"Hmph!"
Felina, dressed in cute pajamas, leaned against the headboard and gave a cold snort.
Sending a few mortals without Visions to assassinate the Hydro Archon in her own domain? No rational person would think of such a thing.
She had initially been worried about the enemy lurking in the shadows, but when the assassins used the Primordial Seawater water to dissolve right in front of her, she began to understand.
From the mastermind's perspective, if the assassination failed, having the assassins use Primordial Seawater to dissolve themselves would ensure no one was left alive to provide clues, making it the best choice.
If the target had been anyone else, this approach would indeed leave no trace—but this time, the target was Felina.
Felina, the transmigrator who knew the storyline inside out!
In Fontaine's story, twenty years ago, a Snezhnayan adventurer named Vacher and his lover, Vigneire, went adventuring in Fontaine.
During their journey, Vigneire, a Fontaine native, accidentally came into contact with Primordial Seawater and was instantly dissolved.
With a scowl, Felina thought things through. Furina was her most cherished person, and she was determined to eliminate any hidden threats against her.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind as she considered every possibility.
"When you can't determine a person's motives, consider what that person desires most."
"To attempt an assassination on a Archon, Marcel should know how great the cost would be if he failed!"
"If he dared to attempt it, it means the reward he seeks must be equal to the risk of assassinating a god."
"In that case, his motives become easier to guess. He's likely grown desperate after years of trying to revive his lover Vigneire with no success and now hopes to find answers from Furina, who is publicly known as the Hydro Archon."
"But why would he be so confident that a few ordinary people could bring down Furina?"
Felina fell into thought again, and after a moment, her eyes gleamed with a sharp insight.
"Unless he somehow learned that Furina has no divine powers, which would explain why he believed a few mortals would be enough to take her down!"
With this deduction, Felina's lips curled into a confident smile. She'd almost fully figured things out.
Now that the pieces were falling into place, she immediately began formulating a counterstrategy.
[Ding~ Congratulations, Host, on successfully protecting Furina from the assassin's attack. Guardian Points acquired!]
[Current Guardian Points meet the second-tier reward unlock condition. Congratulations, Host, on receiving the second-tier Guardian Reward: Pure Water Spirit Body!]
[Pure Water Spirit Body: Enhances the Host's physique, granting a body identical to that of the Oceanid first born from the Primordial Sea]
[All life was once nurtured by the Primordial Sea. With the Pure Water Spirit Body, the Host need not fear dissolving upon contact with Primordial Sea and gains the ability to alter creation itself, allowing Fontaine natives to become fully human or transforming ordinary humans back into Primordial Seawater.]
"Whoa… that's incredible!"
Reading the Pure Water Spirit Body description, Felina's eyes widened in astonishment.
When the assassin had dissolved in front of her, her first reaction had been to leap back, afraid of coming into contact with the Primordial Sea herself, since Furina would also dissolve upon touching it.
But now, with the Pure Water Spirit Body, Furina no longer had to fear the Primordial Sea.
As for the body's ability to alter creation, it was an even more astonishing power. With this, she could transform Fontaine natives into complete humans.
Although she wasn't capable of transforming the entire population like Neuvillette, who held the full power of the Dragon Sovereign, she could at least help friends transform individually.
"Not only can I turn Fontaine natives into complete humans, but I can also reverse the process and turn ordinary humans into Primordial Seawater..."
A faint smile appeared on Felina's face.
Since Marcel dared to target Furina, she was determined to take him down. She hated constantly being on high alert.
Initially, she had planned straightforward measures to deal with Marcel, but now, with the Pure Water Spirit Body, she might have a more dramatic approach.
"Alright, time to sleep. I'll deal with the rest tomorrow."
Smiling, she slipped under the covers. Though Furina was already asleep, they shared a single body, so rest was still necessary to keep the body in good health.
...
Meanwhile, after the failed assassination attempt on Furina...
In the Confrerie of Cabriere, Marcel's expression was dark.
Yes, just as Felina had deduced, he had kidnapped twenty-four young girls over the past twenty years to perform human experiments, all for the hope of reuniting with his lover.
Twenty years—an unbearably long time for a mere mortal.
After two decades of risking everything, he saw no glimmer of hope for seeing his lover again.
Until recently, when he overheard two children talking.
"By the way, there's no one who understands water better than Lady Furina, right?"
"Of course! Lady Furina is the Hydro Archon. Who could know water better than her?"
The casual exchange struck Marcel like a revelation!
Yes, who could understand water better than the Hydro Archon herself?
If anyone in the world could help him see Vigneire again, it had to be the Hydro Archon, right?
With that thought, Marcel set his sights on Furina.
