Fontaine — Palais Mermonia.
After leaving the Wonderland Space, Nolan arrived at the palace and expressed to the guards his wish to meet Clorinde. Of course, his true goal was to meet Furina and Neuvillette.
But one couldn't just walk in and demand an audience with them, so he used Clorinde as an excuse.
After all, back at the Opera House, Furina herself had said that Clorinde could bring him in to see her. Once he met Furina, he could then ask her to take him to Neuvillette.
That little request shouldn't be a problem, he thought.
"Understood, please wait here a moment," the palace guard said politely, seemingly recognizing him before heading inside to report.
While he waited, Lumine and Paimon teleported over from the Wonderland Space.
They told him that Lyney's performance application at the Opera House had been approved—they could begin setting up the stage today, and Lumine and Paimon were planning to check it out.
Of course, it would still take a few more days for the official performance. They needed to queue for a proper slot and run publicity events first—that was standard procedure.
After saying goodbye, Lumine and Paimon headed toward the Opera House, and after a few dozen seconds of waiting, Nolan saw Clorinde emerge—heels clicking softly against the marble floor, her blue side-plumed hat angled neatly atop her head.
Her expression was as composed and austere as ever—cold, dignified, unreadable.
"Good morning, Miss Clorinde," Nolan greeted with a smile.
Clorinde gave a polite nod in return and replied evenly, "You've come to see Lady Furina, haven't you? Come with me."
"Thank you," Nolan said as he followed behind her.
The stoic woman's deep-blue and black cloak draped elegantly over her back, layered and overlapping with subtle detail. Her dark, bluish-black hair was tied low into a ponytail, trailing smoothly along her back in harmony with the cloak's motion.
Beneath the hem of her fitted black skirt, her long legs were sheathed in sleek black stockings, each held by symmetrical garters that faintly pressed into the soft curve of her thighs.
After a few minutes, they reached the familiar reception hall where Furina usually met her visitors.
She sat gracefully on a sofa, sipping tea. When she saw Nolan enter, she smiled with her usual theatrical flair and said,
"Traveler, what a delight to see you again! But I'm afraid the matter you mentioned last time… I can't agree to it after all!"
After speaking, she took another sip of tea, her expression relaxed, both hands resting elegantly on her crossed, fair legs.
Nolan immediately understood the reason behind her words. With her current level—only Level 36—Furina had no real control over Fontaine's power of justice, nor the authority required for any significant cooperation.
Still, he asked curiously,
"Why not? Isn't this cooperation beneficial to Fontaine?"
"W-well, that may be so," Furina replied, glancing aside and waving her hand dismissively, "but I believe the timing isn't quite right yet. Perhaps we can revisit it later."
She quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, is there anything else? If not, I have official duties to attend to."
If this conversation continued, she feared she might slip up—better to end it early.
Seriously? I just sat down… Nolan sighed inwardly. After a brief pause, he said slowly,
"There is something else. Furina, you're aware of the 'Hearth House,' aren't you? The orphanage run by the Fatui Harbinger known as 'The Knave.'
"She contacted me a few days ago. She said Fontaine is facing a prophetic crisis and asked to work with me to investigate and see if we could resolve it.
"You know how it is—helping others is a noble virtue. And when it's about saving an entire nation, how could I refuse? So, I agreed.
"I came today to ask—do you know anything about this prophecy crisis?"
At his words, Clorinde glanced at him in mild surprise.
Furina, who had looked confident moments ago, visibly faltered. Her hand trembled slightly as she raised her cup.
"T-that crisis… I've heard of it," she stammered, eyes darting away. "But it's just an old rumor—centuries old, really. I don't know much about it myself."
She took another sip of tea, lowering her gaze to stare at her reflection rippling across the surface of the cup.
Nolan kept his eyes on her.
"But if it's just a rumor, how has it persisted for hundreds of years without fading?"
