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75% Genshin: The Serenity System / Chapter 81: Clues and Puzzle

Capítulo 81: Clues and Puzzle

"Here's your Macchiato." Isaac offered Navia her cup of coffee which had a thin layer of milk forming the shape of a flower. "We can't possibly depart without a proper energizer, yeah?"

"Thank you," Navia took the cup and held it in her hand, cradling it gently. Her beautiful blue eyes then looked at Isaac. "By the way, I recently watched the movie Lady Furina made during the film festival."

"It received a lot of positive reviews and even won first place." She added. She then chuckled lightly. "I actually liked it too since it represented Poisson."

"As the main character of the movie, your presence there would have livened up the atmosphere more."

"I believe that what I did is sufficient enough," Isaac shook his head as he scoffed lightly. "Moreover, since Spina Di Rosula is also one of the main organizers of the movie, it was bound to receive praise."

"You have a way with your words, Isaac." Navia smiled lightly as she received Isaac's praise. She then shook her head while smiling, "But let's stop the praises here. I have this feeling that we'd just be deflecting each other's praises."

"I agree." Sitting down on his stool behind the counter, Isaac took his cup of espresso. He then looked at her before uttering, "Then let's change the subject— About your commission..."

"Yes, it would be best if you have sufficient information regarding this matter," Navia said as she cradled the cup in her hand. She then asked him, "What do you want to know?"

"Well, first of all, how did you even find the traces of the Masked Clown and the painting he stole?" Isaac, playing along with Navia, put on his acting and looked at her with a curious expression.

"That's an easy question!" She nodded her head as she smiled. She then started explaining, "Recently, the local gangs and mafias in Fontaine have undergone tremendous changes. As an investigator, I trust you already knew this?"

"So I've heard," Isaac, still acting, habitually put his hand on his chin and grasped it. "I heard that a great change happened in the inner circles of these organizations' leadership."

Upon hearing Isaac's response, Navia nodded her head with satisfaction. "Indeed, that's exactly what we heard too."

"Apparently, a new organization has risen up and started bringing other organizations under it's chain of command," She explained as she recounted the details from the top of her mind. "This new organization is very systematic and knows how to avoid the eyes of the public, and to some extension, the law."

"Although... Ever since it appeared, the amount of criminal activities in Fontaine sharply dropped." She said before her face started showing an expression of disgust. "However, the Sinthe trade only grew stronger."

"What a terrible organization." Isaac shook his head as he also showed an expression of contempt.

'Forgive me but... this is necessary.' However, deep within, Isaac was apologizing to her. 'I did my best to limit the violence as much as possible. But the Sinthe... That's just a temporary measure to counteract the balance.'

'After all, there can't be no absolute goodness in this world...'

That's right. Isaac, who had been actively hunting down these gangs and mafias as Gehrman for the past week, was none other than the leader of this new organization.

With his Gehrman persona, he raided bases, factories, and even mansions of nobles to find crime lords and bring them under his command.

It wasn't quite hard as he already had a large organization from Marcel to help him in his raids.

As such, Isaac believed that he already taken control of the vast majority of the crime rings in Fontaine. With his one command, Marcel, who was the figurehead of the organization, would immediately deploy the whole organization to do Isaac's bidding.

However, all of them are none the wiser that all of them... Are just but bargaining chips for his grand plan.

After all, only by casting away reason can one truly gamble.

Isaac then shook his head before looking back at Navia. He then spoke, "Please continue, Miss Navia."

Navia nodded her head and continued. "When Spina Di Rosula received information regarding this organization, we immediately sent a team to gather more information about it— me included."

"We first went to Fleuvre Cendre for information, and that's where we got our first major clue." She said before pausing and taking a sip of her macchiato coffee. After sipping, she continued. "An informant there said that he witnessed two people, clad in dark clothing on a rainy night, go to Erinnyes Forest while carrying what seemed like a canvas painting."

