Archive of Our Own ^beta

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.

Chapter Text

Once Lumine and Paimon had made it to the girl’s location, Paimon asked, ”Uh, hello there! Excuse me! Are you alright?“

The girl was unresponsive for a moment, until her cat ears (was she a Kätzlein? Youkai? She didn’t want to ask and come off as rude) twitched and she was snapped out of her thoughts. 

“...Huh?” She turned around to face Lumine and Paimon. “Ah, I'm fine… Thanks,” she said sheepishly.

“Oh, okay then. We just noticed that you seemed to be worried about something,” replied Paimon.

The girl’s face gained the same far-off look she’d had a moment ago. “About many things, actually… But there's nothing I can do but just keep my troubles to myself.” She turned back to the sparkling water in front of her. “I was just reminiscing about a place my brother  and I would play when we were kids. It was just atop that hill over there, see?” Strangely, she pointed to the sea and not a hill, but Lumine wasn’t going to bring that up. She had figured Paimon was going to speak for her anyway.

True to her prediction, Paimon scratched her head bewilderedly, saying, “Uh, you're pointing at the sea… Wait, are you saying that you and your brother lived in the water?”

Lumine decided to humor Paimon.  “Maybe they’re mermaids? Or a fantastical race from Fontaine?” she asked with feigned interest.

The girl didn’t seem bothered by Lumine's ridiculous questions. “Though people call the waters around Fontaine a ‘sea’, it's actually just an inland lake that's filled with fresh water… And though I can still see that hill clearly in my memories, now it's been completely submerged. He would skip and jump, tossing sand in the wind… The sun shone brightly and the air was filled with the scent of the sea.”

The girl had started monologuing, and Lumine didn’t have the heart to interrupt her. Come to think of it, she patiently listened to everyone. Had she ever told anyone to be quit? How much time had she ever had to herself?

Suddenly, the girl’s posture straightened. “But now the water is gradually swallowing our memories… It won't be long before it swallows us.”

Well, talk about cryptic. But she’d heard plenty of nonsense that turned out to be true, so she’d suspend her disbelief for now. Paimon looked at Lumine in confusion. She turned back to the girl, “Uh, sorry, but Paimon doesn't really get what you mean.”

Then, a smooth voice said, ”Ah, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. Are you Lynette's new friends?“

Lumine turned around, and took in the person’s appearance. He seemed a similar age to the girl, Lynette, and had the same features as her, minus the cat ears. Twins, perhaps? He also wore a performance costume, with a top hat to match. He might be a magician , thought the outlander.

“Oh, and you are?” asked Paimon. The man ignored her question, instead gesturing to Lynette. “Thanks for looking after my sister, she often comes here to reminisce about our childhood, that's all. There's no need for any concern.”

Realizing he’d missed Paimon’s questions, he added, “Ah, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lyney, and this is my sister, Lynette. If I had to guess, I'd say you must be travelers from abroad.”

Well, we aren’t exactly subtle , thought Lumine. I don’t think there are any Paimons in Fontaine.

”Nice to meet you, Paimon is Paimon, and this is the Traveler. We just arrived in Fontaine,” Paimon began excitedly. “We were just talking with your sister, uh... even though we didn't really get what she was saying.”

Lumine had to resist the urge to smack her forehead. There were a million ways to word that sentence, and Paimon chose the wrong one.

Lyney brought a hand to his chin, brows furrowing. “Hmm, I see. It's unusual for Lynette to be so willing to talk with anyone, in fact, she seldom speaks at all. I'm usually the only one she ever talks to.”

“Oh, really? Then you two are just like us! Paimon's always the one talking for some reason.”

Don’t get it wrong, Lumine loved Paimon, but there was a reason she was never able to talk. “There's hardly anything left for me to say with you around, Paimon…Because you always steal all my lines,” she muttered.

Paimon turned to Lumine and gave her a shocked look. “Huh! So that's how you think it is?”

Yes. Yes I do. It’s often helpful, but sometimes, I want to talk as well.

“I also think my brother can be too talkative at times,” interjected Lynette bluntly.

“Ah, hehe... Seems you were right, Paimon. We are quite similar,” said Lyney sheepishly. Paimon chuckled awkwardly at his statement.

“So what did Lynette mean just now when she said that the water is engulfing your memories, and that it won't be long before it engulfs you too?” Paimon asked, swiftly changing the subject.

“Ah, that... It's from a prophecy that's been circulating in Fontaine for some time now,” replied Lynette.

“Well, I suppose ’prophecy’ isn't exactly the right word, because that implies a certain amount of uncertainty. There's no doubt about what's happening in Fontaine now…“ interrupted Lyney.

Lumine raised her eyebrows. Well, it seemed her problems would only get worse. Trouble always seemed to be following her around, so she wasn’t as surprised as she thought she would be. “Oh? What's happening in Fontaine?”

“Where to begin? Hmm…” muttered Lyney. “Ah, let's put that question on hold for a moment. We still haven't formally greeted each other yet, have we?”

WHAT. Lumine tried to hide her irritation. She had found out something important, only for Lyney to suddenly change the subject. Maybe it was taboo? Perhaps I should ask some locals later and see if this happens with them as well.

Paimon scratched her head. “Uh... Did all the introductions earlier not count?”

“Hello, Traveler,” said Lyney politely, reaching his hand out for a handshake. His grip was firm, and he maintained eye contact with an easy smile on his face. I can already tell he’s a charismatic person. However, charisma could often be used to deceive. Childe and Scaramouche had taught her that.

Lumine smiled back. “Hello, Lyney. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Lyney turned to Paimon. “And hello, Paimon.”

The white fairy looked offended. “Hey! Why didn't Paimon get a handshake? You're not poking fun at Paimon, are you!?”

Lyney chuckled. “Haha, please don't take offense. Just consider it a sort of etiquette we have here in Fontaine when making new friends. You should remember it, it might prove useful…” 

Lyney was brilliant at deflecting things. Personally, Lumine had no idea what kind of etiquette would have prevented Paimon from getting a handshake. Was it because she was an unfamiliar being? Paimon did not share Lumine’s skepticism, readily accepting Lyney’s explanations.

“Oh, alright then... Well, Paimon's just happy to have a local friend now. By the way, we were just getting ready to go to the opera house to meet the Hydro Archon. Would you be able to show us the way?“

“So you're going to see Lord Neuvillette? No problem at all. In fact, I’m heading to the opera house myself soon. I’m actually a magician, and Lynette’s my assistant. It will actually be my first time performing on the most prestigious stage in Fontaine, the opera house. 

Paimon scratched her head. “But isn't the opera house where criminal trials are held in Fontaine?”

“When there are no public trials being held, the opera house hosts a variety of other performances. To the people of Fontaine, the line between a trial and a performance can be a little blurred…” Lyney explained. “And speaking of performances, I would be remiss to forgo this opportunity gifted by fate. Might I invite the two of you to see my performance?”

Lynette suddenly spoke for the first time in a while. “My brother's always excited to make new friends.”

Without consulting Lumine, Paimon said, “Oh, sure. We don't really have anything to do now, and we wanted to go to the opera house anyway.“

Well, it worked out in Lumine’s favor anyway — she found herself rather intrigued. “I would be delighted,” said Lumine.

Lyney clapped his hands. “Splendid! In that case, why don't we go together? I'll show you the way. I just have something to take care of first…”

“Is there any way I can help?” asked Lumine.

Lyney raised his eyebrows. “You mean it? This is a magical item known as a Magic Pocket. Perhaps you can help me distribute them to the people here.”

Lyney gestured to a burgundy bag with diamond patterns that he had materialized out of thin air.

“Huh? What are they going to use it for?” asked Paimon.

“About that, hmm... You asked me before about the prophecy, right? Let me start by telling you a little more about what it entails.”

Finally, sighed Lumine.

Lyney gained the same far-off look that his sister had a few minutes ago. “I'm not sure exactly when it began, but a prophecy  has been circulating around Fontaine… It says that every person in Fontaine is born with "sin." No matter how the Nation of Justice holds trial after trial, this sin cannot be absolved. In the end, the people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the Hydro Archon will remain, weeping on his throne... Only then will the sins of the people of Fontaine be washed away.”

Lumine pursed her lips. Well, it seems that problems escalate with every nation we visit. I only hope that the prophecy is wrong.

“That sounds pretty gloomy... Why are people in Fontaine born with sin? What is that supposed to mean?” asked Paimon.

“There are lots of guesses... Some say that the ancestors of Fontaine stole the power of the seas, and stirred its wrath. Others say that the people of Fontaine never heeded the first Hydro Archon's warnings, and offended Celestia … But, here in Fontaine, evidence is what matters. There hasn't been concrete evidence for any of these claims, so they can only be regarded as conjecture.”

“If even the people in Fontaine don't know what sin they committed, wouldn't it be better just to ignore the prophecy completely? Why bother feeling guilty all the time?” asked Paimon.

“That's exactly what the people did at first. But... in the last few years, the water levels in Fontaine have actually started rising.”

  “ Many places have already been completely submerged and now lie beneath the sea,” added Lynette.

“Many people carry on with their lives as before and shrug it off as a ‘natural phenomenon,’ but my family  and I think that the people of Fontaine shouldn't ignore the possibility, which would end up sentencing them to death. We hope that at least the people who reside near the waterfront can move away before it's too late, so we've started distributing Magic Pockets to them. As a magical item, these Magic Pockets have an astonishing capacity. I'm sure they will come in handy when people are moving their belongings.“

If the prophecy is true… Then is there no way to prevent the disaster?” asked Lumine.

”Hmm, perhaps only absolute power could ever contend with such a catastrophe. Hehe, but who knows? We're just tiny specks in the grand scheme of things,” said Lyney, shrugging. “Now, if you'd like to help, then please give these Magic Pockets to anyone nearby. Be sure to convince them to take it, regardless of what they say.”

Lumine took the magic pockets, and started handing them out around the harbor. Some were skeptical about the prophecy, but she managed to convince them to take the pockets anyway. What bothered her was Lyney’s statement about only absolute power being able to stop the prophecy. Wouldn’t that be the Hydro Archon? But if even he wasn’t able to do anything to stop it, wouldn’t that mean the prophecy was unavoidable? How could Lumine possibly hope to help stop this catastrophe? However, if there was one thing Lumine was, it was determined. She gritted her teeth. She would do whatever she could to help save Fontaine.

