"Once upon a time, there was a couple."
"The man was named Vacher, a Snezhnayan; the woman was Vigneire, a Fontainian. The two met at the Adventurers' Guild and shared a very beautiful time together."
"Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. During an exploration, Vacher and Vigneire discovered a very strange spring. The water emitted a milky white glow, flowing slowly in a small pool."
"Both were captivated by the sight and forgot a life-saving rule: if you don't recognize it, don't touch it!"
"Curious, Vigneire dipped her hand into the water. In that instant, something horrific happened. Starting from her wrist, her entire body began to break down, dissolving into a puddle of water."
"She didn't even have time to—"
Before Xia Yu could finish, Furina jumped up, interrupting her. "Wait? You said dissolved into water?"
"That contradicts common sense, Lady Ei," Neuvillette added, his eyes fixed on her as if testing her. "How can a human... turn into water?"
"Could it be..." Chevreuse and Navia shared a glance; they both immediately thought of that prophecy.
"There has always been a prophecy in Fontaine, that everyone will be dissolved in the sea, leaving only the Hydro Archon weeping on her throne..."
"Don't interrupt," Xia Yu said, not answering directly. She scanned the room and spoke with righteous authority. "Please respect my hard work. This is a story I pieced together clue by clue, treading across countless lands from Fontaine to Snezhnaya."
"At least let me finish, okay?"
"Go on, please go on..." Seeing her serious expression, Furina shrank back slightly and grabbed Xia Yu's arm. "I definitely won't interrupt again!"
The others also put on an air of attentive listening. They could tell that Lady Ei was not like their "kind and generous" Lady Furina.
"Where was I?" Xia Yu recalled for a second. "Oh, right. Vigneire didn't even leave a final word before she vanished from this world."
"Vacher was heartbroken. He even ignored the danger and reached into the spring frantically, trying to fish his lover back out. Sadly, he could do nothing."
"It was only then that he realized: the spring water that could dissolve Vigneire had no effect on him."
Hearing this, the group exchanged looks. As expected. Vacher was Snezhnayan, Vigneire was Fontainian.
The prophecy only mentioned Fontainians being dissolved.
"He returned to the Court of Fontaine in a daze and reported the accident to the Adventurers' Guild, but everyone just thought he'd gone mad. 'How can a person dissolve into water?' was the most common response he heard. He tried reporting it to the Maison Gardiennage, but the result was no different."
"Everyone thought his grief had caused him to hallucinate such an absurdity. Having no one to turn to, Vacher fell into complete despair. Hearing himself become the laughingstock of the city, the blow of losing his lover combined with the mockery shattered his sanity."
"On a dark and windy night, he kidnapped a woman who had mocked him the most. He went through immense hardship to return to that ruin and found the spring. He put her in. Sure enough, the woman dissolved, just like Vigneire."
"At that moment, he felt relieved. He wasn't crazy; Vigneire really had died in such a bizarre way. He made up his mind: he had to bring the dissolved Vigneire back."
"He didn't return to Fontaine immediately. Instead, he went back to his homeland, Snezhnaya, and used his connections to forge a new identity." Xia Yu looked at Navia. "Marcel."
"Having lived in Fontaine for a long time, he understood the customs. He emptied his savings to buy a shipment of goods in Snezhnaya and brought them back to Fontaine to start a small business."
"...Marcel. I remember my father first met him because he could bring many fresh things to Poisson—foreign goods from Snezhnaya," Navia said, her expression dazed. "Back then... Spina di Rosula wasn't as large as it is now..."
"My father always treated him as a bosom friend because of that bond of building something from nothing together... I never imagined... I never imagined..."
"Don't blame Mr. Callas," Xia Yu shook her head. "Who could have guessed that a small merchant met in youth would harbor such evil intentions?"
"Anyway, as his business grew, Vacher—no, Marcel—finally began his plan. By kidnapping young girls the same age as Vigneire, he experimented on the spring water, observing patterns in hopes of one day bringing Vigneire back."
