Lumine and Paimon followed The Knave to the entrance of the Opera House, where she had been waiting specifically for them.
"I'm glad you agreed to come with me. Last time, you helped the children of the House of the Hearth. As their 'Father,' I thank you."
Lumine: "...No need to thank me. I didn't expect you to mention that."
The Knave: "Do I seem like such an incompetent 'Father'? Heh, the House of the Hearth is very important. You should know how much I value the children."
Lumine: "Is there anything else you wanted to say?"
The Knave: "Formal occasions call for formal discussions, while informal settings naturally shouldn't delve into such weighty matters. That's all."
"I know you've just returned from the Fortress of Meropide. Don't be nervous; I'm not trying to trick you into revealing anything. Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet are there as well. I trust their abilities and judgment."
Paimon: "They've been working so hard, giving their all to fight those trying to stop them! Especially Lyney..."
The Knave: "Wriothesley, I presume. He's a tough one to deal with. It's a pity Lyney is too proud to rely on others, like me. Let's just consider this a casual chat. What's your impression of Furina?"
"As someone detached from these conflicts, the most free and mobile person in Fontaine, I might as well share my perspective with you."
The Knave recounted her chance encounter with Furina one night. She believed Furina resembled a celebrity more than a god.
"When I feigned an assassination attempt, a transparent shield materialized around her. Furina seemed completely unaware of it, unlike her own abilities. It was as if someone had deliberately placed it there to protect her."
"The most likely candidate is Fidelle, but... does a god truly need protection?"
Lumine couldn't help but think that, in Furina's case, protection might indeed be necessary.
The Knave: "Just as I suspected before acting, the Gnosis isn't on Furina. Moreover, she doesn't seem like a god at all... there's an aura of some kind of curse clinging to her."
"The fear in her eyes was genuine. I had prepared for the consequences of attacking a god, but... no one came looking for me, no one accused me of assaulting the Hydro Archon Focalors. I even suspected Furina was too afraid to speak of it."
"Later, my informant confirmed that Furina had returned to her residence and wept quietly. She appeared utterly terrified, unable to sleep all night, and didn't even touch her cake."
"There's no doubt Furina is hiding something. I have a theory—perhaps she isn't the true Hydro Archon at all. Perhaps Chief Justice Neuvillette is."
"I must find the Gnosis. If my hypothesis is correct, it's likely with Neuvillette, or hidden in a place ordinary people wouldn't dare approach."
"Yet, judging by what I've seen, Neuvillette doesn't seem like the Hydro Archon either."
Lumine: How can you tell?
The Knave: I serve the Tsaritsa and know what a god should be. Both Neuvillette and Furina lack something essential. You can't possibly imagine what a true god is like.
Lumine was silent.
She knew four—no, five, counting Nahida—Gods personally. How could she not know what a God was like?
Yet Lumine didn't argue. Whether it was Venti, Zhongli, Ei, or Nahida, each had their flaws, falling slightly short of her ideal image of a God.
But that was only in their ordinary state. When Venti and Zhongli donned their Divine Regalia, they exuded an aura of pure divinity.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was perhaps the most divine God Lumine had encountered so far...
Seen in this light, Furina and Neuvillette truly lacked something. How to describe it? Perhaps the kind of unwavering confidence that only a God possesses?
This is just my impression. Often, intuition defies logic.
As an intelligence operative, suddenly realizing I can't even discern the Gods of my homeland is quite amusing.
The Knave chuckled wryly.
She concluded by assuring Lumine that she could seek her aid at any time. In confronting the Prophecy, the Fatui and most Fontainians shared the same goal.
-
Poisson.
The final count was in: eleven people had been completely dissolved—Tack, Eason, Corina, Volkhin... Fidelle...
Eleven in total. Only a few articles of clothing were recovered, including one set belonging to Fidelle.
"Young Miss, in addition to those dissolved, three are critically injured and twenty-eight sustained minor injuries, all incurred during the evacuation..."
"Mm."
Navia gazed at the darkening sky. She and the Spina di Rosula had moved the Poisson residents to higher ground—crude shelter, but the best available in these dire times.
"Melus, take Fidelle's clothing and the casualty list. We're leaving for Fontaine immediately. Silver, you stay here and have the Spina di Rosula members reassure the residents. I'll go find supplies!"
Everything in Poisson had been submerged in Primordial Sea water, leaving only a few salvageable items—blankets, clothing, food...
Not only Navia was worried; the residents of Poisson were terrified too!
Silver: "Young Miss, go without worry! Leave everything here to me!"
-
Fortress of Meropide.
After bidding farewell to The Knave, Lumine, Paimon, and Lyney encountered Neuvillette again. As they recounted the events of the tea party, they learned Neuvillette's true identity:
The Hydro Dragon Sovereign of Fontaine!
They returned to the Fortress of Meropide, but this time, they were no longer prisoners.
The trio explored the fortress, sharing details about The Knave with Lyney and Lynette, discussing Neuvillette with Sigewinne, and discussing the situation above with Wriothesley.
Finally, they retreated to the Quarters, preparing to spend one last night there.
Predictably, the unexpected still occurred.
Lumine had another dream, once again through Childe's perspective.
In the dream, Childe lay submerged in the Primordial Sea, slowly sinking, his eyes closed.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, and a massive Whale was reflected in his gaze!
The perspective widened, revealing the Whale swimming past Tartaglia, its immense body dwarfing him.
-
["What is that?!"]
["Great! Childe's still alive!"]
["Did this whale cause the Primordial Sea's anomalies? Could Fontaine's Prophecy be connected to it too...?"]
-
The next morning, Lumine woke up convinced that her dream from the previous night held significant value. She resolved to leave the Fortress of Meropide and seek out Neuvillette.
As soon as they emerged from the Fortress, they were greeted by the heaviest rain they had encountered since arriving in Fontaine.
Sheltering from the downpour beside a lift platform, Paimon exclaimed in surprise, "Lumine, what a downpour! Looks like we'll have to wait for it to stop before we can leave."
Chu Xi glanced down at her mechanical body, reaching out to test if the water would affect her systems. But before her hand could fully extend, Lumine grabbed her arm and pulled it back.
"Don't take any risks!" Lumine insisted.
Chu Xi nodded obediently, abandoning her experiment.
As Lumine stared at the torrential rain, a Fontainian fable suddenly came to mind. Could it be...?