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Chapter Text

“Ladies and gentlemen... this concludes my opening performance,” Lyney said, bowing to the audience. “Now, without further ado... we may proceed to the trial of our god.”

Furina stood in the middle of the stage. Her previous surprise gave way to an unreadable expression that hid her boiling fury. She gazed upon the people, some of whom she thought she could trust. She turned her head up to see Neuvillette looking down imperiously at her. His eyes widened slightly as she matched his glare with her own.

“Ah, so this is what it is. Yes... You deserve praise for the effort you took to raise the dramatic stakes,” she said, shaking her head and looking with disgust at the Traveler. “I’m guessing all that sympathy was just lies and manipulation. As expected of someone who sides with the Fatui.”

Lumine turned her head with a bit of shame before turning back to face the ruler of Fontaine. “Your inaction has forced our hand, Furina,” she said, earning mutterings of agreement from the crowd.

“Hmph, I really should have dealt with you, nosy pest the moment you stepped into Fontaine,” spat Furina, making the entire hall stare incredulously at her language. She sighed in resignation, “But I can see how that looked. I'm sorry, everyone. I was unable to protect the people of Poisson... It is my duty to stand trial for my crimes. You are not the only ones to be disappointed in me. I, too, am exceedingly disappointed in myself,” she said with the utmost sincerity, and the prosecution felt they had a chance to do this painlessly.

But she destroyed those thoughts with her next words. “Alas, I can’t let your ignorance and desperation ruin five centuries of work.”

“What?” Paimon asked with her shrill voice.

Furina waved her question off. "How about you answer my question, first? How did you accomplish all of this?"

The prosecution proceeded to explain everything. How Navia used the Spina to incite a mob to lead her into the house that was a magic box made by the Fatui, as well as Lumine trying to get her to spill her secrets as a last-ditch effort to avoid the trial. 

“I see. My compliments on your work," Furina said once they concluded. "I will remember all of this for after this farce is done. Just fast forward to the part where the prosecution lays out my offenses. As the defendant and the lead actress in this performance, I still haven't even been informed of my supposed guilt in all of this. Of course, it is only natural for humans to struggle to understand the actions of a god. However, you will need more than that to convict me of a crime...”

Lumine and Paimon looked at each other. Her reaction was not what they expected, but they would proceed with the plan. “That is true, but my charge here is unrelated to your conduct as an Archon,” Lumine said, gathering the same courage she used to face Dvalin, the Shogun, Apep, and other divine creatures. She pointed at the Regina of Fontaine with determination. “Instead, I would like to charge you as a fraud who's never been the Archon in the first place!”

The audience was shocked by her words, not having expected the twist.

“Wait... what was that? Lady Furina's a fraud?”

“Hey... I came here thinking that we were going to try the Hydro Archon for forsaking her duty, but did I hear that right? She's not our Archon at all?”

Neuvillette slammed his cane on the floor. “Charge accepted.”

Furina rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Ridiculous. I would’ve understood dereliction of duty, but this?”  

Neuvillette stared down at her, trying to intimidate her. “May I interpret these words... as your refusal to stand trial?” He didn’t want to do this to her, but with Fontaine at risk, such actions were necessary. “In that case, you will have the opportunity to defend your honor through a duel.”

Clorinde walks onstage silently, blade in hand. They all hoped this would intimidate Furina into the trial.

“You too, Clorinde?” whispered Furina, looking hurt. “You would draw your blade against me?”

Clorinde silently takes a stance as her answer. Behind her, the public waited with bated breath for what was coming next. The personal bodyguard of the Hydro Archon had turned her blade against the person she had sworn to protect. The drama was off the scale!

Furina sighed and raised one hand. “I see... It seems like you have made up your mind.”

“Paimon can't believe it... She... She just surrendered!?” the pixie shrilled into the ear of the Traveler.

The champion remained silent but was secretly glad she didn’t have to bear her steel against Furina.

“What the heck is going on? Did I just see an Archon surrender to a human?”

“Wow, how utterly humiliating...”

“Lady Furina, what is the meaning of this?”

Furina let her hair shadow her eyes, taking in the reactions before a smirk painted itself on her face.

“…Then let the finale commence!”

With a flash of blue light, her personal blade manifested in her hand. Splendor of Tranquil Waters came into being, ready to fight with its master once more. The arrogant mask of the archon gave way to a seriousness no one had witnessed before. Her eyes gained a coldness like polished steel as she glared at her opponent. The Archon took a solid stance rivaling that of Fontaine’s most famous duelists, not a single hole in her defense.

Not even Neuvillette had seen such a resolute look on the Regina of All Waters in his centuries at her side.

He didn’t recognize the woman on stage.

Who was this person that had taken the place of their god?

Clorinde’s eyes widened. This was not what was supposed to happen. Furina was supposed to surrender!

“Are you sure you want to do this, Clorinde?” asked Furina, her voice devoid of her usual bravado. The tone had changed to one no one had heard before. A tone of confidence, but not born out of arrogance. A softer tone, but one not lacking steel. “You can walk away, and I will pretend this faux pas never happened,” she gave a sideways glance at the Traveler and Navia. “Can’t say I will offer the same to your… conspirators, however.”

It had to be a trick, right? Using her acting skills to intimidate the Champion. Yes, that had to be it. “You can always surrender and take the trial, Lady Furina.”

“Not your Lady, apparently,” Furina said, and damned if that didn’t hurt the duelist’s heart. But it was too late for regrets. “So be it.”

Neuvillette had recovered from his shock as their plan unraveled before them. He had to have faith in Clorinde for the sake of Fontaine. He only hoped that she didn’t injure Furina… or worse. He swallowed his nerves and prayed to his ancestors for mercy. “Let the duel commence.”

Clorinde dashed forward, aiming to disarm her lady and force her into the trial. Even if she was not a god, she didn’t want to harm her. All they wanted was to save Fontaine. Furina had a secret, and it may be the key to doing it. At least, that was their hope. If this was for nothing… No, she couldn’t think that. All she had to do was focus on disarming Furina.

And it would be easy. Furina never fought. In all her years, she never saw her so much as pick up a sword outside the props on some plays.

Those thoughts were taken outside and shot in the back of the head as Furina contemptuously parried away Clorinde’s attack, twisting the blade, and disarming the champion, much to everyone’s shock. Clorinde stumbled, looking dumbly at her empty hand as Furina stepped away from her path with the grace of a dancer. The champion's sword skidded across the floor of the silent opera.

The Archon looked at Clorinde with a quirked eyebrow.

“If you are going to insist on this foolishness, at least make it entertaining, Clorinde. I know this is not your best,” Furina said, pointing at the fallen blade. “Pick up your sword.”

Navia’s jaw hung open.

The twins were looking around for whatever contraption must have helped her achieve that magic trick.

Lumine and Paimon stared incomprehensibly at the scene.

Neuvillette was going through a mental breakdown, not recognizing the woman on the stage.

Charlotte was glad she had brought many extra rolls of film with her.

