"This is too absurd!"
Furina stared at the proceedings, dumbfounded and slightly annoyed, and couldn't help but complain to [Furina] sitting on the throne.
Interfering with a Fontaine trial—this was a very troublesome matter for Fontaine. After all, the justice and law that Fontaine sought were essentially "procedural justice" and "legality within the law."
In this process, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale was like a trash can, used to dispose of anything difficult to explain, making it "legal."
But this guy had actually scribbled on the verdict issued by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, handing the power of judgment entirely to Neuvillette. Although this couldn't be said to be directly transferring the Hydro Archon's legal authority to Neuvillette, it was reducing her own power and increasing Neuvillette's authority as Chief Justice.
"Is this a bad thing?" The blue and white-haired girl asked, resting her chin in her hand. Furina hesitated, "Well, there's nothing wrong with it, but this is too…"
She had no objections to transferring the Hydro Archon's authority. After all, during her five hundred years of rule, the major decisions in Fontaine had been made by Neuvillette, and she trusted him implicitly.
She also believed that one day, if she was no longer the Hydro Archon, everything belonging to the Hydro Archon would be entrusted to Neuvillette.
But that was in the future—
Furina, currently worried about the prophecy, couldn't think about such a distant future. If the prophecy came true, Fontaine would be destroyed. What would be the point of transferring the Hydro Archon's authority to Neuvillette then?
"Some things have to be done early. If you wait until the last minute, it will only create more problems."
"That's true…" Furina mumbled softly. Although she might be seen as a mascot by most people, she did have experience in governing.
After all, she didn't possess the power befitting the title of Hydro Archon. If she didn't do her best to fulfill her duties, Furina wouldn't be able to forgive herself.
However, as time went on, she felt increasingly inadequate, and the looming prophecy added to her mental stress. She was clearly no longer capable of being a ruler.
After all, being a ruler was a mentally demanding job, and she was already exhausted from just playing the role of the Hydro Archon in public. How could she have the energy to do anything else?
"Besides…"
"?"
"As people say, I'm the absurd Hydro Archon, right~?" The blue and white-haired girl chuckled, emphasizing the "I" and "absurd."
Furina stared blankly.
He actually managed to turn it around?!
She had originally thought that [Furina]'s image in people's eyes would be completely different from hers, and her so-called "absurdity" would become a thing of the past. But Jiang Qiao had successfully maintained the persona of the "Sovereign of All Waters, All Opulence, All People, and All Laws" while also retaining Furina's "absurdity" in people's minds.
But this was completely different!!!
Looking at the impressive [herself], Furina felt distressed.
No one knew herself better than she did. Her absurdity was purely for show, to divert people's attention with theatrics and defend her title as the Hydro Archon.
But this guy was just doing it on a whim, incorporating it because he found it amusing, making it seem so natural, as if… absurdity was just the natural course of events.
Furina felt a deep sense of defeat. Why was there such a huge difference between people?!
"Alright, let's go meet that lone Traveler."
Standing up gracefully, [Furina] said casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Really, are you that thirsty?"
"That's quite a misleading way to put it. Oh dear, look, it seems I've been misunderstood." [Furina] sighed at Fairy Ely's complaint, then waved her hand at Furina, noticing her gaze.
"Don't worry, don't worry. Do I look like the type who would lose to my primal instincts?"
"Besides, this is your body. Have some confidence in yourself." Her teasing tone made Furina roll her eyes—it was precisely because he was inside her body that she was worried!
"Seriously, what do you want with that girl?"
She wasn't worried about anything in particular. Furina was mainly puzzled and curious. Although her personality was somewhat timid, five hundred years had given her experience beyond that of ordinary mortals. Just like how she could immediately tell that a certain old man wasn't an ordinary human, through the chat group and their conversations, she could sense that there was something important going on.
"Mmm, alright~ I'll reveal a little, but just a little."
"—That girl is a crucial asset for the future you seek."
Her own gentle, elegant voice echoed in Furina's ears, making her eyes widen.
She naturally questioned the accuracy of this information, but considering Jiang Qiao's knowledge of the truth, Furina instinctively believed him.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Furina, concerned about Fontaine, became even more anxious than Jiang Qiao after receiving this answer. She grabbed [Furina]'s hand and rushed towards the backstage.
