章 4: The Prophecy
"Wait."
Felina was just about to leave when Neuvillette called out to her.
"Is there something else?" Felina stopped and turned back.
"Would you like me to assign members of the Marechaussee Phantom's Melusines to help investigate last night's assassination attempt?" Neuvillette asked.
At that, Felina couldn't help but smile.
The Melusines were a unique race native to Fontaine's Erinnys region. Small in stature, covered in fur, with long, rabbit-like ears, they were incredibly cute.
Neuvillette, the Dragon Sovereign among the Seven Elemental Dragons, had once been uncertain about his purpose. Focalors had invited him to serve as Fontaine's Chief Justice.
Accepting her offer, Neuvillette arrived in Fontaine and, at the Melusines' request, brought them to live in the city as well.
As an Elemental Dragon, Neuvillette understood what it meant to be an outsider. The Melusines, too, were not of the human race and faced some prejudice. Given that he had personally brought them to Fontaine, Neuvillette cared deeply for them—one might even say he doted on them.
Fontaine's official structure was composed of five divisions: the Maison Gardiennage, the Marechaussee Phantom, Maison Ordalie, Maison Gestion and the Maison Cardinalice.
The Marechaussee Phantom was primarily composed of Melusines, and as a branch directly under Neuvillette's command, it was generally tasked with investigating complex cases.
The fact that Neuvillette offered to mobilize the Melusines for the investigation showed how much he cared about Furina.
"I appreciate the offer," Felina replied with a smile. "But this is a high-profile case involving the assassination of a Archon. The Melusines are highly skilled investigators, but they're not as strong in combat. I wouldn't want them to get hurt."
"I already have a lead on this case, so leave it to me to handle."
With that, Felina gave a casual wave and left.
…
Watching Felina's retreating figure, Neuvillette fell into silence.
Today, Furina seemed… different.
In the past, Neuvillette had asked Furina about the prophecy more than once, only to receive evasive and vague answers.
In his five centuries as Chief Justice, Neuvillette had met all sorts of people.
He could sense that Furina's evasions hid a certain guilt, like a child standing before their parents with a failing grade hidden in their school bag—anxious and lacking in confidence.
After five hundred years of knowing her, Neuvillette saw through her flamboyant behavior; despite her dramatic airs, she was somewhat immature and, in terms of strength, quite weak.
Typically, whenever the prophecy was mentioned, Furina would put on a grandiose show, raising her voice and proclaiming:
"Ahahaha! The wisdom of a God beyond mortal comprehension! Don't try to fathom a God's designs! All you need to do is have faith in me, Focalors, your Hydro Archon!"
And after something like an assassination attempt, she would usually panic, dropping subtle hints for him to help find the culprit.
But today, the Furina before him was different.
She calmly and openly discussed the prophecy with him, and where she could not divulge details, she was straightforward, rather than deflecting.
Though she had always given the impression of being a weak and innocent girl, she had easily handled the assassins last night.
And when he offered to help find the culprit, she refused, saying she could handle it herself.
It was a change both subtle and profound.
If he had to put it into words, Furina had always lacked the qualities of a God. She was more like a naive girl placed on a divine throne.
But today, the Furina who stood before him was calm, composed, exuding a powerful confidence and sharpness.
Her words, "I will resolve the prophecy. All they need to do is place their faith in me, their goddess!"
These words carried no exaggeration or insecurity; her tone was firm and assured, as though she truly believed she could bring an end to the prophecy.
Compared to the past, Furina now displayed the qualities befitting a Archon.
"Why such a dramatic change?" Neuvillette wondered, lost in thought.
…
That same day, a renowned reporter from the Fontaine Steambird Newspaper, Charlotte, was summoned by Lady Furina for an interview at Palais Mermonia.
The interview lasted a full two hours, and once it concluded, Charlotte hurried back to the Gazette with a grave expression.
The next day, the Steambird postponed all its scheduled reports to devote an entire page to the exclusive interview with Furina.
The headline read: Lady Furina Reveals Fontaine's Prophecy, the Original Sin of Fontaine's People, and the Truth of Their Dissolution!
Two nights ago, Lady Furina had been attacked, and the assassins dissolved into pools of liquid before everyone's eyes, sparking widespread concern.
