It was obvious—Furina, as she was called by Neuvillette, was brimming with pride.
If she had a little tail right now, it would probably be wagging straight up into the sky.
After all, Neuvillette wasn't just anybody—he was the Hydro Dragon King. Among the people of Fontaine, the prestige he had accumulated over the last five hundred years far outshone her own.
In the past, Furina simply lacked the strength and confidence.
Now, although she still wasn't a match for Neuvillette or Focalors, her future was limitless. And more importantly…
Here, on Fontaine's soil, where she had seized the nation's destiny, Furina could wield the Celestial Investiture of the Gods.
That made her a sovereign whom no creature of Fontaine could ever defy.
Whatever Furina did now, she did with confidence.
Her intuition told her—the prophecy crisis was nothing to fear.
She immediately turned to Focalors, snorted coldly, and declared:
"You're finished, Focalors! Once I suppress the prophecy crisis, I'll choose someone else to be the Hydro Archon!"
"As for you, I'll seal you as the Spring Goddess of the Lumidouce Harbor! Let's see how you like cursing me for another five hundred years!"
Clorinde twitched at the corner of her mouth, lowering her voice:
"Lady Furina, a true sovereign must be magnanimous."
Especially considering, strictly speaking, Focalors could almost be considered Furina's mother.
This was a bit too topsy-turvy.
"Hmph!"
Furina glared at Clorinde.
"I am a petty sovereign! So what?!"
Clorinde opened her mouth to argue, but Focalors gave a wry smile and interrupted:
"Leave aside your thoughts of revenge for now. If, afterward, you want to seal me as a gatekeeper god, so be it. But for the moment…"
"Can you explain how exactly you intend to resolve Fontaine's prophecy crisis?"
"You've shattered my plan and insisted the prophecy crisis is no issue at all, but you should at least give me a concrete method, shouldn't you?"
Furina scowled in dissatisfaction.
"Unbelievable! You're not even listening properly to your sovereign!"
"Didn't I just say? With my cultivation art—the Celestial Investiture of the Gods!"
Focalors opened her mouth and muttered:
"You've been boasting for ages, but you still haven't explained what this Investiture actually is!"
"…I didn't?"
Clorinde sighed.
"No, Lady Furina. You didn't."
"Ah… ha…ha…"
Furina coughed dryly, then straightened, putting on a solemn face:
"A sovereign, too, may be guilty of oversight! But more importantly, Clorinde, why didn't you remind me? This time I'll let it slide. Next time, I'll have to punish you, got it?"
Burdened with this inexplicable blame, Clorinde's face darkened.
She told herself Furina would mature someday, forcing herself into calm only after a long stretch of self-persuasion.
Furina, brushing past the awkward moment, assumed a more serious tone:
"The Celestial Investiture of the Gods is a cultivation art I found in Mount Shu's Sutra Pavilion. The sect master said it originated from some imperial dynasty in the Immortal Realm."
"Its potential is extremely high."
"It embodies the very essence of the sovereign's way. Its manifestations are complicated and hard to summarize briefly."
"But in simple terms: wherever the sovereign's way extends, wherever national fortune exists, there the sovereign's decree is absolute."
"Based on my deduction, once I reach the late stage of Refining Essence into Qi, Fontaine's destiny will grow even stronger."
"Then, I can perform the Investiture, forcibly altering the physique of Fontaine's people and suppressing the Primordial Sea."
"As for that big fellow inside—irrelevant!"
Furina's plan was brutally straightforward: wait until she grew stronger.
No need for elaborate schemes—just advance two small realms further, and the so-called prophecy crisis would cease to be one.
Honestly, compared to Focalors' original plan, it was laughably simple.
One could even say—no need to think, just bulldoze through.
But… wasn't that too simple?
A crisis that had plagued Fontaine for five hundred years could really be solved that easily?
Focalors couldn't shake the sense of unreality.
Furina, sensing her thoughts, pursed her lips and said softly:
"Hearsay is false, only sight is true. Hmph! Watch closely—your sovereign will now demonstrate what the Celestial Investiture truly is."
As her words fell, Furina channeled her true essence, linking it to the nation's fortune. In that instant, she felt omnipotent.
But when it came to altering Fontaine's human constitution…
That, she could not yet achieve. Her cultivation was too low, and more importantly, if she lacked sufficient true essence, the nation's fortune would bleed away on a vast scale.
Even if she changed the people's bodies, the loss of destiny would bring catastrophe upon catastrophe—earthquakes every few weeks, until fortune recovered.
That would be nothing but fishing with the waters drained.
Suppressing that temptation, Furina's gaze shone with golden sovereign will.
Her eyes swept across Focalors and Neuvillette, forcing them both to avert their gaze.
She, however, ignored it, speaking softly:
"By sovereign's decree: the beast responsible for the serial abductions of young girls—confess at once!"
The words reverberated. In the unseen realm, Focalors and Neuvillette both felt an immense force flow through the air.
Yet to them, it was strangely warm and intimate.
