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

When Lofan and Vinani approached Navia, she showed no surprise, clearly already aware of the events in Fontaine.

"Thank you for your assistance, Miss Navia," Lofan said, shaking her hand amicably after reaching a preliminary agreement.

Vinani looked around in confusion. Despite the dismal surroundings, nearly everyone wore a cheerful, optimistic smile.

"This matter concerns me greatly as well, so there's no need for thanks," Navia replied. "Though I must admit, I never expected the Maison Gardiennage to collaborate with our Spina di Rosula. Captain Elton must be a man of considerable courage."

Lofan nodded. "Captain Elton is determined to bring closure to the families of the innocent victims as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Navia thought of her father and sighed softly.

"Let's focus on the case now," she said. "Since we've confirmed that people are dissolving into water for some reason, the overturned vase at the scene was likely staged to conceal the perpetrator's method."

Navia spoke, though a sliver of doubt lingered in her mind. The timing was almost too perfect. Just as the investigation into the Serial Disappearance Case had reached a dead end, news broke from Fontaine of multiple Fontainians dissolving into water in broad daylight.

However, she was certain this had nothing to do with the Maison Gardiennage officer before her, given the distance between the two locations.

Pushing aside her suspicion for the moment, Navia continued, "Now that we've confirmed the young girl was directly dissolved by the perpetrator, the likelihood of the culprit escaping after committing the crime has significantly increased."

"And since he acted alone, even if we seal off all the exits, we won't be able to identify him, allowing him to slip through the cracks."

"Our next step should be to re-screen everyone we interviewed on the day of the incident."

"That's a tremendous workload. I'm not sure if the Spina di Rosula has enough personnel for it."

As she considered this, hesitation flickered across Navia's face.

But Vinani spoke up at that moment.

"Miss Navia, there seems to be a flaw in your reasoning," Vinani said. "Now that we've confirmed the culprit didn't use supernatural abilities to abduct the young girl from the estate, they likely couldn't have bypassed the guards to commit the act."

Vinani blushed slightly, remembering how confidently she had assured Lofan that no one could simply vanish. Now, her words were swiftly contradicted. Fortunately, her pink complexion hid the blush well.

"I believe the culprit bribed one or more guards within the estate to avoid detection," she continued. "We should investigate the guards, looking for any recent odd behavior or unexplained deposits in their accounts."

But as Vinani finished speaking, Lofan chuckled softly. "Miss Vinani, your theory also has a minor flaw."

"I suspect the perpetrator isn't the same person behind the Serial Disappearance Case, but rather one of the guards within the estate itself."

"Think about it: if they could bribe a guard, wouldn't it be simpler and less conspicuous to have the guard commit the act directly?"

"Monsieur Henry, are you suggesting the actual culprit wasn't even present at the scene?" Navia asked.

Navia was surprised. Vinani's words had helped her refocus her thoughts, but Lofan's explanation had completely opened her mind to a new perspective.

No wonder he solved the police station case so quickly, she thought. His deductive reasoning is truly extraordinary.

"Present, yet not present," Lofan said with a mysterious smile, before sharing his theory.

"If the perpetrator could afford to bribe a guard at the mansion, there's no need for them to risk committing the crime themselves. But entrusting the task to someone else might lead to unforeseen complications."

"Therefore, they would choose a vantage point with a clear view of the crime scene, allowing them to witness the events firsthand and intervene if necessary."

Lofan paused, then turned to Navia. "Miss Navia, are there any elevated locations near Poisson that offer a direct line of sight to the crime scene?"

Hearing Lofan's question, Navia glanced at Melus and Silver. After a moment, Melus recalled a suitable place and shared it with the group.

"Alright, let's go check it out now," Lofan said.

With this new lead, the five of them wasted no time and immediately set off.

Soon, they arrived at the spot Melus had described—a precipitous cliff offering a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

Lofan stood at the edge of the cliff, looking toward the wealthy merchant's estate. As expected, there were no obstructions to his view.

This was indeed an excellent vantage point; all he needed was a pair of binoculars.

"Someone has been here," Vinani announced.