Although Marcel had the idea of obtaining information related to Primordial Seawater from Furina, figuring out how to do it was challenging.
To get the information, he first had to meet with Furina.
But as the Hydro Archon and Fontaine's greatest celebrity, Furina's appointments were scheduled years in advance.
Even if he managed to meet Furina, why would she share any information with him?
And even if she did, why would she, as a god, agree to help him with his experiments?
Most crucially, going directly to Furina might expose him as the culprit behind the series of young girls' disappearances.
So, from Marcel's perspective, asking Furina for help through regular channels was almost impossible.
Just when he was about to give up, fate offered him a new opportunity.
Over the past few days, whether he was at a café, a tavern, a restaurant, or a park, he frequently overheard people discussing Furina.
…
Marcel couldn't understand why the girl, who seemed as delicate as a little white rabbit in his observations, had suddenly turned so ruthless.
"She dispatched four of my skilled men in mere moments—who was it that claimed she had no power?"
"Damn it! Is this the true power of Fontaine's most beloved star? Her acting skills are truly remarkable!"
"Fortunately, all my men managed to destroy any evidence. Even if the Hydro Archon investigates, she shouldn't be able to trace anything back to me!"
Marcel's expression grew dark, but for now, he didn't dare target Furina again.
...
House of the Hearth was an orphanage founded by Snezhnaya, under the management of the Fatui Harbinger known as the "Servant."
The House of the Hearth took in orphans from all over the world. When these children grew up, some would join the ranks of the Fatui army, while others, if particularly talented, would become operatives stationed in various nations.
Currently, the House of the Hearth had a branch in Fontaine.
A boy named Lyney was writing a letter.
—Father, as per your instructions, we guided Marcel (Vacher) to attack the Hydro Archon, Furina. However, things didn't go as expected. Furina is not as weak and innocent as she appears. She can control elemental power and easily dispatched the assassins Marcel sent.
...
The next morning, Furina woke up bright and early.
"Good morning, Felina!"
Before she knew it, Felina had become an indispensable presence at Furina's side.
Felina's arrival had been so sudden that Furina still had a lingering sense of disbelief, sometimes worrying that Felina might disappear just as abruptly as she had appeared.
So every morning, the first thing Furina did was to greet Felina. It was much like how someone newly in love would reach out upon waking to see if their lover was still by their side.
"Good morning, Furina!" Felina's voice responded as expected. She smiled, "Furina, may I take control of the body today?"
"Of course! Do you need to take care of something?"
"Yeah, I need to discuss yesterday's assassination attempt with Neuvillette."
"And, do you remember the case of the missing girls?"
"The case of the missing girls?"
Furina was stunned for a moment. Over the past twenty years, twenty-four young girls had gone missing in Fontaine, seemingly vanishing without a trace, making the case a famous unsolved mystery.
"Yes," Felina replied. "Have you ever considered that the reason these girls were never found might be because they had already turned into water?"
Though Furina usually appeared innocent and carefree, she was, after all, five hundred years old and quite clever.
She quickly grasped Felina's implication: "You're saying… the culprit behind the disappearances and the mastermind behind last night's assassination attempt might be the same person?"
"Yes."
Felina nodded. "It's very likely. As for who the culprit is, I already have a good guess. Today, I need control of the body to set a trap for him."
"Just sit back and enjoy the show, Furina. I'll make sure he receives the punishment he deserves, in front of the whole audience at the opera house!"
"Solving the case of the missing girls will bring closure to the families of the victims, enhance our reputation, and strengthen people's belief in us as the Hydro Archon!"
...
In the office of Neuvillette, Fontaine's Chief Justice.
Felina recounted the events of the previous night's assassination attempt, as well as her knowledge of Primordial Seawater, the origins of Fontaine's people, and other related matters.
"I see!" Neuvillette, calm by nature, remained composed even after hearing Felina's explanation.
"I never expected Fontaine's history to be this way."
Taking a deep breath, Neuvillette looked at Felina. "So, Fontaine's people are actually incomplete humans transformed from Oceanids. When they come into contact with Primordial Sea, they revert to their original form, essentially dissolving into water."
"In other words, the so-called prophecy of Fontaine may refer to Primordial Sea flooding Fontaine and dissolving its people, transforming them all back into Oceanid?"
"It's not just a possibility—it's a certainty," Felina insisted.
Neuvillette frowned slightly. "You mentioned earlier that you wanted to disclose this information to the public. Personally, I feel this may not be wise, as it could trigger widespread panic."
"No worries."
Felina smiled seriously. "I can tell you this with confidence: the prophecy will come to pass within a few years. Rather than hiding it from the people, it's better to let them be mentally prepared."
"Don't worry; I will resolve the prophecy. All they need to do is place their faith in me, their goddess!"