After seeing Furina wipe away her tears and leave, Lofan finally felt safe enough to let himself dissolve.
An Oceanid?
Just a form created from Hydro Element control.
It couldn't be helped. Exchanging System Points for one is too expensive, and Lofan hasn't figured out a way to deal with them yet. He'll have to make do with Hydro Element for now.
That's why he insisted on speaking with Furina in the sea earlier.
If he left the water, his ruse would be exposed.
Furina will surely forgive him for such a trivial matter!
Thinking of Furina, Lofan couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
Furina is undoubtedly the most extraordinary Archon he'd ever encountered. What made her truly unique was that she wasn't even an Archon in the true sense—she was a completely ordinary human.
Lofan, transformed into a cat, had witnessed Arlecchino's assault on Furina firsthand. The events of that day far exceeded his expectations.
He genuinely hadn't imagined that Arlecchino would strike so directly. Despite possessing what could be considered an infinite lifespan, Lofan had only made preliminary probes against Furina. Yet Arlecchino had gone straight for the kill—that woman truly has courage!
Among the Fatui Harbingers, only the top three seats were confirmed to possess power rivaling that of Archons. Since those positions had already been filled, Arlecchino clearly wasn't among them.
If Arlecchino's judgment had proven incorrect, Furina would likely have executed her on the spot.
Although Arlecchino was an envoy from Snezhnaya, she couldn't bear the weight of attacking a foreign nation's Archon. Even Snezhnaya would be unable to protest her death.
Except, of course, Mondstadt—a nation renowned for its freedom!
Seeing Arlecchino make her move, Lofan hesitated only briefly before deciding to turn the situation to his advantage. He orchestrated the seemingly accidental murder.
Originally, Lofan had planned to remain by Furina's side as a cat, gathering intelligence before making any further moves. He remained cautious until he could fully understand Furina's capabilities.
After all, some Archons possessed seemingly harmless abilities that were precisely what he feared most.
Take Nahida's dream manipulation, for example. It could blur the lines between reality and illusion, trapping him in an endless loop of time where his own abilities would be rendered useless.
Since both Furina and Nahida had only served as Archons for five centuries, Lofan couldn't afford to dismiss such a possibility.
However, Arlecchino's intervention dispelled his concerns, allowing him to advance his plans ahead of schedule.
The final outcome far exceeded Lofan's expectations. Furina's reaction was utterly baffling; she chose to bear unjust accusations rather than reveal Arlecchino's assault on her.
In truth, even without her own power, Furina had Neuvillette to back her up. She had no reason to fear Arlecchino's retaliation after exposing the truth.
Originally, Lofan hadn't even expected this incident to send Furina to the Fortress of Meropide. His initial plan was merely to test the operational logic of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
But Furina confessed, and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale delivered a false verdict.
Even at this point, Lofan refused to believe Furina was merely an ordinary person. He suspected she had channeled all her Archon's Power into something else, and he worried that Arlecchino might expose his own current lack of power.
The appearance of No. 8 was Lofan's further attempt to probe Furina. However, during this investigation, he uncovered a shocking truth:
Furina was truly just an ordinary person—a completely different ordinary person from the Furina he had previously known—and one who suffered nightmares every night.
Over the past few nights, Lofan's heart had been filled with complex emotions after witnessing Furina's nightmares, even seeing tears spill from her eyes.
It was only after piercing through Furina's facade and glimpsing her true self that Lofan realized the girl he had labeled a convenient "point-farming tool" was actually enduring such immense inner torment.
Lofan's heart stirred. He could no longer bring himself to inflict further suffering on this pitiful, ordinary girl.
Thus, Lofan revised his original plan, ensuring that Furina witnessed the girl still alive in the world. This would best alleviate Furina's grief, and she wouldn't reveal the truth to others—to the world, the girl remained dead.
As for why Lofan proceeded with this final step despite knowing the unimaginable pain Furina carried, it was simply unavoidable.
If the true Hydro Archon could steel herself to condemn an ordinary person to five centuries of solitude and agony, what crushing burden must she herself bear? What sacrifices must she have made?
Lofan didn't believe the Hydro Archon had simply relinquished her divine authority to Furina and then vanished to enjoy a carefree existence. After all, not every Archon was like Barbatos.
