Chapter 125 Main Quest: Seeking Evidence of the Doctor's Crimes (8k)

3:00 PM, the café.

Furina had dressed herself early, appearing in the café with the most elegant and noble posture. She sat upright, as stiff as a primary school student meeting a teacher, with tiny beads of sweat trickling down her back.

Because the man sitting behind her and to the side was none other than the Doctor, the very person she intended to deal with.

'Why is this guy here, seriously!'

In this moment, Furina’s composure was on the verge of collapsing. She knew the Doctor’s target was the Hydro Archon’s Gnosis, and as the public face of the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, she would inevitably attract the attention of the dangerous Doctor, regardless of whether she actually possessed the Gnosis or not.

More importantly, her purpose in meeting the Traveler was to have her use the Knave’s channels to obtain incriminating information about the Doctor, thereby expelling him from the country.

But now that the Doctor himself was sitting right behind her, could she really just say it out loud? What if something went wrong?

Although she had Lu Mingfei’s *Word Spirit* as a safety net, she didn't want to cause Lu Mingfei extra trouble because of her own negligence. He was currently working himself to the bone to finish a limiter for Norton; interrupting him suddenly would be very inconsiderate.

On the other side, the Doctor’s state of mind was no better than Furina’s.

'Why is she here? I clearly hid my tracks. I even bypassed all those tracking eyes before coming to this café. Why did Furina show up anyway? Is her target me?'

The Doctor had already obtained intelligence from the Knave, knowing that Furina was not as simple as she appeared on the surface, and that there was a terrifying Dragon King from another world behind her. If he were to make a rash move, the probability of him dying on the spot was high.

Furina dared not look at the Doctor.
The Doctor dared not look at Furina.
Both sides were panicking!

The difference was that Furina’s panic stemmed from the fear of worrying Lu Mingfei, while the Doctor’s panic was the fear of losing his life. His current state was poor, and he knew that the Dragon King behind Furina possessed the power to control dreams; it was entirely possible that he had been played by that very entity.

If it was *Him*, and Furina just happened to show up here, then her intentions were deeply intriguing.

Was she trying to kill him? Or was she simply here to confirm whether he still posed a threat? If he were dangerous, the Dragon King would continue to strike; if he were harmless, he might be safe for now.

"Click!"

As both the Doctor and Furina were lost in thought, the crisp sound of the door opening rang out. Both of them looked toward the entrance in unison.

The arrivals were the Traveler, Lumine, and Paimon.

They spotted Furina immediately, as she had chosen a seat in the most dazzling, central spot—after all, as the Hydro Archon, she still wanted to show off a little in front of the Traveler.

"Oh, it's the Hydro Archon, Furina! I didn't expect to see the god of Fontaine so soon. I thought we’d be treated like wanted criminals again," Paimon said, her hands behind her back, flashing a pure and innocent smile.

On the other side, the Traveler drew her Dull Blade at lightning speed, her eyes burning as she stared into the corner of the café.

"Hey, Traveler, what's wrong? Why are you taking out your weapon? Put it away quickly," Paimon said, waving her hands anxiously.

But as she spoke, little Paimon realized that the person the Traveler was looking at wasn't Furina, but the other man in the corner of the café: the second of the Fatui Harbingers, the Doctor.

"It's the Doctor! Why is he here? Shouldn't he have returned to Snezhnaya by now?!" Paimon was instantly terrified, hurriedly floating behind the Traveler, peeking at the Doctor with only half her head visible.

To this, the Doctor merely smiled, offering no reply, and continued sipping his coffee.

Seeing this, little Paimon grew anxious. She gathered her courage and flew quickly to Furina’s side, whispering urgently in her ear: "Lady Hydro Archon, Lady Furina, that guy is the second of the Fatui Harbingers, the Doctor. He's a very, very bad guy; we absolutely cannot just let this slide!"

'You think I don't know that?!'
'Why are you bringing this trouble to me!'

