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If someone had asked Iudex Neuvillette whether he had any intention of leaving Fontaine, just a few days ago he would have answered a straightforward, clear-cut, absolute no. What he wouldn’t have told was that he did intend to leave Fontaine in a few hundred years or so, to haul the usurpers of Teyvat into court and render judgement on them. There was no reason to hurry, not when the people of Fontaine were finally free from the prophecy that had hung above their necks for so long. Not to mention that they had just lost their Archon, which meant Neuvillette was the only authority figure left at the moment. He wasn’t about to risk disorder setting in.
Which was why no one had been expecting him to suddenly pay a courtesy call to Liyue Harbor.
Neuvillette intertwined his fingers, watching the polite smile and impeccable posture of the woman in front of him. Her name was Ningguang and she was a member of the Qixing, the entity ruling Liyue. She had offered to meet with him as soon as Neuvillette had announced his arrival. She felt as immovable as stone behind her impeccable courtesy, which was a definite change from Furina’s antics.
Not that Neuvillette was missing that, mind you.
The meeting had become boring to him. Normally he would have seized this rare opportunity to observe the mortals of another nation, but his mind was preoccupied with another matter.
“In the meantime, would you care for a guided tour of Liyue Harbor?” Ningguang said.
“With pleasure,” Neuvillette answered, although he couldn’t have cared less. “Thank you.”
Ningguang smiled again and motioned for another woman to come closer.
“Yelan will be your guide. Please do not hesitate to ask her about anything you would need.”
Neuvillette nodded his appreciation and followed Yelan out of the room. He noticed that she had a hydro vision, which meant that a tiny part of the last Hydro Archon’s power lived through her.
Neuvillette hadn’t forgotten his last and only meeting with Focalors. He would never, no matter how long he lived.
“Is there anything in particular you want to see?” Yelan asked.
Neuvillette searched for a suitable answer. If he was here and not in Fontaine, it wasn’t because he had wanted to go visit. It was because Furina had vanished, and it was concerning enough that he had decided he would go investigating himself.
Furina had started a grand tour of Teyvat, and she had spent the last weeks in the neighboring nation of Sumeru. Neuvillette had heard that each performance had been very well received, which didn’t surprise him in the slightest. Furina excelled on stage.
After Sumeru came Liyue, and at first everything seemed to go smoothly. Then one day word had come that Furina was nowhere to be seen, and something in Neuvillette had stirred.
After the recent events in Fontaine, he had promised himself to watch over her and make sure that she could finally live the human life she deserved. To see her life cut short would not only be a tragedy, it would also be a personal failure.
Nothing attested to that, yet. Furina had vanished, but no body had been found. And she wouldn’t have dissolved into water, not anymore.
“I like the sea,” he answered his guide and chaperone. Clearly the Liyue Qixing hadn’t wanted to leave him on his own in their city. He would have preferred to be left alone and start his investigation immediately, but he wasn’t going to start a diplomatic incident. While he had no intention of meddling in another nation’s business, he was an unknown to them. He didn’t blame them for being wary.
At least they had promised to do everything in their power to help find Furina.
Neuvillette walked in the streets alongside his guide, his sharp gaze taking note of every shop and establishment. Liyue Harbor was a prosperous city indeed, where it was possible to find everything that could be bought.
Including, apparently, numerous figurines of Morax. They came by all shapes, forms and colors, and Neuvillette’s sharp hearing caught the hues of respect in people’s voices each time someone mentioned the former Archon’s name.
Clearly Morax was worshipped by his people in a way Furina never had been. Or used to be worshipped. After all, he was supposed to be dead now, wasn’t he?
Not that his little scheme would prevent him for being judged when the time would come.
Neuvillette’s cane tapped the ground a bit louder as he thought about bringing the Seven to justice.
As they came closer to the sea, the salt in the damp air became more perceptible. Neuvillette breathed deeply. He could feel the sea’s power, its deceptive calm. His own power bristled within him, eager to mix with it.
Neuvillette smiled. In other circumstances, he might have enjoyed walking around this city.