Clorinde pushed her shock to the back of her mind and picked up her sword. It was the first time in her life she had ever been disarmed as easily. Was it a fluke? Had she underestimated Furina? Clearly, the Regina of Fontaine had some tricks up her sleeve. Maybe she had classes in the past five centuries?

Yes, that had to be it. She would have to be more serious.

Raising her sword, Clorinde took her stance and started circling Furina. But the Archon did not leave a single opening in her stance to exploit. It was honestly impressive, and it was making the duelist doubt their entire plan. Knowing she had to force an opening, she rushed forward again, swinging her sword and once again being repelled. This time she was prepared and didn’t so much as stumble as she pressed on the attack. But Furina’s stance was unyielding. Every swing was met with a parry, every stab diverted. The champion locked blades with the Archon, and despite their difference in size and weight, Clorinde couldn’t push Furina off balance.

“Egeria didn’t pick me as her successor on a whim, Champion,” she whispered before shoulder-checking her opponent away. Clorinde tried to swing again, but Furina twisted out of the way, kicking her in the back of the leg. Clorinde was forced to her knees when she felt the sharp edge of steel pressed on her throat. “I once carried the name of Erinnyes, a member of the Lochknights in the days of ancient Remuria. Dragons and monsters fell to my blade long before Fontaine was a thought on Egeria’s mind. You will need to give me your all if you intend to best me,” she said, removing her sword and leaving behind a thin, red cut on her throat. First blood had been claimed. She let her opponent rise instead of demanding her surrender.

Everyone stared in shock at the words coming out of Furina. That… had to be a lie, right? Something from a play or book? Because no one in Fontaine had heard that before. The legend was well known, but that Erinnyes and Furina were the same being?

Their doubts became smoke as Furina turned to the offensive. The Archon was a storm of dancing steel flashing through the stage. She had cut Clorinde all over her body, forcing the champion to defend with all her might. The duelist knew that if she had wanted to, Furina could’ve ended her life a dozen times already. With every cut, the veracity of her words solidified in the minds of the people.

The duelist was pushed back, breathing heavily, once the defendant gave her a moment to rest. Furina looked disappointed at the display.

“Stop holding back, Clorinde,” Furina said with a shake of her head and pointed at the duelist with her sword. “Use your vision.”

Clorinde looked incuriously at her lady. “W-What?”

“Use your vision, Clorinde,” Furina repeated with a smile. “Your gun, too, if you want. Use it and let me show you how pointless this is…”

Something in Clorinde made her take the challenge. Whether it was desperation, pride, or fear didn’t matter. Electro energy surged from her vision and through her muscles, accelerating the duelist’s movements to the speed of thunder. She would end this now, and then everything would be fine.

She attacked with the expectation that Furina would counter or dodge like she had done the entire duel.

Furina didn’t dodge.

The hall stood in shocked silence as the floor was splattered with red. Clorinde’s blade pierced through the Archon’s heart, electricity burning the organ to a crisp.

The entire courtroom exploded in shouts and screams at the scene. Lumine and Paimon gasped, turning white at the display. Neuvillette stumbled forward, crushing the edge of the balcony under his grip.

“No!”

“Oh Seven…!”

“L-Lady Furina…”

And yet, there were no screams of pain or even an expression of shock from the Archon. She remained in place, looking down at the blade impaled on her breast with an amused expression.

“Magnificent aim, Clorinde,” Furina said and just gave the shocked champion a sad smile. “But you really should have gone for my head.”

The defendant tapped the floor with Splendor of Tranquil Waters, and the stage rippled. A moment later, a blast of Hydro not unlike the ones Neuvillette had displayed before smashed upon Clorinde. It hit her with the force of a tidal wave. Even if she hadn’t been in shock from her actions, she wouldn’t have been able to dodge. The champion smashed upon the roof of the Opera with a resounding crack, only to be caught by a bubble of water created by a hydro mimic in the shape of a seahorse.

A moment later, her body was immobilized by the tentacles of an octopus mimic with a top hat, while another mimic in the form of a crab with a bonnet had her head between her pincers, ready to crush her neck if she made the wrong move.

Furina slowly walked to the duelist, taking the blade impaled on her chest in her hands and removing it. “Ripping out my heart is not enough to kill me, Clorinde. I don’t think even beheading would be enough. I would’ve thought Arlecchino would’ve informed you of that since it’s obvious you’re working together. She already tried it punching a hole through me herself, and yet I still live, don’t I?” the archon said, earning gasps of shock and horror from the audience. “Oh? Did she and the Traveler didn’t mention that? My bad,” she said with obvious insincerity.  

Lumine fidgeted in place, feeling the gazes of the entire room on her, knowing she had some explaining to do.

Furina looked at the bloodied blade in her hand with middling interest, even as blood poured out of the wound where she shredded her heart used to be. With a shrug, she threw it to the side and looked down at the champion. “Yield, Clorinde. I would rather not kill you,” she said as her crab’s pincers started digging into the champion’s neck.

The wide-eyed and broken champion could only nod at her lady. Her Archon. Her God. “I y-yield.”

With the snap of her fingers, the crab transformed into an oceanid with a crown. It began singing a soft melody as waves of healing Hydro energy washed over the beaten allogene.

Furina looked down at herself, the wound still leaking blood on the floor like a never-ending fountain. “Shame. I loved this suit. But I have no one to blame but myself for its loss.” Her wound glowed with hydro. Cauterized flesh turned pink as organs and muscles stitched themselves back together. It took all of a few moments for her wound to no longer be present. Even the blood on her clothes vanished, only leaving the damage to the fabric as evidence of the duel.

Furina twirled her sword and turned her back on her defeated opponent. “Consider yourself fired as my bodyguard, Clorinde. And don’t expect severance pay,” she said as Clorinde let herself fall on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling as she questioned her existence. 

The god, for what else could she be, looked at the prosecution with a glare that could melt stone. Heterochromatic eyes pierced right throw them and found them wanting. Even the Raiden Shogun’s eyes were not as cold as those of the Hydro Archon.

“Uh… Paimon thinks we may have made a mistake with our case…” Teyvat’s number one exposition device whispered so loudly that everyone could hear her.

“…What gave you that idea?” Lumine whispered back.

Her unamused gaze swept over the shocked crowd, before looking at a shocked Neuvillette with a flat glare. “AHEM!”

“Ah! Yes… Uh,” the Dragon Sovereign said, his brain rebooting as the image he built of the Archon for the past five centuries crumpled into dust. “I, Iudex Neuvillette declare Lady Furina the winner of the duel.” He cleared his throat. “All charges are hereby dropped.”

No one clapped or cheered. The audience was stunned, never having witnessed the power of their god. She was always acting more like Fontaine’s mascot, entertaining nobles and dignitaries, throwing dramatic tantrums in court, or eating desserts.

Such a display was not what anyone had expected.

Charlotte kept taking pictures. And videos. The motion camera was the best investment she had made in her life.