Furina roared internally, but on the surface, she maintained a calm smile. She patted Paimon’s head and said dismissively, "Little Paimon, don't worry. Fontaine is a nation of justice. Even the second-ranked Doctor cannot act recklessly within my borders."

"I am merely here for a cup of coffee. The laws of Fontaine are incredibly majestic, and even I must strictly abide by them," the Doctor answered, setting down his coffee, his voice rich and magnetic.

He had already guessed that Furina’s target wasn't him, but the Traveler. Encountering him was likely just a coincidence, which was why she had ignored him earlier and simply waited for the Traveler to arrive.

So, having understood the situation, the Doctor decisively chose to acknowledge and obey the law. After all, he didn't want to end up like the Knave.

Though he had already surpassed the Knave, regardless of the situation, the Doctor chose to follow his inner instinct—which is to say, he chose to be cautious.

'He’s actually giving me some face?'

Furina felt a surge of joy. If the Doctor were even slightly more unhinged, she would be in a difficult spot, forced to choose between calling Lu Mingfei or suffering a loss of face and a potential attack. Fortunately, this guy was relatively well-behaved.

"Laws?"

Lumine uttered the word. As she sheathed her Dull Blade, she frowned slightly. If the laws of Fontaine were truly that majestic, then she wouldn't need to worry too much about the Doctor.

After all, this was Fontaine, not Sumeru. The Lesser Lord Kusanali had to sacrifice her Gnosis to drive the Doctor away because her strength was limited. But the god of Fontaine was Furina; perhaps she was powerful enough that there was no need to fear the Doctor causing trouble.

Thinking of this, she felt a bit more at ease. Beside the Traveler, the "mouth of the gods" began to speak for her as well. Patting her chest, she said with a look of relief, "I didn't expect Fontaine's laws to be so powerful. It seems we can rest a little easier."

Little Paimon paused, making a thoughtful gesture, her brow furrowed as she continued, "But is it really okay to just let the Doctor walk around Fontaine like this? What if something happens later?"

"Are you very eager for the Doctor to leave Fontaine?"

A smile gradually appeared on Furina’s face.

"Yes, yes! He's a very dangerous person, we absolutely cannot just ignore him!" Paimon nodded repeatedly, looking at Furina with utmost seriousness.

"If you want him to leave, it's not impossible. The laws of Fontaine serve everyone. If you can find proof of the Doctor’s crimes, I can absolutely initiate a trial for him, just like the one for the Knave," Furina said confidently.

"Proof of the Doctor’s crimes?"

"Yes, exactly. Proof. As long as the evidence is sufficient, even the high and mighty Heavenly Principles, I would dare to put on trial as well," Furina said, puffing out her chest.

"Trial... the Heavenly Principles?"

Lumine was shocked into speaking.

She had once been defeated by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, which led to her separation from her brother and her journey to collect elemental power to find him. The Sustainer was already so powerful; the strength of the Heavenly Principles themselves was unimaginable.

And now, this Hydro Archon, Furina, was claiming she dared to put the Heavenly Principles on trial?

That was simply absurd!

"Ahem!"

Furina coughed twice, realizing she had spoken too soon, and explained, "You don't have to take it seriously. I was just making an analogy, just an analogy."

Lumine and Paimon both breathed a sigh of relief, but Lumine still felt that when Furina spoke, there was an inexplicable pride and a sincere confidence in her tone. It didn't seem like she was just making it up.

'This Hydro Archon might not be simple.'

Thinking this, Lumine’s gaze subconsciously drifted to the Doctor. At this moment, his expression was solemn and serious, as if he hadn't taken Furina’s explanation to heart at all. He watched Furina’s back silently, his hand holding the coffee cup trembling instinctively.

The Doctor’s reaction made Lumine’s heart skip a beat. She became increasingly convinced of her guess: Furina was either incredibly powerful or held an unknown secret. In any case, she was formidable enough that even the Doctor feared her.