"But such frequent disappearances eventually shook Fontaine. Under the heavy search of the Marechaussee Hunter and the Special Patrol, even if the spring could destroy evidence, he was in a tight spot."
"Marcel realized that if he wanted to continue his experiments, he couldn't just focus on business. He began to associate with Fontaine's nobility and officials. Originally, many looked down on a small merchant like him. Being 'fair-weather friends' was fine, but asking them to cover up such a major crime was a dream."
"However, his research on the water eventually yielded a result. He discovered that if the spring water was diluted to a specific ratio, it became a beverage with an incomparable, natural attraction to Fontainians."
"After drinking it, Fontainians feel excited and experience pleasant hallucinations. Long-term use results in side effects like loss of concentration and emotional instability. Once they stop drinking it, they feel exhausted all day and experience unexplained anxiety."
"He named this drink Sinthe."
Xia Yu's face went cold. "Using the profits from selling Sinthe, he amassed a fortune in a short time. He used that wealth to bribe officials, making them his 'protective umbrella.' This is why the serial disappearances became Fontaine's greatest and most unsolvable cold case. Most of the time, clues simply led nowhere. He even managed to obtain a batch of Clockwork Meka from nobles and officials to guard his lair."
"Two years ago, Mr. Callas of Spina di Rosula sensed the danger of this drink and was determined to eradicate this plague for the people of Fontaine. By then, he was already a famous figure, even the aquabus lines were named after his donations."
"When someone with such influence labeled Sinthe as contraband, it naturally affected their business," Xia Yu looked at Navia. "So, they tried to bribe and threaten Mr. Callas."
"But all attempts failed. Mr. Callas worked even harder to track down the people behind them and successfully turned a member of the Sinthe distribution ring into an informant."
Xia Yu looked at Navia. "That man was named Jacques!"
"Jacques?!" Navia looked up sharply. "The man who died outside the manor that day?"
"According to the files, it was a rainy day," Neuvillette added. "Mr. Callas was hosting a banquet at his manor. He received a message midway and left in a hurry. Then, two gunshots were heard from outside. The guests went out to check and saw Mr. Callas holding a gun, with Jacques dead from a bullet wound."
Neuvillette continued, "There were many suspicious points. For instance, though two shots were heard, only one bullet had been fired from Mr. Callas's gun. The second gun was found some distance away from Jacques, near some clothes he had used for a disguise... Such a suspicious case should have been investigated thoroughly, but no matter how many times we checked, no other clues were found. No third person was at the scene."
"In the end, it was closed as Mr. Callas shooting Jacques. But now it seems..."
"Those clothes!" Suddenly, Navia looked at Xia Yu. "The clothes everyone ignored! Everyone thought they were just props Jacques used for his disguise... but if... if that water really exists... and it was a rainy day..."
"Destroying the evidence and ensuring the dead can't testify," Xia Yu nodded. "After all, no one would believe a person could be dissolved by water."
"So that's it... that's the truth..." Navia murmured, "But why? Why did father insist on using a duel to prove his innocence? Why wouldn't he give up, even at the cost of his life?"
"He could have waited in the Fortress of Meropide. Even if he spent a few years in prison, there would eventually be hope for his name to be cleared!" She looked at Xia Yu. "Lady Ei, I don't understand..."
"I think you can go back and ask those closest to you," Xia Yu patted her shoulder. "From them, you might get the answer."
"And now, Chevreuse!"
"Please give the order, Lady Ei!" Chevreuse stood up straight and saluted. She had been itching to deal with those parasites in the government for a long time.
"Interrogate Vacher. Tell him that because the serial disappearance case is so significant and has brought countless negative consequences to Fontaine, the Opera Epiclese will not be able to accommodate the crowd for the trial. Therefore, the trial will be held in a wasteland outside the city, so all Fontainians can witness the end of this demon who harmed so many girls. After the trial, he will be hanged on the spot!"
Xia Yu paused, then continued, "But... if Vacher is willing to name the nobles and officials who colluded with him, then the trial can be moved back to the Opera Epiclese."
"...Will that work?" Furina whispered, tugging at Xia Yu's sleeve. "Just changing the location of the trial..."