Chapter Text

The sun had just barely begun to rise and paint the world in red when Furina woke up. She immediately brightened once she realized that it was a Sunday. That meant no court cases! Of course she still had work — a never ending mountain of it that often made her wonder why she had this job. But at least didn’t have to watch on in horror as Fontaine’s justice system became even more of a joke. Trials, initially a somber affair, had become dramatized over the centuries, and Furina had done absolutely nothing to change that. After all, more people believed in justice when there was drama. Even if Fontaine was losing itself in the process, she reasoned that there wouldn’t be a Fontaine if she didn’t allow this.

Furina sighed. It was pathetic, what their nation had become just to defy fate.

Fate… can it even be defied? Furina immediately stopped herself. She didn’t want to think about what it would mean if it wasn’t the case. 

In the end, the people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the Hydro Archon will remain, weeping... Those words constantly echoed in her head. Whatever she did, wherever she went, she could never escape them. She could never forget them. 

Suddenly, Furina heard footsteps. She strained her ears to listen, but the person’s light steps told her that it wasn't who she wanted it to be. She turned to the door, and saw a letter being slipped under it. Who was trying to disturb her at this ungodly hour? She reached for the paper, and didn’t even have to glance past the first line to be sent spiraling even further. She needed to schedule a meeting immediately.

✧—✧—✧—✧—✧ 

“Neuvillette,” Furina began, pacing back and forth on the carpeted floor of the Hydro Archon’s office, aqua robes billowing behind her.  The benefit of being the high judge of Fontaine was the strict dress code. 

Neuvillette, looking far more regal than her, raised his eyebrows. “What happened?” he asked, expression becoming serious in an instant. He looked every part the righteous Hydro Archon without even trying. Furina had envied him at first, but later realized that it was beneficial. He was the one their people would look to first.

“You are aware, I hope, that the Traveler has arrived in our great nation. She has not failed to stir chaos in every other nation she’s visited, and I doubt Fontaine will be spared,” said Furina, sitting in a plush blue armchair. 

Neuvillete hummed thoughtfully, leaning forward. “She has had an overall positive effect on every nation she has visited. I believe she could aid us. You should try not to stress about this.”

If only he knew what hid behind Furina’s smile. She could never stop the worry that plagued her mind and heart. She hoped Neuvillette didn’t feel the same, that his confidence and smiles were genuine. After all, he was the Hydro Archon. All eyes were on him.

“How could I not? Looking at previous trends, her arrival will likely trigger the prophecy!” replied Furina.

Neuvillette’s face darkened. “We’ve discussed this before, dearest. It would be more productive to focus on how we should interact with the Traveler.”

Furina walked over to Neuvillette. He always looked so strong and assertive, and she wished she could be the same. She let Neuvillette’s warmth envelop her, her head tucked under his.

“The water’s rising so quickly… you can sense it, can’t you?” said Furina, drawing back.

Neuvillette did not respond for a moment, instead staring out of the window. The Court of Fontaine was walled to prevent flooding, but if the prophecy came to pass, it would not change their fate. His grip tightened, as if something was going to take her away any moment. “We must trust in ourselves… and hope it will be enough,” he replied.

“I know — I just wish… we didn’t have to worry about all this,” whispered Furina back.

“We won’t let our people die.”

Furina shivered, which was strange when she felt comforting warmth not so long ago. She wanted to believe him so badly, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Power wasn’t always the answer. But she was weak, and let herself be lulled by his words. 

She pressed her lips to his, trying to forget. And for a few passionate moments, she did, only knowing the two of them and their small world in the Palais Mermonia. She clung to him, trying to run away from the truth, because she did not want to wake up to a world of emptiness . 

A world where everyone but her and Neuvillete were dead and she was just a single drop in a lonely ocean.

As she broke away from Neuvillette, every doubt and fear came rushing back. But it reminded her that she had a purpose she could never forget. 

“About the Traveler… we should be on reasonably friendly terms with her, but must avoid sharing too much information with her unless absolutely necessary. She cannot ruin our plans with all her drama.” 

The Traveler had been instrumental to the change that had swept across Teyvat, but Furina couldn’t look at it with optimism. She knew what was coming. She could only hope that the Traveler would be a help and not a hindrance.

Suddenly, Neuvillete’s eyes widened. “Drama… what if… she’s our dramatic and magnificent trial?”

Furina’s spirits were lifted immediately as she looked genuinely excited . “Oh, that’s genius!” she exclaimed. “As the Traveler was wanted in every nation, it’s only a matter of time before she is brought to court here.” Things were starting to make sense, like a nearly finished puzzle. They could possibly end everything, after five long centuries.

“Do you need me to act as the prosecution?” sighed Neuvillette. He was rather out of practice, since he had last participated in a trial a few years ago. At least there would be lots of excitement — and Indemnitium — because he was the Hydro Archon.

Furina flicked his hair, smirking. “You know me too well, dear.”

Chapter Text

After being dragged through Fontaine and having various surprises, (such as seeing Charlotte again, learning about a case of serial disappearances, and reuniting with Childe), Lumine and Paimon had finally made it to an aquabus that would take them the Opera Epiclese. There were three aquabus lines: the Callas, Clementine, and Navia lines. Lumine and Paimon had to take the latter two – apparently, the former one was destroyed in an explosion. A Melusine enthusiastically gave Paimon facts about Fontaine, while Lumine admired the scenery.  In her opinion, the aquabus was slow and completely impractical. It went only one way, which meant that someone going to work would have to walk all the way back if they wanted to get home. Wouldn’t it be easier to dig a canal into the ground? It felt like a poorly thought-out tourist trap.

When Lumine and Paimon finally disembarked from the Navia line, they made it to the Opera Epiclese. It was made of marble and composed of a large building with a smaller wing on each side. The opera house was also decorated with blue stained glass, likely a reference to Hydro. In front of it were two huge fountains that shot water ten to twenty feet up in mesmerizing patterns, and a central fountain. However, if she looked at the right angle, Lumine noticed that the rest of the building wasn’t decorated, only the front. It said a lot about Fontaine that the most important building in the country was only beautiful on the surface. Lumine sighed. She had become far too cynical after Inazuma. 

“Whoa, now this is fancy! The Opera Epiclese... What a place to hold a performance, no wonder Lyney and Lynette were looking forward to it,” gasped Paimon in wonder. 

Lumine gazed upon the central fountain, and noticed a lot of people around it. After catching snippets of conversation, Lumine realized that the people were couples praying to the Archon for children.

"Vacher..."

 Lumine’s eyes widened, and she looked around frantically. “Huh?” she gasped.

 Paimon gave Lumine a bewildered look. “What's wrong?”

 "Vacher... Vacher..."

There it was, again! “Did you just say something, Paimon?” asked Lumine, though the voice sounded nothing like the fairy’s.

 Her compnionon gave her an odd look. “No, Paimon didn't say anything. Are you hearing things?”

 “Strange... Whose voice was that just now...?” muttered Lumine.

“Welcome to the Fountain of Lucine. All the water flowing through Fontaine converges here. It's customary for newlyweds to come here and wish for children,” said a calm voice behind Lumine. This time, she didn’t find herself startled. It was Lynette.

“Waah! Lynette!” shrieked Pamon from behind. “You scared Paimon! When did you get here?”

“Lyney asked me to wait here for you, remember?” she replied.

“Ah, right…” chuckled Paimon sheepishly.

“By the way, Lynette... I seemed to hear a faint voice just now,” said Lumine, turning to Lynette.

“What do you mean? There are a lot of people here right now.”

“It seemed as if… The voice was coming from the fountain,” said Lumine, staring at the swirling pattern of the water being spewed by the fountain.

“Huh!? Hey, you're not trying to scare Paimon, are you? Besides, it's the middle of the day, it's not the time for eerie things…”

Lynette brought her hand to her chin, which Lumine noted her brother had done as well at some point. They were so alike, yet different. The thought left a pang of loneliness in her. She longed to have her other half again. Aether was off doing Gods know what.

“Hmm… I might be able to tell you something that could help explain the voice you heard. In fact, you might not be imagining things at all. I suspect that what you heard is a result of your hypersensitivity to the Hydro element. Others in my family have had similar experiences,” she explained.

Lumine raised her eyebrows. “Sensitivity to Hydro? What would hearing a voice have to do with elemental power?”

“Tears contain your most intense emotions. As I just mentioned, the Fountain of Lucine is where all the flowing water in Fontaine converges. Even the tears that fall to the ground will eventually gather here. So maybe what you heard was the intense emotion coming from someone's tears,” she clarified.

“Interesting explanation,” said Lumine.

“So what did the voice say?” asked Paimon curiously, leaning forward.

“It seemed to be calling out someone's name,” Lumine replied.

“Huh, if you were hearing their emotions, then Paimon wonders what happened to them.”

“Rather than worrying about them, we should worry about my brother first,” interrupted Lynette. “Don't let that calm look of his fool you, he tends to get pretty nervous just before a performance. So chatting with Lyney might help him relax a little before he goes on stage.”

“Oh right, that makes sense. Let's go in and see Lyney!” exclaimed Paimon.

After entering the grandiose building, Lumine and Paimon noticed Lyney waiting inside, idly whistling with crossed arms.

“Ah, Traveler and Paimon, good to see you. I knew you two would come,” he said, eyes lighting up in recognition.

“Are you kidding? We wouldn't miss it for the world. We've been looking forward to it!” replied Paimon enthusiastically.

 Lyney chucked. “I can tell, judging by how early you've arrived. But you're actually right on time. The audience still hasn't started entering the venue yet, which means now is the perfect chance for us to take you to the best seats in the house. Wait just a moment, I'll fetch the tickets.”

Lyney walked to the ticket booth, and after a few minutes of polite conversation with the seller, he returned with tickets for the Traveler and Paimon.

“The opera house has assigned seating, so you always have to make reservations. I've already reserved your seats, and here are your tickets,” explained Lyney, handing them over.

Lumine took them gratefully, and Paimon peeked over her shoulder to look at them. Her face grew wide in excitement a second later. “Ooh! Front row seats! Thanks, Lyney!”

“Don't mention it, there's no need to keep thanking me…” he replied, brushing her off with a smile.

“Hey, Lyney! Could you come over here and take a look at this?” asked a middle-aged man with brown hair and a teal suit.

Lyney turned towards the man. “Oh, I'll be right there. Seems there's an issue with the stage props over there,” addressing Lumine and Paimon, he explained, “That's Cowell , my assistant, calling me. I'll go lend him a hand.”

“Yeah, we'll just go to our seats. You go ahead, Lyney,” said Paimon.

Lumine pushed open the double doors to the auditorium. The Opera Epiclese was easily grand enough to rival Tenshukaku and the Sanctuary of Surasthana. It always fascinated her how humans were able to build such beautiful structures. She walked down to the aisles, Paimon floating steadily behind her. Everything looked fancy, including the plush carpet runner and the soft red chairs, which had an antique look to them. She almost felt out of place. As they approached their row, Paimon said, “ Ooh, these should be our seats. C'mon, let's sit down.”