"You said it yourself," Furina replied quickly, forcing a cough to steady herself. "It's been centuries and nothing unusual has ever happened. So it really must be a rumor. There's no need to worry yourself, Traveler—just relax and enjoy Fontaine's culture and beauty."
Nolan exhaled softly. So she really is keeping her promise to Focalors—she's not leaking even a hint.
He had originally intended to bring up the prophecy as a pretext—to get her to help arrange an investigation in Meropide Fortress.
But since she was staying tight-lipped, he realized he'd have to reveal more to gain her trust. After a moment's thought, he said,
"Actually, we've already uncovered some information about the prophecy. And from what we've found, it's definitely not just a rumor. Would you like to hear it, Furina?"
"Oh? Go on then," she said, leaning back on the sofa, pretending at nonchalance—but her eyes betrayed a flicker of tension.
Nolan began speaking slowly, carefully:
"In truth, the essence of the prophecy crisis lies in the unique nature of Fontaine's people. They were created by the former Hydro Archon, Egeria, who used the power of the Primordial Sea to transform purewater spirits into humans.
"But that transformation was imperfect. As a result, what flows through the bodies of the people of Fontaine isn't blood—but the water of the Primordial Sea itself.
"This means that if they ever come into contact with the waters of the Primordial Sea again, the power within them will resonate with it. Their bodies will dissolve back into the sea.
"So the 'rising sea' mentioned in the prophecy most likely refers to the Primordial Sea itself. When it floods Fontaine, the people will have nowhere to run."
He finished speaking calmly and clearly.
Furina stared at him, eyes wide in shock. "You—you've only been in Fontaine for a few days! How can you possibly know all that?!"
Even Clorinde's usual cold mask cracked, her eyes widening slightly.
Nolan smiled faintly.
"Well, given our track record in other nations, you should know—we're professionals when it comes to saving countries. It wouldn't do if we couldn't even uncover something this basic, right?"
"..." Furina's astonishment quickly turned into flustered irritation. "If you already know everything, why even bother asking me!"
"Because," Nolan sighed dramatically, shaking his head, "I thought that since I'm trying to help with your nation's crisis, you'd be excited—happy, even—and willing to work with me.
"But instead, you won't even tell me the truth. Honestly, Furina… that's just heartbreaking."
He let out a long, exaggerated sigh, looking at her with feigned disappointment.
"…I just didn't want you to get dragged into danger as well," Furina mumbled, suddenly feeling a strange pang of guilt. Her cheeks flushed red as she turned away, fumbling for an excuse.
"Oh, I see. Then thank you, Lady Furina, for your concern," Nolan replied with a warm smile.
"Hmph, as long as you understand," she said proudly, crossing her arms beneath her chest and lifting her chin ever so slightly in satisfaction.
[Furina Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (40/400)]
After Nolan flattered her a little more, Furina looked even more pleased with herself—so he seized the moment to bring up one of his true reasons for coming.
"So, I'd like to investigate the situation of the Primordial Sea. It's sealed beneath the Fortress of Meropide, isn't it?"
"Eh? How do you know that?!" Furina exclaimed in shock, and even Clorinde's usually composed expression faltered slightly.
The fact that the Primordial Sea was sealed beneath Meropide was supposed to be one of Fontaine's most tightly guarded secrets. With the Duke's authority, such information should have been impossible to leak.
"Well… forget it. Since you already know, it doesn't matter how," Furina said, regaining her composure, though a flicker of suspicion lingered in her eyes.
She couldn't believe she'd been hiding it for centuries, only to be found out by someone who had barely arrived in Fontaine. That would make all her efforts meaningless.
After a brief pause, she blinked and said cautiously,
"The Primordial Sea has been calm lately—no signs of activity. And with the seal in place, you wouldn't be able to see much anyway. Is there really a need to check it yourself?"
"Of course," Nolan replied. "I'm not just going to look at the seal—I plan to enter the Primordial Sea itself for investigation. Water doesn't rise without a reason. If we can find the cause and deal with it, even if we can't fully solve the problem, we can at least buy Fontaine some time to prepare."