They guessed—it must be the power of national destiny.
Furina withdrew her true essence, smiling as she sat back down.
"There, done! Neuvillette, I just did you a huge favor. That serial case you've failed to solve for twenty years—the culprit has already confessed."
"This…"
Neuvillette looked around in puzzlement, seeing no change.
"Be patient! A self-surrender still takes time, doesn't it?"
No sooner had she spoken than a rapid knock sounded at the door.
Focalors instantly dispersed into mist.
Neuvillette spoke:
"Enter."
The door opened, and the visitor stepped in. Seeing Furina, he froze briefly, then offered a respectful bow.
"Lady Furina, Lord Chief Justice—the culprit of the twenty-year-old serial abductions has just surrendered himself."
Neuvillette frowned slightly.
"Truly? Chevreuse?"
Though Chevreuse's face stayed composed, the joy in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Yes. The culprit is none other than the president of the Cabrillet Chamber of Commerce, Marcelle. He surrendered moments ago in White Birch Town—the message was rushed to me immediately."
"They say Marcelle is an alias. His real name is Vashe, the mastermind behind the serial abductions."
"According to the report from White Birch Town, Marcelle admitted that the kidnapped girls had all been dissolved in experiments with the Primordial Sea."
"More details are still under interrogation, but… he's been very cooperative, even providing crucial evidence himself. The local special unit is already investigating."
"Lord Chief Justice, should we dispatch someone at once to transfer him?"
A complicated look flickered in Neuvillette's eyes.
After a long pause, he sighed, just as Clorinde spoke softly:
"Captain Chevreuse, please take men there yourself and bring him to the Opera House for trial."
"Focus especially on the Lesley Trading Group—and the powers hiding behind it."
Chevreuse's face changed slightly, hesitating as she looked at Clorinde.
Even without deep knowledge of politics, she understood enough: if the forces behind Luss were exposed, countless Fontaine elites—even officials—would be implicated.
It would be a massive upheaval.
"Do as Clorinde suggests, Chevreuse."
"Whatever happens, fear not—your sovereign will ensure nothing goes wrong!"
Furina's words rang with commanding authority, compelling Chevreuse to nod reflexively.
Only afterward did she realize—Furina seemed utterly transformed.
There was now a weight in her tone that brooked no doubt.
"I understand. I'll depart immediately."
At the door, Chevreuse suddenly turned back.
"Also—Lady Furina, Lady Clorinde—congratulations on your admission to Mount Shu."
With that, she departed.
Furina beamed.
"How rare! Chevreuse actually offered such polite words."
"So, Clorinde—why did you have her target the Luss Group's backers?"
Clorinde gave her a speechless look.
"Lady Furina, I thought you had already discerned my intention, which was why you agreed."
"How could I? I'm not a worm in your belly!"
Furina scratched her cheek, muttering:
"I just thought whatever you did was for me, for Fontaine, so I went along with it."
Clorinde sighed.
"That is not wrong in essence. But, Lady Furina—your studies in the art of sovereignty must now begin."
"Since you prepare to become Fontaine's monarch, you cannot inherit a nation that prospers in appearance yet rots in the shadows."
"The Fontaine you bear must be united and thriving. The Luss Group's backers—we've spared them until now for the sake of stability."
"But now, we no longer need them."
"Eradicating them swiftly is best. As your guardian, I will handle the filth. You need only fulfill your duties as sovereign."
Furina wore a thoughtful look—but in truth, she hadn't understood a word.
"Anyway, Clorinde, you've shown great devotion."
She cleared her throat, turning to Neuvillette and the reappearing Focalors.
"Well? Were you not awed by my power? Honestly, I didn't expect Marcelle to be the culprit all along."
"He really hid himself well."
Neuvillette sighed, regarding Furina with mixed feelings.
In fact, he had long suspected Marcelle, but without evidence—and given the circumstances in court years ago—he had been constrained.
The Chief Justice's seat was never easy.
Back then, there was Vashe, and later… Karys.
Karys could be set aside, but regarding Vashe—Neuvillette knew he bore some responsibility too.
Yet now…
None of that mattered anymore.
Burying the matter deep in his heart, he looked at Furina.
"Lady Furina, Marcelle—Vashe—you yourself bore witness to those events years ago."
"You pursued fairness in the farce of the courtroom chase."
"As for Vashe, I knew a little. His lover was dissolved by the waters of the Primordial Sea."
"And afterward… came the serial abductions. Looking back, he must have been experimenting with those girls."
"His motive—likely to find a way to restore his beloved."
What Neuvillette revealed wasn't much, but with Marcelle's confession, many details now fell into place.
Furina and the others understood more clearly.
After a while, Furina sighed, murmuring:
"A tragic soul, after all. A fool in love…"
Clorinde cast Neuvillette a meaningful glance, then fixed Furina with a steady gaze.
"So—Lady Furina, will you grant him a lighter sentence? As sovereign, you have the power."
"Huh? Leniency? Why on earth would I do that?"
Furina looked at her as though she'd lost her mind.
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