Yesterday, at Furina's invitation, our reporter, Charlotte, conducted an exclusive interview with Lady Furina.
In the interview, Lady Furina personally recounted the ancient history of Fontaine.
Countless ages ago, there existed a great sea known as the Primordial Sea, originally under the dominion of the Hydro Dragon.
In time, the gods of Celestia defeated the Elemental Dragons, and the Primordial Sea changed hands.
The gods of Celestia created a new being to serve as the heart of the Primordial Sea, taking the place of the Hydro Dragon and suppressing the primordial waters to prevent unrest.
This newly born being was the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria.
After Egeria's creation, many Oceanids also came into existence as her followers.
These spirits traveled through mountains and rivers, and upon seeing humans, they admired their beauty and longed to become like them. In response, Egeria stole the power of the Primordial Sea.
Using the Primordial Sea's power, she wrapped the primordial water in blood vessels, allowing Oceanids to take human form. These spirits, transformed into human-like beings, became the first Fontaine people.
However, the power to create humans was a right reserved solely for the gods of Celestia.
The beings Egeria created were incomplete humans, and if the people of Fontaine came into contact with the primordial Seawater, the Primordial Seawater in their blood would yearn to return to the sea, resulting in their immediate dissolution.
Egeria's act of stealing the Primordial Sea's power and creating life enraged the gods of Celestia, who cast down a punishment known as the Prophecy.
Since birth, the people of Fontaine bore the original sin of stealing the Primordial Sea's waters, and the day would come when the sea, mingling with Primordial Seawater, would rise and drown Fontaine, dissolving all its people and returning them to their pure water form.
Only then could the sins of Fontaine be repaid.
—"This is the true nature of Fontaine's prophecy. But the prophecy won't happen so soon, so there's no need for alarm. I will prevent its fulfillment and protect every citizen of Fontaine."
In her closing words, Lady Furina solemnly and resolutely assured her people.
Right from the start, Felina had dropped a bombshell, revealing almost all the information regarding the prophecy.
Felina knew very well that once this report was published, it would explode like a powerful bomb, causing a massive sensation in Fontaine!
But, naturally, Felina was entirely unconcerned about this.
Because as she'd said, the prophecy was bound to come to pass eventually. Rather than waiting for it to arrive and watching everyone panic and lose control, it was better to let them know now. This way, they could at least start preparing in advance.
The report on the prophecy would be published the next day.
After summoning Charlotte and finishing the interview, Felina set about handling other matters.
On the surface, Fontaine seemed calm and peaceful, but in reality, the Fatui were lurking like predators, watching for any chance to seize the Gnosis, while the crisis of the prophecy drew ever closer.
And as the one sitting on the throne of the Hydro Archon, Furina was, without a doubt, the center of all these events, destined to encounter numerous dangers.
Furina was a good girl, and Felina didn't want her to experience so much scheming and harm. In Felina's eyes, Furina's innocence and kindness were the most beautiful qualities in the world.
Felina would handle all the scheming and battles herself; all Furina needed to do was live her life happily. Felina would eliminate anyone who harbored ill will toward Furina.
After the interview ended, Felina summoned Chevreuse, the captain of the Maison Gardiennage's Special Security and Surveillance Patrol.
In Fontaine, the Maison Gardiennage was the department responsible for maintaining public order.
Within the Maison Gardiennage, there were three sub-divisions: the Gardemeks, the Garde, and the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol.
The Gardemeks was the force of mechanical units seen patrolling Fontaine's streets, maintaining security.
The Garde was similar to the police force, responsible for patrolling and upholding public order.
The Special Security and Surveillance Patrol, on the other hand, was composed of elite members selected from the Garde.
Cases too complex or serious for the regular Garde to handle would be transferred to the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol.
The members of the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol were highly skilled in investigation, and since they often had to fight criminals, they were also strong in combat.
As captain of the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol, Chevreuse was highly capable both in investigative skills and combat.
"Lady Furina, did you call for me?"
A young woman with purple hair, dressed in a red, white, and black uniform with a high hat, entered Furina's private office.
Incidentally, Fontaine operated somewhat like a constitutional monarchy.
Fontaine's highest authority was Hydro Archon Furina, followed by Chief Justice Neuvillette.
