"Fontainians are born with sin. One day, Fontaine's sea level will rise and drown those burdened with sin. Everyone will dissolve into the sea, leaving only the Hydro Archon weeping on her throne."
The Servant recounted a story in her unique voice.
Her deep tone seemed to indicate that this was not an alarmist fairy tale, but a decree from the heavens.
"Fontaine, Hydro Archon... Is this another one of your Fatui's tricks to seize a Gnosis?"
Jack didn't understand what the Servant wanted to say.
Or rather, he couldn't grasp her stance.
Looking back at the previous four nations,
the Fatui had always played a less than positive role.
But now, suddenly, she was acting with compassion. No matter how he thought about it, something felt off.
"Indeed, we Fatui have our own objectives, but as a Fontainian, I also do not wish to see my homeland destroyed by prophecy. And you, Traveler... you are a variable outside the prophecy."
"So you want me to go to Fontaine to help you solve the so-called prophecy crisis?"
"I know this is hard to believe, but I don't intend to force you to go to Fontaine.
There's still some time until the prophecy, I just wanted to remind you before you travel to Fontaine that there might be a catastrophe in the future that affects all of Teyvat."
"Affects all of Teyvat..."
Jack frowned in thought.
He had quit the Genshin Impact game for half a year, and even in Sumeru, he still had some world quests unfinished, let alone Fontaine after that.
Given MiHoYo's usual style,
anything involving prophecies, fairy tales, legends, and epics was most likely something that had actually happened, then was covered up in some form.
The Irminsul's operating mechanism was like a computer firewall; those "junk software" unfavorable to the computer could be mercilessly erased and removed by it.
"Is this related to Tartaglia inviting me to dinner at Xinyue Kiosk?"
"As fellow Harbingers, it's not my place to instruct the Eleventh of the Harbingers, the Childe."
The Servant elegantly crossed her legs, speaking with a hint.
Combined with her earlier statement that she was the Fourth of the Harbingers, it meant that someone of a higher rank was directing this operation?
Jack recalled the Winter Night's Lazzo PV he had watched before quitting the game, and the various speculations after the PV.
The Third of the Harbingers was most likely the Maiden, Columbina, a very mysterious non-human character who rarely participated in Harbinger activities and was unlikely to appear in Liyue.
The First of the Harbingers, Capitano, a tough-guy style man of action, was probably still passionately brawling with the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, Varka, and had no time to participate in Liyue's schemes.
Then there was only one answer...
The Second of the Harbingers, Dottore.
Had this guy not learned his lesson in Sumeru and was he preparing to run into trouble with him again?
Jack gave the Servant a deep look, even though she didn't care about selling out her teammates.
No matter what schemes you bring, I will remain unmoved.
Once I gather Raiden Ei and Nahida as my generals and become the uncrowned king of Teyvat, any schemes and tricks will shatter before absolute power.
"How much longer until the Fontaine prophecy arrives?"
"A month... or half a year, even ten years. The time is uncertain."
"Even your well-informed Fatui don't know?"
The Servant shook her head: "This involves the ethereal concept of fate, and it's not something ordinary humans or even the Seven Archons can influence."
Although she said that, Jack had another interpretation.
He and Lumine were the protagonists of the world.
As long as they didn't do the main story quests, the world's progress would "stagnate" there.
In other words, as long as he didn't go to Fontaine, then Fontaine wouldn't sink, and the prophecy wouldn't come true... It seemed like the problem was solved just like that?
"Since you can't even pinpoint the time, then I'll proceed at my own pace. Fontaine, I'll go later."
"Hehe, then I thank the Traveler in advance for your assistance. I will await your arrival in Fontaine."
After achieving her goal, the Servant left.
It was as if she had only come to introduce herself, then to publicize the precarious state of Fontaine, hoping to stir Jack's sympathy.
"Traveler, are you alright!"
Mao, seeing the Fatui leave, came out with a spatula in hand, looking Jack up and down, afraid that something might have happened to Jack and then his daughter would blame him.
"I'm fine, Mao. It was just the Fourth of the Harbingers. She can't hurt me."
Jack smiled and flexed his muscles for Mao to see.
Mao, however, thought he was being brave: "Don't talk nonsense, child. The Fatui are ruthless people. Although you've built some muscle, you're definitely no match for those guys."
It was like how parents still see their children as small. In Mao's eyes, Jack was just a child, not much older than Xiangling.
To have made such a name for himself at such a young age, it truly made the older generation both proud and worried.
"Since those guys are gone, Mao will cook you a few dishes to help you calm down."
"Then I'll trouble you, Mao."
With the elder's warm invitation, Jack couldn't refuse, so he sat alone on the spacious first floor of Wanmin Restaurant and slowly ate.
An hour later.
Jack, having eaten and drunk his fill, waited for the Fatui who came to pay 30 times the sales revenue. Under Mao's relieved gaze, he handed him the receipt for the mora exchange.
Mao nodded, thinking: This child has a good head on his shoulders. Xiangling should not suffer if she follows him.
And so.
With the expression of a father-in-law, Mao saw Jack off.
...
"Legend has it that when the Geo Archon went to war, he once said..."
At an open-air teahouse, Jack saw Zhongli listening to a storyteller shortly after leaving the restaurant, so he directly sat beside him.
With a wave of green Aralia Element Power, he created a barrier that blocked sight and sound.
"I didn't expect you to be listening to a play so close by. Zhongli, do you know that white-haired, cross-eyed Fatui from just now?"
"The Second Generation of the Fourth of the Harbingers, the Servant. An Executive from Fontaine. She's a very unique child."
"Second Generation? Tell me more."
So Zhongli told Jack everything he knew.
After listening, Jack had a better understanding of the Servant.
"She has humanity, but not much. For now, she's a trustworthy trading partner. But to describe ruthless killing as 'unique,' only you, the Martial God who pacified chaos and slaughtered millions in your early years, could say that."
Zhongli smiled, took a shallow sip of tea, and tacitly acknowledged Jack's words.
Compared to Zhongli's killings in his early years, these current Fatui were indeed not even a fraction of his.
"How much do you know about the Archon of Fontaine?"
Zhongli's hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly.
"If it were in the past, I would say I don't know if you asked this question." Zhongli felt his now light body and joked, which was rare for him: "But now that I'm working for a different boss, I can tell you the truth about the Fontaine prophecy."
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