"Another informant said that those two people works for the new organization, and that this informant speculates that they're doing a secret work directly from the leader— but this is not proven yet." She added while curling her forefinger and resting it on her chin as she contemplated.

"We went around more, but didn't get any more clues other than the painting."

'Those two informants... They must be the two informants I hired.' Isaac remembered a detail he left behind as he internally smirked. 'Looks like they did their job pretty well.'

Isaac originally wanted to give the painting away if some random person manages to find it using the clues he left behind, but since Navia was the first person to find the clues, he couldn't help but be curious of how she'd find the painting in the end.

'The petty thing I did managed to come back and become an interesting thing... How fun.' Isaac then curled up a smile. "If that's the case, then why didn't you investigated with the rest of the Spina? They would have been much better than someone like me."

"Well... If you know someone who had been a God's assistant and helped her investigate for quite some time and showed positive results..." Navia smirked softly as she started mentioning what Isaac had done. "...then I'm pretty sure one would be so tempted enough to seek their help, would it not?"

"Clever girl." Isaac chuckled lightly as he heard her words. He then stood up before speaking, "Well, I guess I'll take that reason for now."

"Before we head out, Miss Navia, may I change clothes?" Isaac said as he pointed at the kitchen door. "I have this habit of changing my clothes appropriate to the situation."

"I actually noticed that whenever you came by the set," Navia commented as she held her cup of coffee next to her lips. "You never go anywhere wearing anything casual."

"But alas, this is the Nation of Hydro— where, like water, one's own visage must reflect a good look." Isaac replied with an amused tone.

"Haha, I won't deny that," She said as she rested her face on her palm. "I bet my friend who's in the fashion business would like you."

'Chiori?' Remembering that seamstress, Isaac's smiled wryly. He then replied to Navia, "Yeah? I'll look forward to that."

"Anywho, I'll be back in a minute!" And with that, Isaac left, leaving Navia alone with her cup of coffee.

Since it was still morning, the cafe does not yet have any customers other than Navia.

As she looked at the door which Isaac had vanished to, a thought formed in her head.

'I wonder what he'd wear?'

---

It didn't take too long for Isaac to change his clothes. In fact, it had only been a few minutes.

"I'm back," Isaac's words were then heard by Navia. He then continued, "I'm all set, Miss Navia."

Navia, who was watching the television hanging on top of the counter, looked back to Isaac and noticed his new attire.

"Oh? That's..." Upon seeing his new set of clothes, a curious expression appeared on her face. "Unexpectedly fashionable?"

Isaac, wearing a black long-sleeved button up shirt, coupled with grey pants and a pair of gloves, smirked at Navia.

"It may look impractical, but this attire is actually quite flexible." Isaac explained himself while pointing at his pockets and the shoulder holster he had.

"Blending practicality with aesthetic... Indeed, you and my friend would definitely get along." Navia muttered to herself as she looked around Isaac's new clothes.

After checking him out a bit, she then shook her head. "Anyways, have you gotten everything you need?"

"Yup. I have my gun and dendro vision in my person for self-defense." Isaac nodded his head. He then returned the question. "And you?"

"I have everything here," Navia smiled with pride as she placed her parasol on her shoulder. "This parasol contains all of what I need."

Hearing this, Isaac smirked and said, "Oh my, it seems that I'm not only one that prefers practical aesthetics."

"You're just like me for real." He said.

"For real?" She replied.

"For real, for real."

He nodded his head. He then immediately changed the subject before he says more brain rot terms. "Anywho, shall we get going?"

"Of course." She nodded her head at Isaac's question. She then got off from her seat and stood in front of Isaac. "If there's nothing else... Then let's go!"

Watching Navia walk away with a lively expression, Isaac smiled softly, finding it amusing. 'Another sense of déjà vu...'

The two of them were just about to leave the cafe, when suddenly, they heard a distant sound.

- Boom!

What followed soon after this sound was the sound of rain hitting the ground gradually getting stronger.

Not long after this, more thunderous sounds were heard outside of the cafe, bringing forth more rain.