Considering Fontaine's prophecy, which was unfolding step by step, and the secret Furina stubbornly refused to reveal, Lofan surmised that Hydro Archon Focalors was likely secretly working to prevent the prophecy's fulfillment. The key, he suspected, lay in the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, which harnessed an unimaginable amount of Indemnitium.
Lofan decided to lend Fontaine a hand, though he couldn't claim to be particularly fond of the nation. As a newcomer, Fontaine had initially seemed completely foreign to him.
In fact, he harbored deep dissatisfaction with the nation's political system, laws, and rulers, which partly explained his audacious behavior. Had this been Liyue, he would have never dared to act so brazenly.
However, his time with Furina had moved him deeply. He was touched by the young woman who bore an unimaginable burden of responsibility and pain, and this spurred his desire to help her resolve the crisis brought on by the prophecy.
And then there was Focalors, the Hydro Archon who remained conspicuously absent. The weight she bore must have been even greater than Furina's.
It's been so long since she's appeared, and knowing Mihoyo's penchant for tragic twists, the chances of her suffering a cruel fate are high. Just look at what happened to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Mihoyo's writers, you deserve to burn in hell!
To avert this impending crisis, Lofan needed a substantial amount of System Points. Without them, any attempt to resolve the Prophecy crisis would be mere lip service.
At this moment, Lofan had finally obtained a massive influx of Points from Furina, just as he'd hoped.
Combined with other earnings from the past few weeks, his current Points balance stood at approximately 300,000.
This total would have been even higher had Lofan not spent a significant portion on acquiring new abilities.
Astonishingly, half of these Points had come directly from Furina, proving the truth behind her "reliable Point-farming tool" title.
Whether these Points would be sufficient remained uncertain, but at least Lofan now possessed the capital to engage with the Hydro Archon Focalors. He could attempt contact with the Hydro Archon Focalors, who was very likely located within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
Of course, Lofan couldn't afford to stop farming Points now, lest he find himself in the embarrassing situation of falling short when the critical moment arrived.
Amos's identity became crucial at this juncture. Lofan needed this persona to earn as many Points as possible.
At present, Lofan had the situation largely under control. The only factor that caught him off guard was Tartaglia.
Lofan had no idea where the guy had vanished to. The abnormal activity of the Primordial Sea Water beneath the Fortress of Meropide was almost certainly connected to him, and it had nearly caused Lofan's plans to collapse.
Initially, Lofan had merely discovered Arlecchino's intentions and prepared a grand welcome ceremony for Tartaglia's arrival in Fontaine, hoping to earn some System Points from him in the process.
But to Lofan's surprise, the unlucky fool actually got sent to the Fortress of Meropide by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
What shocked Lofan even more was that the Primordial Sea Water beneath the Fortress of Meropide began to stir violently the moment Tartaglia arrived.
If Lofan hadn't known Tartaglia's personality so well, he might have suspected the Snezhnayan was deliberately stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
And now, Tartaglia had completely disappeared. Lofan had searched for traces of him earlier, but found nothing.
Fortunately, since Tartaglia was from Snezhnaya, Lofan didn't need to worry about him being dissolved by the Primordial Sea Water.
"Let's put the Tartaglia matter aside for now. We need to wrap up the final preparations, then proceed with the next phase of our plan."
Having finalized his course of action, Lofan cast one last glance in the direction Furina had departed. Then, his consciousness drifted to his other body...
-
Meanwhile, Furina cautiously avoided any areas of the sea that might contain Primordial Sea Water and made her way to a nearby mountain, hoping to find a nearby city or village.
In the end, she didn't find a village, but she did encounter the people who had previously left the Fortress of Meropide via the lift mechanism. It seemed the young girl had deliberately sent her to this area.
"Lady Furina!"
Charlotte rushed over, her face beaming with relief at seeing Furina unharmed.
"Thank goodness you're safe, Lady Furina."
"There's no need to worry about such things," Furina replied, trying to sound as composed as usual. "I am an Archon, after all. How could anything go wrong?"
Furina straightened her composure, attempting to answer questions as she always had, but even to a casual observer, her tone carried a hint of melancholy.
Charlotte's smile gradually faded. She noticed that Emily, the young girl Furina had been traveling with, wasn't behind her, nor were any of the others who had decided to remain at the Fortress of Meropide.
Charlotte opened her mouth, unsure how to comfort Furina.
In truth, her own heart ached at the realization that the young woman was no longer present.
