Fontaine's Grand Stage: Come If You Dare! (Genshin Impact)

After leaving the mansion, the group's mood grew heavy once more. The wealthy merchant's nearly broken expression lingered in their minds.

Eventually, they settled into a random restaurant to discuss their next steps.

"We can be almost certain that Sinthe caused the victims to dissolve into water," Lofan said. "Although the liquid samples are still being analyzed, I'm ninety percent certain they contain traces of Sinthe."

The others nodded in agreement, offering no objections.

"Since the murderer struck so recently, they likely haven't left Poisson since committing the crime. Perhaps they're overconfident."

"Miss Navia, please prepare yourself. This investigation will likely require us to start by looking into the Spina di Rosula itself."

"There aren't many factions vying for control in Poisson. Even if the murderer isn't directly affiliated with Spina di Rosula, they likely have close ties to the organization."

Navia nodded solemnly, fully aware of Lofan's point.

"Monsieur Henry," Vinani asked, "Spina di Rosula's structure is quite complex. How do you plan to investigate?"

Lofan smiled enigmatically. "I already have a rough idea. I'll explain the details after we finish eating."

"Let's eat now!" he declared. "We'll need our strength to catch the culprit!"

Truthfully, the others had little appetite. But seeing Lofan devour his meal with gusto, they reluctantly forced themselves to eat a little.

Suddenly, Vinani's pupils constricted. "Something's wrong with the drinks!" she warned.

Navia froze mid-sip, her hand gripping a glass. She slowly set it back down.

"Hmm, you're right," she confirmed. "There's definitely something wrong with it."

Lofan shook his empty cup, confirming Vinani's words. "It tastes like it's been poisoned! What a waste of money!"

"Y-you're okay?!" Vinani stammered, dumbfounded. She was convinced the drinks had been tampered with, yet Lofan seemed completely unaffected.

"They added way too much Sinthe," Lofan explained. "The overpowering taste made it hard to swallow."

The group exchanged bewildered glances between Lofan and his empty cup. You call that "hard to swallow?!"

Sensing their skepticism, Lofan added defensively, "We paid for it, didn't we? Can't let it go to waste."

A wave of silence washed over the group. Seeing that Lofan genuinely showed no ill effects, Navia's expression hardened. She immediately summoned the hotel manager.

After questioning the staff, they discovered the waiter who had delivered the drinks had vanished. All that remained in the employee break room were his uniform and a suspicious puddle on the floor.

"We're being targeted!" Navia exclaimed. She, Melus, and Silver exchanged worried glances at the untouched drinks on the table, a chill of gratitude creeping into their hearts. If Vinani and Lofan hadn't discovered the foul play so quickly, their fate might have been grim.

It was clear that everyone's drinks had been tampered with. No one understood why Lofan was unaffected. When questioned, he simply shrugged, his face an innocent blank.

"This is good news," he declared.

The others exchanged puzzled glances. We almost died! How can this be good news?!

But as they calmed down and considered Lofan's words, they realized his logic wasn't entirely unsound.

"The culprit has clearly lost their patience," Lofan explained. "This confirms that our investigation is on the right track. More importantly, it shows they're aware of our movements."

"Apart from the Maison Gardiennage officers under investigation and those swamped with work, few know Miss Vinani and my whereabouts."

"The answer is clear: the leak must have come from Spina di Rosula."

"Of course, this is just a theory that needs further verification."

"It's also possible the culprit simply sensed us as a threat and decided to eliminate us before leaving Poisson."

"How do we verify it?" Vinani asked, her curiosity piqued.

Lofan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he said, "You'll understand soon enough, Miss Vinani."

"For now, let's return to Miss Navia's territory."

A slight smirk crept across Lofan's face as he added, "Everyone, stay alert. Things might get... exciting."

At first, the group was puzzled by Lofan's cryptic remark. But after walking a short distance and finding themselves surrounded by Gardemek security devices, even the most oblivious among them understood what he meant by "a bit more exciting."

