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"Communication… yes, we can talk about anything. But the matter you asked me to look into—I've already uncovered some results. Perhaps we should discuss it privately first?"
"What… oh, 'that matter'! I nearly forgot about it… Right, after investigating for so long, you must have a lot of information to report to me. Clorinde and Charlotte, my apologies, but I'll have to ask you both to leave the office. 'That matter' isn't something I can discuss in front of others."
Clorinde furrowed her brow and said in a low voice, "Lady Furina, I must ensure your safety."
Sneaking a glance at Victor Wang, Furina placed her hands on her hips, set a stern expression, and said sharply, "I already told you there's absolutely no danger here. You don't actually think the Hydro Archon herself could be assassinated by mortals, do you?"
"This…"
Charlotte, though curious, didn't argue and started walking out, but Clorinde still hesitated.
Furina summoned the aura of someone long accustomed to command. Her gaze pierced Clorinde as she pressed the point: "Do not forget—I only set aside my divine authority and integrated myself among the people so that 'power' would not dictate 'justice.' But no matter what, I am still the Hydro Archon. So, step away for now. You have nothing to worry about here."
"Yes, Lady Furina."
Reluctantly, Clorinde cast Victor Wang a warning glance before following Charlotte out of the office.
For a moment, only Victor Wang and Furina remained.
Perhaps still intent on maintaining her composure, or perhaps resigned, Furina no longer showed any trace of fear. She strode past Victor Wang and the guest sofas and gracefully settled into the main chair, lifting her skirts with elegance.
"Speak. What do you have to report? I grant you permission."
Not… I just needed an excuse, and you're taking this so seriously… as if there really is a matter to report?
Victor Wang's expression was unreadable, but after a moment, he said obediently, "It concerns the Fontaine Prophecy. I've predicted when it will occur."
"Really?!" The news was so important that Furina almost pressed against the desk in excitement, and the carefully maintained aura shattered instantly. "Ahem. People have brought this up in the past—usually to create some flashy stunt—but anyone who did this invariably ended up spending their life in the Fortress of Meropide… This is a very serious matter. I hope you're not joking."
"I'm certainly not joking—the Fontaine Prophecy will come to pass within two years."
"You speak with such certainty. Do you have evidence?"
"For evidence… you should remember the story of 'The Kitsune Substitutes the General,' right?"
A flash of panic crossed Furina's face. She averted her gaze to the desktop, nervously saying, "I… I don't remember…"
Victor Wang let out a quiet chuckle. "No worries. I can recount it for you now."
"Legend has it that the Raiden Shogun had to hide in the Plane of Euthymia to accumulate 'self-contained energy,' leaving Inazuma ungoverned for a long time. Fearing chaos in her absence, she asked a Kitsune to take her place in governance. But because the fox's power was limited, every time force needed to be displayed, she had to rely on trickery—passing all matters to the Tengu General, disciplined and highly skilled. That's how she maintained control for five hundred years."
Furina helplessly lifted her head, her face contorted. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out, eventually lowering her head again and barely managing to respond, "…What are you implying? What are you criticizing? If I told this story to the Shogun, how would she view you?"
"I already intercepted the Shogun's three attacks. Even if your secret organization preparing for the prophecy didn't notice me, you must have read about it in the Steam Dog Press, right?"
"I'm certain you've never been to Fontaine…" Furina raised her head again, this time her astonishment fully exposed. "How do you know about that organization…? What exactly do you know?"
"I know a lot. For instance… I know the Kitsune worked hard, because she didn't have the Shogun's power but still had to maintain the disguise, otherwise Inazuma could have been destroyed."
"You…!"
"I know the Kitsune suffered, because she had no idea when this life would end. Every day was lived in constant anxiety, forcing smiles—an endless torment."
"You…"
"I know the Kitsune suffered, because after nearly five hundred years, she no longer knows whether she's playing someone else or herself. No—why must being oneself require acting?"
"..."
"I know the Kitsune suffered, because Inazuma is on the brink of disaster and she cannot prevent it. The most terrifying thing in the world is helplessness—and worse than helplessness is giving everything you have, only to find you are still powerless."
"I…"
Though her arms rested on the desk, her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Is the old desk… unstable?
Furina's misty eyes fell on the desktop, noticing it was wet with tears she didn't know when she'd shed.
Strange…
Victor Wang offered a gentle remark: "As expected of the Hydro Archon, with so much hydro elements, someone unaware might think you're crying."
"Y-yes…" Furina quickly wiped her eyes. "Being a Hydro Archon sometimes means being troubled by these things…"
"Don't worry. Whatever I know will not affect the Kitsune or the Raiden Shogun's plan, and it won't bring Inazuma to ruin… Now, back to the point. Just like the prophecy that Fontaine will be flooded, the story of 'The Kitsune Substitutes the General' is also a prophecy. Did you notice the only time mentioned in it?"
"Five hundred years?"
"Exactly. If you accept the first half—the Kitsune taking the Shogun's place—then you cannot deny the final time—the end of the Kitsune's disguise."
"End… as in everything is over?"
"An end is a new beginning."
"Really?"
"You may not believe me, but you cannot disbelieve this prophecy. It is the evidence for everything I say—you and I both know what it truly means."
"But I just… don't believe it. The Kitsune is about to break… The disaster is coming; she has no way to stop it… Impossible. There can be no new beginning… impossible…"
Focalors left Furina the task of purely acting as the Hydro Archon. She told her: do not arouse suspicion, do not be discovered—otherwise Fontaine's last hope of salvation will vanish.
This was an impossible paradox for Furina. She had to act as the Hydro Archon but lacked the power to prevent the prophecy. Focalors insisted that simply playing the role would save Fontaine—but how? She had no clue, only that she must act… while powerless to stop the prophecy… but still…
Especially as the prophecy nears, the pressure of utter helplessness must be immense.
Making her accept hope suddenly would be extremely difficult.
However, Focalors likely had her reasons for not revealing she would intervene. Victor Wang considered this carefully and said instead, "The Kitsune truly cannot stop the disaster—so someone wearing a fox mask has come to help her."
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