"Hahahaha..."
"So this is the method Focalors planned to use to resolve Fontaine's prophecy crisis..."
"Sacrificing oneself for the sake of others—what a foolish and cliched trope..."
"And you—your name is Su Yuan, right?"
"Su Yuan, your idea is unique, insane even. I really like it... I truly admire it..."
"Making an insect the Hydro Archon—how utterly fascinating!"
"Su Yuan, we will definitely meet again..."
"I think... we might just become friends..."
In a dark and shadowy corner, a figure could barely suppress the smile on their face and the delight in their heart, speaking to themselves.
..............
"Su Yuan, although I had never considered the method you proposed,"
Focalors pondered, her expression heavy with contemplation.
"Even if it truly succeeds, and an insect gains the power of the Hydro Archon, no one can guarantee what it will do..."
"Can you promise that it will, like me, offer no resistance and willingly accept its fate? That it won't, upon sensing a threat to its life, struggle and fight back with everything it has?"
"Su Yuan, I will carefully consider your proposal, but now is not the time to give you an answer..."
Focalors' response was within everyone's expectations.
Although Su Yuan's idea was indeed creative and theoretically possible, it was still filled with too many uncertainties.
"Everyone, why don't we put this discussion on hold for now?"
Neuvillette spoke up.
"You've all worked hard helping Fontaine fend off the primordial sea eerie's rampage. And as it happens, it's mealtime—allow me to treat everyone to a meal."
................
At the entrance of Hotel Debord in Fontaine, a waitress was busy inviting guests inside.
Then, she saw a large and imposing group approaching…
Lady Furina, Lord Neuvillette, Duke Wriothesley, Lady Clorinde, Captain Chevreuse… and many, many more of Fontaine's most prominent figures—why were they all arriving at Hotel Debord at the same time?!
And walking alongside them, keeping pace as their equal, was none other than that man she had once mistakenly thought was trying to dine and dash—Mr. Su Yuan?!
"Boss! This is bad! You need to come out and greet them right now! The pressure is too much—I can't handle this!!!"
............
"Honored guests, it is my great privilege to welcome you all to Hotel Debord."
The owner of Hotel Debord, Vaneigem, personally came to greet the group.
"As you know, one of the unique features of Hotel Debord is our tradition of inviting artists to perform within the restaurant."
"I had originally planned to invite Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette for a magic performance, but to my surprise, they have come today as customers instead."
"But regardless, art is the finest seasoning for any meal. I hope that all of you will enjoy the seamless blend of art and cuisine here at Hotel Debord."
With that, Vaneigem exited the private dining room, leaving the space for the guests to enjoy.
"Wahoo! Finally, I get to taste some of Fontaine's finest luxury cuisine—thank you so much, Mr. Neuvillette!"
Looking at the dazzling array of exquisite dishes spread across the table, Paimon was practically drooling with excitement.
However, among everyone present, Paimon was probably the only one truly focused on the food.
"Arlecchino, I know that your ultimate goal in returning to Fontaine is to obtain the Hydro Gnosis," Neuvillette said as he looked at Arlecchino.
"That's right." Arlecchino nodded.
"But I have also received the Tsaritsa's permission—after obtaining the Gnosis, I will prioritize using its power to find a way to break the prophecy and save Fontaine."
"These two objectives are not contradictory. My desire to seize the Gnosis is genuine, but so is my wish to save Fontaine."
"Seize?" Furina showed a puzzled expression as she looked at Arlecchino, suddenly having a bad premonition.
Noticing Furina's gaze, Arlecchino responded with a faint smile.
"I had initially planned to take the Gnosis directly from you, Lady Furina."
"But now I know that you are not the true Hydro Archon, and I assume the Gnosis is not in your possession. So, I have abandoned that plan."
"I understand that the Fatui Harbingers have been collecting the Gnoses from various nations," Neuvillette said.
"And I have indeed seen the help you have provided to Fontaine."
"Once the crisis of the prophecy is completely resolved, I am willing to grant you the Hydro Gnosis through diplomatic means."
Arlecchino smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "Then I will thank you in advance, Lord Neuvillette."
Although Su Yuan had previously tasted the food at Hotel Debord and found it delicious, his thoughts were now completely elsewhere.
He was constantly thinking about how to resolve the prophecy crisis.
If the method of turning a mere insect into the Hydro Archon didn't work, then… was there truly no other way but to sacrifice Focalors?
Su Yuan recalled Fontaine's main storyline:
"Farewell, Neuvillette."
"I hope you've enjoyed the role that was yours for these past five hundred years."
He then thought back to Zhongli's legend quest—the tale of Havria, the God of Salt, in the "Sal Flore."
She had also perished by her own hand…
Even a weak god like Havria, upon death, had caused a massive transformation, turning a vast land into salt.
Yet in Fontaine's original story, Focalors—one of the Seven who rule over Teyvat—had supposedly died, and there were no such extraordinary phenomena.
This was something many scholars found suspicious.
Some believed that Focalors' power had been absorbed by Neuvillette and Furina.
Others speculated that because Furina was still alive, Focalors' death wasn't truly complete.
And, of course, there were those who theorized that Focalors had never died at all—that she had merely faked her death and deceived everyone.
Su Yuan wasn't sure which was the truth, but one thing was clear: today, he had no more stable "rewinds" left…
From what he could tell, it seemed possible to trigger a fifth rewind, but his body—and the strange sensations he was experiencing—warned him that such an act might come at an even greater cost…
Tomorrow.
He would wait until tomorrow.
As soon as tomorrow arrived, Focalors would have to immediately attempt the experiment—could her authority truly be transferred?
Could an insect really become the Hydro Archon?
Of course, it didn't necessarily have to be an insect.
That was just an example.
As long as Focalors' identity and power as the Hydro Archon could be transferred somewhere else, that would be enough!
Go ahead and try—if it fails, it doesn't matter.
At worst, he could just rewind again and start over!
Having settled on this decision, Su Yuan's thoughts turned to another problem.
That was the strange rules behind Furina's Eerie transformation.
For others, the mechanisms behind their transformations could more or less be understood, but Furina was an exception.
Thinking back, the moment he transmigrated, he had appeared in Furina's bed.
And the Eerie Furina… why had she called him darling and treated him like a lover?
She had claimed that he was her only confidant in hundreds of years—but hadn't he only recently arrived in Teyvat?
While Neuvillette had suggested that the cause of an Eerie transformation might not be limited to just one factor, it seemed that Furina's case only triggered at night, and only when she saw him…
Moreover, why was Furina the only one who, during the daytime, remained completely unaffected by the Eerie influence?
Even external Eerie forces seemed unable to take hold of her.
There were still too many unanswered questions that needed to be solved…
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