As they sat in silence, Lumine couldn’t help but look at the person sitting next to her. She had short white hair with aqua streaks that reminded her of a jellyfish, and was wearing blue judge’s robes. But most striking of all were her heterochromic eyes — one light, one dark, with teardrops as pupils. Her eyes were like the bottomless depths of the ocean. Silent. Empty. Sad . Lumine shuddered.

“Hey, Traveler... Maybe we should strike up a conversation with the person next to us? Since we're sitting together and the rest of the place is practically empty still, it's kinda awkward if we don't say anything,” whispered Paimon.

Lumine, personally, didn’t want to. They were not obligated to converse, and she hadn’t shown any interest in talking as well. The real reason however, was that the woman felt very off . Looking at those eyes made Lumine feel deeply uncomfortable, though she didn’t know why. She glanced at her companion. “You’re up, Paimon. Isn’t that usually your job?”

Paimon glared, crossing her arms, though it hardly looked threatening on someone like her. “You little... Of course you put this on Paimon…”

“Pardon my interruption, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” said the mysterious woman. Paimon looked mortified, and the woman simply chuckled. Her laugh was light, like a tinkling bell. It told a verydifferent story compared to her eyes. “I would be happy to chat if you want.”

“Oh... uh... So you heard all of that? Paimon thought she was keeping her voice down...” Once she said those words, Paimon clapped her hands to her mouth and started rambling. “Ah! Wait, that's not it, Paimon's sorry! Um, Paimon's the one who was being rude talking under her breath like that. Uh, so let's talk, but... uh... what should we talk about?” 

This is getting even more awkward , Lumine groaned.  

“ Uh... Oh, Paimon's got it! You're also here early and sitting in the front. Are you a friend of Lyney's, too?” she stuttered.

“Friend? Hardly, but his shows are some of my favorites.”

“Oh, so you're not friends with Lyney, then... Whew, this is getting more awkward by the second. Ah, Paimon nearly forgot to make our introduction… Nice to meet you, Paimon is Paimon, and this is the Traveler. We just arrived in Fontaine,” she said brightly, holding out her hand to shake.

The woman took it, replying, “Honored to meet you. I’ve heard of your deeds across Teyvat. I’m—”

“Oh, Lady Furina! What an honor it is to have you here to see my show!” exclaimed Lyney.

“Ah, Mister Lyney! I wouldn’t miss your shows for the world! You are my favorite magician after all~” Furina gushed.

Lyney raised his eyebrows at Lumine and Paimon. “Hmm? I saw you all chatting just now, but it seems you still don't know who this is.”

Lyney raised his hands in a dramatic flourish. “Allow me to introduce you to Fontaine's Chief Justice, or Iudex, Lady Furina. That seat is always reserved for her. It wouldn't be too much to say that she is a symbol of justice and honesty here in Fontaine.

“Whoa! Sorry for being so rude just now. Paimon had no idea you were such an important person…”

“You are forgiven, though one should treat all with respect, whether they are ‘important’ or not,” she waved her hand. 

Furina glanced upwards, to a grand throne high above the rest of the seats in the opera house. “And I should probably let you know, the Hydro Archon has been sitting up there for quite a while now… watching and observing.”

Lumine and Paimon glanced up, and indeed, there was a regal-looking man with long white hair gazing down at them.

Paimon squinted. “Huh? Is that Neuvillette, the Hydro Archon? Wow, he looks so serious!”

Furina nodded. “Yes, that is indeed Lord Neuvillette.”

Paimon gasped, realizing she had forgotten his title. “Oh, I’m sorry! We didn’t mean to be rude!”

She smiled. “It’s quite alright, but try to refer to the Hydro Archon with a respectful honorific in the future. If not for his status, then to respect him for all the good work he has done for Fontaine.”

Is this what things are like between the Chief Justice and the Hydro Archon? Furina seems nice enough, and has a very high opinion of Neuvillette. Are they close? wondered Lumine.

“Alright, please wait just a moment longer. I've pretty much finished my preparations and the performance will start as soon as the audience has made their way to their seats,” said Lyney, gesturing to the slowly-filling auditorium. He left soon after, going backstage.

Around ten minutes later, the lights dimmed and the show began.

“Yay, the show's finally about to start. Ooh, Paimon can hardly wait! Paimon's never seen a real live magic show before!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

The curtain opened, revealing Lyney at the center of the stage, a spotlight upon him. Lynette stood calmly to the side. Lyney began performing small tricks, such as pulling doves out of his hat. He then brought out a water tank, explaining that he would make Lynette disappear. After a few moments, she seemed to evaporate, leaving her clothes behind. Then, she reappeared outside, as if nothing had happened.

“Whoa! What in the world just happened!? How did he do that!? Paimon didn't see him do anything!” exclaimed the fairy with exaggerated surprise. “Wasn't Lynette inside the water tank? How did she disappear and then reappear out of nowhere!?”

“What a show! No wonder he's a famous magician,” remarked Lumine. Seeing the best and brightest of Teyvat had raised her standards, but Lyney’s show had exceeded her expectations.

“Well, my dear Paimon, if we could see through his tricks, not only would it not be magical, but it would mean he is not fit to be on this stage. To enjoy a show, you must avoid thinking too hard about things that have intentionally been hidden. Especially if you don’t want to end up a miserable academic who overanalyzes everything,” explained Furina. The intensity of her sttement surprised Lumine.

Paimon chuckled sheepishly. “Ah, guess you're right. But Paimon couldn't believe her eyes when Lynette reappeared. Amazing!” Her eyes sparkled in wonder. 

After that, Lyney explained and began his final trick, a swap. He ordered two boxes to be brought out and placed on opposite sides of the opera house. Next, he explained that one lucky audience member would enter one of the boxes, and after one minute, they would each emerge from the opposite box. Finally, Lyney asked the audience to count down while he and the volunteer entered their respective boxes. While everyone was counting, Lumine noticed that Furina remained silent, her brows furrowing.

“Why aren't you counting, Furina?” asked Lumine.

“Lady or Mademoiselle, please. To answer your question, it’s because I'm counting in my head. Everyone’s excited enough as is, and I don’t want to add to that. Just enjoy the show.”

“Oh, alright. You looked so serious that Paimon thought you might be feeling uncomfortable or something,” mumbled Paimon. However, Lumine couldn’t shake the feeling that something was bothering her. What was she worried about?

For about thirty more seconds , the audience  continued to count down, and Lumine made some idle talk with Paimon.

Suddenly, there was a BANG so loud, it reverberated throughout the entire opera house.

Paimon looked around frantically. “What was that noise? Did you hear it, too?”

Lumine hummed thoughtfully. “Did it come from the stage? Perhaps it was just to divert our attention.”

“Not sure... Anyway, it doesn't seem like anyone's worried about it,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

As everyone continued counting down, Lyney made the comical error of coming out of the box too early. Finally, when the crowd yelled “ZERO!”, the spotlight on the box in the audience turned on. Lyney opened the door to his box and appeared in the audience, causing everyone to cheer and applaud excitedly. Lyney pointed at the box on the stage, which triggered some pyrotechnics shoot upwards. 

Suddenly, the ropes holding the water tank caught fire. It shattered the box below it, causing glass, water, and wood to rain down and shoot in all directions. Multiple people in the crowd screamed, and Lumine’s eyes widened in shock.

“ What happened!?” yelled Paimon, shaken. Then, Lumine noticed an even more disturbing site: a twisted, bloody arm sticking out of the rubble. If she hadn’t seen worse things on her travels, she might’ve been sick.

“Is this... part of the show?” An audience member asked. “Mr. Lyney, you're going to use magic to fix the stage now, right?”

However, Lyney was unresponsive, his eyes blown wide open and his mouth agape. “What happened…”

“Oh no, maybe this isn't part of the show... The girl was still in that box, right?” asked Paimon worriedly.

Suddenly, everyone heard a deep and authoritative voice — The Hydro Archon. “This performance is over! Medical staff, with me. Gardes , secure the scene and detain all the performers. Seal the exits, no one is allowed in or out at this time!” he yelled.

Once Neuvillette finished talking, Furina stood up. “Everyone, please do not panic. If this was an accident, then we must investigate the cause. However, if this was planned, then those accountable will face justice!”

Once Furina sat down, she turned to Lumine. “Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this soon.”

Since the opera house was on lockdown, Lumine and Traveler were forced to sit down and wait in the auditorium. It was a disaster. How could this have even happened! And not to question Lyney’s way of doing things, but it seems like a fatal design flaw to have the water tank hanging above the box. Still, I don’t think Lyney had a hand in anything that happened. 

After some time (which included a lot of complaints from a very hungry Paimon about the lack of food), the Gardes completed their investigation, having collected evidence and conducted interviews.

Furina stood in front of the stage, stating that Lyney’s assistant had been the person in the magic box, and was dead. She added that the girl from the audience was missing and was likely the latest victim of the serial disappearances case. 

“Th—The serial disappearances case!?” a woman yelled out, the fear palpable in her voice.

“Ah, that's the case that Charlotte mentioned before!” noted Paimon.

How did someone pull this off in front of an audience including the Archon and Chief Justice? Thought Lumine.

“At the moment, our prime suspect is Mr. Lyney—”

“Huh? Why me? This whole thing was an accident!” exclaimed Lyney.

“This all occurred during your magic show! The missing woman disappeared after being chosen, and the deceased is one of your assistants!” A man in the audience yelled.

“That makes perfect sense!” A woman replied. “A kidnapping and murder carried out under the cover of a magic show…”

While the audience members were talking about Lyney’s supposed guilt, Lumine caught Furina leaving the main hall of the opera house through a side door.

“That can't be right... How could Lyney do this?” muttered Paimon. “He was in the box on stage the entire time. We could even hear his voice. Besides, before the show he told us that he would like to catch the criminal behind the disappearances. He couldn't possibly mean catching himself!”

“He's a suspect at most,” replied Lumine. 

“Attention,” said Furina authoritatively from a chair high above the stage. ”Due to the circumstances of the crime, the Gardes have filed a criminal complaint against Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette. I have decided that charges will be pressed, and as such, a trial is in order. Additionally, due to the crime’s connection with the serial disappearances case, Lord Neuvillette will be acting as the prosecution.”

At the news, Neuvillette looked as impassive as ever, though he seemed to be staring intently at the part of the stage where the accident happened.

“What? Lord Neuvillette as the prosecution? This trial is going to be unbelievable! I would’ve bought tickets for my family if I knew!” Somebody exclaimed.

“What? How have things escalated so quickly!” yelled Paimon. “Traveler, what do we do?”

