Fu Ning sat on the patrol boat, preparing to return to Fontaine from the harbor.
Furina and Clorinde had returned ahead of him, while Fu Ning remained behind to monitor Lumine and Paimon's whereabouts—and to keep a watchful eye on the changes in the seawater.
Something felt… off.
The prophecy of Fontaine seemed to be slowly unraveling before his eyes.
Fu Ning sat silently, thoughts of the prophecy swirling in his mind as he waited for the patrol boat to set sail. At the moment, he was only at the seventh sequence of his power—far from enough to stand against the Maintainer of Heavenly Principles.
Even in his prime, when he had reached the ninth sequence and was gravely wounded, he had still been unable to defeat that divine enforcer of cosmic order.
Still, Fu Ning estimated that a ninth-sequence version of himself—even injured—might be enough to hold his own. Barely.
While lost in thought, Fu Ning noticed new passengers boarding the patrol ship.
"Ah… it's you. Lumine, Paimon, Linny, and Linnet."
The four who had just stepped aboard were visibly stunned at the sight of Fu Ning.
Paimon stammered, slightly alarmed, "Uh… h-hello, Fu Ning…"
The five of them exchanged glances, the atmosphere growing undeniably awkward.
After all, they had just had a rather dramatic "duel" at Poisson, and now here they were—unexpectedly reunited on the same patrol ship.
"Swoosh!"
A figure landed on the ship with remarkable agility just as it began to depart.
The newcomer's eyes lit up in excitement. "Ah! It's really you! Lumine and Paimon!"
She turned and gasped again, louder this time. "Wait—Master Fu Ning?! The legendary Master Fu Ning?! This is the first time I've seen you in person!"
"Ah! This must be the biggest scoop of my life!"
"Master Fu Ning, I'm Charlotte, a reporter from the Steambird Newspaper! May I interview you?!"
Charlotte was practically glowing with journalistic enthusiasm.
Fu Ning stared at her. "I don't do interviews."
He flatly rejected the request and turned to look out over the sea, clearly uninterested.
Charlotte wasn't offended. She knew full well that Fu Ning had never granted any interviews before—so there was no harm in trying.
Turning to Lumine and Paimon, she greeted them warmly: "Nice to see you both again. I didn't expect to run into you on a patrol ship. What brings you to Fontaine?"
Thanks to Charlotte's lively energy, the earlier tension on the boat began to ease.
Paimon muttered to herself, "She was more excited to see Fu Ning than to see us…"
"Well… I guess it makes sense. We are travelers, after all. It's normal for people not to know we're in Fontaine. Still… how did the Hydro Archon and Fu Ning know we were coming?"
Fu Ning: "…"
Paimon quickly introduced Linny and Linnet. "Oh, right! These are our new friends—"
Charlotte beamed. "No need for introductions, Paimon. These two are famous already—Magician Linny and his assistant-sister, Miss Linnet!"
"If I didn't know them, I'd be a pretty bad reporter. It's an honor to meet you both—I'm Charlotte from the Steambird."
Linny smiled politely. "Pleasure to meet you. Your paper's been a great help in publicizing many of our past performances."
Linnet nodded in agreement. "It's a pleasure."
Paimon clapped her hands. "Ah! Everyone's getting along already! Fontaine doesn't feel so unfamiliar anymore."
She turned to Fu Ning. "By the way, why do you look so gloomy? Back in Liyue, you were always smiling—even when you helped beat Osial, you barely flinched. Like it was nothing!"
Caught off guard, Fu Ning glanced over at them.
He looked at the others on the boat, then replied: "Because…"
Charlotte leaned forward, sensing a scoop.
"…Never mind. It's nothing."
Charlotte: "…"
Linny glanced at Fu Ning, hesitant. "Master Fu Ning… are you worried about the prophecy?"
Fu Ning's eyes narrowed. "Sometimes, being too clever isn't a good thing. But let me ask you this—"
"Why do you think so? Don't worry, I won't punish you."
Linny laughed nervously. "Well… the only thing in all of Fontaine that could ever trouble Master Fu Ning is Lady Furina."
"And since the prophecy directly concerns her, I assumed your concerns were related to her and the prophecy."
Fu Ning turned his head, a faint red tint to his face. "Ahem. Between Lady Furina and myself… well, uh, that's…"
Paimon blinked. "So Fu Ning is a hypocrite!"
Fu Ning quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of, Charlotte—have you heard anything about the serial disappearances of young girls?"
Charlotte scratched her head. "I've heard a bit, but… honestly, not much. Except that, seventeen years ago, you were falsely accused of being the culprit behind those disappearances, Master Fu Ning… but you were proven innocent."
Fu Ning: "…"
"Well said. Now never say it again."
"Why do you think I brought it up?"
Linny's mouth twitched. "Because you were accused once, and now you're taking it personally?"
Charlotte laughed awkwardly. "Uhm… right…"
Paimon was confused. "Wait, what was this missing girls case? Why were you accused, Fu Ning? Did they never catch the real culprit?"
Fu Ning nodded. "The first girl vanished around twenty years ago."
"Since then, one girl would disappear every so often, without a trace."
Fu Ning's eyes darkened.
"Twenty years ago, just after Lady Furina brought me to Fontaine, I suspected those vile people were targeting me… just like they targeted Villette."
"But based on my investigation, there may be something even deeper at play."
"In any case, as Fontaine's highest guard, this offender's actions are a direct provocation to me."
"Whatever the motive, they've caught my attention—just like Osial once did."
Linny nodded solemnly. "At the very least, the families of those girls deserve closure."
"I imagine… if Linnet were one of the missing, I would move heaven and earth to find her and punish whoever was responsible."
Linnet shook her head. "Please don't imagine such things."
Paimon whispered to Lumine, "Hey… if Lady Furina went missing, do you think Fu Ning would go totally crazy?"
She thought she was quiet—but everyone heard her.
Linny internally screamed. Given how overprotective Fu Ning was of Furina, Paimon had really picked the worst moment to say that…
Fu Ning's piercing gaze locked onto Paimon, sending chills down her spine.
"Uh… um… I'm sorry, Fu Ning…"
Fontaine Waters – Approaching Port
"Hey! Are we about to arrive? Look!" Paimon pointed excitedly at the distant shoreline of Fontaine.
Lumine stood and looked out over the waves, admiring the city's splendor.
Fu Ning smiled faintly. He stood up and walked to the bow of the ship, then turned to face the group.
"In the name of Fontaine's Supreme Guard, and as the Dark Judge of Fontaine—I officially welcome you."
He raised his left arm toward the horizon.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Justice and Water—Fontaine."