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There was no longer any need to carry out the [Focalors Salvation Plan].
So, there was no need to run around everywhere or rack his brains trying to mobilize every possible force.
He was clearly much more relaxed, yet somehow felt even worse…?
Because in the prophecy set by Celestia, Fontaine had to be submerged by Primordial Sea water, so the people of Fontaine had to gain immunity to Primordial Sea water, so their [sin] had to be absolved through the complete ancient authority of Hydro, so the Hydro Archon's divine throne had to be destroyed.
The Hydro Archon's divine throne was an abstract concept. Aside from the Seven Archons and the beings above the skies, no one knew what form it truly took. But judging from Focalors choosing to pronounce her own death sentence, the death of the Hydro Archon seemed to be a necessary condition for the collapse of the divine throne.
Therefore, Focalors had to die.
Was there really no other way?
Perhaps… after the All-Devouring Narwhal drank up all the Primordial Sea water, Nahida and Zhongli could be asked to seal it. That way, there wouldn't be enough Primordial Sea water left to submerge Fontaine.
But without Primordial Sea water, the people of Fontaine would likely be cut off from reproduction forever.
Perhaps… before Primordial Sea water flooded Fontaine, all the people of Fontaine could be helped to evacuate. The prophecy only said Fontaine would be submerged. As for the All-Devouring Narwhal, which would be drawn to the Primordial Sea water carried by the people of Fontaine—once it finished flooding Fontaine, it could be sealed. That would count as bug-abusing the prophecy too… right?
But where could an entire nation escape to…? The desert had land, but how would survival be handled?
If they fled to other nations… would those nations be willing to accept so many people?
In the prophecy, did "Fontaine" refer to a fixed geographical area, or to wherever the majority of Fontainians resided?
Should the evacuation be done in batches, or all at once?
What if the All-Devouring Narwhal caught up during the migration?
Would all the people of Fontaine even be willing to leave?
Too many questions. Too many uncertainties…
If the [Endless Thirst] could be fully mastered, and all the people of Fontaine could be taken into it at the instant the flood arrived… This was, from every angle, the most stable solution—but it couldn't be done… it couldn't be done.
"I can't do anything at all…"
["Master…?"]
Thoughts kept flashing through Victor Wang's mind, only to be rejected one after another. After sitting dejectedly on the tea party island for a long time, he finally stood up and walked to the island's edge.
["Master?! You're not thinking of doing something reckless, are you?!"]
"How could I? There are things that can't be done no matter how hard you try—that's something I've understood for a long time. I'm just… just admitting that my strength isn't enough… That's not shameful… it shouldn't be shameful, right?"
["Master…"]
"When there's no hope, there's no disappointment. I was the one who chose to hope on my own, so of course I felt pain when reality fell short. Once you think it through, it feels a lot better…"
["That's right! Saving Fontaine is the Hydro Archon's responsibility anyway. It never really had anything to do with you, Master."]
"…You're right. I was too greedy, wanting to save one more person. I should focus my energy on more realistic goals."
...
"You were the first to help cleanse my elements back then, so this much should be okay to ask, right—does cleansing elements have to be done by the Seven Archons?"
"Not necessarily." Glancing at Victor Wang, who had once again come to squat at the tavern, Venti said, "By now, you should already understand. Elemental cleansing has nothing to do with how strong one is, but with how well one controls the elements. Even so, the conditions are quite strict. Among those in the mortal world who meet the requirements and are easiest to find, the Seven Archons are the obvious choice. There are other beings who meet the conditions, but not many."
"Like elemental dragons?"
"Correct. Looks like you already had a guess in mind."
"Guesses are meaningless. I need a definite answer."
Shaking his head, Venti raised his wine cup as if to drink, then set it down again. He sighed. "The wind is filled with sorrow and loss right now. In an atmosphere like this, even the finest wine loses its flavor. What sad thing happened to you?"
"Nothing…"
"Oh my, I thought we were good friends. But even for strangers, the wind doesn't mind listening to their grievances."
"In that case…"
Victor Wang ultimately couldn't resist giving himself a sliver of hope—he took out the [Endless Thirst] and placed it on the table.
"What a beautiful goblet!"
"This is an artifact of Sub-Space Creation. I want to know just how far you can bring out its storage capabilities."
"Is that so?" Venti casually weighed the [Endless Thirst] in his hand, looked it over from side to side, then closed his eyes as if trying to manipulate it. In the end, he said, "There does seem to be a whole other world inside this cup, but I can't use it."
"You can't…?"
"It's not just that I can't use it—it's practically rejecting me. You probably already had this suspicion yourself, didn't you?"
"..."
Seeing Victor Wang fall completely silent, Venti pushed the [Endless Thirst] back toward him and changed the subject. "Which nation are you planning to head to next?"
"Fontaine."
"Fontaine has a very famous prophecy."
"..."
"As compensation for not being able to help you, let me give you a piece of advice that might come in handy—let the prophecy happen."
"Let the prophecy happen?"
"If you don't understand, that's for the best. If you truly don't understand, then just ignore everything I'm about to say."
This time, even while enduring the even denser sorrow and loss flowing through the wind, Venti took a drink before continuing:
"The prophecies from the heavens are established facts. At the moment they are born, the outcomes they correspond to have already been completed across the dimension of time. That is the essence of why 'prophecies will definitely come true.'
"So don't try to change something that has already happened. Rather than letting it be forced into reality in some uncontrollable way after outside interference, we can only accept the option with the lowest cost.
"But don't worry. Aside from the prophecies from the heavens, we are still free—at least to a certain extent."
What did "the option with the lowest cost" mean?
It sounded like the words of someone who had personally made countless attempts, who fully understood every possible variation of the future, and who, after realizing change was impossible, could only speak with a hint of exhaustion.
The moment those words were spoken, Venti had essentially exposed his abilities and experiences… No, he was doing this entirely to give Victor Wang a hint. Victor Wang opened his mouth with complicated emotions, but didn't know what to say.
"There are things that can't be done no matter how hard you try—you're right about that. I'm even more accustomed to powerlessness than you are. There are even things I have the ability to do, yet cannot. I can only watch them happen with my own eyes… I've seen more sorrow than you. I endure it because this is the best choice. But you're different—you endure it because you still need to grow."
Venti withdrew the casual smile he so often wore. His expression became serious, almost solemn.
"I've seen all the old stories, and I've grown tired of them. I really like new stories—so do your best."
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