“I trust that Lyney and Lynette are innocent. Public sentiment is against them right now. But if we say that we believe they’re innocent…” muttered Lumine.

“Oh! You’ll use your reputation to convince others to support Lyney and Lynette!” replied Paimon. “Everyone!” she yelled. “The Traveler and I trust Lyney and Lynette. They aren’t the ones who did this! There would be too many loose ends if they were!” 

Lumine’s eyes widened, and she internally facepalmed. Paimon did not think this through.

“Well if you really trust them that much, why don’t you go and defend them?” said a man in the audience.

Many others agreed with his sentiment, and it took all of Lumine’s willpower not to curl up in embarrassment.

“Well, I’d be honored if the Traveler defended me in court,” interjected Lyney.

Furina’s eyes seemed to widen a fraction. “Traveler,” began Furina. “Are you willing to act as Mr. Lyney's attorney and defend him in this case?”

Well, theres no point in backing out now. “Yes, I am”, Lumine responded.

“Very well. The trial will be held a day from now in this opera house. Both sides may investigate the scene to build their cases and search for the truth. However, Lyney and his troupe are all potential suspects, and must remain in the opera house. The audience may begin to leave in an orderly fashion once they have been cleared by the Gardes.”

After most of the audience, as well as Furina and Neuvillette had left, Lumine and Paimon made their way to the adjoining room where Lyney and Lynette were sitting.

“Lyney!” exclaimed Paimon worriedly.

“Sorry about everything that happened just now, were you frightened?” asked Lyney.

“Of course, who wouldn't be scared after witnessing an accident like that?”

“Yeah, I'm a little shaken up myself…” he mumbled. “How could this happen? And poor Cowell… I know you already claimed that you would defend me, but now it's just us talking... Tell me, do you think I could possibly be the murderer?”

“No,” replied Lumine confidently, crossing her arms.

“Good to hear... Thank you so much for trusting me. I'm sure everyone sees me as the biggest suspect at this point. But if you ask me, the whole thing is mysteries layered upon mysteries, such that all that's left is confusion.”

“Well, what happened?” asked Lumine.

“I don't know whether what happened there on the stage was purely an accident or not... and I don't know why poor Cowell was in the box. As for how that girl chosen from the audience could suddenly disappear, I'm afraid I don't have any answers, either. If someone tampered with my performance, then we need to figure out what they did,” explained Lyney. 

“This is all very strange, but there's no denying what happened,” said Lumine.

“Which is precisely why we need to investigate!” interrupted Paimon, pulling out a novel out of nowhere. “As this book says, ‘The impossible could not have happened. Whatever happened must have been that which is possible’.”

It was then that Lumine finally noticed Paimon wearing a ridiculous set of glasses that nearly made her laugh out loud. “Where did you get those glasses?” she snorted.

“Paimon bought them when we were reading at the bookshop in the city earlier. Pretty cool, huh? Don't worry, Paimon used her own savings to buy them. It wasn't from our travel funds.”

“I think they look cute on you, Paimon,” said Lynette, speaking for the first time.

“You have good taste, Lynette,” chucked Paimon.

Lyney cleared his throat. “It’s a good thing you agreed to be our attorney. Thank you for that, we'll be counting on you.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” added Lynette.

“I wouldn’t say it was by choice, but I won't let you down,” said Lumine.

“Yeah, just leave it to us!” said Paimon enthusiastically. “Oh, since we're going to start investigating, Paimon has a question first. Where did Lynette go during the performance?”

“Ah, well... I'm afraid that would involve some of our essential trade secrets as magicians…” said Lyney sheepishly.

Lynette glared at her brother, smacking him in the arm. “The secrets behind our magic are past saving, Lyney.”

Lyney yelped in response, replying, “I suppose you're right. The truth behind our tricks is going to be important evidence that will be weighed during the trial,” he replied, clearly nervous about invoking Lynette’s ire again. “Ah! 'Tis truly a pity,” he said, wiping fake tears. “But if revealing our secrets will help you uncover the truth behind what happened, then it will be well worth it. We should go somewhere else if we're going to discuss our magic tricks. We'll go speak with the Gardes, and in the meantime, you can go investigate the stage and the seating areas.“

“Bye Lyney, see you later!” waved Paimon.

Chapter Text

After doing some investigating and talking to the Gardes, Lumine and Paimon were able to find some clues, though it still didn’t make any sense. At the moment, these were their current leads:

• The deceased is one of Lyney's assistants, named Cowell. He was well-trusted by all his colleagues. His job was setting up and inspecting the props, as well as assisting with the show and keeping the crowd engaged.

• The box was positioned directly under the water tank. The ropes holding the tank were then burned by the pyrotechnics on stage, causing them to snap. It was too perfect to be an accident.

• The rope looked too durable to be burned through by fireworks. However, the part where the rope snapped was made of a different, flammable material.

• The Gardes are unable to find any traces of the missing woman, named Halsey. She's a famous painter, and came to watch the magic show in order to take a break from her own creative work. She isn't known to have been entangled in quarrels with any of the members of Lyney's magic troupe.

• Lyney used a number selector to pick a random member of the audience during his performance. However, the Gardes have found that it will generate the exact same number no matter what. Clearly, someone has tampered with it.

• No one left the opera house during the magic show, and after the incident happened, only those who had their identities cleared by the Gardes could leave.

• What was the mysterious thud that happened during the countdown?

“Well, things aren’t looking too good for Lyney and Lynette,” sighed Paimon, writing in a notebook.

Lumine agreed wholeheartedly. What was especially problematic was the rope being made out of a different material where it snapped, which proved that what happened wasn’t an accident. 

As she began to contemplate her life choices, someone exclaimed, “Hey, you! Yes, both of you! Over here! I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now!” Not ominous at all. The person in question was a blonde woman with the longest, most luscious hair in existence, flanked by two men in suits. She also wore a beautiful black dress and hat with white ruffles, embellished with bright blue gems. Was she a noblewoman?

 “If I'm not mistaken, you're also among those who wish to cut down the thorns and pursue the truth, no? And by the looks of it, you're not from Fontaine,” she added.

 “Well, you're right on the Mora about that one... But who are you?” asked Paimon.

 The woman lit up. “Hehehe, have you never heard of the Spina di Rosula?” At Lumine and Paimon’s looks of utter confusion, she explained, “From mediating disputes and providing protection, to solving conundrums — you name it, Spina di Rosula does it! And I, Navia,” she gestured to herself, “have the honor of being its renowned president… Though those who play by our rules call me ‘Boss.’”

The younger of Navia’s two assistants introduced himself as Silver, and the other as Melus. They make a very interesting trio, thought Lumine. “Navia? Like the aquabus line?” she asked.

Navia’s eyes glazed over for a moment “Yes… the very same. It was named after me.” She smiled softly, but it was tinged wth melancholy.

Lumine didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know enough about the situation to say something insightful, so she said, “That’s Interesting.”

Navia took the opportunity to steer the conversation back, explaining, “I've always kept an eye on the serial disappearance cases — my interest stems from a matter back from my father's time. Judging from the look of things, I find Lyney an unlikely mastermind.”

Finally someone who can think critically. “Well, we think so too. But how did you come to that conclusion?” asked Lumine.

 “Intuition, naturally. My unparalleled intuition!”

  Uh, okay...

 “Well, the audience sure was quick to point the finger at Lyney without any decisive evidence whatsoever, weren’t they? Additionally, the Chief Justice went along with the crowd and accepted the charges!”

“Honestly it sounds more like you just don't trust the Chief Justice,” sighed Paimon. 

 Navia seemed unfazed by Paimon’s statement, asking, “Well, what's your opinion? It’s clear that she was not being impartial as she should have.”

 “Well, when you put it like that, it makes sense, but Furina mentioned that Lyney was her favorite magician… I doubt she’d be so against him,” said Paimon.

 “Yes, this case is rather puzzling. I suppose her actions weren’t in line with her character, so it's possible she might’ve found something… though perhaps the Hydro Archon convinced her to accept the charges,” Navia replied, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ve noticed she’s rather partial to him.”

“I got that impression as well,” said Lumine, thinking back to her earlier conversation with Furina.

“Well, I have another question: In your opinion, do you think it's right to treat a trial like it's an opera?” asked Navia.

“Not always. Something serious like a trial shouldn't be treated like entertainment. Doing so makes it easy for the truth to fall by the wayside,” answered Lumine, glancing back at the courtroom. 

  Navia grinned, looking at her attendants. “Hahaha! See, Silver and Melus? I told you they'd be different!”

Could it be? Someone who actually sees the clear problems with the judicial system? Lumine was filled with hope at the thought.

”Most astute of you, Demoiselle. I, too, think that the Traveler's response was most excellent. No matter how wonderful the script or how fervent the audience's expectations may be, the trials that go on stage here must be based in fact. And if that can be done, Boss, then—” exclaimed Melus. 

 “Alright, that's quite enough, Melus,“ interrupted Navia. “Anyway, I like your answer. You pass with flying colors! Now, I need to make some preparations, following which our joint investigation shall commence... You two shall be my assistants!” 

 Lumine and Paimon exchanged a brief glance. ”Wait, since when did we become assistants!?” yelled Paimon.

 “Hmm? Oh. Well, I can be the assistant, sure — or your companion, if you like. I'm really not that fussy,” Navia shrugged.

“Hmph. That's more like it,” said Paimon, crossing her arms.

Lumine facepalmed. “I think you're missing the point, Paimon…”

“Well, do you have any objections?” asked Navia. When Lumine and Paimon shook their heads, she continued. “Alright. You wish to save a friend from false accusations, and we wish to unravel the disappearances. It makes sense to partner up since our goals align. We'll be making some preparations first. Just be sure to let us know if they start revealing Lyney's tricks. Thanks!”

With that, Navia and her two attendants were off, leaving Lumine and Paimon to stand awkwardly in the lobby. Lumine thought Navia was genuine, and seemed trustworthy enough.

“Paimon approves of her,” stated the fairy.

“Well, I suppose she could be of help,” agreed Lumine.

After acquiring a few more clues and adding them to Paimon’s notebook, Lumine suggested that they go visit Lyney again, now that they had found everything of note. After walking around for a few minutes, the duo found Lyney and Lynette on stage with a Garde. When they approached, Lynette’s ears twitched — enhanced hearing? — and she turned around. “Oh, you've arrived,” she stated. “Ah, who's this?” asked Lynette, looking behind Lumine.

 “Me? I'm Spina di Rosula's guardian angel... If you've got a problem, I've got the firepower. Haha, sorry. I got a little carried away there... Call me Navia. I'm a partner of theirs, and will be helping investigate this whole situation,” she explained. 

