"It seems you've already made your choice."
Inside a side court of the Epiclese Opera House, Neuvillette glanced up from his documents at [Furina] entering through the door. Hearing her gratified words, he simply offered a faint smile.
"After all, I have served as the Iudex of Fontaine for a long time. Naturally, I will deliver the most just judgment for Fontaine."
"However, you..." Neuvillette paused, seeming to sense something. He looked strangely at Jiang Qiao, who stood there with Fairy Ely and the two 'souvenirs' (Apep and Scylla). For some reason, he detected a familiar scent emanating from [Furina]... the feeling of a dragon. And the unknown woman behind her, along with that Melusine... no, that should be a Vishap!
"And these two are?"
Without asking why [Furina] had undergone such a change after just one trip out, Neuvillette, ever the vigilant Iudex, scrutinized the two figures behind her.
"Hmm? Is the newborn Hydro Dragon Sovereign's eyesight truly so poor?" Apep scoffed. "What an embarrassment to our kind."
"..." Hearing Apep's dissatisfied and mocking words, Neuvillette didn't get angry. Instead, after a moment's thought, realization dawned. "I see. The Dendro Dragon Sovereign... Apep."
"Hmph, so you're not completely hopeless..." The Dendro Dragoness noticed Neuvillette's somewhat troubled expression. Sensing his displeasure, she questioned him irritably, "What's with that look? Are you really that unwelcoming towards this Sovereign?"
I, your elder, came all this way to see you, a junior, and this is the unwelcome face you show me?
"Ah, forgive my rudeness." Neuvillette shook his head. Honestly, seeing one of his own kind actually made him quite happy, but thinking about what would inevitably follow dampened his spirits.
After all, the Dragon Sovereigns had a pact: they needed to unite against the Heavenly Principles and help their kin regain their complete power. Before, it was manageable since he was still incomplete.
But now that he was a Complete Dragon, he worried this fellow Sovereign might drag him off to stir up trouble. Left to his own devices, Neuvillette preferred to remain in the Court of Fontaine. He'd been here for several centuries, after all. Having governed it single-handedly, he had long since come to consider it home.
"Hmph, rest assured. I didn't come here to urge you to fulfill the pact," Apep said, roughly guessing Neuvillette's thoughts and shooting an annoyed glare not only at him but also sideways at [Furina] and Scylla.
No need to elaborate on Scylla—Your Vishap King is such a letdown now, so naturally, I won't look kindly upon you. As for [Furina]... the Dendro Dragoness just wanted to say—You Fontaine lot really corrupt others! Look what you've done to a perfectly good Dragon Sovereign? He doesn't even want to fulfill the pact anymore!
"Ahem..." Although relieved, Neuvillette couldn't help but cough twice. While it was true, having it stated so bluntly felt a bit too direct. "It's not that I'm unwilling to fulfill the pact, it's just that there are many matters still requiring my attention..." he attempted to explain, but the Dendro Dragoness just rolled her eyes—Do I look like I believe you?
"Alright, no need to explain. I was invited here mainly to congratulate you on becoming a Complete Dragon, and maybe wander around Fontaine a bit..." Apep continued grumpily. "That damned Usurper smashed my territory with a celestial nail, turning it into a barren wasteland, hmph." Her resentment was palpable.
For the Dendro Dragon, adept at evolution, even a desert environment wasn't unbearable. She hadn't cared much before, but after receiving Jiang Qiao's 'special treatment' (likely referring to some form of healing or power boost), Apep had started to dislike her original desolate domain. Even if she didn't mind it herself, Apep had dependents—besides Vishaps, her body housed Fungi, kin born from her essence, dwelling within her.
Dendro-based life naturally preferred vibrant environments. Even if not for herself, considering them, finding a more comfortable place to stay seemed necessary.
She definitely wouldn't go to Sumeru's rainforest. It was a good place, yes—but in Apep's view, that land was originally hers, stolen by the Usurper. Showing up there now would be too humiliating.
Fontaine, though also a usurper's territory, at least had a fellow Dragon Sovereign residing here. With such a precedent, it was somewhat acceptable. Yes, this has absolutely nothing to do with the Hydro Sovereign's Authority!
"Neuvillette, Apep is your kin. I'll leave her future arrangements to you," [Furina] stated, delegating the task. Scylla needed even less explanation; as a Hydro Vishap prince, he would naturally only heed Mr. Hydro Dragon's commands.