"Don't worry, he'll talk," Xia Yu smiled. "He'll talk more clearly than anyone."
After all, the Fountain of Lucine is right in front of the Opera Epiclese. If the trial isn't held there, how can Vacher fulfill his dying wish to 'meet' Vigneire? Xia Yu didn't believe for a second that his relationship with corrupt officials outweighed Vigneire in his heart.
"Once he confesses, take the Special Patrol and arrest everyone. Anyone in Fontaine, no matter who they are, if they are on that list, arrest them first and interrogate them later!"
"If anyone asks for the charge, tell them they intended to assassinate the Hydro Archon and incite a rebellion. I'm not even framing them—the Clockwork Meka Marcel had were sold by them, and they indeed attacked me."
Xia Yu thought for a few seconds. "If the news leaks and someone flees abroad, send official letters to the gods of those nations in the name of the Hydro Archon. State that these individuals attempted to subvert the system of The Seven and negotiate for extradition."
At this, Furina's grip on Xia Yu's arm tightened. She was terrified of meeting other gods. Xia Yu patted her hand, signaling 'I've got this.'
(In truth, Xia Yu knew that even if the letters were sent, few gods would care. Venti? He probably already knows the truth about Fontaine. Zhongli? He's busy planning his retirement. Ei? Self-isolating. Nahida? In prison. Mavuika? Busy with Natlan's own mess. As for the Tsaritsa? Snezhnaya's Fatui probably already have the whole report on her desk before the letter even arrives. It was only Furina's lack of knowledge that made her so nervous.)
"In short, not a single one of these parasites can be allowed to escape," Xia Yu said coldly. "It seems people have forgotten the 'cleansing' from hundreds of years ago." She glanced pointedly at Neuvillette.
She expected the Chief Justice to object, given his rigid nature. But surprisingly, Neuvillette remained silent. He had long sensed the internal rot of Fontaine but was powerless to solve it through standard legal channels. Using force was sensitive for him, but if the "Hydro Archon" (or her proxy) wanted to do it, he wouldn't stand in the way.
"One more thing, Neuvillette. I don't trust some members of the Special Patrol," Xia Yu said directly in front of Chevreuse. "In such a large team, there are bound to be those with weak wills who were bribed. I need a team of Melusines to guard Vacher!"
"And get Clorinde—that's her name, right? The Champion Duelist. Call her; she can be trusted."
"As for Chevreuse, I trust your character. You may have full contact with Vacher. His interrogation is also yours to handle. Make sure he gives up the names within the Special Patrol first."
"Yes!" Chevreuse had no objections. Even she couldn't guarantee her team was 100% clean.
"I will arrange for people to cooperate," Neuvillette added. "Is there anything else we need to do, Lady Ei?"
"Not for now, but..." Xia Yu turned to Navia, who was wiping away tears.
"Miss Navia, please accept my condolences. Your father was an exceptional man. His passing is a great loss to Fontaine. We will definitely clear his name during the trial. To express our mourning and respect for his contributions, after the trial, Lady Furina and I will visit Poisson to offer our condolences. It was our negligence that led to Mr. Callas's tragedy."
"No, don't say that," Navia wiped her tears away and looked at Xia Yu gratefully. "Lady Ei, Lady Furina... if not for your persistent efforts over the last two years, tracking the case from Fontaine to Snezhnaya, my father's name might never have been cleared. I really am grateful to you. You have brought justice to our family..."
"No," Xia Yu shook her head. "Justice that is late is not called justice. It is merely the truth."
Chevreuse winced. Is it really okay to debate the definition of justice right in front of the actual God of Justice? She peeked at Lady Furina, only to find her nodding in agreement.
"Lady Ei..." Navia was moved to tears. Every word this woman said hit her right in the heart.
"In any case, it's settled," Xia Yu cautioned. "But for today, only we in this room can know these details. Do not spread them yet. You should understand why."
The fact that Fontainians could dissolve into water... Everyone in the room knew what that meant. It would cause a nationwide panic. After all, that prophecy had been circulating for five hundred years.