“Everything I have done for the past five hundred years has been to stop the prophecy. You may think what you want of my apparent inaction but never dare say that I don’t care. I will not let some meddling outlander, those dammed Fatui, or the grieving masses ruin my efforts,” Furina said with the utmost authority. “You will have your answers when I deem it safe for you to know them. You do not demand anything from me. Do I make myself clear?”

Everyone nodded, not wanting to face the wrath of their god.

The sound of rain outside made the Archon frown and click her tongue in annoyance.

“Seems we are out of time. I hoped the duel didn’t count for the prophecy, but it seems I was wrong. Keeping secrets is meaningless now,” she said, clapping her hands to gather the attention of the audience, not like it was necessary. Everyone was focused on her. “Alright, a very quick summary. Fontanians are not true humans; they are oceanids converted into humans. Egeria used primordial seawater in the process, which is why only Fontanians dissolve. They turn back into oceanids. Celestia was angry at her actions and cursed us with the prophecy. The trial of the Hydro Archon is the trigger of the prophecy,” Furina fired off quickly as if she wasn’t giving the audience an existential crisis in the middle of a mythological flood.

Navia was the first to gather her wits. “Wait, so you’re saying…”

“That your little trial was the last thing needed to fulfill the prophecy and may have doomed Fontaine had I not been ready? Yes, thank you for that, by the way. We will have words later about that and the Spina’s incitement of a mob against me.”

The president curled up on herself.

“I had to trick Celestia so they didn’t know I was working against them, or else they would strike. My divinity was sealed in the Oratrice to ensure justice was carried out and gathered power. My human side kept my immortality and was in charge of distracting the heavens, acting like a stupid dancing monkey to make up for her lack of power, since that’s what my people wanted. Worked well for five centuries until this pest landed on our shores,” she said, pointing at an offended Lumine. “I only recovered some of my power after Poisson, which is why I couldn’t do anything about the flood… Until now. I will release the full statement if we survive the flood.”

Charlotte smelled an exclusive if she played her cards right. Thank goodness she had yet to give Lumine her notes, or else Furina may not want to speak with her.

The Archon’s speech was interrupted by a large tremor that shook the entire Opera House. Suddenly, the space above the stage shattered like glass, and a giant horned whale with a body composed of a starry sky jumped out, intending to devour the terrified and screaming audience.

Furina reacted in an instant. She flashed out from her spot and appeared right on top of the beast. Her sword glowed with power, and she stabbed it down on the intruder. The Narwhal cried in pain, its resistance to Hydro doing nothing against the raw physical power of a very pissed-off Hydro Archon. It crashed down back into the hole in reality it made, making the people stop running and stare in awe at the demonstration of the power of their god.

No one noticed that it had crashed against Childe when it fell back into the hole.

She landed softly on the floor and dusted off her tattered suit. “That’s that beast that's the cause of the prophecy. The cause of the rising sea levels. If you excuse me, I need to deal with it.”

With a snap of her fingers, the Oratrice activated. The ancient divine machine spun, gathering its power and its glow increasing in intensity. At its climax, the energy shot down directly into Furina, hiding her body behind a blinding light. The entire auditorium covered their eyes, waiting for the light to go away.

Once it did, they looked to the stage, only to be shocked by what they said. Furina was covered in shiny silvery-blue plate armor, looking like a mix of ancient Lochknights with an oceanid. Her Archon robe had its hood down, working as a cape and letting her long hair flow. A helmet with three oceanid fins rested under her arm. On the other hand, Splendor of Tranquil Waters had changed, taking a shape similar to the one on her statues, with a glow and surface as if carved from the sea.

The very image of a warrior god ready to take the field to protect her people from the Heavens themselves.

“Ugh… Paimon is conf–”

“Quiet, balloon.”

The balloon was very quiet.

Furina looked at herself, pleased with the power flowing into her body. “This will have to be enough.” She flexed her hand and began counting. “First, transporting the people to the city proper and shielding Fontaine from the flood. Next, dealing with the star beast devouring the primordial sea. Unravel the Hydro Authority from the Gnosis, restore those dissolved, and finish Egeria’s work so people don’t dissolve again. Come back, cry at my throne to fulfill the final step of the prophecy, and then seal the primordial sea and lower the sea level back to its original state. Finally, prepare for any retaliation from Celestia.” After a moment of thought, she nodded in satisfaction. “Yes, I don’t believe I’m missing anything.”

“L-Lady Furina! Wh–”

She silenced the Iudex with a finger. “Shh! No time, Neuvillette. We have much work to do.” She moved to the hole but paused. “Oh! Before I forget.”

A beam of Hydro shot from her hand to the very end of the Opera, rounding a corner, only to return with a very shocked Arlecchino bound in hydro chains.

“What–!” Arlecchino started before a gauntlet-covered fist crashed upon her face, breaking her nose and knocking her out along with a few teeth.

“Father!” shouted Lyney and Lynette.

“Been wanting to do that for weeks,” Furina said, pleased, shaking her hand and taking both the Vision and Delusion from the Harbinger. “A Snezhnayan Vision… A clear display of her love for her homeland,” she said with a scoff and a roll of her eyes. “As for you…” A snap of her fingers the Fatui twins were bound to their seats. The same happened to a few other people in the crowd, much to everyone’s shock.

Furina turned to the side where the gardes and other members of the security were standing. “Captain Chevrouse, right? I will have words with Arlecchino for her attempted assassination of my person. Keep the Fatui kids under watch. They so much as try to pull a card from their sleeves, knock them out,” Furina said pointing at those bound in the audience. “Those bound are all Fatui, but in case I missed anyone, you have my authorization to use lethal force. If it’s a Fatui, double-tap them to make sure.”

“Y-yes, ma’am!” the captain said with a salute and took her musket along with the rest of her troops.

“Clorinde, get up and make yourself useful today by helping our dear captain.” Furina quirked an eyebrow at the duelist. “I trust you will follow my orders?”

Clorinde nodded hastily. She would never doubt her god again.

The Archon nodded, satisfied, and turned to the President of the Spina. “Navia, I’m transporting you to the city, along with all the people from Poisson and the countryside. In fact, I’m sending all civilians there along with the rest of the guards to keep the peace. Worry not, there will be a barrier of Indemnitium will shield the city and the Opera house, keeping the water away. It should last at least a few days. Keep things calm and I will consider it when judging your actions today.”

“Wha-?” Navia began before she was enveloped in a bubble of water and disappeared together with most of the audience.

Now in the much emptier theater, the Traveler and Paimon stood next to a shocked Neuvillette.

Lumine finally gathered her wits. “Uh… What abou–”

“Traveler, for once in your time in Teyvat, stay out of other people’s business. You’ve done enough today.”

Lumine sat down in an empty booth, looking at her feet with her face burning red.

“Well, then! Time to work!” The Hydro Archon shouted, putting on her helmet. “Charlotte, make sure to photograph my good side! Neuvillette, follow me! Allons-y!” she shouted before jumping down the tear in reality, but not before the reporter took one last dramatic picture of her God going into battle. She was certain it would earn her an award.