Truly worthy of being the Hydro Archon!

But in reality, the Doctor’s hand was shaking simply because he was in pain.

Although he was trying his best to endure it on the surface, only he knew how much it hurt. The mental torture of two consecutive days of sleeplessness was highly damaging; that he could continue chatting with a normal expression was already impressive. His hand shaking was simply unavoidable.

"So that's how it is, you scared me."

Paimon patted her chest, looking at the small cake already set on Furina’s table. Her eyes lit up as she asked, "Um, Lady Furina, can I eat these things on the table? Hehehe."

'That’s the limited-edition cake I just bought!!'

Furina went silent for a moment. While roaring internally, she tried her best to maintain her persona. Her voice trembled as she said, "Of course you can. Cake is meant to be eaten. You don't need to be so polite."

"Then I'll start digging in!"

Little Paimon smiled, grabbed the cake, and shoved it into her mouth, looking utterly blissful.

'Why are you so fast?!'

Furina watched Paimon eating the cake, feeling as though her heart were bleeding. This discomfort even surpassed the unease of being stared at by the Doctor.

She placed a hand on her chest, trying to soothe her inner trauma. Surprisingly, this time, she felt only a slight tremor, not the simple, direct pain she had felt before.

What was going on?

Furina subconsciously looked down and realized she seemed to have grown quite a bit; she was no longer as "barren" as before. This sense of accomplishment saved her and brought a genuine smile to her face.

She felt incredibly happy and joyful. She had truly grown up; this was the result of her hard work, and the feeling was wonderful.

"Paimon."

Lumine patted Paimon’s shoulder, unable to help but remind her. She had sensed something was wrong.

Although this Hydro Archon’s strength or abilities were decent, her mental state seemed unstable. One second she was heartbroken, the next she was smiling while clutching her chest—this person’s mental state was definitely not right.

"Ah, what is it?"

Paimon raised her head in confusion, her cute little mouth covered in cake cream.

Lumine looked at the clueless Paimon, then at the satisfied-looking Furina. Her lips twitched slightly, and she finally sighed: "Nothing. Eat up. Emergency food is too skinny; there won't be any fat if we put you in the pot."

"I am not emergency food!"

Little Paimon retorted in a huff.

Nearby, Furina looked at Paimon with a surprised expression and asked, "If you aren't emergency food, are you an Unidentified Flying Object? Fontaine has a law stating that flying objects cannot be launched in the first three days of the month."

"Paimon is not a flying object!"

Paimon stomped her feet in the air, her little face full of anger and confusion.

"But aren't you flying right now?" Furina asked, bewildered.

"This is Paimon’s own ability! I wasn't launched by the Traveler, so it doesn't count as a flying object!"

Paimon answered quickly, then turned to look at the Traveler behind her, giving a pleading look.

Lumine simply looked away, having no desire to protect Paimon or argue for her. She could see that Furina wouldn't actually hurt Paimon; at most, she would just tease her a little.

More importantly, Paimon had eaten what was likely Furina’s favorite cake. It was inevitable that Furina would target her for it.

"Traveler..."

Paimon’s expression became increasingly helpless and pitiful.

"Sigh~"

Lumine placed a hand on her hip, turned to Furina, and said, "Lady Furina, next time we meet, I will bring you a delicious cake as a token of friendship. May I ask what your purpose was in seeking me out this time?"

'I’m getting my little cake back?'

Furina’s expression shifted, and a proper smile bloomed on her face. "My purpose? You’re overthinking it. I just wanted to see the Traveler who has traveled across nations. If you like, I can also issue a wanted poster for you in Fontaine."

"Uh... that won't be necessary."

Lumine answered awkwardly. The news of her being wanted in other nations had already spread across Teyvat, and it seemed the Hydro Archon of Fontaine also wanted to give her a chance to "check in."

"Are you sure? I’ve looked at your travel records. You get wanted in every nation you visit. Fontaine is also willing to offer you a wanted poster," Furina said casually with a smile.

