'So this is the truth.'
Kael was stunned.
The people of Fontaine were actually Oceanids born from the Primordial Seawater.
"Phew!"
Kael shook his head repeatedly with a bitter smile.
What was the point of all this?
The truth he had worked so hard to uncover turned out to be an irreversible reality.
Kael sat quietly in the chair within the room.
His mood was a complete mess.
'In the end, you were right.'
'You are the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, and everything is under your control.'
'As the Pope and the proxy of the gods, there are things I simply cannot understand.'
Kael once again remembered the night he had argued with Furina a century ago.
He had wanted to ask her about the prophecy regarding the people of Fontaine being dissolved.
Furina, however, had refused to answer, claiming her power had not yet recovered and she did not know.
Kael had asked Furina to temporarily draw out a portion of her power. As long as they could solve the puzzle of why Fontainians dissolved, Kael was confident he could defy the prophecy.
Unfortunately, Furina told him that he was merely the proxy of divine authority and there were things he did not need to consider.
At this moment, Kael finally understood Furina's painstaking intentions.
The reason she stored her power within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale must have been to use it against the prophecy.
"Sigh..."
Kael let out a long breath.
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Oh dear, I suddenly feel so bad for Mr. Kael."
Jean: "Indeed. Mr. Kael clearly had the best intentions and worked himself to the bone for Fontaine, yet in the end..."
Alhaitham: "Transgressing divine authority... Mr. Kael is very powerful, but unfortunately, what stopped him was the Authority of a god."
Mona: "According to Mr. Neuvillette's explanation and Mr. Kael's current disappointment, the identity of Fontainians as Oceanids is confirmed. Yet the people of Fontaine say the prophecy is false. A prophecy cannot be false; it can only be changed. I believe the one who changed all of this must be the Hydro Archon, Furina."
Furina: "Eh, me...?"
The lonely figure of Kael on the light screen made Furina feel incredibly pained.
The current Furina finally understood.
The prophecy might not have been false; it was just that the version of herself in the mirror had truly changed everything.
The one who changed everything was not her, but the Focalors in the mirror.
As for Kael.
Furina could feel how much his past self cared for her.
Kael's desperate desire to change Fontaine's prophecy was perhaps mostly for the sake of her seemingly unreliable self.
Furina was born in Fontaine, created by the Focalors in the mirror.
Protecting Fontaine was her duty, but it was not Kael's duty.
Furina: "No, I actually..."
Neuvillette: "It does not matter who it was. What matters is that the viewing has not yet concluded, and the story of the past life is not over. Let us continue to watch quietly."
Bang!
The door was suddenly burst open by brute force.
Clorinde and Wriothesley rushed in frantically.
"Are you alright, Lord Pope?"
Clorinde approached Kael, her eyes filled with worry.
Wriothesley looked toward the fallen Vacher.
"Lord Pope, did he harm you?"
"Ah?" Kael pushed aside his dark mood and smiled. "Vacher seems to have had a mental breakdown and died of fright."
"How could he possibly harm me?"
"This..." Clorinde glanced at the fallen Vacher and said sheepishly, "It is mainly because you were inside for far too long."
"I..."
Kael reached out and affectionately patted Clorinde's head.
This gesture instantly made Clorinde feel as though she were basking in a spring breeze.
Clorinde, Wriothesley, Aivelson...
These people cared for him from the bottom of their hearts.
And it was not just them.
The entire populace of Fontaine believed in him, their Lord Pope.
Since he now knew that Furina was the key to saving Fontaine, then as the Pope, he only needed to spend his remaining time assisting her.
Thinking this way, Kael felt a great weight lift from his shoulders.
"By the way, Lord Pope."
"The Fatui Harbinger from the House of the Hearth, The Knave, has returned to Fontaine."
"The Knave? Is it Arlecchino?"
"Yes! And just now, Lyney and Lynette from the House of the Hearth were sent to the Fortress of Meropide."
"I imagine they are here to investigate the matter regarding Tartaglia."
At the mention of Lyney and Lynette.
A layer of frost flashed across Clorinde's beautiful face.
"Those two..."
"If it hadn't been for you, Lord Pope, making a deal with Arlecchino back then to have her deal with that noble so she could take in Lyney and Lynette..."
"Lynette would have long since been defiled by that noble. Now, they turn around and help Arlecchino stand on the opposite side of us."