Having no other choice than to follow the storm of personality that was his boss, Neuvillette jumped after her.

The Traveler and Paimon looked at each other, trying to process how their plan had been shredded, burned, and fed to a Vishap in the span of the last twenty minutes.

“…”

“…”

“Paimon thinks we should leave Fontaine before Furina returns…”

Lumine nodded. She may be confident in her abilities, but she wasn’t eager to fight an Archon empowered by five centuries of stockpiled energy with good enough reasons to want her head mounted above her bed. She quite literally needed a miracle to fight the Raiden Shogun, and she didn’t have her Gnosis at the time.

Discretion is the best part of valor, after all.

Maybe they should jump in and help? Would that earn them brownie points?

Before they could decide, the doors of the Opera opened, and inside came Freminet carrying a stone slab, only to be greeted by a near-empty hall, his fellow Fatui tied up alongside an unconscious Harbinger, a confused prosecution, and a dozen muskets aimed at his vital points.

“Uh… Am I late?”

Chapter Text

What happened next was a maelstrom of confusion and fear. As soon as the storm arrived and the waters began to rise, the pylons that channeled indemnitium sprang to life. Beams of energy shot upwards, forming a dome that engulfed all of the city in its protective embrace. People huddled together in the city, getting as far away from any source of water as they could, fearing even a drop of primordial water. The undercity and sewers had been evacuated, with the Gardes doing their best to keep the peace despite their own fears. Those who had been transported quickly spread word of what had happened, with Navia taking the lead and keeping things under control.

The pressure of the rising tides clashed against the shield of indemnitium, but the barrier held strong. The people were nervous and terrified, fearing the moment when its protection would fail. But they kept their faith. They had heard the words of the trial’s audience.

The Hydro Archon had taken the field to battle the prophecy.

Any doubts anyone had about its veracity disappeared when a mighty cry shook the city, piercing through the torrential rain. They looked to the sky only to see a giant narwhal flying crashing against the shield, unable to pierce it with or bypass it.

The beast roared and launched streams of starlight like artillery shells toward the city. Before the populace could so much as cry in shock, the beams were cut into nothingness by a small figure in armor and a cape. Many took out binoculars while others immediately recognized the figure from the Opera House.

The Archon floated in the air, the storm pelting against her armor, but she remained unmoving. She was whole again for the first time in five centuries.

Furina; the humanity cursed with immortality, bereft of her memories for the first few centuries until she could acclimate to the overload of information. Forced to handle the loneliness and uncertainty without her divinity. Forced to cast out her own identity to protect her people.

Focalors; the cold divinity without humanity, but still filled with her love for Fontaine, carrying the task of gathering power and reforging itself into a weapon of justice to defy the Heavenly Principals.

Both had passed the reins to the being they were when they first drew breath. The human Locknight, Erinnyes, protector of the Oceanids. A child of a human father and a humanized-Oceanid mother, one of the first Egeria transformed. Blessed with the power of hydro and longevity, she pledged her loyalty to Egeria.

Her legend was engraved in Irmunsol, just like the prophecy, both would clash to make their song a reality upon Teyvat. The strongest will would triumph.

The Goddess of Justice, Knight of Ancient Remuria, and Regina of Fontaine versus the Judgment of Celestia made manifest.

Furina stood tall, facing the All-Devouring Narwhal who was intent on defeating the Archon and devouring the primordial water in the veins of Fontanians.

The beast roared a challenge, charging at the god while launching concentrated starlight all around.

The God of Justice met the beast head-on, screaming back in defiance. She swung her sword, launching dozens of blades of pneumousia at the beast while shields of indemnitium blocked the beams. She dodged and weaved through the falling stars, striking the starry hide of the narwhal with her sword. The gashes bled eldritch ichor into the waters.

But thanks to the prophecy, the seas were filled with Primordial Water. The beast absorbed the waters, healing itself from the damage.

Knowing this, the Archon gathered her power. Dashing across the air, she began stabbing and slashing the air, leaving behind gashes of light in the air. At once, dozens of chained harpoons of pure indemnitium impaled themselves on the beast. The divine power rushed through, taking the form of the electricity that powered Fontaine.

The ensnared beast thrashed in pain, trying to break free from its binds. It gathered power in its mouth in rage, sending a blast of Hydro like a Tsunami to the Archon.

The blast engulfed the god, much to the horror of their people, but their worries were for naught. For what did a blast of water mean to the Hydro Archon?

Furina had stabbed her blade into the incoming tide, halting it in place. Lifting her sword, she absorbed the elemental power, swirling the water at impossible speeds. Indemnitium crackled around her like an armor of lighting, merging with the water. With a mighty yell, Furina swung her sword, sending a wave of indemnitium-infused hydro to the beast. The slash split the sea, making the foundations of Fontaine shake, but the people held onto their faith as they witnessed the battle. The attack hit head-on. Its natural defenses against the Hydro element meant little in the face of pure power.

The horn of the Narwhal was sent flying into the waters. A deep gash was left on its face, bleeding deeply into the waters of Fontaine. The slash continued on its way, cutting through the top of the mountains north of the city and reducing them to dust. It was a testament to the power the beast had devoured from the Primordial Sea that it wasn’t atomized from the strike.

The Star Beast cried in pain and rage at its mutilation, trashing against the waters and indemnitium shield. The shield rippled in stress but held strong. The creature pushed the god back with a mighty scream that shattered reality and opened a portal for the beast to escape through to lick its wounds.

“Worry not, my citizens. All will be well,” the God of Justice said, her voice resounding through the minds of everyone in the city before she flew back into the portal.

The display of divinity, watching their Archon take the field to protect them lifted the spirits of the people. The people started praying to Focalors, hoping that their wishes would empower their god even a tiny bit in her battle.

Their prayers must have been heard because as the hours passed another miracle happened. Bubbles of water started appearing around the Court, much to the shock of the terrified populace. But to their surprise, from them came out those that had been dissolved before, either by the actions of Varcher or in the flooding of Poisson. The shock was soon replaced by joy, as their friends and families rushed to meet the confused people.

Navia broke down in tears as she leaped into the startled arms of Melus and Silver. All around them, equally emotional reunions were taking place.

Their Archon had not failed them.

Not only had they recovered that which had been lost, but their city stood tall against the rage of the prophecy.

As they celebrated, they felt the wave of energy that washed over all of Fontaine. People felt as hydro energy left their bodies. Those who were in the trial put the pieces together. It was the completion of Egeria’s gift of humanity upon her people.

It took some time but the water levels started receding and by dawn, it had returned to the state it had a year ago.

They had survived the prophecy.

All of Fontaine was still celebrating a week after the flood. The reconstruction efforts were going well, as the city remained unharmed, leaving most of its manufacturing infrastructure and goods intact. However, it wasn’t without its hiccups, as most Fontanians were still dealing with the revelation of their true nature.

It was not easy, but the explanation that the Archon had released through The Steambird explained everything from their origins, the role Celestia had in the prophecy, to her apparent inaction, the reasons for her secrecy, all up until the duel, her battle with the beast, and the restoration of those dissolved.

