[The Knave: That is simply the truth. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. If Furina were only an ordinary person, she could have done nothing at all when disaster struck. But she is the Hydro Archon. The expectations of the people all rested upon her—everyone's expectations. And yet she could do nothing. This outcome was inevitable.]
[Sigewinne: All this time, Furina has borne so much blame and doubt.]
[Wriothesley: Why did Furina have to masquerade as a god? She maintained the act for five hundred years. Why didn't the real Hydro Archon expose her? Why let her run free in Fontaine for five centuries? This is the Nation of Water. What could be hidden from the Hydro Archon?]
[Venti: Although I live in seclusion in Mondstadt and have never told anyone my true identity, if someone tried to use the Anemo Archon's name to seize control of the Knights of Favonius, I would expose them.]
[Zhongli: My approach is much the same as Venti's. So the answer is already quite clear. Furina's masquerade as a god was something the Hydro Archon, Focalors, tacitly permitted—or even arranged.]
[Ningguang: But why would the Hydro Archon do such a thing?]
[Focalors: Hahaha, I've been quietly watching the broadcast room for quite some time. I never expected the conversation to suddenly turn to me. That's right. All of this was arranged by me. It is the only conceivable method I could think of to save Fontaine. As for the specifics, I believe the answer will emerge shortly. The trial is the final act of the prophecy.]
In the video, Neuvillette delivered the final verdict: "I believe the trial has reached its conclusion. There is no point in further meaningless discussion. Let us now proceed to the sentencing."
"I, in the capacity of Chief Justice, find that Furina, in the identity of a human, masqueraded as a god and deceived the people."
"Guilty!"
Upon hearing those words, all strength seemed to drain from Furina in an instant. She sat alone upon the divine throne, tears flowing silently down her face.
Neuvillette continued the sentencing: "Now, let the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale render the final judgment."
The Oratrice began to activate, powerful Hydro elemental energy coursing through it. The verdict slipped out from the device.
Neuvillette looked at the slip of paper produced by the Oratrice and read aloud, "According to the judgment delivered by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, I hereby pronounce..."
Neuvillette stopped short. The words that followed caught in his throat.
Paimon: "What's wrong? What does it say?"
Lumine: "Could it be that the Oratrice returned a verdict of not guilty?"
Neuvillette: "No. The Oratrice has likewise returned a verdict of guilty."
Paimon spread her hands: "Then there's no problem, right?"
Neuvillette: "No. It is what is written here... It reads: The Hydro Archon—guilty."
"Death sentence!"
[Paimon: How is that possible?! A death sentence?!]
[Wriothesley: The death penalty? Fontaine has never had the death penalty!]
[Neuvillette: I was equally shocked to see this verdict. I never imagined that the death penalty even existed in Fontaine.]
[Ningguang: I wonder if any of you noticed—the judgment reads "The Hydro Archon—death sentence," not "Furina—death sentence." Furina is not the Hydro Archon, is she?]
[Neuvillette: Indeed. It seems there is yet a deeper layer of secrets behind this affair—secrets connected to the divine. And those secrets can only be explained by one person.]
[Focalors: Yes, Neuvillette. I have guarded this secret alone for five hundred years. However, I do not wish to tell you just yet.]
[Neuvillette: ...]
In the video.
The audience was utterly stunned into silence.
"D-D-Death... the death penalty?"
"The death penalty actually exists? I always thought it was only a legend!"
"The one and only death sentence in all of history has fallen upon the one we always believed to be our god... What dramatic irony is this..."
Paimon also found the Oratrice's verdict terrifying: "Furina was actually sentenced to death by the Oratrice? We only meant to use the trial to frighten her, to make her reveal the truth. How did it suddenly turn into a death sentence?!"
Neuvillette also sank deep into thought: "This result is indeed suspicious. But by Fontaine's current definition of justice and standards of trial, does Furina's crime truly warrant the death penalty?"
Paimon: "That's right! Even Vacher, the mastermind behind the serial disappearances of young women, was never sentenced to death!"
Lumine then discovered a flaw in the judgment: "What's even more suspicious is that it says 'Hydro Archon'—not 'Furina.'"
Neuvillette immediately seized upon this crucial detail: "Indeed. Furina's crime does not warrant this. Moreover, the result of this trial has already proven that Furina is not the Hydro Archon."
"And yet the Oratrice deliberately used the title 'Hydro Archon' in its verdict. What exactly does this signify?"
[Arataki Itto: The pacing of this video is really dragging things out! Just what is the secret? I really, really want to know!]
[Keqing: I want to know too.]
[Ningguang: Same here.]
[Venti: This drama really does pair perfectly with a glass of wine.]
[Furina: I want to know as well.]
[Focalors: So do I.]
[Neuvillette: ?????]
Just as everyone was steeped in confusion, a new turning point arrived.
Freminet entered the courtroom, carrying a stone tablet. "Father sent me underwater to search for the tablet. I searched beneath the water for a very, very long time and finally found it."
"What? Has the trial already ended? Then did I arrive too late? I'll have disappointed Father."
Lumine: "No, you haven't come too late. The mystery has yet to be solved."
Neuvillette also came down to ground level: "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Freminet. Please, allow me to examine the contents of this tablet."
Lumine and Paimon also gathered before the tablet and described what they saw according to their own understanding.
"The image on this tablet appears to show the Hydro Archon using divine power to turn Oceanids... into humans?"
After studying it, Neuvillette spoke: "I believe I now understand what the Hydro Archon's sin truly was. This concerns the lost history of Fontaine..."
Paimon, puzzled: "The Hydro Archon's sin? Isn't it just deceiving the people... wait, no—isn't it that Furina deceived the people?"
Neuvillette addressed Lumine: "In truth, the contents of these stone tablets should be more or less connected to everything you have experienced since arriving in Fontaine."
"Do you understand now?"
With Paimon's help, Lumine retraced her memories.
"The first tablet appears to show the former Hydro Archon using divine power to turn Oceanids into humans. In other words, the people of Fontaine were originally Oceanids. And this process... seems to be reversible?"
"The second tablet—Celestia floats in the sky. The Hydro Archon and her people are kneeling in worship toward Celestia. But Celestia also appears to have sent down a punishment. Is this the moment when the Hydro Archon and the Fontainians were saddled with original sin? And is this 'original sin' the same thing as the Hydro Archon's sin?"
"The third tablet shows the Hydro Archon sinking into the sea, with many people gathered around her. This reminds me of when Navia fell into the sea."
"The fourth tablet is the prophecy passed down by word of mouth in Fontaine—everyone dissolves into the sea, and the Hydro Archon weeps upon her throne. At first, we weren't sure whether such an apocalyptic disaster would really happen. But ever since the incident at the Fortress of Meropide, we've known that the disaster is only a matter of time."