"Really, that won't be necessary."

Lumine refused a second time. She always felt that Furina was engaging in petty revenge, and the reason was almost certainly because Paimon had eaten her cake.

"Alright, alright~"

Furina sighed helplessly, then continued with a smile: "If you truly want to expel the Doctor, you can start searching for evidence of his crimes within Fontaine from now on. If you can find proof, I will initiate a trial for him. But if you can't, I cannot put an innocent diplomat on trial."

"I will find the evidence."

Lumine confirmed her main quest. Beside her, Paimon added, "Hmph, the great detective Paimon is entering the scene! We will definitely find evidence of his crimes!"

On the other side, the Doctor watched Furina openly discussing him with the Traveler and Paimon. A look of relief gradually appeared on his face.

'As expected, Fontaine is a nation of justice. Furina won't convict me without cause; she values Fontaine’s laws. This is my chance.'

Although the Traveler and Paimon would try their best to search for evidence, the Doctor had committed relatively few bad deeds in Fontaine, and there was little proof, making it difficult for the average person to uncover anything.

He just needed to keep a low profile while they were searching. If an opportunity arose—and if he could do it without being discovered—the Doctor would consider whether he could take out the Traveler and Paimon directly to eliminate the hidden risk.

Though he was weaker now, he was still the second Harbinger, skilled in scientific research and carrying special concoctions that could restrain the Traveler.

Victory didn't necessarily require force.

"If I am to collect evidence, do you have any hints?" Lumine continued to ask.

"Hints?"

Furina rested her chin on one hand, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, she smiled and said, "You could try beating the Doctor into submission and then getting the evidence from his mouth."

"...Is there anything simpler?"

"Simpler? Then you could beat the Knave of the House of the Hearth into submission. She’s the fourth Harbinger; beating her should be much easier than the second-ranked Doctor. You can get the Doctor’s incriminating evidence from her," Furina continued.

"..."

Lumine and Paimon looked at each other in silence.

Nearby, the Doctor gradually smiled, thinking: *Furina is truly the Hydro Archon of justice. Although she is unhappy with my presence, she won't strike at me directly. At most, she will issue an expulsion order through the Traveler. She is truly too gentle.*

Thinking this, the Doctor finished his coffee in one gulp, savoring the slightly bitter taste while wearing a satisfied smile.

On the other side, Lumine looked at the Doctor and then at the playfully smiling Furina. She felt she was beginning to understand something.

Furina was the God of Justice, and the place where she presided over trials was the Opera Epiclese. Perhaps what Furina wanted was drama. That was why she wanted them to put in the effort to find the Doctor’s crimes and then initiate a trial.

There was nothing more dramatic than a Traveler finding evidence and requesting the Hydro Archon to put a Fatui Harbinger on trial. She was happy to see such an outcome.

She was the God of Justice; she wouldn't deliberately hand over intelligence, but she would grant the opportunity for a trial.

Because she was a god of fairness and justice.

But in reality, Lumine was overthinking it. Furina hadn't given her the information directly simply because the Doctor was right there. If she had told the Traveler about his crimes now, the Doctor might have exploded on the spot and done something dangerous.

To prevent the Doctor from noticing her abnormality, Furina had to act her part as well as she could, making sure neither the Doctor nor the Traveler saw through her.

T﹏T

*I also want to tell you directly that you can get the info if you just use my name with the Knave, but I can't. The Doctor is right here. If I say it, something will happen, and I don't want Lu Mingfei to worry.*

(﹏)

"I will find the Doctor’s evidence," Lumine said with utmost seriousness.

"We will, and me, Paimon too!" Paimon said, hands on her hips.

"Ahahaha, wonderful, wonderful. I look forward to your performance. Good luck, Traveler and her emergency food," Furina said with a laugh.

"I am not emergency food!!" Paimon retorted angrily.

"Ahem, let's go, Paimon. To get the Doctor to leave Fontaine sooner, our efforts are necessary," Lumine said, coughing gently.