“If you feel like tasting Liyue food, Wanmin Restaurant is a great place to start. The chef’s creativity is unparalleled,” Yelan said.
Neuvillette watched the restaurant in question. The fried food he could smell wasn’t anything he wanted to taste.
“Thank you, but I’m not hungry,” he said.
Yelan didn’t insist and kept going.
Neuvillette’s mood darkened again when they reached a small square, where a storyteller was declaiming a tale praising the might of Rex Lapis in such hyperbole that he might as well have pretended the Archon had created the world. Neuvillette stifled the urge to growl in annoyance. Considering human taste for exaggeration, it wasn’t surprising that facts had been lost to legend, but it was still rubbing him the wrong way.
The tale ended and the storyteller turned to the only customer that was present, a man with a long ponytail who was casually drinking tea.
“What do you think, Mister Zhongli?” he asked.
“I’ve never heard of Rex Lapis having that ability before,” the customer answered.
The storyteller cleared his throat. “Well, neither have I. But I’ve never heard he didn’t, either. We could say it’s poetic license.”
“Hmm.”
Having noticed that Neuvillette was paying attention to the scene, Yelan stopped next to the two men.
“In Liyue, we enjoy listening to good stories,” she said.
The people in Fontaine were the same. Was it common amongst mortals?
“Sir,” the storyteller called him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in Liyue Harbor before. Are you here to visit?”
“I’m here for business,” Neuvillette said. “This visit is an added bonus.”
He was about to excuse himself and leave towards the wharf, to be as close as possible to the sea, when his gaze met the customer’s.
He immediately knew who was hiding behind these amber eyes. How had he not realized sooner?
Now that he knew what to look for, the shadow of Morax’ Geo power was obvious. And surely his own power was just as obvious to the god.
Neuvillette glanced at Yelan, but neither she nor the storyteller seemed to realize who was in front of them.
So that was what the Traveler had meant. Morax really was wandering incognito amongst his people.
“Iudex Neuvillette of Fontaine has been doing us the honor of a visit,” Yelan said.
The storyteller’s eyes widened. Neuvillette was surprised that he would recognize the name. He didn’t think he was very famous outside of Fontaine.
“Are you here to watch the next performance of that Fontaine troop?” the storyteller asked, excitement coloring his tone. “I was lucky enough to attend the last one. They were amazing, especially the lead actress.”
Neuvillette felt something tighten in his chest. For a second, it distracted him from the fact one of the Seven was sitting right in front of him.
“This is private business,” Yelan said, her tone cutting.
The storyteller took the hint and apologized profusely.
Neuvillette’s full focus came back to Morax.
“And who might you be?” he asked, as if his entire being wasn’t screaming the answer at him.
“My name is Zhongli, and I am a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor,” Morax answered.
Neuvillette stifled a humorless chuckle. So Morax was still dealing in death, wasn’t he? How appropriate.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed his guide glancing at someone who had been following them for a while. She took a few steps away to exchange a few words with them. Neuvillette heard them talk about ‘a new lead’ that ‘Ningguang would like you to investigate immediately’.
Yelan came back as if nothing had happened. She obviously believed that he hadn’t heard. In her defense, she thought he was human.
“Mister Zhongli is very knowledgeable about Liyue,” she said. “Maybe he could tell you a few of his stories while I attend to a private matter. Xinyue Kiosk would be happy to welcome you. They make delicious tea if you’re not in the mood for food.”
Neuvillette had no doubt it was an attempt to control his moves while Yelan followed this mysterious new lead.
“It would be an honor,” Morax said. “I hope I won’t bore you. I am known to ramble at times.”
Neuvillette didn’t think he could relax in Morax’ presence, let alone be bored.
“I have no objections,” he said. “Tea sounds delicious.”
Having tea with Morax hadn’t been in his plans for the day, but he had to admit that he was curious. He didn’t think he had anything to fear. The former Archon hadn’t made any threatening gesture, and besides, Neuvillette didn’t believe he would risk hurting the humans by entering a fight with one of the Dragon Sovereigns of Teyvat right in the middle of his city.