Lumine whipped her head around. When did Navia get here? She couldn’t recall ever telling Navia about checking in with the magician duo. I guess she’s just that on top of things…

  “Oh, new helpers? I would be most grateful!” exclaimed Lyney.

“Well, let's just say we're tagging along... It's not every day that you get to see the secrets behind magic performed on such a large scale!” winked Navia.

“Hehe, I appreciate your kind interest. Come with me, we'll be heading below stage,” said Lyney.

“Huh? Why?” asked Paimon. 

 “A world of secrets is hidden beneath this magic box, prepared specifically for this switcheroo trick,” replied Lyney mysteriously. But before I reveal everything, you should have a look first. Notice anything strange here?”

Lyney opened the box, gesturing to its interior. Navia squinted, before exclaiming, “Huh. Weren't there balloons and other decorations here? Where did all that go?”

 “Ah, good eye! That said, you're still far from discovering the answer.”

Lumine looked closer, trying to see if anything was off with the box. Wait a minute, the back of the door looks different… wasn’t there a pattern? “The back of the door isn't the same!” she exclaimed.

  Lyney chuckled. “Very good indeed. I thought you might not be able to catch that, given that you were sitting in the first row. The back of this door was patterned. Those patterns are now gone, replaced by a smooth wooden board.”

 ”So if you put two and two together, what do you get?”

“Wait, does that mean... There's another box inside this one?” asked Paimon.

“Haha, exactly!” Lyney smiled at Paimon. “Alright, let's go. I'll tell you how it works as we head down.”

Lyney moved the box to reveal a wooden trapdoor. He opened it and began to climb down the ladder, accompanied by Lynette. Lumine and Paimon jumped in after, and Navia and her attendants came last.

The first thing that greeted Lumine was dust. Enough of it that she let out a sneeze or two. The passage looked unfinished, with colorful props and costumes from different troupes strewn about.

  “Oh, so there was a passageway that linked the two boxes together!” mused Paimon.

 Lyney chuckled. “I knew you'd figure out most of it as soon as you saw this place. The two magic boxes are positioned right above the two entrances of the tunnel.” He looked around gesturing to a trolley. “See this? The box with the lucky audience member in it would be shuttled over to the other side using the trolley.”

“This trolley can raise and lower, and even rotate, ensuring that the box will face in the right direction,” explained Lynette.

 “I see, so that's the purpose of the box inside another box!” noted Navia.

 Lyney and Lynette continued to explain in detail how the trick worked, and Lumine wrote important details down in their notebook. They had a substantial amount of evidence, but not enough to prove the twins innocent. They had to be missing something.

  “…As you saw, Cowell was in the box, not our audience member — she, on the other hand, mysteriously vanished,” continued Lyney.

 “We really don't know how that happened,” sighed Lynette.

 “If not for that interlude, this would have been an astonishing trick. I probably never would have figured out how you pulled it off…” groaned Navia. “And yet, to think that someone was able to use this magic trick to commit a crime.”

 “Could we have a look around? I think we can come up with some more leads,” asked Navia to the Garde watching the group.

 “Well, this is the scene of the crime, so Lyney and Lynette are not permitted to stay here. I'll escort them back up,” the woman explained.

 “Of course. Thanks, everyone. We're counting on you,” said Lynette.

After they left, Lumine and Navia split up to cover ground more effectively. As Lumine was examining the control panel when Navia called out to her. “What’s this?”

“Looks like a hook tied to the end of a rope. Huh, there's all kinds of odds and ends here,” replied Paimon.

“Lyney didn't mention this earlier,” noted Lumine.

 “Perhaps it was a prop for a different trick? But why would it have been left here?” asked Navia. 

She has a good point. I’ll add it to my notebook. Lumine brought it out and wrote down the latest clue.

• There is a dropped rope that has fallen to the ground. A metal hook has been tied to one end of it. Its use is unclear.

For half an hour longer, the group continued to look around for evidence and add clues to the notebook. 

• There are many pieces of a broken flower vase on one side of the tunnel. All the water within has been spilled. Judging from the distance, it seems unlikely that it was knocked over by the trolley meant to transport the magic box.

• The clothes belonging to Halsey— the lady who went missing — were found in the tunnel. The reason for this remains unknown.

 While Lumine was looking through a rack of props, she came across a vent. “Everyone! Over here!” She yelled.

“It seems someone could fit through here,” noted Silver.

 “Hmm, could this have been the suspect's escape route?” pondered Navia.

 “Alone, perhaps. But if they had to pull another person with them, this space would be too narrow,” refuted Melus.

“But there are no other ways in or out of here,” stated Paimon.

 “Other than those that go through the magic boxes. And Lyney and Lynette were in the two magic boxes,” replied Lumine.

• The tunnel vent looks like it could allow one person passage, barely, but leaving along with the missing lady seems an unrealistic prospect.

 ”Seems we're just about done investigating down here,” sighed Paimon. Finally. I can’t wait to stop sneezing every five seconds.

 ”Let’s head up then,” replied Navia as she climbed up the ladder and re-opened the trapdoor. Her attendants and Lumine followed behind, leaving Paimon to float up last.

 ”Let's find a place to sort out our findings once Melus returns; he’s talking to the Gardes right now. It seems to me that there are several things that don't quite add up here,” said Navia. 

 “Apologies for the wait, Demoiselle,” said Melus. “The Gardes believe the odds of that are very low, since the vent leads to the opera house's basement. The Gardes have checked the area carefully. No one left through the basement during the performance or after the incident, and no one was found hiding there.”

 “No wonder Furina accepted the charges. All the current evidence points towards Lyney and Lynette,” sighed Navia, rubbing her eyes. 

 “In other words, the ‘charges’ are very likely to be upheld unless we make some considerable progress.

 “Charges and then trial... So, if the charges are upheld, they'll announce a sentence?” asked Paimon.

 ”That's right,” clarified Navia. “This is how a trial goes in the opera house — during the proceedings, the Chief Justice and the Oratrice will hear statements from both sides.”

Wait, isn’t the Oratrice a machine? Maybe I should ask , thought Lumine. “The Oratrice?”

 “That's right,” she replied. “This is how Indemnitium – what powers Fontaine – is produced. The statements from both sides, the defenses from attorneys, witness testimonies, and even the audience's emotions will all be projected on the Oratrice.” 

EMOTIONS!? Does that mean trials aren’t completely based on law and evidence? That’s ridiculous and completely unjust. Lumine was really starting to dislike Fontaine. They placed so much importance on a broken system, and it was so long-lived that nobody knew there was an issue.

“To put it simply, it's as if the Oratrice has its own will, and is a judge in its own right.” 

”This also precludes any kind of favoritism on the part of the Chief Justice... Not that this has ever happened before today,” added Melus.

 “Once both sides have finished speaking, the Chief Justice will make his final decision. This, too, will be used by the Oratrice as a reference. Then finally, the Oratrice will be consulted by officials. The result it returns is the will of "justice" itself.”

 “Huh? So that machine is the one that actually decides?” asked Paimon.

 Melus coughed. “In practice, there is very little difference. Both have always come to the same judgment — which is why people have great faith in the Chief Justice.” 

So basically, the Oratrice is useless.

Melus paused for a moment, before adding, “Ah, yes. The Gardes also asked me to convey that none of us will be allowed to leave this place before the trial.”

 ”Huh? Why!?” yelled Paimon in indignation.

Melus sighed. “Because we've chosen to act as the twins' proxies. That makes us persons related to the case.”

“They're concerned that we might be colluding with outside parties, or that we might find outside help to disrupt the case… And even if that were not so, it could prove problematic if we happened to spread key information about the case ahead of time,” explained Navia.

“I'm ready to break out at any time,” said Silver.

”Whoa, whoa! There's no need for that!” Paimon waved her hands. “Paimon thinks they have a point. That said... are they providing food?”

Food… of course that’s the only thing on your mind, chuckled Lumine.

 “Of course, I just hope you don't mind the lack of options. I'm afraid that catering to all tastes is not in the cards, nor is any guarantee of balanced nutrition,” said Melus.

 “Well, let's just sort out our findings together here.”

“Paimon will still do her best even if there are no snacks!” the fairy exclaimed.

“Hmm?” Navia looked up, bewildered. “What do you mean ‘no snacks’? Of course we'll have snacks! If we cannot buy some, then we'll simply make some.”

Melus brought out a portable stove out of nowhere, and began taking out ingredients along with Silver.

“Wait, you're carrying a portable stove with you?” yelled Paimon.

“Yes. I must be prepared to meet the Demoiselle's baking needs whenever the fancy strikes her,” stated Melus as if it was obvious.

“These three are quite the interesting group…” muttered Paimon.

“Must be a Spina di Rosula thing,” Lumine whispered back.

Navia methodically handled the ingredients and began baking. Within no time, she pulled fresh macarons of every flavor out of the oven and put them on a plate.

“Ooh, and Paimon thought it smelled good while it was still in the oven, it's even better now! Paimon can't stop drooling!” said the fairy, eyes sparkling in wonder.

“Give these a try, fresh out of the oven! There's three for each of us,” said the golden-blonde.

“Tea is ready to be served as well. This is Demoiselle's favorite, strong black tea with a floral fragrance that clears the mind and lifts the spirit,” added Melus.

“Thank you. Why don't you take a break as well?” said Lumine gratefully, offering a seat.

“No need for concern. I'm merely doing as I should,” the older man chuckled.

The group enjoyed their macarons and tea as they discussed the case. Paimon had taken two extra macarons, though she swore she didn’t. Navia was unbothered, baking an extra batch. The blonde also brought up the possibility of one of the victims being involved as a third person, but there was no evidence to support that. The case was turning out to be impossible. 

“Well, that's it. I'm going to have another look around the area,” Navia said. “I don't know what we're looking for yet, but we've still got some time. As attorneys, I suggest the two of you think the case over again. It would be awkward if you got all tongue-tied on stage during the trial.”

 Paimon smiled. “Alright. Thanks for your help — and for the snacks!”

“Haha, it was nothing. A small task for the Spina di Rosula. Silver, Melus, it's time to go. I'll be back if I find anything new!”

And with that, Navia was off, leaving Lumine and Paimon alone to discuss further.

“Alright, it's time to put our heads together. We've gotta get our defense ready for the trial. It's probably gonna be a long and difficult case... Ugh, there's no point worrying about that now, we just need to prepare! Here, take Paimon's notes. They should help you review the situation,” the fairy said to Lumine.

This case is impossible. It wasn’t the first time Lumine had thought this, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. What an optimistic view.

