Chapter 124: The Traveler Approaches (5k)

The Next Day, Early Morning

“Ughh!!”

The Doctor roared as he opened his eyes once more. He curled up like a shrimp, clutching himself tightly, a terrifying sense of despair flooding every corner of his mind. Though he didn’t know exactly what had occurred, he could clearly feel that he had experienced something utterly horrifying within his dream.

The burning agony seared through every fiber of his being—a pain that emanated from his very soul. It wasn’t just the sensation of flames scorching him; an intricate web of various tormenting pains intertwined and fused together. Today was even more unbearable than yesterday.

Yet, it was still only the second day. Despite the increased agony, he responded as swiftly as possible and endured it with sheer will.

“What’s going on?”

Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, the Doctor murmured to himself.

It was important to remember that he was still inside the Hearth Home, governed by the Servants. Under ordinary circumstances, neither the Hearth Home nor the Servants posed any threat to him. But if his condition worsened to the point where he could be easily overpowered, then his safety could no longer be guaranteed.

After a brief moment of calming his mind and emotions, the Doctor changed his clothes and went downstairs.

If possible, he wanted to escape from the Hearth Home as soon as he could. At least this place seemed toxic to him. His symptoms had appeared after entering the Hearth Home and awakening from his nightmare. Keeping away to observe might allow for a chance at salvation.

“Did you hear? Shapuro’s poisoning aftereffects suddenly eased yesterday. He feels like his skills have returned to their peak,” a little boy said excitedly to a girl beside him as they sat on a bench downstairs.

The Doctor recognized the boy—Foltz. As a child, driven by curiosity, he had strangled all the family pets, earning himself the label of a ‘bad seed’ and was abandoned by his family. The Servants had since taken him in at the Hearth Home.

The girl sitting opposite him was unfamiliar to the Doctor. After all, he was not truly one of the Hearth Home’s residents and couldn’t be expected to know every child there.

“I heard! I heard! I never thought Shapuro’s aftereffects would get better, but to think he miraculously recovered yesterday—how wonderful!” the girl exclaimed with great excitement.

Shapuro.

The name was unfamiliar to the Doctor. Yet, he sensed a strange contrast between his own condition and Shapuro’s. Shapuro was recovering; he was becoming what he was now.

“Should I find out more?” he thought instinctively.

Before he could ask, a familiar presence approached imperceptibly.

He instinctively turned to see the Servant. Her gaze was cold, tinged with a faint cruelty, like she was looking at a piece of meat on a chopping block, ready to strike at any moment.

But soon, she withdrew her murderous intent. Her icy face softened into a shallow, insincere smile—the kind of smile that spoke plainly: I want to kill you, but due to certain constraints, I must pretend. At most, I’ll only perform this charade on the surface.

“Doctor, any plans for today?” the Servant asked simply.

“Nothing special. I plan to conduct an in-depth survey of Fontaine. Maybe I can uncover something important,” the Doctor replied.

“Oh?” the Servant smiled teasingly. She clearly understood the Doctor’s intentions but saw no need to expose them. “Field surveys are good, but just how important do you think the information must be to help us seize the Heart of the Water God?”

“There’s no choice. Neither you nor I are anything but ants before that existence. Without taking a gamble and trying our luck within Fontaine, success is impossible. It’s just the way it is,” the Doctor answered helplessly, waving his hand.

“Heh, you actually want to gamble? That’s rare.”

“It’s simply forced by circumstances.”

“Alright then, good luck,” the Servant said, her face gradually curling into a disdainful smile. She didn’t care where the Doctor went, nor did she feel the need to keep him within the Hearth Home.

“Alechino, seizing the Heart of God is our shared mission, decreed by Her Majesty the Queen. Your attitude seems somewhat lax,” the Doctor sharply reprimanded.

“Huh?”

The Servant’s eyes flickered slightly as she began to devise a new form of punishment in her mind, then said, “I’ve already started laying my plans—you just don’t know it yet, Dottore. Before questioning others, you’d better consider what you yourself have done.”

“Your ‘plans’ refer to those prearranged rescue measures? You expect to fend off the crisis in Fontaine your way, making the Water God so grateful that she hands over the Heart of God?”

The Doctor’s mockery was merciless.

His sarcasm was both an outlet and a probe, a protective shield to conceal the deterioration of his condition. Once the Servant began to suspect, tragedy would inevitably follow.

The Servant merely smiled casually. Compared to the madness she had witnessed from this man before, his words now were almost gentle.