Morax smiled graciously. He pulled out his wallet and paid for his drink with a strange expression of pride on his face, as if using mora was something out of the ordinary for him.
As the money had been named after him, it was frankly ridiculous. Almost as much as the Geo vision he wore, just like the Traveler had said.
During the walk to Xinyue Kiosk, Neuvillette made sure to let Morax lead the way. Non-threatening or not, he wasn’t going to turn his back on him.
Morax seemed to have no such qualms, and he commented the buildings they were passing by in the same deep, calm voice he had used to answer the storyteller earlier, not even bothering to turn around to make sure that Neuvillette was still following.
The kiosk turned out to be a highly selective restaurant in the middle of Liyue Harbor. While Neuvillette was certain that the staff was ready to intervene at any time, they were discrete enough that it felt like he and Morax were alone.
And more importantly, the staff wouldn’t be able to listen to their conversation as long as both of them spoke softly.
Morax took the cup of tea he had been offered as if it was made of gold.
“There is nothing like tea to brighten a day’s work,” he said, sighing.
Neuvillette fixed him. This wasn’t how he had pictured the Warrior God, one of the seven winners of the Archon war.
Circumlocution had never been Neuvillette’s forte. He liked to go straight to the point, thank you very much.
“The Traveler holds you in high esteem,” he said. “I do not.”
“The Traveler is too kind.” Morax sipped his tea as if he wasn’t bothered at all by the comment.
Neuvillette decided to try his drink. The tea wasn’t bad, but he would have preferred what ignorant people called plain water. As if water could ever be plain.
“One day, I will judge you for your crimes,” he went on, his tone as calm as if he was talking about the weather.
They could be two to play that game.
“Such a trial will take quite some time,” Morax mused. “I have done a lot in the past six thousand years, and I happen to be cursed with an excellent memory. I trust you have a few centuries to spare.”
Neuvillette had to admit Morax had a point. He hadn’t thought about the logistics of his destiny before.
“This is not the reason for my presence, however. I’m concerned about the wellbeing of an acquaintance of mine.”
He eyed the pastries that they had been served. Furina would have loved them for sure. Had she benefited from the opportunity to taste Liyue’s desserts before vanishing?
Morax took another sip of his tea. “Are you talking about Lady Furina? I do believe she’s fine.”
Neuvillette tensed. Was Morax involved in Furina’s disappearance? If so, Neuvillette would have to reconsider his decision to postpone the god’s trial.
Amber eyes watched him, the weight of the earth within them, and Neuvillette was reminded of the way tsunami were born. By earthquakes deep below the sea, that triggered a wave of intense destruction…
He took a deep breath. Destruction wasn’t what he wanted, not now that he had been tricked by Focalors into caring for the human species. Besides, it was unlike him to accuse someone without evidence.
“Do you mean to say that you know about what happened to her?”
“I have an idea, yes.”
Neuvillette intertwined his fingers. He had centuries of experience hearing reluctant witnesses and defendants full of lies. He would not lose his patience.
“And you didn’t think to inform anyone of it? The Liyue Qixing have been looking for her, even before I arrived.”
That was what Ningguang had told him, and he had no reason to doubt it. As the supposedly ex-Hydro Archon, Furina must have been considered a high-ranking foreign dignitary by the Qixing. Losing her must not have been in their plans.
“I haven’t kept any relationship with the Qixing. The future of Liyue is their responsibility now.” Morax leaned his chin against his hand. “As far as I can tell, Lady Furina aspires to live a mortal life free of her previous burdens, just as I do. I have no reason to spoil this for her.” The intensity of his gaze was burning Neuvillette. “I believe that she has earned it, don’t you think?”
Neuvillette eyed him warily. How much did Morax know? He had likely felt the destruction of the Hydro throne, but did he understand the details?
“She has, and this is why I wish to ensure that she gets that chance,” he answered.
Now he felt like he was justifying his actions in front of Morax, of all people. A wave of irritation coursed through his veins.