"Is that the noble who frequently traded young girls for profit?" Wriothesley asked thoughtfully.
"Come to think of it, it seems Arlecchino really did ask the Lord Pope for help, and the Lord Pope took the opportunity to suggest she eliminate that pest."
"Arlecchino then took in Lyney and Lynette as a side matter."
Lynette: "Eh?"
Lyney: "So that was the situation in the past life."
Arlecchino: "Did Mr. Kael and I have dealings before? It is easy to understand, though. After all, Lady Furina never concerned herself with political affairs, and Neuvillette was almost entirely occupied with trials. For political handovers, one would indeed have closer contact with Kael."
Lisa: "I'm getting a very specific feeling."
Kaeya: "What are you thinking now?"
Lisa: "I feel like Mr. Kael is constantly sacrificing for Fontaine, while the people of Fontaine are constantly stabbing him in the back."
Diluc: "Why do you say that?"
Lisa: "According to the joke René and Jakob made back then, Kael frequently went to watch Furina's performances after arriving in Fontaine. They even joked that Kael was pursuing her. Later, when the Fontaine Church grew extremely dissatisfied with Furina to the point of disbanding, Kael transitioned from a researcher to the only member of the Fontaine Church. His role in Fontaine seemed to be constantly resolving troubles for Furina."
Kamisato Ayaka: "I can see that too. I think everyone should be able to see it."
Lisa: "That raises a question. For someone who sacrificed so much for her, couldn't Furina feel it? Why didn't she tell Kael beforehand that the people of Fontaine were actually Oceanids? Why did she insist on letting him investigate step by step, only for the final result to leave him feeling so powerless?"
Yae Miko: "Perhaps the fact that Fontainians are Oceanids was just too explosive. Furina probably didn't dare to say it."
Lisa: "Is that so? But it still feels strange. If that were really the case, why did Furina need Kael to bail her out when something went wrong with the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale?"
Eula: "Alright, stop overthinking it. Isn't this outcome good enough? Now that the truth is out, Mr. Kael doesn't have to work so hard anymore."
Kael finally remembered the other Fatui commander who was being held in custody, Tartaglia.
As for the Prophecy, he was likely powerless to stop it now.
But at the very least, he could help Furina handle some miscellaneous minor matters.
Kael arrived at Tartaglia's room.
Looking at Tartaglia lying motionless on the bed, Kael felt a hint of apology.
'I really did hit him a bit too hard back then.'
'However, even so, I still need to know exactly what the Fatui's purpose for operating in Fontaine is.'
He first gave Tartaglia some medical treatment.
Once the other man's breathing stabilized, Kael began to probe his memories.
However, as the investigation proceeded, Kael's expression grew increasingly solemn.
'This guy actually tried to seize Rex Lapis's Gnosis in Liyue?'
'Is the Fatui's goal the Gnosis of the gods?'
'Uh...'
'...'
'I see. He came to Fontaine for a vacation.'
Tartaglia: "..."
Arlecchino: "..."
Enjou: "Now this is interesting. A Fatui Harbinger comes to Fontaine for a vacation, gets a brutal beating for no reason, and ends up locked in the Fortress of Meropide."
Lumine: "Sigh, it must be fate. In the life I shared with my husband, we didn't run into Tartaglia looking for trouble. Yet, in this Fontaine Cycle, he still couldn't avoid this beating."
Tartaglia: "Hey, that's a weak attempt at showing off your relationship. Mr. Kael is clearly paired with Furina in Fontaine."
Pierro: "Hmm... Vacationing all the way into the Fortress of Meropide? You are the first to manage that."
Wait a moment.
While probing Tartaglia's thoughts, his recent dreams made Kael pause, as if he had discovered a new continent.
The deep, dark seabed.
A figure so massive it defied description.
'This is...'
'A whale?'
'There is actually a whale of such massive proportions hidden in the depths of the Primordial Sea?'
Tartaglia's dreams sparked a new interest in Kael.
Having the same dream repeatedly definitely held some special meaning.
'This guy...'
Kael looked at the sleeping Tartaglia.
He opened his palm, and a pair of handcuffs and shackles abruptly appeared.
'As expected, he still needs special care.'
'Until all the riddles regarding the Primordial Sea are solved, you should just stay here honestly.'
Paimon: "Pfft! Tartaglia is so miserable. This is truly a disaster out of nowhere."
Tartaglia: "Wait, Kael just cuffed me directly?"