The blue and white-haired girl, being dragged along, sighed.
"Really, wait for me!" Fairy Ely complained, following behind.
—According to Neuvillette's judgment, Lumine would be placed under the custody of the guards for investigation to confirm her innocence.
"Lady Furina." Trista, a Melusine guard, was surprised to see [Jiang Furina] being dragged by [Furina Qiao], but still saluted.
She stared curiously at [Furina Qiao]. Although Lady Furina was incredibly close to humans, no matter how much of a mascot she might be, there were probably very few people in Fontaine who dared to hold her hand, let alone drag her around.
What was going on with this human?
"Trista, we'll also be participating in the investigation of this case. Also, we need to speak with her alone." Furina, with her excellent memory, was no stranger to Trista and quickly stated her request.
The result—
"Huh?"
Trista's small face scrunched up—Excuse me, who do you think you are?
Giving orders like that, did he think he was the Hydro Archon?!
… Well, to be fair, Trista felt that [Furina Qiao]'s tone and demeanor were quite familiar, just like the real Lady Furina.
But after carefully observing Furina with her unique Melusine vision, Trista's attitude remained unchanged—she wasn't buying it!
Hmph, if it weren't for Lady Furina being present, she would definitely arrest this rude, arrogant man for obstruction of justice!
—Furina immediately sensed her displeasure. Melusines weren't good at hiding their emotions. When they were angry, it was obvious.
"Ah…"
Furina instantly understood what was going on, looked down at herself, and felt embarrassed.
Oh no! She forgot she wasn't the Hydro Archon anymore!
She was so used to giving orders that she hadn't adapted to her new body—it was all this guy's fault!
Furina silently blamed [Furina], who suppressed a chuckle, then regained her composure:
"Mmm, do as she says. Her words are my words."
The blue and white-haired girl spoke calmly, her tone gentle yet firm, exuding an unquestionable authority—the authority of the "Sovereign of All Waters, All Opulence, All People, and All Laws."
"Uh, yes, Lady Furina." Trista, sensing her aura, was stunned for a moment, then nodded—Wow, Lady Furina's aura is so similar to Master Neuvillette's today. No, wait… perhaps it's even more special. She didn't have this feeling before… Forget it, whatever! As long as she's cool, it's fine!
Successfully captivated by the "aura of royalty," Trista's tone became much more amiable, a stark contrast to her previous attitude towards Furina.
Furina nearly gritted her teeth.
You're not like this with me!
She didn't like being the Hydro Archon, but seeing "someone else skillfully using what was originally hers," "receiving the reverence that belonged to her," while she could only watch, even being scolded by her former subordinate… Sob, sob, sob.
Furina activated her inner child mode—"Mine! Mine! That's all mine!"
Fortunately, there were more important matters to attend to, so Furina abandoned these complicated feelings.
—Although it might not be entirely by the book, she had to admit that the "Hydro Archon" banner was indeed very useful. As the "God of Justice," personally helping a suspect investigate and clear their name… this was fantastic!
Lumine, under guard, was led to the side hall, completely bewildered.
And then, she noticed an enthusiastic gaze—from [Furina Qiao].
The intensity of that gaze made Lumine instinctively take two steps back.
This guy… he wasn't planning to do something strange to her, was he?
Unfortunately, for safety reasons, Lumine's Dull Blade had been confiscated. Even if she wanted to defend herself, she couldn't. She could only look at Furina vigilantly, protectively covering her chest.
Lewd thoughts were not allowed! Even if they offered her Primogems… probably not!
"Hmph, it seems I'm not the bad guy here, but you are," the blue and white-haired girl said, taking a sip of tea and teasing Furina.
Furina choked, her face flushing slightly. Embarrassed, she quickly explained to Lumine, "Don't misunderstand, I'm not a good person."
"N-no… I mean, I am a good person!"
Furina wasn't usually flustered, well… at least not when she was alone—except when facing someone with a strong personality.
But perhaps because she knew from Jiang Qiao that this girl was related to the prophecy, Furina was somewhat nervous, leading to a slip of the tongue.
