Lumine blinked open her eyes, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I supposed to do?
Lumine posed the three fundamental questions of the soul, simultaneously feeling a dull ache throughout her body. Though she hadn't sustained any serious injuries, the pervasive pain felt as if she'd been bombarded by cannon fire for minutes on end.
Wait, cannon fire?
Lumine suddenly remembered: she had been utterly defeated by several Gardemeks.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could she lose to mere Gardemeks?!
Even though she hadn't used her full power, she had unleashed the fused power of dual Elemental Energies, at least capable of holding her own against Tartaglia back then.
Granted, she had been somewhat careless at the time, but surely she shouldn't have been defeated by a few Gardemeks?!
It must be a dream—yes, definitely a dream!
But if it was a dream, then who had bound her into this cocoon-like state?
Confusion clouded Lumine's eyes.
After being bound for so long, her hands and feet had gone numb.
"Traveler!"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out nearby, followed by a white blur leaping onto Lumine.
"Thank goodness, Traveler! You're finally awake!"
"Princess!"
Enjou, shackled with handcuffs and ankle restraints, also jumped over, tears streaming down his face.
Having lived for centuries, he had never been treated as such disposable trash by mere mortals.
Even if he was considered one of the weaker Abyss Heralds, he couldn't possibly be this weak, could he?!
There's something very wrong with Fontaine. Everything here reeks of the bizarre!
Seeing Enjou again forced Lumine to relive those unpleasant memories. She closed her eyes tightly in anguish.
The mighty Traveler, defeated by a few Gardemeks? If this is a dream, it's a nightmare!
Suddenly, Lumine's eyes snapped open, her gaze fixing on Paimon, who was completely unrestrained.
Sensing Lumine's gaze, Paimon scratched her head, looking slightly embarrassed. "Those people said I posed no threat, so they didn't restrict my movements."
Lumine: "..."
Feeling Lumine's strange gaze, Paimon quickly changed the subject. "Traveler, it's good you're awake! What should we do now? Hurry and use your invincible Dull Blade to think of a plan!"
Hearing Paimon's words, Lumine immediately shifted her gaze to the ceiling.
A plan? What fucking plan?!
How did Fontaine manage to create these shackles? They've completely sealed away all my power, even the Power of Void!
Originally, she'd thought the portion of her power she'd revealed would be enough to handle the current crisis, but she'd completely crashed and burned. How humiliating!
Completely powerless, escaping this place felt like scaling the heavens.
Wait, I could ask Paimon to untie these ropes!
Lumine's gaze snapped back to Paimon, her eyes burning with renewed hope.
Turns out even a weakling has its uses. At least no one sees her as a threat.
After understanding Lumine's meaning, Paimon made a sour face and said, "Traveler, I've already tried that."
"The rope is specially made. I don't know how they figured it out, but there's no end to it."
"If there's no end, how am I supposed to untie it?"
"Even biting through it with my teeth didn't work!"
Hearing this, Lumine looked up at the ceiling again, completely giving up hope.
"Don't give up, Princess!" Enjou quickly interjected, seeing Lumine's despondent demeanor.
"Don't forget, we can still ask Monsieur Neuvillette for help!"
At Enjou's reminder, Lumine and Paimon's eyes lit up with renewed hope.
Right, there's Neuvillette!
"Exactly! Monsieur Neuvillette will definitely prove our innocence!" Paimon exclaimed excitedly.
"I remember the Maison Gardiennage officers saying they were going to hand us over to Monsieur Neuvillette!
"I heard Monsieur Neuvillette is the Chief Justice of Fontaine. If he recognizes us in court, he'll definitely clear our names!"
Although they had been imprisoned upon arriving in Fontaine, it seemed there might still be a chance for a turnaround!
Those officers would surely report this immediately, and they'd be free soon enough.
Maybe they wouldn't even need to go to court. Before that, Neuvillette would appear before them like a god descending from the heavens, give the Maison Gardiennage officers a thorough dressing-down, then release them with profuse apologies and arrange a lavish feast as compensation!