"Isn't this a little too exciting, Monsieur Henry?!" Vinani clung tightly to Lofan's neck, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the hail of cannon fire and bullets raining down around them.

Lofan, however, weaved through the bombardment with Vinani in tow, his movements as graceful as a dancer's—if one ignored the dead weight around his neck and the thunderous soundtrack of explosions.

"Miss Vinani, what did you say?"

"The explosions are too loud! I can't hear you!"

"I said, you're one handsome Marshal!"

"Thank you... Oh crap!"

Suddenly realizing something, Lofan faltered, his composure momentarily breaking. His reaction slowed by a fraction of a second, and a cannonball hurtled toward them, threatening to obliterate them both. Vinani let out a piercing scream.

Boom!

The explosion ripped through the air, but the expected pain never came.

When Vinani opened her eyes, she saw Navia standing before them like a war goddess, massive slabs of Geo rock materializing around her to intercept the relentless cannon fire.

"Are you all right?" Navia asked.

Vinani replied hastily, "We're fine, Miss Navia. What about you?"

"I'm quite accustomed to dealing with attacks of this scale," Navia assured her. "Don't worry about me."

"However, if this stalemate continues, things will become precarious. We need to break through as soon as possible."

"A breakthrough, you say? Easy enough."

"Just toss me a weapon, and I'll give you all a little demonstration."

"Monsieur Henry, please don't complicate things at a time like this!" Vinani snapped, exasperated. She couldn't understand how Lofan, an ordinary man, could remain so nonchalant in such a life-threatening situation.

Navia, however, didn't question Lofan's confidence. Perhaps she was confident that she, Melus, and Silver could escort these two burdens through the encirclement. Besides, she was curious to see Lofan's capabilities. Judging by his unwavering self-assurance, she suspected he might have hidden talents.

Navia considered for a moment, then handed her claymore to Lofan.

"You know how to use this, right?"

"Of course."

Lofan grinned as he accepted the claymore. He casually swung it twice, batting an incoming cannonball out of the air with a single strike.

Meanwhile, Navia summoned a Petrified Claymore made of Geo energy. While it would drain her energy slightly faster, it wouldn't be a problem for a short time.

"Miss Vinani, hold on tight!" Lofan warned. "Don't get thrown off!"

Hearing this, a hint of fear flickered across Vinani's face. She hesitated before speaking.

"Monsieur Henry... perhaps I should stay behind and let Miss Navia protect me—"

Before she could finish, Lofan abruptly accelerated, fearlessly charging toward the swarm of Gardemeks. Even with a Melusine clinging to his back, he deftly weaved through the gaps in their fire.

Vinani's heart pounded in her chest. She gripped Lofan's neck with both arms, screaming in panic, "Monsieur Henry, you're such a showoff!"

Unbeknownst to Vinani, Navia and her companions were slightly stunned by Lofan's swift and decisive actions.

He's incredibly strong.

While he couldn't compare to Navia, his strength far surpassed that of Melus and Silver, both already formidable among ordinary people.

The claymore seemed weightless in Lofan's hands. Navia, having gradually increased her own strength through her Vision, had grown accustomed to wielding heavy weapons. She never expected an ordinary person to possess such raw power.

Navia now found Lofan increasingly intriguing. How could someone with such strength and deductive prowess be content with being a mere Maison Gardiennage officer?

Oh, right, he's already the Deputy Captain... but he hasn't been officially promoted yet, has he?

"Move out! Cover Monsieur Henry while we prepare to break through."

"Yes, Miss Navia."

Navia, accompanied by Melus and Silver, quickly caught up with Lofan. The group of four—or rather, four plus one clinging passenger—stormed into the Gardemek defenses, wreaking havoc as they went.

After destroying about a third of the Gardemek, the five finally broke through the encirclement and found a safe place to rest.

"Phew, that was a close call!"

"You have the nerve to say that!"

"You told us to avoid them in the first place!"

