In the following days, everyone bid farewell to their good friends in Sumeru one by one, and soon the day of departure arrived.
“Paimon: Nahida, I didn't expect you to come see us off!”
“Nahida: Hmm? Is there something wrong, Little Paimon?”
“Paimon: Hehe, no, no.”
“Nahida: Greater Lord Rukkhadevata still has to deal with the Akasha, so I’ll handle these trivial matters in her place. Is there anything else you wish to know before you depart?”
“Lumine: What will be the ultimate fate of the people of the Desert?”
“Qixuan-jie: I didn't expect you to care so much about this.”
“Lumine: Hehe, actually, it’s also for Dehya.”
“Nahida: Hmm… Greater Lord Rukkhadevata originally considered them part of Sumeru, but the Grand Sage’s actions disheartened the people of the Desert. However, the current acting sage is Alhaitham, and I believe he will do a good job as sage.”
“Lumine: Why did the Doctor inject Forbidden Knowledge into the Balladeer?”
“Nahida: Hmm… It’s probably because of the Gnosis. The Electro Archon’s Gnosis has now been sent back to Inazuma. As for the Dendro Archon’s Gnosis, another Harbinger, I believe her name was Damselette, came a while ago. After a brief chat with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata handed the Gnosis over to her.”
“Qixuan-jie: Hmm? Is that right?”
“Lumine: Why does the Cryo Archon collect the Gnosis?”
“Nahida: That, I do not know. Perhaps there is some special purpose.”
“Lumine: Then, Nahida, what are your thoughts on our next travel destination, Fontaine?”
“Nahida: You are going there, huh? Fontaine, the Nation of justice. From what I understand, the operation of that nation is built upon a system of justice and judgment.”
“Paimon: Is it their god who judges the people?”
“Nahida: Not quite. Fontaine has a Chief justice. Generally speaking, the Archon, Focalors, does not directly participate in trials. However… Focalors is present at almost every trial. She seems to simply be captivated by the atmosphere. As an Archon, she still retains the right to influence the final verdict. All in all, she is… hmm… a very unique Archon.”
“Lumine: One more thing!”
“Nahida: You mean your brother, right? I searched Irminsul’s information and asked Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, but I couldn’t find anything. However, your brother did leave traces in this world. In other words, he is a person of this world.”
“Lumine: (How is that possible? How could he be a Teyvatian… Could it be that he woke up before me and did something?)”
“Paimon: That’s strange. You two should both be coming to Teyvat for the first time, right?”
“Nahida: Your blood relative suddenly appeared in Khaenri'ah, but after the Cataclysm, he suddenly disappeared again. It seems someone deliberately concealed his fate…”
“Lumine: Could it be related to the Abyss…”
“Nahida: The Fatui’s intelligence also does not list your brother among the Descenders.”
“Paimon: What are Descenders? I think this is the first time I’ve heard of this concept…”
“Nahida: Simply put, they are people from outside this world. Lumine, you are the Fifth Descender of Teyvat.”
“Paimon: Then isn’t Qixuan-jie also one? Venti seemed to have mentioned it too.”
“Nahida: Venti? The Anemo Archon? Hmm, Qixuan-jie is indeed considered a Descender, but… she is somewhat different from you. She seems to be unaffected by anything in this world.”
“Qixuan-jie: What? Paimon wants to know?”
“Paimon: Uh… no, no, hehe.”
“Lumine: So, according to the intelligence provided by the Fatui, not counting my brother, there were four before that?”
“Nahida: That’s right. I speculate that the first Descender should be the current Heavenly Principles. As for the existence of other Descenders, I still need some time to verify.”
“Lumine: It’s truly wonderful to have met you, Nahida.”
“Nahida: I should be thanking you all. Alright, it’s getting late. It’s time to say goodbye. If you miss me later, I might appear in your dreams.”
… … … … …
Everyone took a merchant ship and arrived at Romaritime Harbor in Fontaine.
“Paimon: We’re finally here! It was sand and water all the way.”
“Qixuan-jie: Alright, alright. When we get inside, I’ll take Paimon to eat something good, okay?”
“Paimon: Hehe, it’s a deal then.”
“Lumine: Hey… you didn’t even ask for my opinion. By the way, this is the port within Fontaine, right?”