Although she quickly corrected herself, Lumine's expression became even more wary.
Fairy Ely chimed in with her childish, sweet voice, "Do good people introduce themselves as good people?"
Lumine nodded in agreement.
Great, she has vocal cords now, and they're from the same manufacturer (for sure).
"…Don't interrupt~! "
"Really, really, I'm a good person! Ask him! He can vouch for me!" To convince the wary Lumine, Furina could only seek Jiang Qiao's endorsement.
Lumine followed her gaze and looked at Jiang Qiao, who, in [Furina]'s form, smiled gently and nodded at her. She also nodded.
This person was clearly much more trustworthy than Furina!
After all, he had spoken up for her during the trial. Although the result wasn't very obvious, Lumine, who believed in repaying kindness, was grateful.
Besides, this person seemed much more reliable than the man beside her!
Alright, ask whatever you want, I'll cooperate fully!
Lumine sat up straight, like a model student, looking incredibly cooperative.
—This made Furina's cheeks ache from clenching her teeth.
She actually needed [Furina] to vouch for her being a good person—That Jiang Qiao! Using my body to be the good guy, and making me the bad guy, right?!
This was worse than being the Hydro Archon! At least it wasn't this frustrating… well, alright, it was actually better not being the Hydro Archon.
At least "being angry about things worth being angry about" was a human "right."
People used this to vent their dissatisfaction, laughing heartily when they wanted to laugh, crying sadly when they wanted to cry, and venting their anger when they were furious—perhaps many of these things could be considered "unnecessary."
Or even "human flaws."
But it was precisely because of these "flaws" that humans were human.
As [Jiang Qiao], Furina experienced something she had longed for in the past five hundred years but wasn't quite suitable for as a "god."
Of course—Furina never forgot her mission. Even if she had been "robbed" of her body in this cunning way, she was still preparing for Fontaine's prophecy.
For five hundred years, Furina had entrusted her subordinates, the Oceanids scattered throughout Teyvat, to be her "spies," trying to obtain useful information.
However, she had always come up empty-handed.
Now, she seemed to have finally found a breakthrough.
That was this blonde girl in front of her.
However, Furina soon discovered a problem that made her head ache.
"…Are you really mute?"
"…N-no… I'm… not!" Lumine puffed out her cheeks and spoke with difficulty—this was undoubtedly a huge problem.
Lumine didn't actually understand Teyvat's language—well, it wasn't that she didn't understand at all, but she could only barely grasp the general meaning. As for anything more complex, or asking her to accurately describe something… that was truly Lumine without Paimon—a pure mute.
And this couldn't be helped. After all, Lumine was an outlander—without a "language translation device," she was completely lost in Teyvat.
This was also why she hadn't spoken in the opera house—she didn't understand! Lumine could only vaguely infer that she seemed to be on trial based on people's actions and expressions.
"So that's how it is." Furina felt a headache—in that case, they would have to teach this girl Teyvat's language first, otherwise, communication would be impossible… Wait.
Her gaze fell upon [Furina], and she suddenly remembered something:
"You…"
This guy, he wasn't speaking Teyvat's language at first, was he?!
"Oh dear, it seems you've remembered." The blue and white-haired girl sipped her tea, leaning against the sofa with a natural smile.
Indeed, the languages of different worlds were naturally different—this problem had also occurred in Honkai: Star Rail.
Later, it was a member of the Genius Society who invented the Synesthesia Beacon, allowing different races in the universe to communicate.
And this wasn't a problem for Jiang Qiao.
Language was the foundation of civilization's development. It carried the past, recorded the present, and extended into the future.
No matter what kind of civilization, this was difficult to change; it was merely a difference in form.
And for him, who wielded the power of "reason"—language was one of the manifestations of reason.
It was humanity's interpretation of the world.
As for the previous visitor, Sakura Kyoko—she had her own methods. As a magical girl, Kyoko's method of communication was a unique ability of magical girls, the "team channel"—essentially "soul communication."
Allowing their souls to connect, directly sensing each other's thoughts, bypassing the "explanation" stage, and directly communicating on the "exchange" level.
"Then I'll trouble you, Fairy Ely. Please install some 'vocal cords' for this mute girl."