Madam Lindsay.: Progress report, Semmelweis.
Semmelweis: All's well, Madam Lindsay. We’ve confirmed the direction of Perchta’s retreat.
Madam Lindsay remains silent, prompting Semmelweis to explain further.
Semmelweis: They took the captive to an abandoned village nearby, apparently in an attempt to hide them.
Semmelweis: For an extremist organization associated with numerous murders, their actions seem inconsistent with their past conduct.
Semmelweis: Clearly, they're trying to gain something crucial from their abductee. Something significant enough to make them forgo their usual methods.
Madam Lindsay.: So, what's your assessment?
Semmelweis: I have a not-yet-fully-formed speculation.
Madam Lindsay.: Do tell.
Semmelweis: I think the prisoner is related to the arcanist refugees.
Madam Lindsay.: What's your reasoning?
Semmelweis: Based on our investigation in Vienna, and that of other field agent teams, we can infer Manus Vindictae's current goals.
Semmelweis: They're trying to incite the arcanist refugees to create chaos for the human authorities.
Semmelweis: Whether they riot or go on a murderous spree, these desperate refugee communities are prime recruits for Manus Vindictae.
Semmelweis: However, under the dual control of the Foundation and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Manus Vindictae's incitement remains relatively limited in scale.
Semmelweis: They aren't satisfied with that. So, they're attempting to find a way to penetrate the refugee community more quickly ...
Semmelweis: ... by working with the refugee leaders. Or by killing them.
Madam Lindsay.: In other words, you think the captive is a leader of the arcanist refugee community.
Semmelweis: The fact that such a large number of arcanist refugees were able to travel from the Balkans to Vienna suggests that they were organized.
Semmelweis: Considering that Perchta tends to prefer house arrest ...
Semmelweis: The most reasonable analysis is that the prisoner holds a special position in the refugee community, one that even the Manus Vindictae cannot simply replace.
Semmelweis: These refugees are not a homogeneous group; there are factions inclined towards the Manus and those who prefer to keep their distance.
Semmelweis: This may be the epitome of the struggle between the two factions.
Madam Lindsay.: Your inference is logical and fits with the intel the Foundation previously obtained.
Madam Lindsay.: In that case, complete the mission quickly and find out what they’re up to.
Semmelweis: On it.
Madam Lindsay.: After you return to the Foundation, the recovery center will propose a new treatment plan.
Madam Lindsay.: They've gathered some information on your condition.
Semmelweis: Thank you, Madam Lindsay.
Madam Lindsay.: I had nothing to do with it. You can thank the contributions of our colleagues in the recovery center.
Madam Lindsay.: Also, I have a message for you.
Madam Lindsay.: The LSCC just reached a conclusion.
Madam Lindsay.: The critical point of the era will manifest in Vienna.
Semmelweis: ...!
Madam Lindsay.: As a “former” investigator, I believe you understand what this means.
For a moment, every muscle in Semmelweis' body tenses.
She regains control of her body, and her expression grows serious.
Semmelweis: I need to share this intel with Hofmann.
Madam Lindsay.: Naturally.
Semmelweis: Manus Vindictae's research on the critical point has been ahead of us from the start. They must have this information too.
Semmelweis: My apologies, Madam Lindsay. I must hurry. Who knows what extreme measures the followers might take under these circumstances?