However, since Furina rarely concerned herself with state affairs, the daily governance of Fontaine was primarily managed by Chief Justice Neuvillette.
In other words, Neuvillette had essentially taken on the responsibilities that would normally belong to Furina, to the point that one could say he acted in the Archon's stead.
But Neuvillette was a person of integrity. Although he wielded great power, he had never overstepped his role, nor had he ever shown any ambition to seize control.
So, even though Furina tended to act like a hands-off ruler, she remained Fontaine's supreme leader, with the highest authority.
She could command and mobilize all departments in Fontaine, influencing its decisions.
Now, as Furina's second personality, Felina shared these same powers.
"Hello, Captain Chevreuse."
Felina nodded to Chevreuse with a warm smile.
She continued, "You're aware of the attack on me last night, right?"
"Yes, Lady Furina." Chevreuse nodded.
"I called you here today to request your assistance in investigating the case."
Felina went on, "I need you to personally lead some members of the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol to investigate the recent activities of Marcel, president of the Confrerie of Cabriere, as well as any suspicious individuals who have recently appeared around him."
"Could Lady Furina be suspecting Marcel as the mastermind behind last night's attack?"
Chevreuse pondered this silently but did not question it, simply nodding. "Understood, Lady Furina."
"Good. Begin the investigation as soon as possible."
Chevreuse nodded and was about to leave when Felina called her back.
"I heard you enjoy high-calorie foods, so I brought you a slice of this limited-edition cake I bought this morning."
Chevreuse froze, feeling a bit flustered and was about to decline, but Felina narrowed her eyes. "This is a reward from a deity to an outstanding subordinate—no need for formalities."
With her words framed this way, Chevreuse smiled, accepting the cake with gratitude. "Thank you, Lady Furina."
The following day
As expected, Charlotte's interview with Furina caused a huge uproar and widespread panic when published.
Felina paid this little mind, knowing that every piece of bad news took time to digest.
The advantage of announcing it early was that after a few days of panic about the impending catastrophe, people would come to terms with reality and begin preparing for the disaster.
In truth, this was Felina's way of protecting Furina.
Had the truth been concealed until the prophecy came to pass, an unprepared populace, desperate for survival, would undoubtedly place immense pressure on Furina.
The scenes of accusations, anger, and even another trial for Furina might have replayed themselves.
Therefore, Felina chose to reveal the prophecy's truth on her second day here, hoping this would alleviate Furina's burden in the future and reduce the casualties among Fontaine's people.
The Special Security and Surveillance Patrol proved highly efficient.
Early the next morning, while Furina was in her office reading, Chevreuse arrived.
"Chevreuse, you're here? Thank you for your hard work. Come in and sit down."
At once, Furina pulled her consciousness inward, letting Felina take control of the body.
"How did the investigation go?"
Felina poured a cup of tea and handed it to Chevreuse herself.
This gesture was like a president personally serving tea to the head of the criminal investigation unit. Chevreuse felt deeply honored and was about to say something when Felina gave her a look, a subtle signal that she didn't care for formalities.
Chevreuse took the hint.
Setting aside her usual manners, she drank the tea in one gulp and reported, "Lady Furina, we have made significant progress on your orders."
"Our investigation found that Marcel of the Confrerie of Cabriere hasn't been in contact with any suspicious individuals recently."
"However, when we followed your instructions to look into his recent whereabouts, we discovered some interesting details."
Chevreuse began recounting the findings from her and the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol' investigation to Felina.
The day before, Chevreuse had arranged for some members of the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol to disguise themselves as civilians and casually inquire about Marcel's activities at places he frequently visited.
This seemingly innocuous probing actually yielded valuable information.
On the morning of the 6th of last month, Marcel was buying a newspaper at the Steambird Newspaper when he overheard two children on the street talking about whether Furina was the one who knew water the best in the world.
On the afternoon of the 10th of last month, at the Hotel Debord, as Marcel sat down to eat, he overheard a conversation at a neighboring table about whether Furina had lost all her powers.
On the afternoon of the 13th of last month, at a café in Fontaine's court district, Marcel overheard a customer at a nearby table also discussing whether Furina's power was completely gone.
And on the evening of the 14th, while Marcel was taking a walk in the park, he overheard two elderly men discussing the same topic—whether Furina no longer possessed any power.
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