That last point was something that had surprised everyone, in a good way, but it made sense once Neuvillette explained what he and Furina did. Those dissolved had been turned into Oceanids, just like had witnessed with Melus and Silver or the victims of Vacher. Their inexperience with their form and the nature of the primordial water made it so their consciousness merged, unable to separate back into individuals without help.

But it stood to reason that using the same method Egeria used on the first-generation Fontanians would restore them. Furina had left Neuvillette with the Gnosis as she dealt with the Narwhal. Her spell completed the unraveling of the Hydro Authority, returning it to its rightful owner.

With his restored dragonhood and complete authority over Hydro, Neuvillette separated the merged consciousness back into their original individualities and finished what Egeria started, releasing Fontanians from the shackles of the prophecy.

It was a miracle, only possibly by centuries of research and preparations by the Hydro Archon.

Said miracle was a bit of a disappointment for the Duke of Meropide and his assistants since their beautiful ship was rendered irrelevant in the big scheme of things.

Furina sent him some expensive tea as an apology, along with a letter of recognition for the engineers.

They were working on acclimating those who had been dissolved years ago, having to deal with a world that had moved on. It would be a hard journey, but one filled with the help of their Archon.

The Regina had been busy with the reconstruction, not even sparing time to speak with Neuvillette, as he too was busy handling other matters. Her continuous work only increased the adoration the people had for her. Her image only improved, having explained a lot of her apparent arrogance and flamboyancy as an act to make up for her missing divinity at the time. It was to the embarrassment of her people that they had forced her into that role for not accepting her calm and humble original personality.

Of course, there was the other side of the coin. People had not taken kindly to those involved in the attempted trial, feeling they triggered the prophecy and were unjust to their Archon. The emotional manipulation and the entrapment were seen as illegal and scummy actions.

All this even though the majority of Fontaine believed she hadn’t been doing her job at the time and wanted to try her for negligence.

People were fickle like that.

Lumine’s and Paimon’s reputations had taken a hit once the Steambird released their article and sent it across the nations. Not only was their accusation dismantled in a humiliating manner, but her collusion with the Fatui made people scrutinize her actions in the other regions. It didn’t help that she knew about the attempt on Furina and still worked with the Fatui. Needless to say, her track record of being a hero of a region was broken.

There were already conspiracy theories saying she was a Fatui Harbinger, working to become the Hero of the Seven Nations, and that all their clashes were scripted to build her reputation.

She would have to explain herself to a lot of her acquaintances who disliked the Fatui, as well as the disappointment in the others.

Navia’s and the Spina’s actions were seen as revenge for Poisson by the populace, and her incitement of the mob made people wonder which other events had the Spina stoking the flames. The fact that the Fatui assisted them after Poisson was suspicious to many. Only the requests of the Archon to wait for proper procedures calmed the people.

Snide comments of ‘Oathbreaker’ were hurled at the Clorinde by her peers for raising her blade against her Archon who saved them. Maybe if she had no part in the plotting, she would’ve retained better standing, but as the personal bodyguard of the Regina, many consider she should’ve excused herself from the trial. She bore the insults with no complaints.

The Fatui were taking the brunt of the guilt. They were already disliked for their actions in the other regions, but a straight-up attack on their Archon by the Knave was too much for the people of Fontaine. Most of the Fatui remained inside the Northland back, only protected by a group of Gardes under the instruction of not letting things escalate beyond insults. At least, the orphans in the House of the Hearth were left mostly alone.

The fact that the Knave was under custody also kept both sides in line.

The only one relatively unaffected was Neuvillette, but that’s because no one knew how to deal with him.

At least Charlotte was getting a lot of recognition for her article as well as her photographs. She already had deals for books and was working on turning the recordings of the trial and the battle into a movie.

All of this led to the group’s current situation.

“…The Aquabus lines will remain closed until the inspection for structural damage is complete,” said Callia, Furina’s secretary, reading the documents. “The refugee camps for those displaced are handling the flow of people well, and we don’t have many problems with supplies. Damage to the farming fields is severe, as well as the contamination of seawater on them. We will depend on imports for a while.”

They had arrived at her office after being summoned, only to find the Archon up to her shoulders in documents, with a small legion of Melusines running back and forth with documents. They were forced to wait for her to finish.

Furina clicked her tongue in displeasure. “We will have to shift manpower to clear the fields and see what crops can be salvaged. See about contracting Hydro, Geo, and Dendro Vision users to help with clearing the fields. We are lucky this happened just after harvest season, but we will feel it soon if we don’t deal with this issue.” She frowned as she did some mental math. “We may need to import soil from Sumeru otherwise, and that’s a large expense…”

It was outright bizarre for those who worked in the Palace to see Furina working so hard and seriously. She usually had her flights of fancy, dropping her work on Neuvillette’s desk, running around the city, or entertaining people at parties.

Said Dragon was staring at her, still processing the situation. He knew she was the same woman he knew all those years, but at the same time not. The one he thought was the real Furina was an act to deceive the heavens, keep the people’s faith, and bluff for her lack of power at the time.  

She didn’t look any different than normal, wearing one of her usual suits. Her hat rested on a hanger at her side along with her coat. The Archon looked prim and proper like she hadn’t dueled a beast from beyond the heavens to challenge Celestia’s will just a few days ago.

In fact, she had this glow about her, like a gigantic weight had been lifted from her shoulders. With the prophecy done, it made sense. It helped that she had unloaded five hundred years of pent-up stress on a whale-shaped punching bag.

Either that or she got laid during the celebrations, but no one was going to ask.

They all decided to ignore the giant horn sitting at the back of her office. Neuvillette had no idea how she managed to drag her trophy through the doors, but that was a headache he didn’t need.

At least she didn’t scratch the floor.

Eventually, Furina finished her current work and sent away all the Melusines save for her secretary. She collapsed into her chair, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

“Umm…” Paimon began.

Furina silenced the pixie with a finger, not even looking at her as her secretary handed her a cup of wine she drained in one go.

“Okay…”

After a minute of rest, she sat up straight. Finally facing them, they could see the telltale signs of exhaustion, such as the makeup hiding the bags under her eyes. Not surprisingly, since she had been working nonstop. She looked over her interlocked fingers for a long while before she spoke.

“There is so much we need to discuss. First, I assume you have deduced Neuvillette’s true identity by now?” she asked them, earning silent nods from them. Not a hard secret to figure out, especially for the Fatui. “We haven’t had time to talk, Neuvillette. How are you feeling?”

Neuvillette smiled slightly at his boss, happy that she was addressing him. “Since you returned the Hydro Authority and my full dragonhood to me, I feel whole. Once again, thank you, Lady Furina.”

The god smiled, satisfied with his answer. “I understand the feeling of being whole, so there is no need to thank me. Not only was it necessary for the plan to work, but it was the right thing to do. It was my duty as the God of Justice to return your stolen birthright to you,” Furina said and let her shoulders sag. “I’m just glad this plan was a success. I wasn’t eager to use my backup plan…”

“You had a backup plan?” asked the Iudex, surprised. He already understood how wrong they were about her preparations for the prophecy, but to have not one but two plans to challenge the heavens was impressive.