Isaac and Navia, who were just about to leave the cafe, both looked at the sky and saw the dark clouds covering the sky.

"It's raining..." Holding her hand out, Navia felt the sensation of the rain drop to her hand. "This is... gonna make our trip a tad bit more inconvenient."

"Inconvenient? I don't think so." Beside her, Isaac shook his head as he smiled softly. He then walked past Navia and stood outside the cafe.

"Hey! You'll get wet!" Seeing Isaac stand in outside, Navia warned him as she pulled out her parasol to cover him.

"Although it might get you wet, I believe that rain itself is not that bad," Isaac, who was beneath the edge of the roof, and was thus saved from the rain's water, continued speaking calmly. "Rain is inherintly good, and as as the Nation of Hydro, we ought to appreciate it more."

"Did you know, Miss Navia?" Isaac then turned his head and looked at Navia beside him who was sharing her black and yellow parasol with him. With his warm amber eyes looking at her, he spoke,

"God is in the rain."

"God... Is in the rain?" Hearing Isaac's cryptic words, Navia showed a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"..." Isaac, instead of answering, merely smiled enigmatically as he looked at the rain pouring.

Navia, confused by his words, also looked at the rain for a moment, to see what he was trying to say.

For a moment, the two didn't utter a word, and merely shared a moment of tranquility.


Capítulo 82: Oil, Water, and Something Else [1]

Isaac and Navia both took the Aquabus to Erinnyes Forest, and, although it was raining continuously, it didn't hinder the two one bit.

"It's still raining..." Getting off the Aquabus with an umbrella, Isaac made a comment while putting his hand out to feel the rain. "Don't you find this odd, Miss Navia?"

"I find it odd too. The sky was clear as day just thins morning— then it immediately turned dark like this." She said as she too got off the Aquabus with her parasol. "Working with a lot of manpower in this weather condition would be tough. It's good that I followed through with my plan."

'Its currently autumn so the rainy season should be over in Fontaine.' Isaac thought but soon immediately drew a speculation. He conjured up a wry expression as he thought of one of the possible explanations: 'Well... There is a Hydro Sovereign that can make the skies rain whenever he gets upset... So...'

'Yeah, this might be Neuvillette's doing.'

"The dirt roads leading to the location you provided are gonna be problematic, Miss Navia." Looking at the horizon where only dark clouds could he perceived, Isaac immediately knew that their journey would not be easy. "Should we perhaps wait until the rain stops?"

Navia observed the environment for a moment before shaking her head, followed by a soft sigh. "There's no need. We can still travel with this weather."

"As long as you're fine with it," Isaac shrugged his shoulders and didn't complain. However, he couldn't help but face the sky and mutter something under his breath, "But this rain..."

"...Che rilassante."

"Hm? Did you say something, Isaac?" Hearing a faint sound come from Isaac, Navia turned her head and looked back at him.

"Just talking to myself." Isaac shook his head before walking up to her with his umbrella. "I was just... Admiring the ambience of the rain, that's all."

"Hmm... Well, alright." Navia agreed with Isaac at first, however, her curiosity remained unsatisfied. She then made a comment while the two of them walked, "Still, how could you ever find the time to admire ambience out here in the public, even more so at a time like this?"

"How could I not?" Following beside her, Isaac spoke with an amused expression. "I could admire anything at any given moment. There's no limitation to beauty and admiration to it."

"Beauty... You're calling this damp weather beautiful?" Navia rolled her eyes as she conjured a wry smile. Her pristine blue eyes then looked at Isaac's figure beside her. "Can one truly appreciate the beauty of something that others may not perceive as beautiful?"

Upon hearing this question, Isaac paused in silence for a few moments before giving his answer. "And what of it?"

"Others may not agree to what I see as beautiful— but to me, that doesn't matter much. I admire what I want to admire."

"Alright... I get your point, but consider this," Finding their conversation interesting, Navia continued to entertain Isaac with her curious questions. "What if you held a rose?"

