Eccedentesiast

Chapter 1: The Bodyguard

Neuvillette leaned back in his desk chair, swirling water around in a cup. His day had been strangely uneventful, with no cases to preside over. Furina was out mingling with the people and thus, there was no office work that had been forwarded to him. A rare moment of peace. 

As he was contemplating whether or not to take the rest of the day off, Sedene, the Melusine secretary, entered the room. In her paws, was an envelope. Her wings helped propel her forward, and she approached Neuvillette's desk. 

"Ah, Monsieur Neuvillette, I just received this from the Duke." The Melusine handed the paper to the Hydro Dragon. He carefully opened the lid and set the paper inside on his desk. 

"The Duke, Wriothesley?" Neuvillette echoed as Sedene sat down next to him. 

"Yes, Monsieur. He just handed this to me and left. He said, "Give this to the Iudex. I got another request." And then, he was gone." 

"I see. Shall we take a look at this request then?"

Neuvillette and Sedene read over the letter together, considering the contents carefully. It was a job request, addressed to Wriothesley. It was from a young man in his mid to late twenties, by the name of Quincy Snezhevich. According to the paper, this man had requested to join the Maison Gardiennage multiple times over the last few years. Neuvillette was starting to wonder how this had never crossed his desk before. Perhaps Furina had thought it to be unimportant and burned it. 

Quincy appeared to be qualified for the job, with years of experience in intelligence gathering for the Fatui. He was a Fontaine citizen and had no criminal record. So why would Wriothesley deny his application? Sedene flipped the page, and Neuvillette then saw the reason why. Quincy was born sickly, possessing a weak constitution. But, that should not prohibit the young man from doing office work at the very least.

"Sedene, find out this young man's address and bring him to my office. I wish to accept his request. And I have a special proposition for him as well. "

Third Person POV: Quincy

Quincy adjusted the mask on his face and tapped his cane on the ground. Getting ready for the day was tedious and time consuming. He felt around for the door frame and traced his hand over the door until he found the knob to open it. As he walked down the hallway, the wooden floor underneath him creaked and his cane echoed. 

"Oh, good morning Uncle!" Lyney's voice rang out happily. The magician took his other hand and guided him to the living room. "Freminet said you went out earlier."

"I did. I was going for that Garde position again." Quincy replied. "Although, I'll most likely get rejected."

"I admire your persistence, Uncle." Lynette commented from the kitchen. 

"Thanks, kid." Quincy sighed. How many times had he been rejected again? He couldn't remember. His brain was always trying to keep up with his immune system, so his memory was a little faulty. While he was thinking, cold hands touched the side of his head, dragging Quincy out of his thoughts. 

"Fremi, what are you doing?" Quincy asked his nephew. 

"Oh, sorry Uncle. Your hair got caught in your mask." The timid boy replied, continuing his actions. "Your hair's getting long again."

"Maybe I'll cut it. My sister can keep the long hair." Quincy laughed. Hearing footsteps, he paused. "Someone's at the door." One of the children opened the front door and someone entered. This person had light, quiet footsteps and something that flowed in the wind. Wings or a cape. 

"Excuse me, is there a Monsieur Quincy Snezhevich that resides here?" The person asked. High-pitched voice. Melusine. Quincy stood up and faced the direction of the Melusine. 

"That would be me, ma'am." Quincy said. 

"Perfect. My name is Sedene. I have been sent here by Monsieur Neuvillette to take you to the Palais Mermonia."

"This is great news, Uncle!" Lyney exclaimed, hugging the male. Quincy ruffled his hair with a smile. 

"I'll be back later, then, alright?" Quincy announced, earning him a chorus of replies. "Lead the way, Lady Sedene."

"Of course. Please follow me."

Third Person POV: Furina

Furina wasn't exactly sure what she was going to expect when she popped in on her Head Judge, but she wasn't expecting him to be in such a good mood. After all, she had neglected her Archon duties again. As she neared the door, Sedene approached her eagerly.

"Lady Furina, I'm so excited!" She shouted. Ignoring her confusion, the Melusine continued speaking. "I can't believe we're getting a new hire! It's been so long..."

"Indeed! It is a great honor to serve me after all!" Furina exclaimed. However, on the inside she was confused. She had no idea Neuvillette was hiring someone. Every new hire caused more problems for Furina. Each time, it got harder to conceal her true identity. And she had been doing it for so long...

"C'mon, he's in Monsieur Neuvillette's office." Sedene opened the doors to the Iudex's office, and Furina stepped inside. Her Chief Justice and this new hire were busy chatting amongst themselves.

"It's an honor to be here, monsieur." The young man said politely. 

"Neuvillette is fine. I'm glad to have come across your resume this time. I was quite fortunate." Neuvillette told him. 

"Neuvi! I, Focalors, have arrived!" Furina announced. The young man's head swiveled in her direction, startling her. 

In front of her was a man no older than 27, with a black and purple jackal mask covering his eyes. He had long white and black hair and an ornately decorated cane. His voice had sounded soft and smooth, almost like that of a diplomat. His voice carried hints of a Fontainian accent, with a tiny bit of Snezhnayan. A Fatuus?

"Lady Furina, this is our new hire. He will be your bodyguard." Neuvillette stated. 

"What?" Furina gasped. A bodyguard? She didn't need one! The audacity!

"Greetings, Lady Furina. My name is Quincy Snezhevich." The man stopped in front of her and grabbed her hand. He lifted it up and kissed her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you."