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The aquabus came to a stop at the Court of Fontaine's waterway hub. As a true hub, nearly all three of Fontaine's aquabus routes converged here.
The Clementine Line that connected to Romaritime Harbor indeed saw very few passengers.
Thanks to the constant demand for "trials," however, the Navia Line leading to the Opera Epiclese was exceptionally crowded.
The Callas Line heading toward the Fontaine Research Institute had already been blown away along with the Institute itself, but the road that once led to that line happened to overlap with the route toward Fontaine's most important administrative center, the Palais Mermonia, so it was unsurprisingly just as busy.
Put simply, an enormous number of people passed through this hub every single day.
Because the three aquabus routes needed to be staggered at different elevations, a gigantic elevator had been constructed here. The first floor served as the main terminal hall, the second floor connected to the Clementine Line Victor Wang had just experienced, the third floor led to the Navia Line, and the fourth floor connected to the former Callas Line route—now the road to the Palais Mermonia.
Furina lived on the top floor of the Palais Mermonia.
But before meeting Furina, there was still one final matter to attend to.
After disembarking and taking the elevator down, Victor Wang exited through the main terminal hall. After briefly getting his bearings, he headed southwest—toward The Steambird.
The streets and storefronts, almost uniformly built from light-colored stone, the carefully planned greenery, the gilded streetlamps clearly powered by energy, and the highly futuristic clockwork Pneuma-Ousia charging pillars all gave the Court of Fontaine a striking impression: compared to the nations he had visited before, this city felt markedly younger.
After some time, The Steambird came into view.
To the right of the newspaper office's main entrance lingered a red Steambird known as "Mr. Arthur." To the left stood Euphrasie, the Steambird's editor-in-chief, who often waited outside to receive open submissions for the "Tales of Humanity" section.
As Victor Wang approached, before he could even speak, Euphrasie caught sight of the fox mask he wore. Her eyes widened slightly, and she took the initiative to speak.
"Hello. That attire… if you'll forgive the question, you wouldn't happen to be the author known as 'Dust,' would you?"
"That's right."
"How unusual… Until today, I hadn't heard a single report of your presence in Fontaine. Does that mean you only arrived today?"
"Yes."
"So, you came to our newspaper office the very day you arrived in Fontaine… That's quite an honor." Euphrasie frowned almost imperceptibly, expertly concealing the emotional slant in her words. "Then may I ask—are you here to discuss collaboration, to submit a manuscript, or for some other reason?"
"I'm here to look for someone. Charlotte should be at The Steambird right now, correct?"
Charlotte.
Upon hearing that name, the tension in Euphrasie's heart finally eased.
Charlotte was undoubtedly one of The Steambird's most outstanding reporters in recent years—ranking among the very best even across the paper's entire history of exceptional journalists. She was still young, with a long career ahead of her. Yet her relentless pursuit of the truth often landed her in trouble. The newspaper could handle it, but it still required no small amount of effort.
Euphrasie sighed inwardly. Instead of answering Victor Wang directly, she spoke in a somewhat roundabout manner.
"In Mondstadt, Liyue, or Inazuma, every time you arrived in a nation, you would soon present a new work. In Sumeru, I heard you were even preparing another book. Yet in Fontaine, your works arrived before you did—and became famous before you did as well."
Victor Wang didn't quite understand her point. He simply nodded silently, waiting for her to continue.
Euphrasie went on. "If you still remember, earlier this year, our reporter Charlotte conducted an exclusive interview with you. Although it may have left you with some unpleasant memories, aside from your remarks regarding the release of a new book, every other detail in that report was absolutely accurate. It was precisely that interview that allowed the people of Fontaine to come to know 'Dust' from a different perspective."
Only then did Victor Wang understand—she thought he had come to make trouble, to seek accountability on Charlotte's behalf.
"No… At the time, I said I didn't know, and that was true. Even if I suddenly decide to write a book within ten days, up until the very moment I make that decision, it still counts as not knowing, doesn't it?"
"Not one book—two," Euphrasie emphasized. "A comedy filled with satire, and a tragedy that inspires reflection. Both were of your usual high standard. Afterward, Charlotte insisted she hadn't offended you in any way, but I couldn't help thinking… perhaps she made a mistake before truly understanding you."
"If you understood me a bit better, you'd realize that every book written by 'Dust' is completed within two or three days. At the time, Miss Furina wrote to urge me on, so I hurried and finished those two books before the New Year."
"Th-this…"
"It seems The Steambird was affected by this matter. For that, I apologize. I already explained the truth to Charlotte—I actually consider her a good friend. Judging by your reaction, it seems she didn't defend herself after learning the truth?"
"Ah…" Only now did Euphrasie truly relax. "That explains it. The wave of public opinion passed several months ago. That child probably didn't want to draw the matter back into the public eye. She doesn't care much about her own reputation anyway… Still, since this is the truth, would you allow me to clarify the matter later, perhaps through some 'unofficial channels'?"
Telling someone you didn't know when you'd write a new book, only to release two completely unpublished works ten days later—elsewhere, such a thing might not be a big deal. But when it involved The Steambird, renowned across Teyvat, and an outstanding young reporter who might already be watched closely by hidden enemies, it was enough to stir up trouble. Victor Wang simply hadn't noticed, having not been in Fontaine at the time.
Victor Wang replied, "Clarifying it is the right thing to do. I'd also rather Charlotte's career not be stained by something this absurd."
"Thank you for your magnanimity." Euphrasie inclined her head slightly, then said, "Charlotte is indeed at the newspaper office right now. She originally had an assignment outside today, but for once, she postponed it."
"Because I arranged to meet her in advance."
"I see. Hehe, then I'll take you to her."
After following Euphrasie through The Steambird for a short while, Victor Wang successfully met up with Charlotte.
They then left the newspaper office together. After making their way through two other locations in the Court of Fontaine, the group gained an additional man and woman.
At last, the four of them arrived at the nearest beach outside the Court of Fontaine.
"So, this is the underwater breathing potion?"
"If it really works the way you say, why did we have to come all the way to Fontaine to test it?"
The man and woman Charlotte had gathered to help with the test asked in turn.
"Precisely because this is Fontaine. The water here is different from that of other nations. People who can wield elemental power can already breathe underwater in Fontaine, so having you test it is simply a precaution."
"I see. No wonder you asked us."
"If this potion really ends up being useful, then we'll have done our part too. Haha."
In truth, Fontaine's water was only one factor. The people of Fontaine were another. The people of the rest of Teyvat were created by the Primordial One, whereas the people of Fontaine originated from pure water spirits transformed by Egeria using the waters of the Primordial Sea. It wasn't merely a matter of completeness—Fontainians were fundamentally different from ordinary humans.
And when so many lives were at stake, no amount of caution was excessive.
"All right. The test procedure is simple. First, take it internally and observe the effects and activation time. After the duration ends, we'll test the topical application. Charlotte and I will supervise from the side, so don't be afraid."
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