Furina nodded. “One that I was sure would work, but at a higher cost.”

“What was it, if I may ask?”

“Oh, I was just going to kill myself with a giant guillotine made of indemnitium,” the god said with a shrug.

“…” The group stared in open-mouthed horror.

“WHAT!?” shouted Neuvillette, making the poor Melusine secretary jump in fear, dropping her documents.

The Archon frowned as she patted her poor, frightened assistant’s back. “That sounded much worse when I say it out loud,” she conceded. “Technically, I was just going to kill half of myself. Focalors, the divinity. The Furina you knew for five centuries should’ve survived.”

“Should’ve?” asked the dragon, aghast.

She shrugged. “Well, I have never killed half of myself before.”

“Why would you do that?” Clorinde breathed the stress of the duel and the prophecy breaking through decorum.

“To destroy the divine throne and the title of Hydro Archon, returning the Hydro Authority to Neuvillette, had the unraveling not worked,” explained Furina, turning to the dragon. “Of course, that would mean leaving everything afterward in your hands alone, my dear Iudex. While I’m confident in your power, I would rather Fontaine has a god and dragon protecting it if Celestia comes calling.”

Neuvillette started to sway on his feet when Furina’s crab pushed a chair for him to sit on while the octopus handed him a glass of spring water with sugar in it.

Clorinde took a step away from the mimics. She remembered the duel.

“Drink it. You need the sugar,” Furina ordered, and her dragon obeyed.

He thought of all she had explained to him during the battle. His invitation to act as Iudex and to familiarize himself with humanity; all to ensure that once he regained his power, he would judge the people innocent.

“You’re quite a crafty and devious chess master, milady,” Neuvillette said eventually and looked at her with a solemn smile. “I can honestly say glad we didn’t lose any part of you.”

Furina answered with a smirk. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Neuvillette.”

“So, you no longer are the Hydro Archon,” surmised Lyney. The Fatui kids had been quiet and kept their heads down the past few days. The entirety of Fontaine knew of their alliance and the attempt on the Archon, so they were always under watchful eyes. But they did nothing other than help with reconstruction, not wanting to provoke the god that had their Father locked up, who knows where.

“There is no Hydro Archon anymore, nor will there be one ever again. Just the Hydro Sovereign. The Hydro Archon throne was dissolved once the Authority was taken back,” confirmed Furina.

“Celestia must not be happy. This is the biggest hit to their power in millennia,” the magician asked.

Furina crossed her arms. “Celestia has been silent since the Cataclysm, and they haven’t come for my head yet, so the Heavenly Principles must remain dormant. Considering they haven’t dropped a Celestial Nail on the Zapolyarny Palace for your gathering of the Gnoses, I think we have time,” she said evenly.

“Will you be able to fight without the Gnosis and the Hydro Authority?” Lumine asked.

“You’re always welcome to test me,” the Lochknight said with a sharp smile. She summoned some water with a white glow. “I retain some control of Hydro and Pneumousia, far above that of a vision user, but nothing like before. My true divine power is now more esoteric. Indemnitium is justice made manifest, which is why trials generate it. I reforged my divinity to be free of Celestia while having the power to match my previous position.”

She paused in thought for a moment, “That reminds me… Callia, please take this declaration. From this day onwards, the Throne of Hydro Archon is no more. All responsibilities and titles associated with the position will be transferred to the office of the Regent of Fontaine, for as long as a divine entity occupies it. I will take as the title of ‘Regina of Justice, Kindreds, Peoples, and Laws of Fontaine’ from this day forward. Once Neuvillette feels comfortable revealing his status as the Hydro Sovereign, he may take a proper title to go along with his role as Iudex.”

“Yes, ma’am!” the Melusine secretary said as she began writing the proper documentation. “Um, should we use Furina, Focalors, or Erinnyes for your name in the documents?”

The goddess smiled in amusement at her secretary. “Let’s just use Furina de Fontaine to avoid complications.”

“There is that too… You never told anyone you were Erinnyes, the Legendary Lochknight,” Neuvillette said, still coming to grips that such a figure was the same as the eccentric lady he had served all these years.

Those who didn’t know the legends had used what little free time they had had the past few days to learn the legend. Needless to say, it was no surprise how well she handled herself with just her swordsmanship against the Champion Duelist.

“Until a few months ago, I quite literally didn’t know,” Furina admitted, much to their surprise. “When I divided myself, Focalors kept all the memories and power. The Furina you know was like a newborn child, free of the weight of memories going all the way back to the times of Remuria. As a mere human without the divinity to protect my mind, the mental stress would’ve been too much.” 

Her expression grew grave, and they could see the weight of the centuries on her face.

“Just the five centuries as a mortal were mentally taxing. Having to pretend to be a God as a powerless human, lying to everyone, and not having a chance to just… be myself. Not being able to confide in anyone. It was pretty lonely,” she said with a twisted smile. “You know what the worst part was? Even I didn’t know what the plan was for most of those centuries. Only when the prophecy looked to be around the corner did Focalors start returning some memories to my humanity in preparation for the return of my power.”

“I wish you had trusted me. I would’ve helped you shoulder that burden,” Neuvillette said, looking hurt. It would have made things so much simpler.

Furina shook her head. “There never was a chance. When I invited you to the Court, you were still a wild card not acclimated to the human world. It took us decades to have a cordial relationship. If I told you the plan early on, could you say your younger self would’ve been cooperative?”

Neuvillette paused in thought and shook his head. His younger self was too brash and angry, letting his draconic instincts dominate his actions. He had to fight the desire to attack the Usurper and take back his birthright at every moment for decades. “No, I wouldn’t have.”

“There were too many risks. Even if I could have trusted you from the start, I couldn’t risk people losing someone overhearing us talking and figuring out the truth. Doubts and rumors could’ve led to rebellions and chaos. Celestia could’ve learned of my planning. Other factions could’ve sabotaged my efforts. Or dozens of other things. I can imagine cults forming to embrace dissolving and returning to their original shape,” she listed off and shook her head. “I couldn’t risk it. Better for me to shoulder the whole responsibility, no matter how painful and lonely the task was.”

She turned to the Traveler. “You almost got me with the offer to hear me out on your little trap, Traveler. The temptation to just tell someone was too big.”

Lumine looked ashamed. “I’m sorry… I had no idea…”

“Hmmm,” Furina started tapping on the desk in thought. “But knowing this, I’m curious,” she said eventually, her expression becoming neutral. “You started the entire trial to discover my secrets to prevent the prophecy. Now that you know the truth, let me ask you… What would you have done with that information had I had no plan?”

The group looked at one another and awkwardly realized they had no plan for what came next. Using the Gnosis as the Knave had wanted wouldn’t have worked. Had it been that simple, the Archon would’ve done so. Neuvillette couldn’t take the Authority from the Gnosis by himself; the Heavenly Principles had placed safeguards against such actions, or Furina would’ve just given it to him.