Crossing her arms and tilting her head slightly, she said, “I have nothing to discuss with you. In fact, you strike me as laughable. If you truly believe you can succeed, then prove it with your so-called abilities and cunning, Dottore.”

“Prove it to you?”

The Doctor chuckled suddenly. He held the title of the Second Seat of the Fatui Harbingers, while the Servant was the Fourth Seat—by rank, he was superior. Yet now she demanded he prove himself to her. How absurd.

He dismissed her words with disdain and strode out of the Hearth Home without continuing the conversation.

---

Not long after leaving, the Doctor spotted a Fontaine-style bench by the roadside. The moment he saw it, the phantom pain buried deep within his soul flared fiercely, as though the bench had triggered some shadow cast deep inside him.

Could it be...

He had encountered something related to this bench in his dream but was unaware of it?

The Servants’ flames had the power to incinerate memories, but he wouldn’t allow her the chance. If she had such an opportunity, she wouldn’t have been so reserved; she would have killed him outright.

What exactly had happened?

---

At the top floor of the Mo Mang Palace, Fuenina gazed distantly at the Doctor wandering the city, her brows furrowing slightly as she murmured, “Dottore—why is he here? He’s the most dangerous of the Fatui Harbingers. He has no limits; he’s far too dangerous!”

She looked at her pale hand, feeling the surging power within herself, and began to reflect: if Dottore were to run amok in Fontaine, would she and Navia be able to suppress him swiftly?

Apparently not.

The top three Harbingers possessed godlike strength. The Doctor was second among them. Though his combat power might not surpass Navia and herself combined, he had the means to escape. Forcing him to stay could cause unnecessary sacrifices in Fontaine.

Winning was not difficult; protecting the citizens and Fontaine’s inherent assets was the real challenge.

Fuenina wished to talk with Lumine, but he was still overworking on the limiter, and the danger posed by Norton’s arrival was far greater than that of the Doctor.

The Doctor’s arrival didn’t necessarily spell disaster, but Norton’s did, almost certainly.

In Fuenina’s eyes, Lumine’s situation was more perilous than her own. If Lumine refused to flee and instead tried to control Norton, then things would be grave.

If he succeeded, it would be fine. If not, both Norton and Lumine’s identities would be exposed, leaving him surrounded by enemies—a dire situation indeed.

Before things went awry, it was better to keep the Doctor’s presence hidden. Besides, she was no longer the same person who had been assaulted by the Servant. Even facing the Doctor, she might have some strength to resist. Even if she couldn’t win, using her words to buy Lumine time was possible.

Moreover, she needed to stay closer to Navia for added security, so that Lumine wouldn’t have to worry unnecessarily.

I should talk to Navia.

---

Inside the office, Navia sat at his desk, reviewing various documents. As he worked, a familiar presence approached.

It was Fuenina.

Navia slowly raised his head and looked at her serious expression. “What brings you here? Judging by your face, you must have something to say.”

“The Doctor has entered Fontaine,” Fuenina reported.

“The Fatui Harbinger Second Seat, Dottore, is a notorious scientist. I understand your inner anxiety and unease about him roaming Fontaine,” Navia said with a slight sigh.

“But he is an envoy of the Winter Nation. Since he just arrived and hasn’t done anything harmful yet, we can’t simply expel him.”

“I refuse to believe he hasn’t committed any wrongdoing before,” Fuenina said sternly.

“But without concrete evidence—like with Alechino killing Darduf—we all suspect her, but lack proof,” Navia replied.

“Presumption of innocence?”

Fuenina’s expression grew heavier.

In Fontaine, the law is “who claims, who proves.” Without concrete evidence, accusations cannot stand.

Presumption of innocence is crucial; even gods cannot act arbitrarily. A nation’s laws must be just and civilized.

Presuming guilt without evidence risks punishing an innocent, which is worse than letting a hundred guilty ones go free.

Fontaine also has a duel system: if evidence is insufficient, the accused can prove their innocence through combat.

But that brings the biggest problem:

Clorinde cannot defeat the Doctor.

Though Navia is formidable, having the Chief Justice fight personally just to prove a Harbinger’s guilt would be a public humiliation akin to slapping the Winter Nation’s face.

Moreover, Navia is not yet a complete dragon. The Doctor’s godlike power means Navia might not be guaranteed victory in a one-on-one duel.

If Navia lost, the consequences would be dire.