“If it isn’t too much to ask for, maybe you could share the details of her location with me?”
Morax considered him in silence, maybe pondering his choices.
Neuvillette didn’t know what he would do if Morax refused, but he didn’t have to dwell on that issue for long. Before Morax could give him an answer, two people entered the room they were in.
One was Yelan, and the other was Furina.
“Neuvillette?” Furina sounded astounded. “I would never have expected to see you here. Did something happen?”
Neuvillette didn’t remember the last time she had looked that surprised at something he had done. He cleared his throat while subtly looking for any signs that she was hurt, and relaxed marginally when he found none.
Morax lifted an eyebrow, as if to say, I told you so.
“You were missing,” Neuvillette said. “I decided that it was worth investigating.”
Furina’s face brightened. “Were you worried about me?”
He put down his teacup, oddly annoyed at hearing the truth from Furina’s lips. Maybe it was the cheerful tone that grated him, or maybe it was the grin.
“Furina was visiting an Adeptus domain,” Yelan said. “This is why we couldn’t find her.”
Neuvillette had no idea what she was talking about. Furina must have noticed, because she started explaining in a slightly apologizing voice.
“Adepti are illuminated beasts, immortal beings living in Liyue,” she said. “I heard that one had been quite adept at music, and I wished to visit their domain.” She cleared her throat. “To be perfectly honest, I found it by accident.”
“This is no small feat,” Yelan commented. “Adepti domains are both sealed and hidden from human sight.”
“It opened when I sang in front of it,” Furina went on, sounding as happy as a child being offered their favorite sweet. “You won’t believe what I found inside! All the sheet music and musical instruments, and I had barely scratched the surface when Yelan found me.” She looked at the Liyue woman. “I apologize for the trouble. I hadn’t realized so much time had passed.”
“Time doesn’t hold the same meaning for Adepti,” Yelan said. “This is not surprising.” She smiled at Furina.
Neuvillette let out a deep breath. It seemed that he had worried for nothing, and made a fool of himself.
“That Adeptus must have been quite fond of music,” Morax said, apparently unaware of Neuvillette’s embarrassment.
Neuvillette couldn’t help thinking that he sounded sad. Maybe he had known the Adeptus in question. Maybe they had been friends.
Neuvillette idly wondered how Morax’ tears would taste. Had the Archon ever cried?
Morax certainly didn’t look like it, but Neuvillette didn’t either in the eyes of the people of Fontaine. And still, the rainy days of the nation attested to the contrary.
“I apologize for the trouble,” Furina repeated. This time, she was looking at Neuvillette. She sounded sincere, but he didn’t know what to make of her crooked smile, or of the twinkle in her eyes.
“You don’t need to worry,” Yelan said. “Adepti are held in high regard in Liyue. That you were deemed worthy to enter one of their domains is nothing to apologize for.” She watched Neuvillette. “I hope this is enough to placate your worries, Sir.”
Neuvillette gathered what was left of his dignity. “It is,” he answered. “Thank you.” He turned to Morax. “And thanks for the tea, Mister… Zhongli. I found your conversation quite interesting indeed. I’m sure we will meet again.”
If Morax understood the implications, he didn’t show it. “You’re honoring me. I am but a simple funeral consultant.”
Neuvillette decided it was enough nonsense for the day.
“I believe it’s time for me to head back to Fontaine,” he said, standing up. “Lady Furina, please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.”
Furina opened wide, not-so-innocent eyes. “Now that you’re here, won’t you stay for our next representation? I’ve done a few modifications to the plot.” She smiled at Morax. “You’re welcome too, Mister Zhongli.”
“Just Zhongli is enough,” Morax said, smiling. “And I’d be honored.”
Neuvillette considered his options. If Furina was to befriend Morax and one day learned about his true identity, then he would have two people he cared about worrying about his decision to bring the ex-Archon to justice, and that would be annoying.
Hopefully a few more days away from Opera Epiclese wouldn’t cause too much trouble for Fontaine.
“In that case, I’d be happy to attend as well.”