"If there's nothing else, I need to make a trip to the Fortress of Meropide. It seems some rather... unfortunate things happened while I was away," [Furina]—Jiang Qiao—said meaningfully. Hearing this, Neuvillette guiltily averted his gaze. Yes, truly unfortunate—as the Iudex, I could only enforce the law impartially...
"By the way, the envoy from Snezhnaya has arrived at the Court of Fontaine. You'll need to prepare to meet with them later," Neuvillette remembered, adding a serious reminder.
"Snezhnaya's envoy? Who is it?" [Furina] asked.
"A Fatui Harbinger."
"A Harbinger?" The blue-and-white-haired girl, who was about to leave, looked slightly surprised, then nodded with understanding. "Alright, I understand."
Watching the composed [Furina], Neuvillette couldn't help but feel a sense of 'the child has grown up.' If this were the past, Furina, with her usual disposition, would definitely have been unwilling to meet a Fatui Harbinger alone—after all, that organization's reputation was notorious among the six nations.
"Why would a Fatui Harbinger come to Fontaine at this time?" On the aquabus heading towards the Fortress of Meropide, Focalors's voice echoed within Jiang Qiao's consciousness, sounding perplexed.
Relations between Fontaine and Snezhnaya weren't exactly warm; in fact, none of the six nations got along particularly well with Snezhnaya, especially with the Fatui. Among them, besides perhaps Inazuma, Fontaine likely held the most negative view of Snezhnaya. After all, Fontaine was the Nation of Justice.
While Snezhnaya was powerful and advanced, it was perceived as extremely unreasonable and aggressive. As the story showed—in the eyes of Fontainians, even someone with Fontainian residency became significantly more suspicious if involved in a crime, let alone someone from a shadowy organization like the Fatui.
Jiang Qiao, however, dismissed this nonchalantly: "We did just take care of one of their Harbingers. It's not surprising they'd send someone over."
"If that's truly the case, then this could be very troublesome," Greater Lord Rukkhadevata worried internally. She wasn't entirely ignorant about the Fatui; the organization excelled at escalating situations and acting aggressively.
They would seize any opportunity to leverage diplomatic pressure.
A simple fight wouldn't be an issue; with '[Furi-Qiao]'s' combat power, even if Tsaritsa came personally, they wouldn't gain much advantage. But Snezhnaya, for various reasons, loved resorting to 'threats of war.' If war broke out between the Seven Nations, even if a Fontaine-Sumeru alliance emerged victorious, it would come at a significant cost.
To this, Jiang Qiao simply stated with firm certainty: "She can't do it." Whether it was Barnabas or Snezhnaya itself... it made no difference.
With the rumbling sound of the lift, the expansive view gradually darkened, and the surrounding scenery took on the cold hue of steel. The Fortress of Meropide—this underwater prison was the final destination for all convicted criminals in Fontaine. Supplies were shipped in from the outside world.
"Five hundred years have passed, yet this place doesn't seem to have changed much," Focalors remarked, observing the scenery of the underwater prison with a touch of nostalgia.
As the Hydro Archon, she had, out of curiosity, visited here before ascending to her position. But the view inside a prison... well, it was just that. Hmm, once Furina gets back, I'll have to see how she rated her 'experience' here.
"Lady Furina." A dark-haired man in an overcoat stepped forward first, his expression quite respectful. Although legally, the Fortress of Meropide was an independent institution, Duke Wriothesley held the same reverence for Furina, the Hydro Archon, as most Fontainians did.
"No need for formalities. I'm here to pick someone up," [Furina] said directly. "The one Neuvillette previously asked you to look after."
"You mean the prisoner named Jiang Qiao? That's fine, but may I inquire as to the reason?" Wriothesley asked politely. "As you know, this is the Fortress of Meropide, and we still need to follow procedure." Although he wasn't particularly fond of the Court of Fontaine's emphasis on 'procedural justice,' as the administrator of this prison, Wriothesley voiced his concerns.
Hearing his own name, [Furina]'s expression flickered subtly before returning to normal. "Hmm... him? He's a friend of mine. There was probably some misunderstanding. It's alright, don't worry too much about procedure. He previously assisted the Court of Fontaine in cracking a major case... Never mind. Release the prisoner named Lumine early as well. I'll vouch for them under the authority of the Hydro Archon."