Chapter Text

Though Lumine and Paimon had made good progress after Navia had left, Paimon had begun to panic once it was morning. It didn’t help that they weren’t allowed to leave the opera house and had to sleep on a couch . They had obviously been in worse situations, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable. Lumine still had a crick in her neck that hadn’t gone away.

“What do we do, Traveler? The whole situation is so confusing!” cried Paimon as she fidgeted with her hands. 

“Just relax. Even if everyone else suspects Lyney and Lynette, at least we will be supporting them from the stands,” Navia winked. “Besides, I doubt Lord Neuvillette understands any more about what happened than we do.”

 Paimon sighed, shaking her head. “Thanks, Navia. We'll be going then.”

“Well, best of luck to you!” The blonde waved.

After waving goodbye to Navia, Lumine and Paimon entered the courtroom and approached Lyney and Lynette. When they were within a few meters, Lynette’s ears twitched — she definitely had enhanced hearing — and she turned around. “You’re back. How did your investigation go?”

Paimon looked at them sheepishly. “To be honest, you might be disappointed…”

“No, no. We're already very grateful that you were willing to help!” Lyney waved off their concerns. He seemed less nervous than they were, even though he was the one on trial. Why was he okay with two people who hadn’t attended law school defending him? Lyney seemed pretty loaded, and could probably afford a proper attorney.

“Since both parties are present, I declare that the trial regarding the magic show incident is now in session,” announced Furina. ”May the prosecution and defendant take the stand?”

Lumine and Paimon obliged, though to do so, they had to climb a winding staircase — the stand must have been more than 50 feet high. For what reason, Lumine had no idea. Perhaps it made the trial seem more dramatic. I’ve fought Gods with a sword — now I need to do it with words. 

 “The prosecution may begin with their argument,” said Furina.

Wait, no opening statement? Well, there’s no jury to introduce ourselves to… but doesn’t the Oratrice technically fit the description of a jury, even if there’s only one of it? Maybe there’s no need to explain the case since it’s so high-profile and everyone knows who we are… that’s probably it. Lumine was overthinking this and she knew it. She sighed as she waited for Neuvillette, who looked as stoic as ever — why did he even volunteer as prosecution in the first place? — to begin his argument.

“To commence, could we please have Mr. Lyney explain the trick?” he asked.

”Yes, of course,” replied Lyney respectfully. “I will explain, while Lynette demonstrates onstage. All the necessary items have been prepared.”

Lyney and Lynette clearly explained how the trick worked, similar to how they demonstrated it to Lumine. The audience let out gasps once they figured it out; it was truly ingenious. Their performance would have been brilliant if not for the terrible circumstances.

“Thank you, Mr. Lyney. In that case, I take your statement to be that… You ran to and remained hidden within the magic box in the audience stands once the trick began, and therefore couldn’t have committed the crime. Is this correct?” asked Furina, squinting at him.

“Yes, that's correct, Your Honor,” replied Lyney.

“Does the prosecution — Lord Neuvillette — wish to refute this statement in any way?”

Neuvillette glanced at Lyney. “Yes. Mr. Lyney is lying about being in the box the entire time, and it can be proven.”

The audience gasped in shock once again. But if there was proof he wasn’t in the box, that was a problem. Come to think of it, she’d never asked him where he was, only if he’d committed the crime or not. Lumine stopped herself before she could go down that train of thought further. She couldn’t doubt Lyney when he needed her.

“My. Lyney, what did you hear while you were inside your box?” asked Neuvillette.

“The roaring countdown of the crowd, of course. That's how I kept track of the time and built anticipation for the finale,” he replied confidently.

“Did you hear anything that might leave an impression of any kind?”

Now, Lyney looked confused. “No… nothing.”

“Well, when the count reached about thirty seconds, there was a thud far louder than the audience — one that could be heard from the back of the courtroom.”

“Huh?!” exclaimed Lyney.

Paimon gave Lumine a fleeting, worried glance. The audience began chatting immediately at the new development, and it was not good news for Lyney.

“Yeah, I'm sure he could've heard a noise that loud from inside the box…” 

“I was right by the box, and I definitely heard the thud!”

How could Lyney not know about that sound? Unless, he wasn’t in the box like he claimed…

Suddenly, the Oratrice began to creak and groan, and its scales tipped towards Neuvillette.

“Look at those scales, could those mean what I think they do?” wondered Paimon.

“They probably represent the Oratrice's stance on the trial,” mused Lumine.

“ Hey, Lyney, why didn't you tell us this before!?” yelled Paimon indignantly at him.

Suddenly, Furina banged her gavel, yelling “Order!”, and the crowd silenced. “Mr. Lyney, Lord Neuvillette has claimed that when the thud was heard in the opera house, you were neither in the box, nor the tunnel. Is this claim true? 

Lyney sighed, “Yes, it’s true, Your Honor.”

“What should we do now, Traveler?” asked Paimon. She was shaking . This case hasn’t gone to plan. I need some time to think, and get the full truth from Lyney.

“Permission to speak, Your Honor?” Lumine glanced at Furina, who looked strangely on edge.

Furina “Granted.”

“My client has withheld some key information. My defense cannot proceed. I request a brief adjournment. There are things that must be discussed.”

The audience erupted again, somehow even more convinced of Lyney’s guilt than before. 

“Is that really necessary? They're already as good as guilty!” yelled an impatient man in the audience.

Another shrugged. “The defendant deceived their own attorneys. What is there left to discuss?”

“Order, order, I say! Your request is reasonable and we will adjourn. This trial shall reconvene in one hour.” Furina banged her gavel again. 

While court was adjourned, Lumine and Paimon met with Lyney and Lynette in the surprisingly tidy backstage of the opera house.

Lyney sighed. “I'm sorry, Traveler and Paimon.”

“Ugh... Paimon doesn't know where to start. We based our entire reasoning on the assumption that you were being transparent!” The fairy yelled. “Not to set the wrong tone or anything, but Paimon's really mad!”

“I'm very sorry. I know you're angry, and reasonably so, but please let me explain. Right now, we want to save people... as many as we can, from the prophecy.”

Lumine raised her eyebrows. “And..? It would’ve been easier to form our defense if we knew everything from the start.”

“Well, what we were doing was technically illegal, so we didn’t want to make your job harder.”

“So you were committing a crime?” Lumine seethed.

“Where did you actually go while the trick was being performed? No lies, now!” Paimon yelled.

“Of course. I'll answer any question you ask,” he sighed, taking a deep breath. “We've been trying to find out how the Oratrice operates. We want to know why it has a consciousness? Why can it deliver sentences accurately? During our investigations, we learned that the machine's core is beneath it. From that moment on, Lynette and I have been designing this box-swap trick, with the objective of getting close to the core, which is technically trespassing, a criminal offense.”

“Well, that explains the crime… Is that why you needed a whole minute?” asked Paimon.

He nodded. “That's right. After jumping into the tunnel, I accessed the opera house basement via the vent and went to investigate the room in which the core is stored.”

 “And what did you find?” asked Lumine.

 “Well, nothing. As soon as I reached that room and was about to investigate, I heard someone's voice. Which should have been impossible, of course — I was quite certain that I was the only one in the room. That voice seemed to recognize me and tried to speak to me. I chose to err on the side of caution and retreated the way I came. On the way back, I saw the broken vase and the clothes on the ground, but the countdown was almost finished, so there wasn't time to give it any thought. After that, the homicide occurred just as you saw,” he confessed.

“And why were you investigating the Oratrice?” asked Lumine.

“Because of that prophecy I told you about, of course. We must know all we can about this nation's secrets in order to deal with that prophesied crisis.”

“That's the only way we can save everyone,” added Lynette.

”So, there you have it, the whole truth,” said Lyney.

Lumine sighed. “You should’ve been honest from the start. However, I want justice to be served. Although, if we use your testimony as evidence and succeed in getting you cleared, you’ll still get in trouble for trespassing. At least it wont be a murder charge to your name?”

Thanks for giving us a chance,” Lyney said gratefully.

She may have given them another chance, but she wasn't going to trust them wholeheartedly ever again. Lumine started to wonder if maybe, Lyney had approached them with ulterior motives in Romaritime Harbor. If you lie once, you can lie again. She could never forget that.

 “The adjournment is almost over. Let's go back. We have all the evidence we need now,” stated Lumine.

This trial isn’t lost yet.

Once their group had made it back to the defendant’s stand, Furina said, “Both parties have returned to their positions. Please continue the trial. When last we left off, Mr. Lyney acknowledged the statement presented by Lord Neuvillette as fact. Therefore, he may continue stating his reconstruction of the events.”

“Would everyone lend me their attention?” He cleared his throat. “As the countdown began, he entered the tunnel. When the flatbed trolley passed, he opened the box and got into an altercation with Halsey, which caused the loud thud. He did not realize that this sound could be heard by everyone in the opera house, which is why he claimed earlier that he could not hear the sound. Finally, he used the vase to knock her out, before making her change clothes to prevent others from recognizing her. At this time, Cowell arrived in the tunnel, having heard that strange noise, and caught Lyney red-handed. So, Lyney proceeded to knock him out too before stuffing him into that box. Afterward, Lyney passed the unconscious Halsey to his accomplice through the magic box in the audience stands, before operating the devices such that Cowell's death would be ruled an accident.”

“Does the defendant's side have any objections to Lord Neuvillette's description of the events?” asked Furina.

Well, according to Lyney, he left via the vent after entering the tunnel. He couldn't have had that altercation with Halsey. Lyney then went to the room that contains the Oratrice's core. This is the actual truth. Lyney did not take part in the underground altercation. He only witnessed traces of the aftermath. 

 Once Lumine knew she had a strong argument, she explained it to Paimon.

“Ahem! Attention! Ace Detective Paimon has something to say!” The fairy declared.

Ace Detective? That’s actually kind of cute, chuckled Lumine. 

“When the countdown started, Lyney did indeed go into the tunnel. But he immediately used a vent to access the opera house basement, which is where the underground core of the Oratrice is stored. Once he reached that area, he heard a voice in what should have been an empty room. Since he felt something was amiss, he returned immediately. The crime scene had already developed by the time he reached the tunnel again, and in order to complete the magic trick, he did not remain there for any length of time. Finally, he reached the surface, and that was when the accident happened from his point of view. Therefore, he's innocent!”

Whew. We did it! And indeed they did, for the scales of the Oratrice began to tilt towards them, balancing it out. Could they actually defend Lyney and Lynette after all?

Paimon sighed in relief. “Whew, Paimon did it! Paimon actually managed to say all that. Wasn't it awesome?”

Lumine nodded, patting her head. Good job, Paimon.

Furina hummed. “In other words, do you believe that he knew nothing of the incident, because he was committing another crime? If you agree, it will count as a confession for trespassing on government property.”