They had no idea how to unravel the authority from the Gnosis without awakening the Heavenly Principles. Her Divinity spent half a millennium carefully studying the magical threads that held the Authority bound to the divine throne, preparing to return the Authority to the Dragon Sovereign.

She took the embarrassed silence as an answer.

Furina’s eye twitched. “Seriously?” she said, unamused. She took a deep breath to calm herself. “If you had given me an actual, feasible plan, I may have excused your actions. I could even have accepted a trial for negligence, but to draw out my secrets with no plan? If my secret could have stopped the prophecy so easily, I would’ve done so centuries ago! Or did you think I was hiding it out of malice?”

“Lady Furina, I– We are sorry for our actions and lack of foresight,” said Lumine, looking apologetic. “I shouldn’t have tried to manipulate you like that, but we were desperate… We thought you weren’t taking things seriously and were hiding things that could save Fontaine. Your inaction after Poisson sealed our doubt.”

“Yeah!” Paimon with her shrill voice. “You practically told The Knave that you had no plan for evacuations. We thought you were nothing but a diva not doing her job!”

“Not helping, Paimon...” Lumine whispered through gritted teeth. They needed to work on Paimon’s filter.

Furina gave the little pixie a scathing glare. “Oh, yes. Let me tell the Fatui Harbinger, an agent of an organization known for destabilizing countries, anything of my plans just days after she attempted to assassinate me and steal the Gnosis.”

Paimon faltered at that, “Uh… When you put it like that…”

Furina shook her head in disappointment at their lack of thought. “Honestly, think about it. Why should I, the ruler of a nation, trust such sensitive information to foreign powers, known for their underhanded tactics, and potentially compromised outlanders? They would have sabotaged my plans and offered help to indebted us to them. The first point alone would be of violation of Section 4 Article 13 of Fontaine’s Anti-Espionage Act of 432 AC.”

Neuvillette stared. “You… remembered that?”

She looked peeved at his incredulous tone. “I am the God of Justice. So yes, Neuvillette, I remember the laws I passed. Just like under Section 7 Article 23, I also have all the documentation, photographs, and evidence of the attack on my person by the Knave, recorded by loyal members of the Phantoms, sworn to silence by my orders until the prophecy was resolved.”

The Sovereign blinked, then sighed and began to massage his temples. “Honestly, I don’t know why I’m even surprised anymore.”

“We are not as evil as you imply, Lady Furina,” Lynette said, speaking for the first time.

“The actions of your organization on the Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru say otherwise,” Furina said flatly, which they couldn’t deny.

“Why didn’t you fight off the Knave when she attacked you?”

“I did not have my power at the time, remember? I could have fought with my sword, but that could’ve ended in collateral damage and further diplomatic incidents at a time I didn’t need them,” she added with a roll of her eyes. “So, I used my other skillset. Acting. I am still Fontaine’s Brightest Star,” she said with her familiar bravado and confident smirk. “So, she left, with that smug confidence of hers to plot her little plans. It was amusing to trick her,” she added, much to the annoyance of the Knave’s children.

“Why wasn’t I informed of the attempt on your life? As Chief Justice, I should’ve been informed,” Neuvillette asked, letting some frustration into his voice.

“Ugh. Because you would have become a mother hen about my security and stressed yourself into a dozen whatever passes for an ulcer in dragons. Either that or probably assaulted the Fatui’s base by yourself.”

“… I don’t ‘hover’,” he said, not denying the rest of her statement. “With all these revelations. I feel like I no longer know you. Five hundred years working for a mask…”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Neuvillette,” she said with a roll of her eyes, but with a fond look on her face. “I’m still me. I love operas and reading mystery novels. I like my tea bitter to go with my pastries and I hate snowy days. I can’t look at cockroaches without feeling my skin crawl. I hate being bored. The mask I wore was boisterous and exaggerated, but it still had me in it. As much as I could let it show without breaking the image of the perfect Archon.” She shrugged. “It’s just that now I can be a bit less dramatic, take vacations, and fight all of our duelists at once without breaking a sweat with just my sword,” she added like it was nothing.

Neuvillette laughed, feeling lightheaded. “I don’t know if that last part makes me feel better.” He then waved at the documents on her desk. “Will you do your paperwork from now on too?”

“…Don’t get used to it.”

The group fell into a short silence after that, absorbing all they had discussed.

“So… What now? Where do we all stand?” Lumine asked, crossing her arms. “I don’t believe you summoned us here for just the explanation or that you intend to let us go unpunished.”

Furina gave her a flat smile. “Indeed. We have established that your intentions were well-meaning, but I can’t let people make a mockery of my laws every time they feel justified. We have proper channels for everything, and proper punishments must be issued for such transgressions. But I will take your actions into account.”

Furina then took a set of documents about the group and started signing them.

“You, Iudex, will be on probation while I assess the extent of abuse of your power, conspiracy for entrapment on a mistrial, and arriving at a trial with the intent of finding the party guilty. And I will be applying a temporary ban on certain luxury goods, such as water from other nations. All to help the local economy, of course,” she said with a smile, despite the load of bullshit her petty revenge was.

Neuvillette sighed. It was a blow to his reputation as an impartial judge, but even he shouldn’t be above the law.

The import ban hurt, though.

She turned to the duelist. “Clorinde, you raised your blade against the Archon you swore to protect. All this on the words of outsiders. If the trial had been valid and you were not involved in its orchestration, I would’ve overlooked it as you just doing your job.”

The duelist looked down in shame but nodded. She expected as much after her actions.

“I do apologize if letting you impale me was traumatizing. I let myself get lost in the heat of battle, but after five centuries it’s hard to resist such theatrics,” she said with a small grin.

Clorinde flinched. While it all worked out in the end, she still had nightmares about the trial and flashbacks to the death of Master Callas. Those won’t be going away anytime soon.

“In addition to your termination of employment as my bodyguard, you will be on probation as a Duelist. You will also meet me every morning for one-on-one training.”

The duelist hid her grimaced when the crab familiar snapped its pincers. That was going to be her real punishment.  

Furina turned to the President of the Spina di Rosula. “Miss Navia, I will order an investigation on the actions of the Spina du Rosula. Instigating a mob to attack the Archon, public disturbance, and collaborating with foreign officials, including building an underground tunnel into government property…”

“No need to go on, I understand,” the president said, accepting that she had done something unlawful regardless of her intentions. It was a colossal mess. And yet, the god she doubted had restored the people of Poisson, including Silver and Melus, to their human form. She would accept whatever punishment her god deemed necessary.

Furina nodded and then turned to the most nervous of the group; The children of the House of the Hearth. “The Fatui attempted to sabotage the Oratrice during the magic show, steal the gnosis, assassinate the Archon, send infiltrators to the Fortress of Meropide, and had multiple operations on my soil. And make no mistake, I’m well aware of the wetwork you three have done for your Father.”