Using the law to interfere with the exercise of power might seem improper, but considering this was genuinely a case of mistaken identity, might as well handle it along the way.
"No problem," Wriothesley agreed readily. "Actually, I was planning to report this to the Court anyway. They just assisted me in solving a case hidden within the Fortress of Meropide..."
"The Confrerie of Cabriere, right?" [Furina] interjected.
"Ah, you knew?"
"Yes, I asked Lumine to handle it when she came in."
"Thank you so much... This was also my dereliction of duty. It's quite shameful; I never realized such a horrifying matter was hidden within Meropide under my jurisdiction for so long..." Wriothesley sighed with self-reproach.
"This matter certainly needs to be addressed... Write a self-criticism report to Neuvillette later," [Furina] instructed. "However, considering your contributions over the years, you are still the most suitable person to manage this place. For now, there will be no other punishment besides a dock in pay."
"By the way, what is the sentence for Dougeier?"
"I was preparing to report it... Likely life imprisonment?"
"...Deal with him strictly. Tell Neuvillette I said so," [Furina] ordered firmly. "Make an example of him. I won't get personally involved; leave it to our esteemed Iudex." The biggest issue with Fontaine was its somewhat conservative approach to sentencing.
While Jiang Qiao didn't advocate for casual executions, the purpose of a prison was rehabilitation through labor and re-education. For incorrigible individuals like Dougeier, who showed no potential for reform, wasting further resources was unnecessary—keeping people like him around only drove up the cost of food!
Listening to '[Furi-Qiao]'s' decisive arrangements, Wriothesley couldn't help but marvel. As the prison administrator—who started as a prisoner himself, judged while this very god observed—he remembered her demeanor back then was rather 'unprofessional,' prioritizing 'fun.' But seeing her today, she seemed quite capable.
Wriothesley had no objection to [Furina]'s arrangement. Prison regulations prevented him, a law-abiding man, from simply eliminating the old scoundrel. He could only resort to illicit means—torturing Dougeier using the man's own methods, enacting private justice.
Now, things were different.
"Could the sentence be postponed for a while? I'd like him to suffer a bit first," Wriothesley requested.
"I don't advise you to break the law yourself. Someone like him isn't worth it," [Furina] frowned, thinking for a moment. She then produced a single-handed sword engraved with an iris flower and handed it to Wriothesley. "I've imbued this with the power of Justice. If you deem it necessary to settle the prisoner's debts, use this. It will mete out punishment in the most just manner."
Hmm, this doesn't count as private justice. It's simply Justice!
A short while later, Jiang Qiao met '[Furi-Qiao]'—Miss Furina was currently diligently working, seemingly tightening screws on an assembly line.
The moment she saw him (in her body), Miss Furina froze.
The next instant—
She lunged, grabbing Fairy Ely and pinching her cheeks hard. "You deserter~!"
"Owowow! Being so rough with a cute fairy will bring you bad karma!" Fairy Ely squealed.
"Bad karma? You are my bad karma!" Furina retorted, then turned her attention elsewhere.
After venting her anger on Fairy Ely, Furina glared daggers at '[Furina]'—Jiang Qiao, her face a picture of aggrieved accusation. "You bad guy!!!" she cried out.
She wanted to accuse Jiang Qiao of making her take the fall while he went off gallivanting, but thinking it through, she realized... she forgot to warn him about Fairy Ely, and the scallop incident was her own blunder due to forgetting the situation... but regardless! It was definitely his fault!
Puffed up like a pufferfish, Furina, despite vaguely realizing the biggest problems seemed to stem from herself, couldn't reconcile the fact that she was stuck miserably tightening screws in Meropide while this bad guy Jiang Qiao got to travel to beautiful Sumeru. The injustice fueled her anger.
So—she continued pinching Fairy Ely's face while glaring fiercely! Pinching her own face was out of the question; Furina wasn't stupid—That's MY face! But Fairy Ely was different. This disloyal little ingrate was also a rival! The furious Miss Furina showed no mercy!
Meanwhile, inside '[Furina],' Miss Focalors was thoroughly enjoying the show while sipping 'Jiang Qiao essence.' Yes, just like that! Tear that little vixen apart!