"It might look, smell, and feel good, but beneath it are thorns that would hurt you if you're not careful." True to her family's motif, she made a reference to a flower— a rose.

"Would you still find it beautiful?"

As the pair walked through the rain side by side, silence enveloped for a few moments before it was broken by Isaac's words.

"Do you know that saying, Miss Navia? That beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" Isaac, smiling enigmatically, said while looking out at the far distance. "I believe in that saying very much. That's because I choose to believe what is beautiful and what's not."

"A thorny rose, you say? I'll still compliment it." He added. "Because, ultimately, those thorns are part of that rose— as such, they too are beautiful."

"Piacevole." He muttered to himself while looking at Navia. He then shook his head as he wore a wry smile.

Upon hearing Isaac's answer, Navia chuckled lightly before speaking, "Must you always add a touch of romanticism to your words? I say that you have a much better tongue than bards."

"How else would I express my admire for beauty?" Isaac shrugged his shoulders as he lightly chuckled too.

He then looked back at what he said and thought with introspection. 'I might as well become a red head knight hell-bent on admiring beauty if I keep this up.'

The two of them continued to talk amongst themselves, discussing various topics. However, their conversation soon ended when they reached the top of a set of stairs.

"Hold on, this is the turning point." Isaac said as he stopped Navia on her tracks. He then looked around the road they were at before muttering something to himself, "...Dobbiamo fare una deviazione..."

He then looked back at Navia before speaking again. "If we want to get to the location you provided, we need to walk... There."

Isaac then pointed at a hill with his finger before looking back at Navia beside him. "Are you fine with that, Navia?"

"It's all fine by me." She nodded her head upon receiving Isaac's words. However, she soon changed her expression to a cheeky smirk. "More than that..."

"You've been speaking a lot of Remurian for a while now..." Navia pointed out her findings as she smirked at Isaac. "I wasn't sure at first... But now I'm certain."

"Oops— I was caught." Smirking back at her, Isaac lightly laughed as he turned around. He the started explaining, "I was just doing it for fun. Took you long enough to notice."

'Also... Remurian?' Remembering that Ancient Remuria was essentially the Ancient Roman Empire equivalent in this world, Isaac felt that it fits the overall context. 'I didn't even know that. I was just doing it for the shits and giggles.'

'The more you know.'

"Hehe, just to let you know, I'm quite well-versed in Remurian myself." She said as she went past Isaac. However, she soon turned around and winked at him with a cheeky smile, "Pensavi di poterlo nascondere da me?"

"Non va bene, amico mio. Devi essere più onesto!"

'Oh no... What have I done...' Isaac, upon hearing her proudly talk, could only conjure up a wry smile as he started to realize what he had done. 'She seems to love speaking this way though... Albeit I don't mind it...'

"Mio Dio, You're very good at it." Chuckling wryly, Isaac walked up to her with his umbrella while shaking his head.

"Of couse... Me and my father would always practice this when I was child." She said with a soft smile as if remembering a distant memory.

[+5]

"That's nice." Isaac commented with a warm smile, seeing her change in demeanor.

Shortly after their short conversation, the two them went off-road and started climbing a hill that would lead them to the location Navia provided. It was quite far, but since they were at a hill, they were confident that they'd get a vantage point.

Since it was still raining and the environment was muddy, Isaac paid close attention to their surroundings and Navia to prevent any kind of accidents such as slipping.

Fortunately, no such things happened and the two of them reached the top of the hill.

"Phew, that's it." Still holding on tightly to her parasol, Navia looked at the distance and nodded her head in confirmation. "That's it— that's the location of the painting."

"The Weeping Willow of the Lake."

In the distance, a massive weeping willow tree atop a large boulder could be seen. Although the rain was limiting the view, it's presence was quite prominent and was shard to miss.

The looming clouds in the horizon blocked off all the sunlight that could possibly permeate through its veil— drowning the land beneath it with its darkness.