Paimon didn't realize it, but Lumine saw it clearly: Furina was targeting Paimon and calling her emergency food only because Paimon had eaten her cake. Next time they met, if Paimon brought her something delicious, Furina wouldn't call her that anymore.

Unfortunately, little Paimon didn't understand.

And so, the Traveler and Paimon left together. Not far outside the café, Paimon said angrily, "Calling Paimon emergency food... I’m going to give her a nasty nickname. I’ll call her... Puffy Little Cake! Hmph!"

Lumine covered her face in resignation, pulling Paimon along quickly, afraid that Furina might hear.

As for the next objective, she had her own ideas. When she first arrived in Fontaine, she met Lyney of the House of the Hearth and obtained some intelligence about Fontaine from him. If she were lucky, she might be able to learn about the Doctor through him and find the evidence.

"Lady Furina, as a god, you seem very eager to expel me from Fontaine?" The Doctor stood up slowly and asked, walking to Furina’s side.

"Hardly any god wishes for someone like you to exist within their nation. Only the Tsaritsa is an exception; she is too gentle and merciful."

Furina paused, staring coldly at the Doctor, and continued, "If Fontaine were not a nation of justice, you might not be alive today. The law protects not only those you might persecute but also you, a man of great crimes."

"As expected of the God of Justice. Your philosophy and ideas are worthy of admiration," the Doctor praised sincerely.

He didn't want to become enemies with Furina; he only wanted to build some goodwill to make his impression slightly better. Otherwise, he couldn't afford to provoke the otherworldly Dragon King behind her.

"Your purpose in coming to Fontaine is to take the Gnosis, right? Don't bother; the Gnosis isn't with me. Go look somewhere else," Furina said casually.

"Thank you for the hint."

The Doctor bowed deeply and spoke politely.

The Knave had once told him that the Gnosis was not with Furina because she had searched for it. And it was precisely because she had searched that she had been killed many times in her dreams by the Dragon King behind Furina.

He didn't know what it felt like to be killed in a dream, but it shouldn't be pleasant. Perhaps what he had experienced was death in a dream, but unlike the Knave, the Doctor had no memory of it. Maybe he had experienced something entirely different.

But regardless, gaining a bit of favor with Furina was always good. Even though her favor was very hard to earn, a miracle might happen with enough effort.

"Mm, good luck," Furina nodded slightly.

The Doctor’s attitude made her feel strange, but inside, she felt relatively comfortable and secure. Perhaps the Doctor wasn't as crazy or dangerous as she had imagined. Or perhaps the Knave’s warning had made the Doctor realize Lu Mingfei’s existence, making him polite out of fear.

As Lu Xun once said, reading allows you to talk to Scaramouche calmly, while strength and power allow Scaramouche to talk to you calmly.

Perhaps this was Lu Mingfei’s influence?

Thinking of this, a look of confidence and pride gradually appeared on Furina’s face. She lowered her head slightly, looking at her own "growth," and her heartbeat accelerated.

'He’s been so tired lately, I’ll... I’ll... I’ll give him a little reward to make him feel comfortable. I’m actually quite "powerful" now!'

If I have "power" and don't use it, I won't be at peace!

"Then, I will not disturb you further. Goodbye." The Doctor bowed deeply once more and spoke politely.

Having said his final words, he left. From beginning to end, he had shown no intention of striking at Furina, and his attitude had been excellent, which made Furina feel quite comfortable.

Not long after the Doctor left, Neuvillette walked in from outside the café. He looked at Furina sitting in her chair and said earnestly, "Lady Furina, thank you for your hard work."

"It is my duty," Furina replied as a matter of course.

After she went out, Neuvillette had actually been tailing her from a distance. His protection wasn't just talk; it was backed by real action.

Even if the Doctor had suddenly attacked, Neuvillette would have burst in immediately and used his power to protect Furina.