Paimon nodded, cringing at Furina’s wording. “Yes, they were. Moreover, I believe my opposition's reasoning is flawed.”

Neuvillette raised his eyebrows. “Really? Please explain.”

”The onstage equipment was clearly tampered with in a premeditated fashion, since the rope was made of a flammable material only where it snapped. However, you claim that Cowell bumped into Lyney by chance. If that's the case, who was the entire setup meant to kill? Assuming that what you say is true, Lyney only needed to kidnap the young girl to cause a new disappearance case. Killing her would not be in line with the previous disappearance cases, where the bodies were never found.”

Lumine was so proud of Paimon, she couldn’t hide her grin. The fairy had come so far from when Lumine first saved her from drowning in Mondstadt.

”Oh, she has a point…” someone noted.

“Haha, that's right, you tell them! And that's why they're partners of mine. They've managed to turn things around!” exclaimed Navia from the audience. Melus and Silver were sitting next to her, also cheering Lumine and Paimon on. 

 “Your theory has some merit. Do you have any evidence?” asked Neuvillette, looking interested. Lumine didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

 “Do you happen to remember... How you refuted Lyney's alibi initially?” asked Lumine.

”Yes… if he had been in the magic box the whole time, he would’ve heard the sound… Ah. You're saying that he wasn't…”

 “That's right! Lyney wasn't in the box or in the tunnel. That's why he didn't hear anything strange during the performance.“

“So you mean to say Lyney wasn’t present at the crime scene at all?,” asked Furina. Lumine and Paimon nodded. “Very well, let me verify with the Oratrice — after all, it is a sentient entity capable of perception, and therefore counts as a witness.”

The Oratrice lit up blue, and it ejected a piece of paper into Furina’s hand. It truly did have a consciousness. “According to the Oratrice Mechanique D’Analyse Cardinale, it did in fact see Lyney trying to investigate its core.”

Navia laughed. “Well played!”

“Your reasoning is sound, as it can be proven Lyney did not directly commit the crime,” said Neuvillette. “However, that does not rule him out as an accomplice. We need a full reconstruction of the scene to prove that he had no hand in it. If it wasn't Lyney who committed the crimes, then who was it?” asked Neuvillette.

Well, if Lyney didn’t commit the crime, only the other members of the troupe would have been able to tamper with the props to cause the tank to fall on the box. What evidence is there that the selected audience member was involved in the incident? Well, obviously the clothes that belonged to Halsey. That means only Cowell could have possibly committed the crime. He would've been able to tamper with the equipment!

After Lumine explained her theory to Paimon, the fairy looked at her like she was bonkers. “Huh? That can't be right. Are you serious!?” she screeched. “Um, the killer was, in fact, Cowell, the deceased!”

“Is that so? How interesting. Let's hear your reasoning,” the Archon said.

I need to recreate the scene from Cowell’s perspective. How can we prove Lyney as having been unable to interfere with the crime? How can I prove that there was an altercation in the tunnel? Who is the prime suspect currently? Where did the missing Halsey go? However, no matter how Lumine tried to piece the clues, it didn’t make sense. The main flaw was she didn’t know where Halsey had gone. She couldn’t have gone through the vent, since they would’ve run into Lyney, and they couldn’t exit through the box since they’d be in full view of the audience. She also couldn’t have left the opera house, because Melusines were guarding the doors.

At Lumine’s lack of response, Paimon whispered, “What's wrong, Traveler? Are you having trouble figuring things out?”

“Where in the world did Halsey go…” the blonde muttered.

“If only we knew how Halsey disappeared…” sighed Lynette.

“Well, that would be nice, but the tunnel only has three exits, and none of them seem very likely. And it's not like this is a magic trick where you can just make a real, live person disappear. Y'know, like you did from that water tank, Lynette…” replied Paimon.

  Wait. “ Magic… Escaping from the water tank…“ Could it have been the water...? Lyney was not in the tunnel at that moment, which gave our criminal ample time. How can I prove that there was an altercation in the tunnel? The sound we heard may have come from a clash between the missing Halsey and the criminal. Who is the prime suspect currently? Cowell! Where did the missing Halsey go? The vase was not broken by chance. It was used to cover important evidence — the water!

“Well, it all comes together if Halsey disappeared instead of being kidnapped! Lynette escaped from the water tank, vanishing gradually and leaving only clothes behind. If there's a similar method where a person could be transformed into water…”

Furina gasped, eyes widening. She must know something , thought Lumine . “And how do you suppose it could be done?” Furina asked.

“Your Honor, I request that we examine Cowell's personal effects,” said Lumine.

“I believe that this is a reasonable request on the part of an attorney. This line of questioning is too valuable to be ignored. Gardes, please step into the lounge and examine the personal effects of the deceased, Cowell,” ordered Furina.

The Gardes nodded and left. After a while, one returned, out of breath from running.

“We are still examining the items, but we have already made critical progress that we feel must be shared with everyone posthaste,” the woman explained. “We discovered several test tubes of fluid within Cowell's baggage, each labeled separately. The notebook in his backpack claims that these fluids are ‘Water from the Primordial Sea’.”

Furina’s eyes were nearly round, and she dropped her gavel. “The Primordial Sea…“ she muttered. She glanced at Neuvillette, whose gaze was stone-cold.

 The Garde continued. “The notes' contents also indicate that Cowell belonged to an organization that sells illegal drugs, and that he had an accomplice. The notebook has many entries concerning safe usage of these fluids, in which the keyword ‘dissolve’ appears many times. One of these tubes was labeled ‘Opera Epiclese’ along with yesterday's date. It is empty. The notes also state that these dissolution properties work exclusively on people from Fontaine. It's likely that Halsey was chosen as some sort of test subject.”

What in the — this nation is so messed up… Lumine and Paimon shared a fleeting, horrified glance. 

The crowd erupted into chaos. Unlike many other times, it was for good reason.

“You've got to be kidding! People, dissolving into water?

“Could something so ridiculous actually be true?”

“Wait a moment, this reminds me of a certain prophecy. But... it's just a coincidence, isn't it?”

No, it’s not. I bet that’s what Furina realized, and why she so readily believed me, thought Lumine.

Navia stood up. “If people can become water, does that mean that the water tank's real use was as a means to hide water stains? And if Cowell was targeting that girl…” Suddenly, her eyes widened considerably. “Wait just a moment... Could that mean...? You two, with me, quick!” Navia gestured to her attendants, and took off running.

What was that about? What did she realize? wondered Lumine.

Furina banged her gavel. “Order, order!” The crowd immediately quieted, though it didn’t go silent. Some hushed whispering about this new development continued. “It’s undeniable that further examination of the deceased's personal effects has yielded some surprising results, but none of them can be verified at the moment.  Still, assuming that these clues are authentic, would the Gardes please continue examining the items along these lines?”

I need to think about this new evidence. Cowell's methods must have something to do with that “Water from the Primordial Sea”. What did the culprit do to control the timing of the dissolution? What did the culprit use to hide the mechanism behind the crime? Well, maybe the hook rope was not meant for another magic trick, but was instead some form of triggering mechanism. The “Water from the Primordial Sea” should already have been prepared before Halsey entered the magic box. I remember there was something else within the inner layer of that box… a balloon! Whew. Her brain was almost fired from all this thinking at ten o’clock in the morning.

“Ahem! It's Ace Detective Paimon's time to shine again! We have a new theory!” Paimon explained how Cowell tampered with the rope and number selector. When the box containing Halsey was lowered, the metal hook would retract and pierce the balloon at the top of the box. The balloon contained Primordial Seawater, which would dissolve Halsey. Afterward, Cowell would enter the tunnel and break the flower vase to conceal the water inside the tunnel, with the remaining evidence being covered up by the water tank. However, he encountered something unexpected in the tunnel, and wound up being killed by the water tank.”

“Now, it seems like the only point of contention remaining is the exact circumstances that led to Cowell's death,” stated Lyney. “His notes mentioned he had an accomplice who could be related to the situation, and we have to prove that wasn’t me or Lynette…”

 “Attention,” said Furina. “The Gardes have just contacted me indicating that they uncovered new evidence. I shall now invite one onstage to share it with us.

The Garde bowed. “Thank you, Your Honor. We were just inspecting the luggage of the other people involved in this case… And we found an identical sample of the Water from the Primordial Sea among Lyney's personal effects!”

Lyney’s eyes widened. “Wh—What!?”

Lynette looked troubled as well. “That can't be.”

With this evidence, Lumine knew what theory Neuvillette would suggest next: Lyney left the scene via the vent while Halsey was being dissolved. Having made modifications to the props beforehand, his accomplice Cowell dissolved Halsey using the Water from the Primordial Sea. Then, Lyney disposed of Cowell and used the water tank as a murder weapon. Unfortunately, there was no way to counter that. We've used up all the evidence we collected, Lumine realized in horror, biting her lip. What should I do?

“Oh no…” Paimon gasped.

Neuvillette cleared his throat, likely about to state the obvious theory that could be constructed with the new evidence. “Allow me to present—”

“Excuse me, everyone, but I must interject!” Someone yelled boldly. Navia! Lumine allowed herself to be hopeful. Maybe she could turn this around!

“Miss Navia, I must ask you not to shout and to respect the ongoing legal proceedings,” glared Furina.

 Navia waved her off. “Oh, come on, everyone else does it! And I have a good reason for interrupting, you know. Now, would anyone here like to take a little break from all this debate, and see a little magic? I'll show you an amazing trick, one that can bring a young woman who has ‘disappeared’ back in the flesh, right before our very eyes! Please do the honors Mr. Lyney, if you would be so kind.”

  At Lyney’s reluctance, she added, “Come on, Lyney and Lynette. Give it another go. Don't worry — Spina di Rosula has made the necessary arrangements on your behalf. But as the magic-makers and stars of the show, I think I should leave the final performance to you.”

As Lyney was able to internalize what she was implying, he smiled. “I understand.” He snapped his finger, and the magic box opened to reveal a woman. Halsey!

Well, not Halsey, but Liliane, according to the woman. She was the same thief Lumine, Paimon, and Lyney had tried to catch in Romaritime Harbor. She confessed to knocking out Cowell in self-defense after he attacked her. She stuffed him into the box, but didn’t know it would kill him. Since there was nowhere to run, she changed her clothes and hid in a box containing performance costumes. Liliane continued to hide in the opera house afterwards. This is a miracle , thought Lumine. What were the odds?

