The subsequent two or three cases proved equally dramatic, rivaling even the Cabell incident in intensity.
The day's condensed courtroom drama left spectators feeling they'd gotten triple their ticket's worth – some even felt they'd profited from the experience.
As the trial concluded, the Steam Bird newspaper swiftly published an article detailing the dramatic twists at the Opera Epiclese.
Readers were left in awe, exclaiming, Absurd! Absolutely explosive! I can't even keep a straight face!
The focus of attention, Regent Themis and Furina, had already left early, retreating to the Palais Mermonia to escape the public eye.
Whether it was to meet Themis by committing murder on purpose or the suspicion that the hydro archon Furina might prefer biochemical weapons, Mermonia Palace immediately issued a notice and advised all Fontaine citizens not to break laws they were aware of.
Moreover, according to Article 13 of the Furina Protection Act, anyone must not fabricate and spread rumors about the hydro archon Furina. Violators would face a fine of 3,000 and ten days' detention.
It must be said that the Furina Protection Act truly demonstrated foresight, preventing Furina from being influenced by these thrill-seeking individuals from all angles.
"Truly worthy of the name provided by Themis, the laws concerning the Hydro Archon Furina are indeed comprehensive."
After carefully reviewing the Furina Protection Act, Charlotte couldn't help but marvel at Themis's attention to detail regarding all matters involving the Hydro Archon Furina.
Then again, somewhat discouraged, she realized her pursuit of top-secret news had come up dry.
"But come to think of it, Themis is undeniably attractive, holds a high-ranking position, and apart from being somewhat indifferent, possesses a straightforward, kind, and reasonable personality. It's no wonder there are so many people who adore Themis."
Among Fontaine's three major leaders, the Regent Themis and Chief Justice Neuvillette, as the direct subordinates of the Hydro Archon Furina, were the dream lovers and perfect romantic partners for countless Fontaine citizens.
Unfortunately, none of these three were remotely interested in romantic relationships.
Abandoning her idea of delving deeper into Themis and Furina's perspectives, Charlotte decided to focus on exploring the criminal mindset of Cabell and his accomplices.
As the star journalist of The Steam Bird, if it weren't for Palais Mermonia's rigorous review process, Charlotte would have eagerly rushed to interview Themis, hoping to gauge her thoughts on the matter.
Themis made it clear she had no desire to be interviewed. "Besides," she added, "I don't really have any opinions on this matter."
"Really? That guy hired a hitman just because of you."
"Hm, so now he's enjoying his new life in the Fortress of Meropide."
Flipping through the documents on her desk, Themis remained stoic under Furina's keen observation, showing not a hint of unnecessary expression. She was still the same serious, impartial Regent as always.
Furina lounged uninterestedly on the sofa across from the table. Now that today's trials were over, where should she spend her remaining free time?
Choosing between working at Palais Mermonia or returning to her bedroom for rest, Furina decisively opted for the latter, resolved to have a good sleep.
After the midday sleep spell concluded, a table laden with delicious treats would be waiting for her to savor!
Furina bounded away from Themis's office with a spring in her step.
Themis watched Furina's retreating figure until she had completely vanished from sight before finally tearing her gaze away.
Now, she could spare some time to attend to an unexpected development.
"System?" Themis whispered telepathically.
In an instant, a translucent panel materialized before her.
The System had suddenly appeared during the chaotic Trial earlier that day, giving Themis quite a scare. With Furina by her side, she resisted the urge to investigate it immediately, opting to wait until now.
Genshin Forum
Zhongli Is My Wife: Brothers and Sisters! Fontaine's live stream preview is out. Let's storm the forums!
A blue link appeared below, leaving Themis momentarily stunned. Unsure if someone like her, existing in this other world, could access it, she decided, Well, I'll just give it a try!
Her imaginary finger hovered over the blue link. To her surprise, she was able to "click" on it!
As Themis gazed upon the familiar game loading screen, her pupils quaked with disbelief.
Her gaze swept downward, revealing a deluge of player messages cascading across the screen, each line competing for attention.
Celestia Is My Waifu: I, Celestia, open the gate—!
Anxious King: "Hurry! I can't wait!!!—!"
Hu Tao Is My Wife: "None of you get to panic first - my turn to panic!"
Childe Is My Husband: "Stop dragging me! I can't bear a moment more in Sumeru. Let me into Fontaine!"
Themis could hardly bear to look; the players' sheer madness was too much to handle.
What shamed Themis even more was that she had once been one of them.
"Strange. Why is Fontaine only at version 4.0 now?"
Themis remembered that when she first crossed over, Fontaine's main storyline had long been completed.
Her mind filled with confusion, but there was no one she could ask. This left Themis feeling utterly frustrated.
At the same time, she was enormously curious. Could her presence as a butterfly flapping its wings potentially change things?
After accessing the Genshin Impact homepage, Themis found the submitted video and saw the intro PV for Fontaine—the one called Revelry at the End of the World.
"This... Wait!"
"Why am I in there?!?"
Her eyes widened as she saw the image on the cover of Revelry at the End of the World—it was herself sitting inside the Opera Epiclese.
After clicking into the video and watching it through, everything seemed normal until just before the end. During the scene where Furina lights the photos on fire, Themis appears and extinguishes the flames with her fingers.
Standing behind Furina, my silver-haired self with golden eyes loomed in the shadows like a final boss.
Only those gleaming golden orbs shone brightly, coldly observing the farce unfolding at the Opera Epiclese.
"Oh god, did I get up too fast? Is that the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles?!"
"White hair, golden eyes, voiced by Tao Dian—it's you, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles!"