“Qixuan-jie: Yes, Fontaine’s industry is very developed. You can see all sorts of strange machinery here.”
“Lumine: Impressive.”
“Paimon: By the way, shouldn’t we go find the Hydro Archon first?”
“Lumine: Let’s ask a local first.”
And so, this scene unfolded: everyone stood by, listening to the two Fontainians chat without saying a word, until finally, one of them couldn't hold back.
“Antoine: Uh, is there anything I can help you with? You’ve been standing here without saying anything.”
“Qixuan-jie: Ahem, we are Travelers who just arrived in Fontaine and wanted to ask some locals a few things. We saw you were engrossed in talking about a play, so we didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Antoine: Ah? No, no, what we’re talking about is all real-life events. It’s a case that was just tried a few days ago.”
“Paimon: Sounds like it’s been adapted into a story.”
“Verna: Stories are often adapted from real events, and things you see in reality might be carefully staged for you by someone with ulterior motives. Whether it’s real or not isn’t that important; as long as the story being performed on stage is exciting enough, that’s all that matters.”
“Oh, as foreign Travelers, you might not know yet, but the name of Fontaine’s Court of Arbitration is the Opera Epiclese, or simply, the Opera Epiclese.”
“Lumine: Treating judgment as an opera…”
“Paimon: Um… wouldn’t that be a bit too flippant? Ah, I’m not questioning your Fontaine’s rules, it’s just that my impression is that judging a Sinner is a very serious matter…”
“Verna: Hehe, it’s fine. Many outsiders see it that way, but actually, we just don’t want to waste the moving stories behind those cases. As for the seriousness of the judgment that you’re worried about, we have the absolutely fair Chief justice Neuvillette…”
“And the judgment mechanism created by the Archon, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. With this double assurance, miscarriages of justice are virtually unheard of in Fontaine.”
“Lumine: Is this the legendary Nation of justice?”
“Paimon: And there’s even a judgment mechanism. Is that also a type of machine? I definitely have to see it sometime.”
“Qixuan-jie: I’m curious too. (Focalors is still hiding, huh? Oh well, let’s meet Furina first.)”
“Paimon: Oh, right, I forgot to ask the important question. Excuse me, if we want to meet the Hydro Archon, what should we do?”
“Antoine: That’s easy. Just go to the Opera Epiclese. Lady Furina, the Hydro Archon, spends all her time at the Opera Epiclese. It’s her biggest hobby.”
“Verna: Hmm… I think they probably want to talk to Lady Furina face-to-face… If you want the Hydro Archon to grant you an audience, it’s relatively difficult. You have to book a long time in advance, and it also depends on whether Lady Furina has an opening in her schedule or something…”
“Lumine: What?!”
“Qixuan-jie: Lumine, it means we have to queue for an appointment.”
“Paimon: Is the Hydro Archon very busy with official duties? But you said she spends all her time at the Opera Epiclese…”
“Antoine: No, no, Lady Furina rarely concerns herself with national affairs. It’s difficult to book her simply because she’s very popular, perhaps?”
“Verna: Yes, after all, she’s our Archon. Even though sometimes her speech and demeanor are a bit exaggerated, she’s still very likable.”
“Paimon: Pfft… This is the first time I’ve heard that the public’s impression of an Archon is ‘likable.’ I think I understand. The Hydro Archon in Fontaine must be like a big star among gods, right?”
“Antoine: That seems like a fair way to put it, or perhaps, like a mascot?”
“Qixuan-jie: Hahaha, just like Paimon.”
“Paimon: … …”
“Verna: Hey, hey, no matter what, she’s our Archon. Isn’t that a bit too blunt?”
“Antoine: Uh… you’re right. Especially in front of outsiders, we should probably be a bit more reserved, or we might end up being taken to see Chief justice Neuvillette.”
“Verna: Hahaha… Don’t joke around. While the law has many provisions, talking badly about Lady Furina would never be considered a crime.”
“Lumine: Can an Archon truly be like that…?”
“Paimon: Ahem, alright, we understand now. Thank you. At least now we know we can go to the Opera Epiclese to find the Hydro Archon. Hmm? Lumine, what are you looking at?”
“Lumine: There’s a Damselette standing over there.”
