mafias as Gehrman for the past week, was none other than the leader of this new organization.

With his Gehrman persona, he raided bases, factories, and even mansions of nobles to find crime lords and bring them under his command.

It wasn't quite hard as he already had a large organization from Marcel to help him in his raids.

As such, Isaac believed that he already taken control of the vast majority of the crime rings in Fontaine. With his one command, Marcel, who was the figurehead of the organization, would immediately deploy the whole organization to do Isaac's bidding.

However, all of them are none the wiser that all of them... Are just but bargaining chips for his grand plan.

After all, only by casting away reason can one truly gamble.

Isaac then shook his head before looking back at Navia. He then spoke, "Please continue, Miss Navia."

Navia nodded her head and continued. "When Spina Di Rosula received information regarding this organization, we immediately sent a team to gather more information about it— me included."

"We first went to Fleuvre Cendre for information, and that's where we got our first major clue." She said before pausing and taking a sip of her macchiato coffee. After sipping, she continued. "An informant there said that he witnessed two people, clad in dark clothing on a rainy night, go to Erinnyes Forest while carrying what seemed like a canvas painting."

"Another informant said that those two people works for the new organization, and that this informant speculates that they're doing a secret work directly from the leader— but this is not proven yet." She added while curling her forefinger and resting it on her chin as she contemplated.

"We went around more, but didn't get any more clues other than the painting."

'Those two informants... They must be the two informants I hired.' Isaac remembered a detail he left behind as he internally smirked. 'Looks like they did their job pretty well.'

Isaac originally wanted to give the painting away if some random person manages to find it using the clues he left behind, but since Navia was the first person to find the clues, he couldn't help but be curious of how she'd find the painting in the end.

'The petty thing I did managed to come back and become an interesting thing... How fun.' Isaac then curled up a smile. "If that's the case, then why didn't you investigated with the rest of the Spina? They would have been much better than someone like me."

"Well... If you know someone who had been a God's assistant and helped her investigate for quite some time and showed positive results..." Navia smirked softly as she started mentioning what Isaac had done. "...then I'm pretty sure one would be so tempted enough to seek their help, would it not?"

"Clever girl." Isaac chuckled lightly as he heard her words. He then stood up before speaking, "Well, I guess I'll take that reason for now."

"Before we head out, Miss Navia, may I change clothes?" Isaac said as he pointed at the kitchen door. "I have this habit of changing my clothes appropriate to the situation."

"I actually noticed that whenever you came by the set," Navia commented as she held her cup of coffee next to her lips. "You never go anywhere wearing anything casual."

"But alas, this is the Nation of Hydro— where, like water, one's own visage must reflect a good look." Isaac replied with an amused tone.

"Haha, I won't deny that," She said as she rested her face on her palm. "I bet my friend who's in the fashion business would like you."

'Chiori?' Remembering that seamstress, Isaac's smiled wryly. He then replied to Navia, "Yeah? I'll look forward to that."

"Anywho, I'll be back in a minute!" And with that, Isaac left, leaving Navia alone with her cup of coffee.

Since it was still morning, the cafe does not yet have any customers other than Navia.

As she looked at the door which Isaac had vanished to, a thought formed in her head.

'I wonder what he'd wear?'

---

It didn't take too long for Isaac to change his clothes. In fact, it had only been a few minutes.

"I'm back," Isaac's words were then heard by Navia. He then continued, "I'm all set, Miss Navia."

Navia, who was watching the television hanging on top of the counter, looked back to Isaac and noticed his new attire.

"Oh? That's..." Upon seeing his new set of clothes, a curious expression appeared on her face. "Unexpectedly fashionable?"

Isaac, wearing a black long-sleeved button up shirt, coupled with grey pants and a pair of gloves, smirked at Navia.

"It may look impractical, but this attire is actually quite flexible." Isaac explained himself while pointing at his pockets and the shoulder holster he had.

"Blending practicality with aesthetic... Indeed, you and my friend would definitely get along." Navia muttered to herself as she looked around Isaac's new clothes.

After checking him out a bit, she then shook her head. "Anyways, have you gotten everything you need?"

"Yup. I have my gun and dendro vision in my person for self-defense." Isaac nodded his head. He then returned the question. "And you?"

"I have everything here," Navia smiled with pride as she placed her parasol on her shoulder. "This parasol contains all of what I need."

Hearing this, Isaac smirked and said, "Oh my, it seems that I'm not only one that prefers practical aesthetics."

"You're just like me for real." He said.

"For real?" She replied.

"For real, for real."

He nodded his head. He then immediately changed the subject before he says more brain rot terms. "Anywho, shall we get going?"

"Of course." She nodded her head at Isaac's question. She then got off from her seat and stood in front of Isaac. "If there's nothing else... Then let's go!"

Watching Navia walk away with a lively expression, Isaac smiled softly, finding it amusing. 'Another sense of déjà vu...'

The two of them were just about to leave the cafe, when suddenly, they heard a distant sound.

- Boom!

What followed soon after this sound was the sound of rain hitting the ground gradually getting stronger.

Not long after this, more thunderous sounds were heard outside of the cafe, bringing forth more rain.

Isaac and Navia, who were just about to leave the cafe, both looked at the sky and saw the dark clouds covering the sky.

"It's raining..." Holding her hand out, Navia felt the sensation of the rain drop to her hand. "This is... gonna make our trip a tad bit more inconvenient."

"Inconvenient? I don't think so." Beside her, Isaac shook his head as he smiled softly. He then walked past Navia and stood outside the cafe.

"Hey! You'll get wet!" Seeing Isaac stand in outside, Navia warned him as she pulled out her parasol to cover him.

"Although it might get you wet, I believe that rain itself is not that bad," Isaac, who was beneath the edge of the roof, and was thus saved from the rain's water, continued speaking calmly. "Rain is inherintly good, and as as the Nation of Hydro, we ought to appreciate it more."

"Did you know, Miss Navia?" Isaac then turned his head and looked at Navia beside him who was sharing her black and yellow parasol with him. With his warm amber eyes looking at her, he spoke,

"God is in the rain."

"God... Is in the rain?" Hearing Isaac's cryptic words, Navia showed a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"..." Isaac, instead of answering, merely smiled enigmatically as he looked at the rain pouring.

Navia, confused by his words, also looked at the rain for a moment, to see what he was trying to say.

For a moment, the two didn't utter a word, and merely shared a moment of tranquility.