The three remained still, but sweat started to show on their faces.

“This is unacceptable. I could easily declare war on Snezhnaya and I think most of the other nations would join after all the things your organization has pulled on their territories. I’m honestly surprised none have done so yet. But I will not go that far. Fontaine doesn’t need that with Celestia still a potential issue.”

The group held their breath. This was far more serious than their other punishments.

“All Fatui activity is hereby banned from Fontaine. Any Fontanian that works with them or a potential spy will be detained pending investigation as per Section 5 Article 4 of the Anti-Espionage Act of 432 AC.  The Northland bank will be closed pending an audit. All trade and travel for Snezhnayans and Fatui members will be halted until a diplomatic solution is found.”

She took three documents, each with a picture of the children. She then stamped them with a seal of “EXILE.”

“You three work directly under a Harbinger and are loyal to her. I can’t allow you to remain in Fontaine. You’re hereby exiled from Fontaine in perpetuity.”

“Lady Furina!” Lyney shouted in dismay.

“Milady, please, this is our home; we only wanted to save it,” Lynette pleaded while Freminet hid behind her.

“Furina, isn’t this too much?” Lumine asked, looking at the children with a sad frown. Regardless of their association, losing their home was too much for her eyes.

The Regina closed her eyes. “For whatever it is worth, I am sorry. I take no pleasure from exiling children of Fontaine, but I can’t let members of the Fatui remain in my borders. I have a responsibility as the leader of this nation. Their loyalty to the Fatui is clear, and that makes a vector I can’t allow to remain free. You cannot guarantee that their next orders will not bring harm to Fontaine as they have in other regions. In time, I may let you return to Fontaine under supervision, but that will depend on the outcome of diplomatic talks with the Tsaritsa.”

The children of the Knave felt distraught at the thought of exile. This city had been their home their whole lives. But they couldn’t deny that they had committed crimes against the Archon, regardless of their intentions to save Fontaine. It was honestly a miracle they hadn’t been arrested as soon as it became known they planned on stealing the Gnosis from the Oratrice.

She signed another document. “The Knave will remain in our custody pending the issue of her attempted assassination of me,” she said, to the expected disappointment of the magicians. “While I would love nothing more than to just try her and send her head back to the Tsaritsa, diplomacy must come first. As long as you don’t try anything stupid like trying to free her, she will remain unharmed.”

The children sighed in relief. At least there was a chance their Father would keep her life.

“Childe is free to go and take all Fatui in Fontaine with him unmolested as our apologies for his imprisonment and as thanks for his assistance with holding back the Narwhal. I will issue a formal explanation for the reason behind his verdict directly to the Zapolyarny Palace.”

She pushed a sealed envelope towards them. “If the Tsaritsa wants the Gnosis, she can come to negotiate with me herself. I may not have a use for the cursed trinket anymore, and both of us are enemies of Celestia, but she would have to give a lot of concessions after her underling's actions.”

The trio nodded but accepted the verdict. Their training let them hide their tears. Fontaine was their home, but they had made their bed and now they had to lie on it.

Looking at the final two members, who stared back at her with shame in their eyes, Furina started. “The Traveler and her… ‘Balloon,’” she said with an unladylike snort. “I have half a mind to exile you in perpetuity for your disregard for the law, and your attempted extorsion of information, emotional manipulation, entrapment, and collaborations with the Fatui.”

Paimon was about to start complaining when the Traveler silenced her with a shake of her head.

“But you did help Neuvillette with the investigation on Childe’s disappearance,” she said, much to Lumine’s surprise. “You helped us when you had no reason to, and you did have good intentions. And I have been informed you’ve used your contacts in the other nations to secure aid for reconstruction efforts.”

“It’s the least we could do.”

“Yes, well. You have a lot of friends in high places. I have a headache from dealing with them singing your praises while asking for leniency. I already had Buer contact me in my dreams to help your case, as well as Barbatos sending the wind to annoy me. And while I would love to duel Beelzebub, I don’t need other people coming in person to bitch at me for mistreating their darling hero.”

“Lady Furina! Language!” chastised her secretary before the Iudex could open his mouth.

“Come on, Callia. You have heard me say worse things this week!”

“She has?” Neuvillette asked, shocked.

“…Lady Furina has quite a mouth when she drinks the strong kind of wine.”

Furina coughed to hide her blush. It wasn't her fault that her tolerance was atrophied. After centuries of not drinking for fear of spilling everything in a drunk haze, she was a lightweight. And such crude language was coming back in force from her days as a knight. “A-Anyways. As much as I would love never to see your faces ever again, I would rather not deal with more incidents. You don’t have positions or assets I could seize as punishment in any case. And the damage to your reputation is big enough. So you will work community service aiding in the reconstruction until I deem it acceptable,” she said, turning her eyes towards the fairy. “Both of you.”

Paimon nodded hastily, and Lumine couldn’t stop the quirk of her lips. If she was getting punished, she was taking Paimon down with her. That’s what friends do.

“If it is completed without incidents, you will be allowed to remain in Fontaine and continue your journey unimpeded. As long as you obey the law and keep your nose out of government business. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Lady Furina,” both the Traveler and Paimon eagerly agreed. It was honestly better than what they had hoped.

“Good. We are by no means friends, and I doubt we will ever be, but consider this my apology for our very poor first interaction. I will forward any information I find about your brother, along with the Abyss Order to you,” Furina said, with the implication that she knew of Aether’s role in the organization. She had seen Lumine’s memories thanks to her resonance with Hydro and her time spent swimming in her water. A card the Archon had over Lumine. Revealing to the world would damage her reputation and make her journey harder. A warning she accepted with a nod.

“Neuvillette, have you informed them of the individual we encountered on the Primordial Sea?”

“I have, Lady Furina.”

“Good, then there is nothing left to discuss,” she said, putting a stamp on the final document.

“My decisions are final, but as it's your right, if you want to challenge it, we can always have a duel,” Furina said with a sharp smile, making half the group flinch. Only two of them had a chance of defeating her. Neuvillette would never again defy Furina, he had too much respect and guilt to do so.

Lumine felt she had a decent chance, but saw no point in making things harder. Furina was probably just waiting for an excuse to make her eat her own teeth, anyway.

“Shame, I wanted to shake the rust off,” Furina said with a disappointed tone. She then stood, putting on her coat and hat as she walked to the door. “Now, if you will excuse me, I need to inform the populace of the need for contraceptives now that they don’t need to pray at the fountain to get pregnant. With all the celebrations, we can expect an increase in birth rates in the next year.”

“What?”

“Neuvillette, please explain to them the Flowers and the Crystalflies, I’m running late,” the god said, leaving an awkwardly silent office behind.

Work wouldn’t be over anytime soon, but Furina was happy.

The goddess had succeeded in her plans and had become whole again. She should place an order for a large cake to celebrate. She earned that much. Maybe she could take a vacation in the future. And now that she didn’t need to pretend and keep people at arm's length, she could book a brothel. A five-century dry spell was maddening.