Qixuan-jie and Paimon looked in the direction Lumine pointed. A Damselette with a cat tail was standing by the sea. It was Lynette.
“Paimon: Is something wrong with her? She’s not thinking of jumping into the sea or something, is she…?”
“Qixuan-jie: Paimon, don’t think of people as being so fragile.”
“Paimon: Hehe, I know, I know. I’m just concerned about her. We should probably go check on her.”
… … … … … …
“Paimon: Um, excuse me, are you… are you alright?”
“Lynette: Hmm? Thank you, I’m fine.”
“Paimon: Well, that’s good. You seem… hmm, like you have something on your mind?”
“Lynette: Many things… can only be kept in my heart. There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m just reminiscing about the place where my brother and I used to play when we were little. It was on that small mound, you see.”
But upon looking, all that could be seen was an endless expanse of seawater.
“Paimon: Uh… Could it be that you and your brother lived in the sea when you were little?”
“Lumine: A unique, peculiar race of Fontaine?”
“Qixuan-jie: They look like land creatures no matter how you look at them. Can you two look more carefully?”
“Lynette: Although people always refer to the waters around Fontaine as the sea… in reality, it’s just an inland lake filled with fresh water. That small mound, Apple, is so clear in my memory, but now it lies so naturally at the bottom of the sea. He used to bounce and jump there, stirring up a lot of sand. The air smelled of sunshine and sea breeze. The ocean is slowly devouring our memories…”
“And then, ourselves…”
“Qixuan-jie: Hmm…”
“Paimon: I… I don’t quite understand…”
Just then, Lyney walked over.
“Lyney: Oh? Unfamiliar faces. Are you Lynette’s new friends?”
“Paimon: Eh, who are you?”
“Lyney: Thank you for looking after my sister. She often comes here to reminisce about our childhood days. You don’t have to worry about her. Oh, let me introduce myself. I’m Lyney, and she’s my sister, Lynette. It seems you’re Travelers from outside, aren’t you?”
“Paimon: Hello, I’m Paimon. This is Lumine, and that’s Qixuan-jie. We just arrived in Fontaine. We were just talking to your sister, uh… although it seems we didn’t quite understand.”
“Lyney: I see. It’s rare for Lynette to talk so much to you. She’s usually quite taciturn. It’s always just me doing all the talking.”
“Paimon: Hmm, I see. It seems to be the same when I’m with Lumine.”
“Lumine: Because you steal all my lines.”
“Paimon: Hehe.”
“Lynette: I also think my brother is sometimes too talkative.”
“Lyney: Ah… Hahaha, hey (whispering), at least save some face for your brother.”
“Paimon: So, what exactly did Lynette mean by, ‘The ocean is devouring our memories, and then ourselves’…?”
“Lyney: Oh, that? That’s a prophecy that has been circulating in Fontaine for a long time. Hmm, I guess it can’t be entirely called a prophecy, because prophecies usually seem very mysterious, right? But in Fontaine, it’s something that’s actually happening…”
“Lumine: What is it?”
“Lyney: Well, where should I start… Oh, right, let’s talk about that question later. I don’t think we’ve formally greeted each other yet, have we?”
“Paimon: Hmm? Don’t those introductions count?”
“Lyney: Hello, Lumine.”
Lumine felt a little strange but still extended her hand to greet him.
“Lumine: Hello, Lyney.”
Then Lyney also greeted Paimon and Qixuan-jie. Although this magic trick couldn't fool Qixuan-jie, if he wanted to play magic, she could use space to perform a flawless trick for him.
“Paimon: Hmm, why didn’t you shake my hand?!”
“Lyney: Hahaha, don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it. Just think of it as a Fontainian custom for making friends. You might find it useful later.”
“Paimon: Is that so… Alright. It’s always nice to have a local friend. Speaking of which, we’re about to go to the Opera Epiclese to see the Hydro Archon. If it’s convenient, could you show us the way?”
“Lyney: Going to see Lady Furina, huh? No problem, no problem. I was also planning to go to the Opera Epiclese later, but I need to finish up here first. Please follow me.”
Qixuan-jie knew that Furina was coming to judge Lumine, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Just then, Fontaine’s guards surged out from inside.
“Lyney: Um… you wanted to see Lady Furina? But it seems she’s already here to find you.”
… … … … …