At this thought, tears of joy involuntarily trickled down Lumine and Paimon's cheeks. Meanwhile, Enjou, completely oblivious to their fantasies, felt increasingly out of place.
Looks like replacing Paimon is going to be a long and arduous task...
-
Meanwhile, on the other side of Fontaine, Furina and Focalors, working themselves to exhaustion, fantasized about future days of slacking off while forcing themselves to stay focused on the documents before them.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Furina exclaimed in surprise, noticing something.
"What is it, Furina?"
Focalors leaned in curiously, peering at the report in Furina's hand.
"No. 2 has been captured?"
Upon hearing this news, Focalors couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock.
The elusive and troublesome No. 2, who had been such a headache for them, had been captured by a few ordinary Maison Gardiennage officers?!
"Could they have caught the wrong person?"
A peculiar expression flickered across Focalors' face. If this were true, it would make them look utterly incompetent.
Wait a minute! she thought. I was still at the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale back then. This isn't my responsibility!
Relief washed over her as she remembered this.
"It's unlikely. According to the Maison Gardiennage officers' report, the suspect doesn't possess a Vision, yet he can wield multiple Elemental Powers simultaneously. His strength is extraordinary—he single-handedly wiped out over a hundred Monsters in a matter of moments."
This explanation quelled most of Focalors' doubts.
Across all of Teyvat, only No. 2 could simultaneously wield multiple Elemental Powers while possessing such formidable strength!
Before this, they had never heard of any other being who met these criteria. Although Fontaine had been practically sealed off in recent years due to various crises, limiting their knowledge of other nations, such an extraordinary individual couldn't have suddenly appeared out of nowhere, could he?
What still puzzled Focalors was how such a powerful No. 2 could have been captured by a handful of Maison Gardiennage officers.
"The reports say they suspect No. 2 was trying to infiltrate Fontaine under disguise, aiming for something big," Furina explained, sensing Focalors' confusion. "But they saw through the ruse and seized him with lightning-fast action before he could react!"
"What's more, they also captured an Abyss Herald disguised as a human who was working with him. They caught them all in one fell swoop!"
Focalors nodded in understanding. That makes sense now! Everything fits together!
"I can't believe that mysterious faction has partnered with the Abyss Order, plotting to stir up trouble in Fontaine again! It's utterly despicable!"
"Neuvillette has barely left, and they dare invade Fontaine again! Their arrogance knows no bounds!"
"This time, we must teach them a harsh lesson! Have the Maison Gardiennage officers bring No. 2 to Fontaine immediately. We'll personally preside over his Judgment!"
Hearing Focalors' words, Furina's face flushed with indignation.
"Exactly! Do they think we're pushovers just because the tiger's away?!"
"Neuvillette may be absent, but we're still not to be trifled with! We need to give them a taste of their own medicine!"
"I'll order them to bring the suspect back immediately!"
"Wait a moment," Focalors interrupted as Furina was about to record her decision on the report.
"During the escort, there will undoubtedly be attempts to rescue them!"
"We must deploy overwhelming force, and even set traps along the route to lure them into."
As Focalors spoke, Furina's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Let Chevreuse lead the operation! Provide her with ample manpower from both the Court of Justice and the Marechaussee Phantoms."
"Also, just in case, I want to enlist Navia's assistance."
After hearing Furina's arrangements, Focalors nodded in approval.
"Mm-hmm, even though we're deploying a lot of manpower, when it comes to No. 2 and that mysterious faction, we can't be too cautious!"
A radiant smile spread across Furina's face.
"Once we handle this properly, let's see who dares call me the Palais Mermonia's mascot behind my back!"
"Those rumor-mongering scoundrels are utterly despicable! They should all be thrown into the Fortress of Meropide!"
Furina and Focalors exchanged a knowing smile as they recorded their decision, then threw themselves back into their work with renewed vigor.
-
"Miss Ganyu, please save me!"
"Miss Ganyu, please go find Director Hu Tao and tell her to call off her divine powers! I haven't even fulfilled my filial duties to my elderly father yet!"