Moreover, Furina now possessed a certain amount of power herself; she likely wouldn't be subdued instantly. So if the Doctor had dared to strike, it would likely have just provided concrete evidence of his crimes, leading to his trial and expulsion.

Although Furina was confident, if a real fight broke out, she would still contact Lu Mingfei immediately.

While this might worry him, it would only be worry. If something happened and he didn't react in time when she called, Lu Mingfei’s state of mind would be one of heartbreak, not just worry. Furina knew what level of things should be told and what should not.

Blind concealment is the most foolish kindness, and the kindness most likely to become a sharp blade that hurts others.

"The Doctor’s attitude seemed exceptionally good. His respect for you was almost too much," Neuvillette’s eyes flashed with a hint of doubt.

"He probably discovered you," Furina replied.

"Perhaps. But that still shouldn't be enough. Although I have some strength, it shouldn't make the Doctor so wary." Neuvillette pondered again and eventually reached a startling conclusion, saying solemnly, "I think it must be your character that conquered him. Your attitude toward justice is incredibly sincere; perhaps he admires your justice."

"Is... is that so?"

"Yes, you need not doubt it. I can find no better explanation. The madmen of the Fatui perhaps cannot be explained by common sense. It is normal for him to yearn for justice."

But in reality, Neuvillette didn't think that at all. He just wanted to encourage Furina in his own way.

He believed the Doctor must have realized this was a trap to lure him into attacking. After all, Furina had acted with far too much confidence, and she had even claimed she dared to put the Heavenly Principles on trial. The Doctor couldn't have failed to discern the truth of that, so he must have seen the trap and deliberately avoided it.

But Neuvillette wouldn't say that directly. He knew Furina was in a bad mood, so he would try to offer some verbal encouragement to make her feel better.

The indirect concern of an old father.

"Perhaps," Furina said with a cute smile.

She knew Neuvillette didn't know that the Doctor was aware of Lu Mingfei, so his judgment having some errors was understandable. Moreover, seeing him say such biased things with such a serious expression... it was quite interesting.

"Do you think the Traveler and Paimon can find evidence of the Doctor’s crimes?" Neuvillette asked.

"If it’s the Traveler, she might be able to create miracles in strange places. Because... she is the Fourth Descender, after all. Not everyone can be called a Descender. She possesses the power to change the fate of Fontaine’s people, and our future will be turned around," Furina said with a smile.

Although she didn't have a solution for the prophecy crisis, she knew Focalors did. The power accumulated within the Oratrice Mécanique d'Analyse Cardinale was likely prepared to protect Fontaine, so Furina wasn't panicking.

"The Fourth Descender?"

Neuvillette murmured softly, unable to help but think of the First Descender—the Heavenly Principles. If the Traveler and the Heavenly Principles were both Descenders, then she should be able to do things that normal people couldn't, right?

*Damn, who is this guy? Such a perfect body. If I descend into her, I could definitely exert相当 strong power and perhaps even confront the Heavenly Principles head-on!*

*This person’s body is too special. Her constitution can carry power from outside the world—my power. Could she be the Fourth Descender Focalors spoke of? The blonde traveler and a flying emergency food... it must be her.*

*The elemental power in her body seems a bit chaotic?*

*With such chaotic elemental power, she should find it very hard to use it in battle. If that’s the case, this Traveler’s strength might be even weaker than I expected.*

*The Traveler, the Fourth Descender... just thinking about it makes me feel happy. Who cares about the Doctor? Ignore him. Let's see if I can chat with the Traveler tonight. Hehehe, what image should I use? How about I use the image of her brother?*

*"Dear sister, it is your brother!"*

*"Ahahaha! Hahaha!"*

*"Hm?"*

*"Ahem, I must hide more carefully. Although Focalors is a bit slow to react, if she finds out, it will be bad. I don't want anyone to know that part of my soul has descended into the world of Teyvat and become the new Fifth Descender. Laying out plans from the shadows is much more interesting."*