Chapter Text
Lumine found herself at the edge of the scorching Sumeru desert, the sun beating down on her back. Sweat and sand clung to her, and Paimon floated tiredly behind her. Personally, she found crossing the desert unpleasant, but exploring was an insatiable desire she could not fight — the thought of discovering the secrets every place held enticed her more than anything. Aether would have complained about Dragonspine the way I complain about the desert — he always preferred the heat, Lumine chuckled.
Aether. The thought of her twin reopened the gaping wound in her heart. Her other half was ripped away from her without hesitation — they didn’t even have time to say goodbye. She could still see his bright smile etched into her memories five hundred years later. After their reunion, she doubted things would ever be the same again. Why was his war against the heavens more important than her , his own twin? The outlander sighed. Weren’t these the answers he wanted me to find while I traveled? Even after his betrayal, she still loved him and trusted his judgement. She would finish her journey like he asked. She owed him that much.
And so, she gazed ahead, at a deep blue waterfall that seemed to stretch on endlessly, so different from the cracked, arid land of the desert. The land atop was at a higher level, giving it the impression of having been lifted out of the sea. It was full of jagged cliffs and high peaks that seemed to pierce the sky. Vibrant green forests and shining lakes dotted the area below. It was impossibly beautiful.
“Whew, after crossing all that sand and water, we finally made it... This must be Fontaine's port!” exclaimed Paimon, pointing enthusiastically at the land in front. The port was tall , towering above the serene waters separating Sumeru and Fontaine. “Wow, everything looks so advanced in Fontaine,” said the fairy in awe. “Paimon's heard that the industry here is extremely developed, and there are all kinds of unusual machines.”
“It's even more impressive than I expected,” remarked Lumine, admiring Romaritime Harbor. Ships of all shapes and sizes sailed back and forth between the two nations. Eventually, Lumine started descending the steep, sandy cliffs, making her way to the shore. The sun was still beating down on her, and she couldn’t wait until she was out of the desert’s grasp. Finally, she made her way to the waverider waypoint, Paimon floating steadily behind her. Lumine’s companion was so lucky to be able to fly. The trip to the other side did not take long, as the waters were still and calm. While Lumine focused on steering the boat, Paimon looked around enthusiastically and pointed out anything interesting she saw.
As the duo came to a stop at the dock, Paimon gasped, “Wow! Paimon thought Fontaine looked amazing from Sumeru, but it looks even better up close! Paimon can’t wait to explore the nation!” They disembarked without incident, and Lumine noticed that they were standing on pristine and orderly stone bricks. The plants were also perfectly pruned, and almost everyone was dressed to perfection. Lumine could tell that Fontaine prided itself on its appearance. It was beautiful, but she knew better than to blindly trust in what she saw. Just because it looked nice, didn’t mean it was. Most of these types of places were only a utopia for those blessed with wealth or power.
“Just seeing the sights as tourists is nice, but maybe it would be better if we found something to do. What do you think, Traveler?” suggested Paimon.
“Let's start by meeting the Hydro Archon,” replied Lumine.
“Good idea! Nahida gave us loads of useful information!” The fairy paused for a moment. “...So, what do you think the Hydro Archon's like? Will we get along? Nahida said that he was ‘selfless and just, a dangerous combination’... whatever that means,” she muttered the last part, shaking her head. If he was selfless, that likely meant he was a decent person and leader. The just part made sense — after all, he was the God of Justice. However, she didn’t understand how that could be a “dangerous combination”. After some deliberation, Lumine shrugged. She would figure out his personality quickly after meeting him.
“Oh!” Paimon perked up. “To learn about a nation's God, you start with the nation's people! There seems to be some locals talking over there, let's go say hello!” She pointed to a tall woman with a blue dress and short blonde hair conversing animatedly with a brown-haired man in an evergreen suit. The two seemed friendly enough, so Lumine nodded to Paimon and they walked over to the pair.
“If you ask me, it's a tragedy how things ended for him. Clearly, he was a pretty decent person,” remarked the man.
“Yeah, I didn't expect that kind of ending for him... I thought he would at least fight on a little longer for his family…” replied the woman sadly. “I was expecting a sudden plot twist, but it's a pity that it never happened... Still, his story is quite the tear-jerker…” she suddenly started sniffling, pulling out a handkerchief.
The man noticed Lumine and Paimon standing nearby, turning to address them, “Uh… Excuse me, can I help you two? I couldn’t help but notice that you were standing there listening.”
“Oh uh, hi!” stuttered Paimon, floating forward nervously, “We’re travelers new to Fontaine, and we had something we really wanted to ask. But, you seemed to be pretty busy talking about some kind of play or novel. We didn’t want to interrupt you.”
“A play? Oh no, no... We're talking about something that really happened. In fact, it's a case that was just heard a few days ago,” The man said.
“Wait, really? Like, a real trial?” asked the fairy. The Fontainians nodded in confirmation. “But the way you were talking about it, and the words you used just now… Paimon really thought it was some kind of story you were discussing!”
“Well, good tales are often based on true stories, aren't they?” reasoned the woman. Lumine and Paimon exchanged doubtful looks. “Whether something is true or not simply isn't that important. The main thing is whether the story being acted out on the stage is splendid enough.”
“Since you’re not from here,” said the man, interrupting the woman, “You probably don’t know that Fontaine’s Court of Justice is an opera house called the Opera Epiclese.”
“So you see trials as a sort of ‘opera’?” asked Lumine skeptically.