Vinani grabbed Lofan by the collar and roared, her antennae swaying wildly. Her hat had vanished, likely lost on the battlefield—no one had time to retrieve it during the chaos.

It took Lofan some time to calm Vinani down. As he casually ruffled her hair, she glared at him and slapped his mischievous hand away without hesitation.

"Thanks, Miss Navia. Your weapon is excellent."

Navia accepted the claymore from Lofan, her expression conflicted. Her gaze lingered on him, hesitant, before she finally asked, "Why are you so strong?"

"As a Maison Gardiennage officer, it's only reasonable to have some combat skills for self-defense, don't you think?"

"This makes absolutely no sense!" Navia exclaimed, taking two deep breaths before speaking with a hint of resignation. "Never mind. If you don't want to tell me, I won't press you. Everyone has their own secrets."

"But I still hope we can remain partners," she added.

Lofan nodded. "Now that they've failed to eliminate us, they must be panicking."

"They've revealed far too much trying to deal with us as these unpredictable variables."

"All that's left is to close the net."

"Heh, I doubt there are many people in a small town like Poisson who could afford to acquire so many Gardemek," Lofan remarked.

"Very few indeed," Navia agreed, her eyes gleaming with determination.

The thought of clearing her father's name and finally capturing the true culprit filled Navia with exhilaration, though she managed to maintain her composure.

At that moment, Vinani leaned closer and asked Lofan, "Should we start investigating them one by one?"

"That would take too long," Lofan replied. "What if they escape?"

Lofan chuckled and turned to Navia. "What do you think about taking them all in, Miss Navia?"

Navia was momentarily taken aback. "Aren't you a Maison Gardiennage officer?"

"Exactly. That's why I'm entrusting this matter to your Spina di Rosula."

"I don't have many virtues," Lofan continued, "but I do have a remarkably flexible moral compass."

His words nearly broke the tension. Vinani muttered under her breath, "Your moral compass is a little too flexible, isn't it?"

"I'm still here, Monsieur Henry! Are you pretending I don't exist?"

"As a member of the Marechaussee Phantom, I absolutely won't allow this, Monsieur Henry!"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Lofan replied. "Let me see if I have any rope on me today."

Hearing this, Vinani immediately cowered behind Navia in fear. "Monsieur Henry, you're not serious, are you?"

"Harming Melusine is a serious offense!"

"I know, I know! I'm just providing the tools. Miss Navia will handle the specifics!"

Navia: "..."

"Alright, alright, Monsieur Henry, stop teasing Miss Vinani," Navia finally interjected with a sigh.

"These are extraordinary times. To prevent further harm, the Spina di Rosula is willing to take certain risks to apprehend them all."

"Miss Vinani, please turn a blind eye to this. If we follow standard procedures, the culprits will have countless opportunities to slip away."

Hearing Navia's plea, Vinani hesitated.

Arresting ordinary citizens required only minimal justification—or even none at all—though detentions were limited to a single day.

However, individuals who could afford Gardemek bodyguards typically held significant positions. The Maison Gardiennage couldn't simply arrest such people without proper authorization.

One or two might be manageable, but apprehending a group without approval from higher authorities would be overstepping their authority.

By the time the higher-ups finished their bureaucratic wrangling, the culprits would be long gone, and there was no guarantee the plan would even be approved.

As this thought crossed her mind, Vinani recalled the wealthy merchant's complete breakdown at the end of the incident. With a sigh, she said, "Alright, I'll pretend I didn't see this. After all, you were acting in the interest of public safety."

Navia breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Vinani's words. If Vinani were a stickler for rules, Navia would have had to risk infiltrating the Fortress of Meropide and tampering with the Clockwork Meka production facility.

"Miss Vinani, your decision is absolutely awesome!"

Lofan gave Vinani a thumbs-up.

However, mentioning this only reminded Vinani of how Lofan had previously evaded her question. Annoyed, she pressed him for an explanation.

"Monsieur Henry, this time you must explain what you meant!"