Furina cast a cool, composed smile at the officers before her, her expression as regal as ever.
"As expected. No matter where I go, the Hydro Archon is adored by all. Hehe…"
She strolled over to a female officer's desk with the air of a dignitary.
"Now then, allow me to see what troubles plague you all."
With a flourish, she picked up a folder from the desk. "Chen Wang Mumu… what a charming name."
The officer's mouth twitched. "It's… Chen Lin."
"Eh?" Furina blinked, glancing at her. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face.
But it vanished in an instant.
Ahem. She cleared her throat, feigning composure. "Of course I knew that. I was merely trying to lighten the mood. Things felt a bit too serious, don't you think? Haha…"
"Ugh, how humiliating!"
"How could I mess up my own citizen's name?"
"No, no—it's her fault for writing it so spaced out. Yes, clearly not my mistake."
To cover her awkwardness, Furina opened the folder. Her brow furrowed slightly.
She didn't understand a word.
She quickly set it down and picked up another.
She hadn't yet gathered the 100 Faith Points needed to unlock any abilities. And that ominous voice had made it clear: she had five days to solve a murder case—or face erasure.
She needed a simple case. Something easy. Something solvable.
But every file she opened was a cold case—victims dead for over five years, with no leads in sight.
Solving one of these in five days? Impossible.
Still, she kept her face serene, projecting an air of calm authority.
"You all keep investigating. Focus on the murder cases. I… shall return to my quarters. Farewell."
"Yes, Captain!" ×5
With a stack of folders in hand, Furina turned, glanced at the two doors behind her, and confidently entered the one marked "Captain's Office."
She locked the door behind her.
Outside, the officers exchanged hushed whispers.
"Don't you think the Captain's acting… off today?"
"Yeah, even the way she talks is different."
"Maybe the workload's finally gotten to her…" one officer tapped his temple. "You know… snapped?"
"Could be. Poor Captain."
Inside the office, Furina collapsed like a deflated balloon, sliding to the floor as if her strength had drained away.
She buried her face in her hands, shoulders trembling. A faint, mosquito-like sob escaped her lips.
Alone in a strange world, with death hanging over her head, despair crept in.
Fontaine was still in crisis. She couldn't afford to die here.
No one could see the weight she carried.
After a long silence, she wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and began poring over the case files again with renewed determination.
What she didn't know… was that her quiet breakdown had been broadcast live.
Livestream comments:
— "Tough-as-nails captain on the outside, soft little crybaby on the inside."
— "Wait… am I the only one who doesn't get why she's crying?"
— "Is she faking it for sympathy points?"
— "Say that again and I'll turn you into sweet bean paste! Don't insult my goddess!"