Even then, the soothing rain coupled with the howling winds coming from the mountains contradicted this phenomenon. This otherwise inconvenient weather, was, for better or worse, soothing.

"The Weeping Willow, huh?" Looking at the distance, Isaac, who was holding his umbrella, commented. "Do people still go there?"

"Some daring hikers and adventurers do," She said as she stood beside him, also surveying the area. "Though, there shouldn't be any people present around this time."

"Well, I expected that much, at least," Isaac shrugged his shoulders. He then took out his revolver and made sure all the bullets in its brass canister were present. "Let's be careful. Hydro Eidolons might be present nearby as well as some rifthounds."

"How'd you know that?" Turning her head to Isaac, she curiously asked him.

"I won't be an investigator if I haven't at least gathered information beforehand." He replied as he rolled his eyes at her with a wry smirk. Leading the way, he continued, "Come on then."

Isaac was just about to lead the way, when suddenly, a flash went past his eye that caught him off guard. "Huh?"

"Race you there!" Navia, who, despite carrying her parasol, ran quite fast. With a mischievous expression, she looked at Isaac. "The last one is a rotten egg!"

"...but it's raining... how..." Isaac, looking at her get further from him, commented with a wry expression. Looking at the way she ran, he made a confused expression. "How is she not slipping...?"

Isaac wanted to entertain this thought more, but upon seeing Navia go down the hill at astonishing speed, his inner competitiveness couldn't help but he lit up.

"Well, if that's how you want to play..." Shaking his head, Isaac let out a soft sigh before smirking. "Then so be it."

Meanwhile, Navia, who was running at an adequately fast speed down the hill, miraculously was able to not trip and fall.

Of course, this was but one of the many skills she developed as the head of the Spina Di Rosula. No matter the adversity, she must have a vast array of trump cards to use at any given moment.

Her lush blonde hair fluttered in the air as the wind went past her, and, because she was wearing a compact suit made for outdoor hiking, she didn't have to worry about getting mud all over her.

'Is Isaac lagging behind?' Sensing no one behind her, Navia turned around to see Isaac and to rouse up his competitiveness. "What's wrong, Isaac? Couldn't keep up?"

However, when she turned around, she suddenly saw Isaac's figure running up to her. What surprised her was that he was actually catching up!

"Wait— what, huh?!"

"Hold on! How are you able to do that?!" Seeing Isaac not tripping in all the slippery mud, Navia couldn't help but shout at him as she saw him rapidly approaching her like a train.

"Heh, my genius is... It's almost terrifying!" Isaac smirked as he gradually got closer and closer behind Navia.

"You...!" Finally, the moment Isaac got closer to her, Navia was able to understand how he was able to stay upright. She then called him out, "You're using your vision!"

Beneath Isaac's feat, small but sharp spike-like roots were present. Each time Isaac's foot landed, the roots would extend and plant themselves in the ground, giving him traction. They would then retract and the process repeats itself.

With their help, Isaac was able to run without having to worry about falling down.

That's right! Isaac has made—

"This is the power of Track Spike Shoes!" He said proudly as he slowly caught up to her.

"That's cheating!" Navia shouted, however, she didn't slow down one bit and instead kept running to outrun Isaac who was chasing her like a bull.

"Says who?!" He replied while breathing heavily as he ran. "This is an impromptu challenge!"

"Even so! Using a vision is still cheating!"

"Skill issue!"

"What?!"

---

As Navia and Isaac ran down the hill shouting at each other while also having fun, in the far distance, two figures also carrying umbrellas could be seen observing them.

One was a tall figure while the other was petite.

"Is that not..." The tall figure, having observed Isaac's shenanigans, was just about to point him out when he noticed the petite person next to him.

"That... What is Isaac doing with her?" The other figure said while keeping an eye on Isaac and Navia.

"WHY... Is he with her?"

The petite figure's voice deepened solemnly. Whether it's from frustration, irritation, anger, or disappointment was unknown.

"..." The other tall figure remained silent, and merely watched with impartiality.


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