The others, who had also come to this realization, fell into a somber silence, the atmosphere growing heavy with grief.
Just then, the man who had previously accused Furina stepped forward.
Seeing his figure, Furina's mind involuntarily flashed back to the scenes from the previous Judgment. She shook her head and spoke, "What do you want now?"
"If you're still here to level baseless accusations against me, an Archon, this time you'll pay the full price."
"No, it's not that," the man replied, his gaze toward Furina strangely complex.
"Actually, I've come to apologize to you, Lady Furina."
His words surprised the others, Furina included.
Having witnessed his irrational behavior firsthand, she found it hard to believe that this man was the same one who had so fiercely accused her earlier.
"Miss Emily knew perfectly well why they had gathered there that day, but she kept silent about it."
"I am deeply grateful for Miss Emily's kindness and compassion, but having been saved by her, I can no longer bear to conceal this truth!"
"The reason they gathered in that place was to plot your assassination, Lady Furina."
Furina's heart jolted at these words, her mind suddenly blank.
The others present were equally stunned by this revelation, their faces etched with disbelief.
The man covered his face, his voice choking with emotion as he continued.
"We all harbor deep resentment toward you, Lady Furina."
"We believe that every misfortune we've suffered is a direct consequence of your inaction."
"Thus, shortly after your arrival at the Fortress of Meropide, they began secretly plotting your assassination."
"They were prepared to die for this cause. On one hand, they had observed that you hadn't used your Archon's Power during your time in the Fortress, seeing it as an opportunity."
"Even if we failed, they wanted to make our fury and resentment visible to others, hoping to incite more people in similar circumstances to join our cause."
Hearing this, some of Furina's long-held doubts finally began to unravel.
The girl knew she currently possessed no power and was utterly defenseless against this assassination. The reason those people were killed ultimately came back to her!
The subsequent deliberate staging of the scene, designed to plunge Furina into a maelstrom of public condemnation, served a dual purpose. First, it was meant to make her hear the voices of ordinary citizens. Second, it was meant to harden her resolve and compel her to act decisively against the girl.
This would transform Furina from a Hydro Archon who achieved nothing of substance into one who had personally eliminated No. 8. News of this act would swiftly spread throughout Fontaine, maximizing the dissipation of public discontent and hostility while solidifying her position as the Hydro Archon.
The girl had considered so much on Furina's behalf, even anticipating her potential reluctance to act and preparing an alternative plan.
At this moment, a fresh wave of longing for the girl surged through Furina's heart.
The others were equally stunned. The girl could have simply explained the situation. As Furina's guardian, she had the authority to eliminate those who harbored ill intentions toward the Hydro Archon Furina.
Had she simply revealed this reason, no one would have blamed her.
To conceal this truth, the girl had meticulously orchestrated this elaborate scheme.
They shouldn't have doubted each other. After all, they had received considerable assistance from the Mutual Aid Network in the past. Many had not only weathered crises thanks to the Network's support but had even improved their lives beyond their previous circumstances.
Yet, consumed by their inner fears, they had completely forgotten this...
"But I'm a coward," the man continued, his voice trembling. "I was terrified."
"I still remember this morning, when I announced my withdrawal, the expressions on everyone's faces barely changed. They comforted me, encouraged me, just like they always did, before leaving."
His sobs grew more violent as he spoke.
"Later, I regretted it and tried to rejoin them, but my elder brother forcefully pushed me back.
"'You're not ready yet,' he said. 'Leave this to us for now.'"
"By the time I picked myself up from the ground, they were already gone."
"That's why, when I heard the news of their deaths, I was so certain that Lady Furina was responsible."
The man gazed at the dazed Furina and continued, "At the time, I didn't understand why Lady Furina would deny the truth, but it presented me with the perfect opportunity. If I exposed your lies, Lady Furina, your authority would crumble, and I could fulfill their final wish in your stead."
"But I never imagined it would be Miss Emily who did this. Even though she repeatedly hinted in secret that she knew why those people were gathering, I refused to give up."
"They're all dead now. What does it matter if I throw my life away too?"
"Yet even in that situation, Miss Emily didn't reveal the truth, granting me a sliver of a chance to live."
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, everyone! I kept the truth from you all!"
"Someone like me doesn't deserve Miss Emily's forgiveness!"
The man broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, as if trying to purge all the pent-up emotions from his heart.