Bullet comments flooded the video screen in waves, each expressing shock.
Themis's pupils trembled; it felt like a hammer had struck her skull, leaving her utterly dazed.
Have I become a playable character in Genshin Impact?!
And why does this design look so much like the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles?!
Wait, isn't it normal for anime-style characters to share similar features?
But Tao Dian as the voice actor—I never saw that coming!
No way, Mihoyo, you're going all out this time!
Wait! Brother Da Wei! Do you actually have a time machine? Or a dimension-hopping device?!
Case closed! Mihoyos PVs were all filmed after transmigration!
Fontaine 4.0 Preview: New map, new mechanics, new gameplay, new boss, new systems, new events, and new species.
The most significant aspect for Themis in this 4.0 PV was the name being: "As Light Rain Falls Without Reason."
However, what greatly disappointed Themis was:
"Why is my entrance still radiating such an intense villain aura?!"
Observe her appearance within the PV—timing and location alike.
Late at night by the Court of Fontaine, she stood with her back to the Gardemeks, arms crossed defensively.
Facing her were the disoriented Traveler, barely able to stand straight, and his anxious companion Paimon.
With an expressionless face, she looked down upon them and said, "What's with that surprised look on your face."
Then came Navia's furious line: "Damn it, they actually used this many Gardemeks!?"
Lastly, Clorinde, mingling among the outer Gardemeks, raised her sword as she approached.
Oh no, everyone, this PV just made me the final boss!
Fine, fine, fine, Mihoyo, is that how you want to edit it?!
So what if I've got white hair and golden eyes, sharing the same voice actor as the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles—this isn't a reason to make me the villain time and time again in the PV!
Holding this frustration inside, unable to release it, was truly driving her mad.
Rubbing her eyes, Themis took a deep breath to compose herself. Resting her chin in her hand, she diligently pondered the connection between these two pieces of information.
Firstly, from her time in the game world of Genshin Impact, she knew that after resolving the crisis in Sumeru, the Traveler would soon head to Fontaine. Secondly, the latest preview also indicated that the Fontaine storyline was about to begin.
"So the Traveler is definitely coming," she mused. "But I wonder if this Traveler is truly the fourth catastrophic disaster controlled by players."
If it were, the sheer destructive power of this Disaster sent shivers down Themis's spine. After all, being unable to die no matter what—and then having to deal with a horde of meddling players! She truly didn't relish such treatment!
One must not underestimate the determination of players who wish to solofarm the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, even if it's someone like Themis, who merely shares a passing resemblance to them.
What came as a surprise to Themis, however, was that while few players sought her for soloing, countless others targeted her for gacha farming or simply expressed their infatuation towards her.
"People keep saying there's a captivating allure in her intensity!"
"Looks just like my long-lost wife, doesn't she?"
"The world to Come—how can I go on without you?"
"She possesses a beauty that transcends Genshin Impact!"
"Spill! Are you the Queen reborn into the Teyvat realm?!"
"Oh no, she's gone too far—she's even come down to work as a subordinate of the Hydro Archon!"
"Hahaha, I can't breathe—I'm dying of laughter! Does the Hydro Archon have any idea that the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is right beside her?!"
"This moment—this moment right here—is what we call 'Celestia comes to my side!'"
"I'm torn— Shipper fans are already getting ready to pounce! What a mismatch—the cold, heartless Sustainer of Heavenly Principles with her whimsical, frivolous little wife as a subordinate!"
Themis gazed at the sky, speechless. She truly wasn't the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, nor a reincarnation of that Herrscher of the Void from the neighboring series!
Let them laugh now, she thought. When version 4.2 arrives, they'll all be weeping!
As a veteran ship enabler, Themis already anticipated the immense satisfaction that would follow.
After scouring the forums again and finding nothing but repetitive fanatic posts, she finally closed the browser tab in defeat.
Returning her attention to the documents, Themis found her efficiency skyrocketing as her mood improved.
Unbeknownst to her, the real-world Genshin Impact community had descended into madness because of her appearance:
"No explanation needed! Just her white hair, golden eyes, and beauty that doesn't belong in Genshin!"
"Queen! Have you reincarnated in Teyvat?!"
"Sorry everyone! As the Herrscher of the Void's ultimate solo stan, I'm going all out now!"
"From today onward, I'm Themis' exclusive supporter! I'll be her loyal dog!"
In the real world, popular Bilibili streamer CatCatEatsNoMedicine began vigorously promoting Themis. This same content creator had once been the Herrscher of the Void's most devoted follower, and now daily lamented:
"Truly, friends! Anyone who loved the Herrscher of the Void will adore Themis!"
"O mighty Queen, tears of the bygone era, recalling your celestial descent!"
"Though time has fled, your grace remains, your smile eternal!"
"But fear not, for today! Our Queen finally returns, reincarnated!"
"Still an unreleased concept, true, but we can now play as the Herrscher of the Void in Teyvat!"
Achievement unlocked: I'm Playing the Herrscher of the Void in Teyvat!
Hurry, I can't stay in Sumeru a moment longer! Must pull for Themis!
"We white hair fetishists are in heaven; my cravings are fully satisfied!"
"Just curious about Themis's elemental affinity—can't spot a Vision on her!"
"The Vision's probably on her back, but what element is it?"
"I can't bear to stay a second longer in Sumeru—I'm itching to head for Fontaine!"
The update in Genshin Impact frustrated eager travelers, leaving them restless and impatient.
Meanwhile, The Traveler in the parallel world of Teyvat were also contemplating a journey to Fontaine…