How could I let you remain a salted fish?
At least help me shoulder some of Fontaine’s burdens, okay!
If Eris knew what she was thinking, she would definitely cry foul.
Sister, it’s not that I don’t want to explain my origin, but I simply can’t.
My origin makes me at least half a Descenders.
Is that something I can just talk about casually?
As a fake Hydro Archon, Fufu actually didn’t know many common facts among gods.
For instance, she knew nothing about the taboos regarding Descenderss.
Otherwise, hearing Eris’s vague explanations and connecting them with those taboos, she would have quickly reached a conclusion.
But she didn’t know…
The only god she had ever interacted with was Focalors.
Combined with this face, and the Hydro Vision that only the Hydro Archon could bestow…
to her, wasn’t this solid proof?
Right, she also didn’t know that Visions weren’t personally granted by each region’s Archon, because she wasn’t the real Hydro Archon (lol).
Meanwhile, the general public in Teyvat believed that Visions were granted when the gods cast their gaze upon them.
Actually, this couldn’t be considered entirely wrong.
After all, the gods of Celestia were still gods.
It was just that the only gods known to the people of each nation were The Seven, so over time, it naturally came to be believed that they were granted by the Archon of the corresponding element.
The cognitive gap between the two led to this misunderstanding.
In Fufu’s eyes, you look just like me, have a similar background, possess a Vision personally granted by Focalors, and know those secrets—so you must be one of us!
It must be something Focalors created to deal with the prophecy crisis, right?
Just like herself.
The difference was that her own role was to stabilize Fontaine, while she was probably sent by Focalors to fight the prophecy.
That explained why she knew the reasons behind everything but couldn’t speak of them, and that Vision must also be Focalors’ assistance for her mission.
But for some reason, this “sister” of hers seemed to want to slack off…
How could Fufu accept that?
In her eyes, if you slacked off, the one who would suffer would be the entirety of Fontaine!
And for Eris, things related to Descenderss couldn’t be spoken of lightly.
Fontaine already had enough landmines, from the Hydro Dragon to the prophesied doomsday, and now an unexplained Descenders…
What a gathering of titans!
Could Fontaine even take it?
The Vision had also appeared out of nowhere, and she wasn’t a mind reader to know exactly what was going on in Furina’s head.
The two finished their breakfast in silence—well, mostly Eris was silent, while Furina introduced various aspects of Fontaine to her as she ate.
“Let’s go, we’re going to find Neuvillette,” Fufu took Eris’s hand after breakfast.
“There are still many details of yesterday’s case that you need to fill in.
By the way, you’re sure you can fill them in, right?”
“Although I woke up in those underground ruins the moment I opened my eyes, and saw those imprisoned girls just around the corner,” Eris replied upon hearing this, “I am still clear on the ins and outs of this matter.”
“Oh, is that so?” Hearing this, Furina’s lips curled into a smile.
And you say you weren’t sent by Focalors!
If you really just appeared there the moment you opened your eyes, how would you know the cause and effect of everything?
The serial disappearance case has spanned over a decade!
How else could you explain it if not for Focalors telling you?
It’s not like you went to Sumeru to look it up on the Irminsul, right?
Hmph, let’s see how long you can keep playing dumb!
Just as they arrived in front of Neuvillette’s office, they heard a young girl’s suppressed voice coming from inside.
Inside the room, Navia, the leader of the Spina di Rosula, had come to the Palais Mermonia immediately upon hearing that the mastermind behind the serial disappearances had been caught, seeking to inquire about certain matters from the Iudex.
Her father, Callas, had been targeted and framed while investigating the Sinthe case and the serial disappearances, and for the past two years, she had been searching everywhere for clues regarding both cases.
“Is that so?
Very well, thank you, Monsieur Neuvillette, we shall return now.”
Although she sounded on the verge of breaking down, Navia was still trying her best to restrain herself, until Neuvillette spoke again.
“Mademoiselle Navia, I can understand your feelings.
Your father, Monsieur Callas, was a very exceptional person; his death is truly regrettable.”
Hearing this, Eris’s mouth twitched.
Oh, Hydro Dragon, you still don’t understand humanity well enough.
Saying that at a time like this…
isn’t that dancing on a minefield?
“Monsieur Neuvillette, what is this supposed to mean?
Your sympathy?
Comfort?
Or the ‘regret’ you speak of?”
“No, it is none of those,” Navia turned around and looked at the Iudex behind her.
“I can tell that there is no emotion in your words at all; you merely feel that you should say this at this moment.”
“Just like when my father had already climbed onto the dueling ring, and I disregarded the guards to come here and find you.
You clearly told me that you also felt there were suspicious aspects to the case, yet you still tacitly allowed the duel to proceed!”
“In your eyes, the value of life is simply incomparable to the cold, heartless rules and laws you hold.
If you truly felt that my father’s death was regrettable, why didn’t you stop him back then?
Why…
why didn’t you give me the right to stop him, and just let him die while carrying such infamy?”
“We could have turned everything around if we had just tried a little harder back then.
I still had so many things I hadn’t made clear to him, and he still owed me the answers to so many questions!”
“If you truly have no emotions, then look at me.
Look into my eyes, and I will tell you what true regret is!”
Hearing this, Neuvillette remained silent for two seconds, unable to say anything else, only a single sentence: “I am sorry, Mademoiselle Navia.”
“The unjust Callas…” Hearing this, Furina whispered into Eris’s ear: “Two years ago, this was a case that shocked all of Fontaine.
Actually, I also felt that Monsieur Callas’s case was suspicious, but I couldn’t find any evidence…
Sigh, if he hadn’t stepped onto the dueling ring, he might have been able to spend his later years in the Fortress of Meropide.”
“Inside is his daughter, Navia.
She is a rather good…”
“I know,” Eris said, reaching out to pat her little head.
“I know everything.”
“That is very rude!
How can you just pat a lady’s head!” Furina slapped her hand away with dissatisfaction.
In her view, the one born first was definitely the older sister!
There was no way an older sister should be patted on the head and comforted by a younger sister!
“It seems I must teach you the etiquette of a lady properly!”
She felt she should shoulder the responsibility of being the older sister!
“A lady?” Eris’s face turned green upon hearing this.
“If it weren’t for…
never mind…”
“How can you just ‘never mind’?” Furina said with dissatisfaction.
“For people like us, etiquette is very important.
Otherwise, when you attend any public events in the future…”
Before she could finish, the office door in front of them was pulled open.
“Lady Furina…
wait, this is…” Navia froze as she looked at the two Furinas outside the door.
“So the rumors were true?
There really are two Hydro Archons.
I thought it was just a rumor.”
“Oh, right, I apologize.
I should be going.
I have disturbed you today, Monsieur Neuvillette, and Lady Furina, I am sorry…”
She fought back the tears in her eyes to apologize to them, then turned and wanted to leave.