Seeing his anguished weeping and self-reproach, the crowd recalled their earlier suspicion and hostility toward Furina and the girl. What right did they have to condemn him?
In truth, most of them knew in their hearts that Furina wasn't the main cause of their suffering. The true enemy was the one who had driven them to such dire straits in the first place.
But those individuals were far too powerful, their terror so deeply ingrained in their hearts that they had become the stuff of nightmares.
Furina, though the Hydro Archon of Fontaine and the highest authority in the land, had never been known to execute anyone for offending her. In their eyes, she seemed even easier to bully.
At most, she might impose some punishment afterward, but surely she wouldn't dare slaughter so many of them.
This was the unspoken reasoning in most of their hearts, now replaced by overwhelming guilt. They had been coercing two kind souls (or rather, Archons) who clearly wanted no harm to come to anyone.
"It's time to fulfill the promise I made back then..."
The man drew a dagger from his cloak, closed his eyes, and slashed it across his throat without hesitation.
Seeing this, Furina's pupils constricted sharply.
"Charlotte!"
Before her words could fully register, the man's blade-wielding arm was instantly frozen solid by ice.
"Phew, glad I made it in time!" Charlotte exclaimed with relief, immediately urging the man to reconsider.
"Monsieur, please calm down. We understand your feelings and actions. You've certainly made mistakes, but there's no need to end your life because of them."
"No, I've lost all face to live in this world. Don't stop me—let me die!"
"Enough! You coward!" Furina snapped at the man. "Emily sacrificed so much to keep you alive. Are you going to let her efforts be in vain?! If she saw you like this, she would be utterly disappointed in you!"
Furina's words immediately halted the man's struggles, his face contorted with conflicting emotions.
"Your crimes will be judged by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. Until then, live properly and face the consequences you deserve! Atone for your mistakes!"
The man listlessly lowered his ice-frozen hand and buried his face in his hands, weeping bitterly.
"Yes, I will atone properly, Lady Furina..."
Meanwhile, on the sea's surface:
An impossibly massive ship drifted aimlessly across the waves—the unfinished Wingalet, commissioned by Wriothesley.
Wriothesley shook his head in disbelief. Even he hadn't imagined the ship could still sail, let alone be equipped with defensive mechanisms that had repelled much of the Primordial Sea Water along the way.
Needless to say, Wriothesley knew exactly whose handiwork these devices were.
Only that woman could have secretly installed such equipment on the ship without his knowledge.
Though he had been saved with the girl's help, Wriothesley still felt a lingering sense of irritation. He disliked being put in such a passive position.
The next time he saw her, he was determined to have a proper fight.
This time, though, he'd spare her face. Just the body would do. It would be a pity to ruin such a beautiful face.
Wriothesley was still mulling over another matter: the Overseer's memories from that time.
He finally recalled an incident after disabling a restricted Gardemek. Complaining aloud about not having had his fill of combat, he remembered the Overseer being present at the time.
Wriothesley slammed his fist against the deck. The vivid memory of witnessing the Overseer being swallowed by the Primordial Sea Water remained etched in his mind.
It wasn't just because the Overseer had forfeited his chance to live—he could have survived if he had ordered the Gardemek to carry him away. The most crucial factor was that, in that split second, Wriothesley had decided to sacrifice the Overseer's life to cover Sigewinne's retreat.
At the time, the decision, though seemingly cold-hearted, was undoubtedly the most correct choice. Wriothesley simply lacked the confidence to save both lives simultaneously.
However, the Overseer had made a choice diametrically opposed to Wriothesley's.
Wriothesley considered himself a man of few regrets, yet this incident stood as one of the very few—perhaps even the only—thing he truly regretted.
"Duke, I've made inquiries," Sigewinne said, approaching Wriothesley and stopping beside him. "They said they received your orders a few days ago to temporarily halt construction on other parts of the Wingalet and focus entirely on reinforcing the hull."
"Well done, Duke! Quite the foresight!" Sigewinne teased with a smile, and Wriothesley chuckled ruefully in response.
"She really had me wrapped around her little finger this time."
"But the outcome isn't too bad, is it, Duke?"
"No, it's not."
Wriothesley surveyed the survivors on the ship. The number rescued aboard the Wingalet alone was considerable, not counting those saved elsewhere. He trusted the girl had made arrangements for them as well.
Though Wriothesley would never admit it aloud, he harbored a sliver of gratitude toward her...