“But, uh... shouldn't court cases be treated a little more seriously than that? Not to question Fontaine's way of doing things, it's just that putting someone on trial is usually a very serious thing…” asked Paimon, waving her hands frantically at the last statement.
“Hehe, no worries. Many foreigners have wondered the same thing. I suppose that’s true, but many of us don’t want to waste the moving stories behind the cases!” assured the woman.
Lumine pondered her statements. Surely holding trials and operas in the same location would cause the lines between them to blur. Something about tragedies being viewed as entertainment made her deeply uncomfortable. Her eye twitched. Treating trials like that seemed completely insensitive, and made the people of Fontaine look compassionless. What could have messed this nation up so fundamentally?
“Besides,” the woman swiftly changed the subject, “we have the righteous Hydro Archon Neuvillette, the absolutely just and honorable Iudex Furina, and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale — a machine created by the Archon himself. Between those three, false charges and injustice are a thing of the past.”
Wow. She’d probably never be able to remember or pronounce the overly long and fancy name. However, the fact that a machine held the weight of a person’s life unsettled Lumine. A machine may be emotionless and impartial, but it could never understand the intricacies of a human being. “A judgment device created by the Archon… So this is the ‘Nation of Justice’...” she muttered, staring off into the distance.
Regardless of the many concerning developments, Lumine had learned important information from the locals. To begin, the Hydro Archon’s name is Neuvillette. I’ll have to figure out what an Iudex is, but from the woman’s description, it sounds like a high-ranking position. Maybe an advisor? The outlander also now knew that Fontainians treated trials like operas. Was the Archon like that too? If so, Lumine didn't think she would like him very much. However, she would try to keep an open mind. After all, before Lumine had found out about Nahida’s circumstances, she had disliked the archon’s inaction as well.
“Wait, Paimon almost forgot to ask you our question!” The fairy yelled frantically, “Do you know what we should do if we want to meet the Hydro Archon?”
The locals didn’t even bat an eye at Paimon’s question. “Oh, that's easy! Just go to the opera house. Lord Neuvillette practically lives there, overseeing both trials and performances,” said the man.
The woman turned to him and flicked his arm. “Etienne, I think what they mean is that they wish to speak with the Archon personally.” She turned towards Lumine and Paimon. “In that case, I'm afraid it's going to be a tad more difficult. You'll have to make an appointment well in advance, and it'll depend on whether or not he has any timeslots available.”
Lumine exchanged a bewildered look with her companion. “Make an appointment? Timeslots?”
It seemed that the Hydro Archon was a much more active presence than the Gods of other nations she visited. However, along with being relevant, he was liked by his people — something that both Ei, who was revered, but not exactly liked, and Nahida, who had just gotten unlucky with the sages, struggled with.
“Huh? Is the Hydro Archon super busy taking care of official stuff? Wait, didn't you say that he’s always at the opera house?” asked Paimon, scratching her head.
“Yes, to both,” the man replied. “Lord Neuvillette is often very busy taking care of official affairs, but he also attends trials to ensure that justice is being served properly — not that he needs to worry, with Lady Furina as the Chief Justice.”
Oh, so the Iudex is another title for their Chief Justice.
“Yeah, Paimon gets that, but why does he also attend performances?”
“Well, it’s usually because Lady Furina begs him to. She’s a big fan of the performing arts. It’s a huge industry because of her.”
“And for good reason!” the woman interrupted, “some of the most brilliant artists, performers, and writers are Fontainian!” She paused, turning to Etienne. “Now that I think about it, Aurelie’s troupe is performing next week!”
Etienne perked up. “Really, Rena? We should go!”
Rena turned back to Lumine and Paimon. “You must see at least one play written by Aurelie Fumeau, she’s simply brilliant! Or, there's another playwright simply nicknamed ‘Regina’,” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Nobody knows her identity. She’s been writing plays for hundreds of years, and each is better than the last! In fact, her plays have won the most Furina awards in the history of Fontaine!”
“Oh uh, we’ll be sure to,” replied Lumine awkwardly, “Thanks for humoring Paimon.” Truth be told, Lumine had no idea what a “Furina Award” was, but she assumed it was a high honor if it was named after their Chief Justice. How did we start talking about random playwrights when we should’ve been gathering information about the Archon? Maybe I should do more of the talking , thought Lumine.
“Hehe, not a problem!” chuckled Rena. “Well we best get going now. Hope you enjoy Fontaine!” Rena waved, departing with Etienne and leaving Lumine and Paimon alone.
Lumine turned to her companion. “It seems the people of Fontaine not only revere the Hydro Archon… but actually like him? They also seem fond of their Chief Justice….”
“And random playwrights, I guess.” Paimon added. “Well, at least we now know that we can find the Hydro Archon at the opera house. But who knows how long making an appointment will take... Guess we could have a look around the city in the meantime.”
However, Lumine had stopped listening. She was instead staring at a mysterious girl with dirty blonde hair tied into a ponytail, cat features, and a stage costume. She was in turn staring at the sea, a pensive look on her face.
“Hey, Traveler, what are you looking over there for?” asked Paimon, confused.
Lumine continued to stare, pointing at the girl. “There's a girl over there… She's been standing alone for quite some time…”
“Huh, maybe something's the matter…” Paimon suddenly gasped, eyes widening. “She isn't going to jump into the water, is she? Uh... Maybe we'd better go check on her.”
Lumine nodded, and she ran towards the girl, Paimon floating after her urgently.