Venti: "Locked in the Fortress of Meropide for a vacation, and now directly put in handcuffs and shackles because of a dream. I'm afraid it'll be hard to escape this time."
Tartaglia: "What kind of ability does Kael even have? How can he make handcuffs and shackles appear out of thin air? Good grief, those heavy cuffs look terrifying."
Lumine: "As long as he can't conjure women out of thin air, he can conjure whatever he wants."
Arataki Itto: "Hahaha, I'm going to die laughing! A Fatui Harbinger meeting Brother Kael... how miserable!"
Tartaglia: "Mr. Kael is being too unreasonable."
Arlecchino: "It's over. I have a bad feeling. I once intended to obtain the Gnosis from Furina and scared her so much she wailed and cried, losing all appetite for cake."
Dvalin: "My condolences."
Enjou: "My condolences."
Skirk: "In that case, Tartaglia won't be able to meet the All-Devouring Narwhal."
Paimon: "The culprit behind the great flood in Fontaine was Tartaglia awakening the All-Devouring Narwhal. With Kael doing this, if he doesn't meet the whale, doesn't that mean the All-Devouring Narwhal won't wake up? Then Fontaine would avoid the disaster?"
Lumine: "Huh? Did Kael accidentally break the Fontaine Prophecy?"
Skirk: "I don't think so. Even without Tartaglia, that gluttonous fellow would wake up eventually due to hunger."
Yae Miko: "Things are definitely not that simple. If it were really this easy, how couldour Kael's role be highlighted?"
Lumine: "Since when did Kael become yours? He is mine..."
[Leaving the Fortress of Meropide.]
[Kael had never felt so relaxed.]
[It turned out he had been underestimating Furina all along.]
[She was doing something that no one else could accomplish.]
[And then there was that massive whale.]
[Through Tartaglia's dreams, Kael sensed the Primordial Sea deep beneath the Fortress of Meropide.]
[He truly did discover a colossal entity.]
[Although the behemoth remained motionless, it seemed to be constantly growing.]
[The rising sea levels in Fontaine over recent years were caused exactly by its expanding volume.]
[While this shocked Kael, one specific detail filled him with immense joy.]
[The massive whale seemed to be devouring the Primordial Seawater. As its size increased, the amount of Primordial Seawater in the Primordial Sea was actually decreasing.]
[He only needed to wait for the whale to completely consume the Primordial Seawater before sealing and killing it for good.]
[Once the Primordial Seawater was gone from Teyvat, the people of Fontaine would naturally be saved from being dissolved.]
[Kael hummed a little tune along the way, his mood significantly lightened.]
[After hundreds of years of effort, he finally understood everything. Even if Furina did not act when the time came...]
[Kael had found a way to resolve the issue of the Primordial Seawater.]
["Meow..."]
[The moment he stepped through the door.]
[Kael heard the sound of a cat coming from inside the house.]
[Looking up, he saw Aivelson waiting for him to return home.]
["Lord Pope, why are you back so late?"]
[Aivelson looked extremely anxious.]
["What happened?"]
[Kael's good mood was instantly swept away by Aivelson's anxiety.]
[He knew his butler well.]
[Unless he had encountered something very troublesome, he would not show such an expression.]
[Furthermore, he was holding a cat in his arms.]
["Lord Pope, someone ambushed the Hydro Archon tonight."]
[Kael: "!!!"]
Yoimiya: "Whoa! Furina was ambushed?"
Kamisato Ayaka: "Could it be..."
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "There should be no mistake."
Tartaglia: "Arlecchino? She just said she scared Furina into crying her eyes out."
Arlecchino: "I was just testing her a little. I am not stupid. How could I dare to kill Furina in Fontaine? No matter how incompetent she is, she is still the Hydro Archon on the surface."
Lyney: "Sigh, Father, that little test in the previous life..."
Lynette: "It won't affect this life, will it?"
Arlecchino: "@Kael, respected Mr. Kael, are you really such a petty person?"
Kael: "Petty. Extremely petty. What do you plan to do about it? How will you compensate my wounded soul?"
Furina: "Hey, The Knave attacked me. Why are you the one who is wounded?"
Lumine: "Isn't this just a roundabout way of showing your importance in his heart? Kael's mouth is like it's coated in honey."
Yae Miko: "I do not believe it. Not unless I get a taste."
Lumine: "???"