"I'm only in my thirties and haven't even taken a wife yet! I don't want to die!"
"Or... is there any kind-hearted young lady who can help me? If I could die with no regrets, I'd thank all you benevolent bodhisattvas in advance!"
"Get lost! You might as well hurry up and die!"
Ganyu felt utterly overwhelmed as she surveyed the chaotic scene before her, a situation she was utterly unsuited to handle.
Though she tried her utmost to calm the crowd, her efforts proved largely ineffective. Even with the assistance of Yuehai Pavilion staff and Millelith soldiers in maintaining order, the pandemonium persisted.
Before long, Ganyu found herself drenched in sweat, feeling more exhausted than she had ever felt, even after a month of consecutive all-nighters.
"Please, everyone, calm down. According to the Liyue Qixing's investigation, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has not acted inappropriately."
Unsurprisingly, her words failed to reassure the crowd. Not a single person showed any inclination to leave.
After all, they were facing a life-or-death situation. How could they simply return home and wait to die so easily?!
The elderly among them had largely come to terms with their mortality, accepting that their time would come sooner or later.
But the younger ones, facing imminent death, could hardly remain calm. Even a sliver of hope was worth fighting for.
And Ganyu, with her half-Adeptus body, was their last hope!
As for why they didn't try to reason with Hu Tao, they feared she would distribute leaflets about their entire families!
"Miss Ganyu, you're an Adeptus, right? Please save us!"
"Only Miss Ganyu can save us now!"
"If Miss Ganyu saves my life, I'll repay your kindness by serving you like a beast of burden!"
Seeing the tearful faces of the victims and their loved ones, Ganyu couldn't help but feel compassion.
"Please, everyone, quiet down. I've come up with a plan."
"I'll find you all a safe place to stay, and I'll arrange for doctors and Millelith soldiers to be stationed nearby, ready to rush to the scene in case of any emergencies."
"If you're truly afraid, please stay in the safe place I've found for you these next few days."
Ganyu had devised a sound plan, and after hearing her words, the crowd began to consider it. Soon, they all agreed.
However, they also had their own request: they hoped Ganyu would keep a close eye on their situation nearby.
Ganyu agreed, secretly curious herself. Could the new Consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor truly deliver on his promise under these circumstances?
She quickly arranged the logistics, sending word to Ningguang about the matter. After considering it briefly, Ningguang gave her consent.
Ganyu borrowed several adjoining, vacant rooms from Ningguang to house those who had received Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's leaflets. Though the deaths of some residents might affect the property's marketability, Ningguang's vast wealth meant she hardly cared about such minor details.
More pressing now was her desire to understand the limits of Chen Feng's abilities.
"Miss Ganyu, thank you so much! You're such a kind person!" A woman in her fifties gripped Ganyu's hand tightly, her face brimming with gratitude.
"There's no need for thanks. This is simply my duty," Ganyu replied, forcing a smile despite her discomfort with such close physical contact.
"Oh, but I must! If I manage to escape this calamity, I'll be eternally grateful!"
"I'll treat Miss Ganyu to a meal at Liuli Pavilion when the time comes. I hope you'll do me the honor and give me a chance to repay your kindness!"
Unable to resist the woman's fervent enthusiasm, Ganyu reluctantly agreed.
"Safe travels, Miss Ganyu! If anything happens, I'll be sure to call for help loudly!"
As Ganyu's figure receded into the distance, the woman's heart settled into a calmer state. She turned to head back into her courtyard.
But just as she stepped over the threshold, she tripped and fell to the ground with a thud, her life slipping away in an instant.
Life, fleeting as a moment.
Hearing the commotion behind her, Ganyu paused and turned back, puzzled.
The sight that greeted her left her stunned.
After several seconds of stunned silence, Ganyu finally regained her composure and rushed to call for a doctor.
The doctor hurried to the scene with Ganyu, followed by a crowd of onlookers drawn by the commotion. When they saw the motionless woman lying on the ground, an eerie silence fell over the scene...