Refusing a Harbinger publicly, then losing to him, would be a disgrace of the highest order.

And if Navia lost, Fontaine’s laws couldn’t bind the Doctor. Upon first trial, he’d invoke the duel, making legal suppression impossible.

What to do? What to do!

Fontaine’s judicial system is relatively fair—until it tries to judge someone truly powerful. Then the laws become a joke.

In particular, the duel system shifts justice from right and wrong to strength. The strong are right; the weak are inherently guilty. Even a good person must submit to the duel’s verdict; a bad person, if strong enough, walks free.

“Fontaine’s system is simply too outdated,” Fuenina reflected.

During her exchanges with Lumine, she had learned a little about his world’s laws. Though China’s legal system was imperfect, it constantly improved and had its own coherent logic—overall, quite commendable.

Even the righteous Water God Fuenina couldn’t help but feel her own country’s laws were archaic.

Perhaps it was time for reform.

But it might be too late now. Changing laws requires immense time and effort, and Fontaine’s unique circumstances meant it couldn’t simply copy another nation’s system.

“What should we do? We can’t just let the Doctor act freely until disaster arrives. Remember, the Servants have attacked me before, and the Winter Nation has already gathered the Hearts of God from four nations. Their likely next target is my Heart of God,” Fuenina sighed.

“I will protect you as best I can,” Navia replied briefly. His dragon slit pupils fixed on Fuenina’s eyes as he asked, “Fuenina, do you currently possess the power of the Water God?”

“A little, but not much.”

She casually raised a hand, and a blue water orb swirled at her fingertips. She had neither the God’s Eye nor the Heart of God—this was her most basic elemental control as a demon god.

Navia looked at the azure water orb, slightly surprised but his doubts eased somewhat. He had long suspected Fuenina’s situation but had not expected this.

He had thought she was powerless, just an ordinary person. That she could still command water elements meant she was not a mere ornamental Water God.

But then again, perhaps this was only natural.

It surprised him to be surprised.

“I can sense your power. Though stronger than the average God’s Eye wielder, facing a foe like a Fatui Harbinger, your situation is still quite dangerous,” Navia said.

“I know. I have a trump card, but it cannot be used lightly,” Fuenina nodded calmly. Her expression was steady, far removed from earlier flamboyance.

Did she truly have a trump card now?

Perhaps.

Having known her a long time, Navia sensed her growth. Such change was good—it meant she had matured, though at the cost of repeated breakdowns and pain.

He had overheard something that morning but chose not to disturb her, wanting to spare her pressure.

She must have suffered greatly over the years.

“Oh, by the way, isn’t the Traveler arriving in Fontaine soon? Why don’t we assign them a special main quest—to find the Doctor’s weaknesses and help us eliminate him?” Fuenina smiled as she asked.

“The Traveler?”

Navia considered before replying, “I want to agree, but the Traveler’s strength is Schrödinger’s cat-like—sometimes reliable, sometimes incapable even of blocking a sneak attack. Sometimes they wield multiple elements; other times, they can’t use any, even when someone important is injured.”

“With such unpredictable strength, I find it hard to believe the Traveler is capable of handling the Doctor. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Fourth Seat’s Servant could defeat them instantly. Their strength is elusive, impossible to quantify.”

“What if the Traveler is discovered by the Doctor while searching for weaknesses and captured for experiments? Though unlikely, given the Doctor’s style, it could happen. We can’t risk the Traveler falling into such peril.”

“That’s true.”

Fuenina nodded slightly. Relying on the Traveler to confront the Doctor would be difficult. But without directly probing his weaknesses, how else could they restrain him?

After a moment’s thought, Fuenina’s eyes lit up with realization.

Oh, right—Alechino, the Servant! I can learn about the Doctor through her, find his vulnerabilities, and then expel him from Fontaine City!

“You seem to have found a solution?” Navia raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly. I am the Water God of Fontaine. It’s only natural that I’d find a way to resolve this crisis. I will solve everything,” Fuenina said confidently.

“That’s best.”

“Notify the Traveler to come to my usual café at three in the afternoon. I will meet her there and give her the mission to save the people of Fontaine,” Fuenina smiled.

“The mission to save Fontaine?”

Navia didn’t know the details but trusted Fuenina and nodded. “I will arrange for someone to contact the Traveler. She should arrive on time.”

“I hope the Traveler won’t disappoint me,” Fuenina said with a smile.

(End of Chapter)