Furina thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Hmm… when you put it that way, you have a point."
Over the years, she had often thought of investigating the Primordial Sea herself, but had always hesitated out of fear that something might go wrong.
And given the seal's power—and the fact that Fontainians would dissolve upon contact with water—it truly was difficult to explore.
But if Nolan was willing to step in, perhaps there really was a chance to uncover something.
"You may go," Furina said finally, "but only if the seal remains completely intact."
Naturally, that was her greatest concern. If the seal were damaged, the flood could erupt immediately.
"Of course," Nolan nodded. "Actually, I'm familiar with many of Liyue's adeptus formation arts. I can reinforce the seal while I'm there."
With his power, and the help of formations like the Cloud-Gathering Banner Array, his strengthened seal would likely surpass the original one entirely.
That might truly make the barrier more durable—perhaps even lasting for centuries longer.
"Really? That's wonderful!" Furina exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Clorinde, accompany him to the Fortress of Meropide!"
She had heard stories of Liyue's adepti and their powerful arts. If an adeptal formation could strengthen the seal, it might indeed prove useful. Even if the effect wasn't huge, any reinforcement would help.
[Furina Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (360/400)]
At that thought, Furina's affection for Nolan rose again.
[Clorinde Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (80/400)]
Even Clorinde seemed to gain some respect for him. She nodded quietly and said,
"Understood, Lady Furina."
Then she turned to Nolan.
"Let's go. The sooner we depart, the better."
"Sure, but before that, I have one small question," Nolan said, glancing at Furina.
"What is it this time?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I wanted to ask—does the Chief Justice have any connection to the Water Dragon King?"
If Furina could confirm it, there would be no need for him to ask Neuvillette directly.
"Hmm?"
Clorinde looked genuinely surprised. Neuvillette… the Water Dragon King? It wasn't impossible.
After all, even she—Fontaine's strongest duelist—couldn't fully gauge his strength. Excluding the possibility of him being a god, there weren't many options left. An elemental Dragon King was the most probable one.
And Fontaine's old legend said it often rained because the Water Dragon King wept for humanity. If Neuvillette truly were that Dragon King—it would make perfect sense.
"Most likely," Furina said after a moment, nodding. "What ordinary human could hold the position of Chief Justice for hundreds of years? But why are you asking?"
"Oh, nothing important," Nolan replied casually. "Just confirming a theory. Let's go, Miss Clorinde—time to head for Meropide."
With Furina's indirect confirmation, his earlier suspicions were all but proven true.
Focalors really had been trying to destroy her own Divine Throne—to release the fragments of the Sovereign Authority and return them to Neuvillette, the Hydro Sovereign.
Having spent centuries among the people of Fontaine, it was impossible that he felt nothing for them.
Once his authority was restored, the chance that he would agree to help transform the Fontainians into true humans was extremely high.
It was a brilliant plan—but it came at the cost of Focalors herself.
If possible, Nolan wanted to save her. Not only because she was a beautiful, kindhearted girl—but also because her Authority of Justice would be invaluable to the development of the "Akasha Interconnected Network," solving its energy source problem and accelerating its growth.
As he pondered this, he and Clorinde exited the Palais Mermonia.
"The Fortress of Meropide lies beyond the Opera House," Clorinde explained. "We'll need to take the railship to get there."
She gestured toward the transport dock, but Nolan shook his head.
"To save time," he said with a faint smile, "I think we can take a faster route."
The moment he finished speaking, the invisible expanse of the Void Star Sea unfolded, enveloping them both. Before Clorinde could even react, the scenery around them changed instantly.
"This is… the main entrance of the Opera House?"
Clorinde blinked, astonished. They had been teleported in an instant. "Was that… some kind of adeptal art from Liyue?"
Nolan smiled. "Not bad, right? Much faster than a railship. Now, if you'd be so kind, please lead the way to the Fortress of Meropide."
(End of Chapter)
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