“I figured out the true events of what happened,” declared Lumine. “After Liliane entered the tunnel and had water poured on her head, she kicked the door open, producing the thud we all heard. Hearing the commotion, Cowell leaped into the tunnel, only to discover that Liliane had not dissolved. He did not know that Liliane was not from Fontaine, and mistakenly believing that the Water from the Primordial Sea needed time to take effect, He tried to force Liliane back into the box, and the two broke the flower vase during the ensuing altercation. However, Liliane came out on top, knocking Cowell out and putting him in the box. With no way of escaping, she changed her clothes and hid in the costume trunk until the performance ended.”

“She knew that she would have to go through Garde inspection if she tried to leave afterward, so she has been trapped in the opera house these last two days,” addded Paimon.

“She had already become desperately hungry by the time we were chatting over macarons, so she swiped two of them right under our noses. Talk about a sneaky thief!” exclaimed Navia, indignant.

The Oratrice tilted back to the defense, showing that their reasoning was sound.

“Does the prosecution wish to speak against the defense's statements?”

“I have no further arguments.” Neuvillette conceded, raising his hands. 

“Well, if there are no objections, then as the Chief Justice of Fontaine, I shall render my verdict. From the evidence provided from the Traveler, we can conclude that Lyney, the accused, is in fact innocent,” declared Furina. 

 Paimon cheered. “Hooray, Lyney and Lynette! Amazing!”

Strangely, Neuvillette did not look annoyed or upset that he lost the case. Rather, he seemed to be thinking about something else entirely.

 “While there is much in Lyney and Liliane's conduct that should still be investigated separately… This case, at least, can be handed over to the Oratrice to make the final decision,” said Furina, looking at the machine. The final light on the Oratrice glowed, and the scales tipped towards the defense. A ticket ejected from the Oratrice, and Furina read it out loud. “According to the Judgement of the Oratrice Mechanique D’Analyse Cardinale, Lyney and Lynette are officially declared ‘Not Guilty ’.”

“Hahaha! Victory for Ace Detective Paimon!”

“Thank you all, thank you so much!” exclaimed Lynette.

However, the room’s tmepertature seemed to drop immediately, and everyone stopped talking. The source was Furina, glaring icily at someone. Lumine shuddered — the full weight of the Chief Justice’s name was on display. “Next, I believe we deserve an explanation, Garde Vaughn.” Furina glared at the man in question from her chair. “How did you find the Water from the Primordial Sea in Lyney's baggage? I suspect that the accomplice mentioned in Cowell's notes was not Lyney, but you, yes?“ she asked silkily.

Vaughn stuttered. “I... Uh…”

“I'm sure you know what you must do to lessen your sentence.”

“I—I was just following orders! We were supposed to place blame for the serial disappearances onto Lyney! The higher-ups said that this was the best opportunity to do so.”

What? Why would they want to pin this on Lyney of all people? There must be something I’m missing… wondered Lumine.

“And now that your plan has fallen through, and the secrets of the Water have been revealed, you have become a liability to said higher-ups, yes? Therefore, you would be wise to tell everything you know and seek the protection of the Gardes…”

“Y—Yes! I'll tell you everything I know! Our boss discovered that the water can cause people to dissolve. It can also be made into a potion which, when extremely diluted, can cause people to experience unforgettable exhilaration. We've been in this business for a while now and have made decent Mora off it. The disappearances were also the boss' idea. I mean, this is the boss we're talking about, the—”

Suddenly, Vaughn let out a scream, and he dissolved into water not a second later. Many in the crowd screamed in terror.

“He... turned into water…” Lumine was speechless, mouth agape.

“Such ruthlessness. I shouldn't have expected any less of them,” scoffed Navia.

“An egregious act. All present, please submit to inspection immediately!” ordered Neuvillette.

However, nothing was found on the scene apart from the liquid left behind after Vaughn dissolved. After that whole fiasco, Lumine and Paimon wanted to leave as soon as possible, and began to climb down the stairs that would lead them out of the defense’s box. Suddenly, Lyney tapped Lumine on the shoulder. “Traveler, Paimon, please wait… Thank you so much for defending me and Lynette. I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but it was very kind of you to do that for us. If there’s any way I can repay you, please tell me.”

“I just wanted justice to be served properly,” Lumine replied simply.

“Yeah it’s okay!” Paimon added.

“Well, if you need anything at all in the future, feel free to find me.”

 “I understand. Goodbye, Lyney and Lynette.”

 “Bye, Lyney and Lynette!” Paimon waved cheerfully.

 Once Lumine and Paimon had parted ways with the twins and made it out of the Opera Epiclese, Navia approached them. “Hey there! What was with the disappearing act you pulled right as the trial ended?”

“Were you looking for us, Navia?” asked Paimon.

“Well, this whole thing isn't exactly over, is it? I do feel that we're getting closer to solving the serial disappearances case, though. Don't you think so too?”

“Well, I... I'm sorry, Navia,” said Lumine quietly.

“Hmm? What's wrong, my dear partner?” The golden-blonde looked bewildered.

“I was really only trying to defend Lyney. I wasn't necessarily looking into the serial disappearances case.”

“Besides, are you sure we're the ones who can crack a case that's been cold for decades now? And given that there's new evidence from the trial, there should be a trail of breadcrumbs for the Hydro Archon's people to follow now, right?” added Paimon.

Navia’s smile strained. “Ah… I see... Well. I won't lie — I'm a little shocked to hear that from you, but I suppose you are just travelers who have only arrived in Fontaine, after all… Sorry, I might have been too presumptuous.”

People have come to expect so much of me because I’m such a people-pleaser. But I need to be able to set boundaries. I can’t just help everyone for the sake of it, and it’s not fair that others expect that of me.

“Wait, shall we have a farewell meal? You know, to commemorate our time as partners?”

“Huh? Do we really need to get that formal? ...Well, guess you really did treat us as partners, huh,” said Paimon.

“Well, I just like to have a proper ending to every important memory, that way there are no regrets later. Anyway, it would just be a meal, so it shouldn't take up too much of your time.”

 Lumine sighed. “Well, if you say so… Let's go have that meal, then.”

Navia brightened immediately. “Wonderful! In that case, why don't we return to the Court of Fontaine and head to the Hotel Debord? I believe we'll make it just in time for dinner.”

“Alright then, let's have our farewell meal!” exclaimed Paimon.

Lumine certainly needed the break. It was crazy that it was only their second day in Fontaine. With that, the trio left the Opera Epiclese to head to dinner. 

Chapter Text

After the trial, Furina sat in her favorite armchair by the fireplace, reviewing the transcript of the case. Lyney v. the Court of Fontaine had certainly shocked her — truly the trial of the century. Yet still , it wasn’t the magnificent and dramatic trial! What could possibly be more thrilling than this case? It couldn’t get much better than the famed outlander versus the great Archon of their nation! Furina seethed. She felt like punching something. Or someone , she thought darkly, looking to the heavens above.

However, what had surprised Furina most during the case was the mention of “Water from the Primordial Sea”. She had never heard of such a thing, though she had no doubt that it would be the blade that would execute the Fontainians. The properties of the water had been verified, though Furina didn’t need the demonstration through Garde Vaughn. Despite the fact that the Oratrice had never given out a death sentence, death had come for him anyway. Regardless, the second he had confessed to being part of a plot so terrible, Furina knew he’d be spending a long time in the fortress. Vaughn was always going to be punished in some way for his direct or indirect part in the suffering of those twenty-four women. 

Furina sighed. Neuvillette wouldn’t think such thoughts. He was always a better fit for this role than her, always more impartial.

However, more than anything, the reveal of the Primordial Seawater had brought Furina’s worry about the prophecy to the forefront of her mind. Armageddon was approaching. They would obviously try to evacuate everyone, but there was no indication of when the apocalypse would occur, and all it took was one drop for a person’s to be lost beneath the torrent.

And of course, as she had predicted, all of this had been triggered by the Traveler’s arrival. Sighing, Furina continued to review the case when something caught her attention. She stilled, biting her lip. Lyney’s alibi . Furina found it odd that he hadn’t just investigated the core during construction of the vent while claiming to be inspecting it — that would have been smarter. It was also rather ironic that in trying to prove their innocence, the twins had confessed to another crime — trespassing. They had been apprehended after the case, and would soon be facing trial again . The outlander would be furious. It would of course be handled by a lower court, since it wasn’t as serious of a charge. Moreover, Furina couldn’t be the judge of every case — there were far too many. 

Regardless, Lyney had claimed to be investigating the Oratrice’s core, and heard a mysterious voice. “Once he reached that area, he heard a voice in what should have been an empty room…” the outlander had said. That detail had been glossed over during the trial in favor of other things, but it had been intriguing at the time. 

Now that she knew of Lyney’s origins — Neuvillette had told her after the trial — it became alarming. Furina had wondered why Neuvillette had not revealed Lyney’s connection to the Fatui during the trial, and he replied, “It was irrelevant, and rather personal information.” How honorable. If she was in his position, she likely would’ve exposed him. After all, the prosecution has no need to be impartial. 

However, it was clear that Lyney was inspecting the Oratrice for a reason. It must be on the Knave’s orders , Furina realized. And if the Knave sent out an agent to investigate something, it was usually important. Important enough for her to look into personally. While she would usually go back to the Palais Mermonia by sunset, today was the exception. She hoped Neuvillette wouldn’t worry too much.

✧—✧—✧—✧—✧ 

After a few hours more hours of work, Furina left her office. The door closed with a loud creak, and Furina groaned internally. She had been wanting to replace that door for ages. 

Finding the basement was not an issue — she knew these walls like the back of her hand, courtesy of working in this building for five hundred years. Her steps barely made a sound on the thick, carpeted floor, and soon enough, she had reached the basement. She nodded to the two Gardes stationed outside, who immediately straightened. Furina opened the door, and was immediately hit with a cloud of dust as she resisted the urge to sneeze. She closed it and continued onwards towards the room with the Oratrice’s core in it. 

Within no time, Furina had reached the room in question. She took out the key needed to unlock the door, and it opened with a sharp click.

Furina gazed at the Oratrice’s core. It was contained in a large, brass-colored metal box with a small door in the center. She could see a crack of bright blue light peeking through, a sign of the immense power the machine held. Power she knew wasn’t just being used for Indemnitium. 

However, before Furina could reach for it, she was enveloped in a bright light. She yelped, feeling like she was falling.

After a few seconds of silence, she opened her eyes and found herself in a different space. She looked at her surroundings — she was in a courtroom that looked almost exactly like the Opera Epicelse. However, there was a hazy air about it, giving the room an ethereal look. Red-cushioned chairs were floating when they should have bolted down, and there was rubble levitating everywhere. The courtroom’s walls seemed to fade into a blue-white mist that stretched on endlessly.

Then, she heard a voice behind her. 

“Oh, how unexpected…”