The group's spirits lifted at her words, confirming that their investigation was on the right track.

The place was remote and somewhat dangerous, so few people would venture here. Whoever had left these traces was most likely the perpetrator of the Serial Disappearance Case.

This time, Vinani was completely won over by Lofan. His deductive reasoning was truly remarkable.

"Still, I don't understand how the culprit managed to make those innocent girls vanish into water," she said.

Although news had spread from Fontaine about large numbers of people disappearing into water, Vinani preferred to attribute those incidents to a natural disaster. In contrast, the perpetrator of the Serial Disappearance Case clearly possessed a method to transform people into water.

"It's probably Sinthé," Lofan replied.

"In any case, the presence of Sinthé components in the liquid under those circumstances speaks volumes."

"Perhaps the Sinthe we usually encounter is so heavily diluted that it lacks these potent effects."

"When we return, we should have the researchers purify and analyze the Sinthe. I'm confident they'll find something."

Vinani nodded, then suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute! If that's the case, could the perpetrator of this case be the same one involved in the Sinthe case?!"

"At the very least, they must belong to the same organization. Otherwise, it would be too much of a coincidence."

"That also explains why the culprit isn't after money. Selling Sinthe alone would make them incredibly wealthy."

Vinani fell silent after hearing Lofan's words.

Good grief, the case is completely solved! Does that mean I'm just here as a spectator this time?!

As this conclusion dawned on her, Navia's body jolted violently, her eyes momentarily losing focus. She vaguely grasped at something, but the memory slipped through her fingers.

"Let's go. We need to find out which bodyguard was bribed to work for the killer."

"Or perhaps there was no bribery at all. Maybe the bodyguard who acted was already one of the killer's people from the start."

"The killer had been targeting the victim for a long time, deploying an operative to infiltrate and lie in wait until now to activate this pawn."

"Considering this case spans nearly eighteen years, that's highly plausible."

Lofan's deduction sent another shiver down the spines of the others. If true, it was truly terrifying.

The innocent young girl might have been marked by the killer months, or even years, ago...

The five of them descended the mountain together, preparing to return to Poisson.

Noticing the somber mood, Lofan spoke up. "I think I know who the culprit is in Sinthe's case."

The others exclaimed in unison, "!!!"

So fast?!

Wait, what about the investigation? He's jumping straight to the conclusion without any explanation?!

The group was stunned. They had already witnessed Lofan's extraordinary deductive abilities, but identifying the perpetrator so quickly seemed absurd.

Regardless, they were eager to hear what he would say next.

"Who is it?"

Lofan raised a finger dramatically, feigning mystery. "The culprit is..."

Suddenly, he pointed at Melus. "You can't hide anymore!"

"That's right—it's you, Melus!"

Hearing Lofan's words, everyone froze in disbelief.

Melus himself was utterly bewildered. If I were the culprit, why would I participate in the investigation with you?!

"Listen to the name," Lofan declared triumphantly. "'Melus'... doesn't that sound like 'Me Sus'?"

The others stared in silence. "..."

Suddenly, Lofan felt a chill run down his spine.

Facing the four pairs of eyes rolling in unison, Lofan wore a satisfied smile.

Just then, Navia spotted a familiar face.

"Uncle Marcel?"

"Navia! Are you with your companions?"

Navia was slightly surprised to see Marcel outside Poisson.

"Yes, these are my new friends."

She quickly introduced them to each other.

"Uncle Marcel, you seem to be in a hurry. Do you have something important to attend to?"

Marcel was equally surprised to see Navia with two unfamiliar faces. He immediately recognized Lofan and Vinani. Has the Spina di Rosula started cooperating with the authorities? This was not good news at all.

Despite the sudden alarm in his heart, Marcel maintained a flawless facade, smiling warmly at Navia. "Yes, I have an excellent business deal to discuss, so I need to leave quickly. You're all returning from somewhere outside town, aren't you?"

Suddenly, Marcel noticed a crucial detail: the direction the five were heading seemed to lead to the cliff where he had once stayed.

A coincidence?

Navia nodded, confirming his unspoken question, and said, "Uncle Marcel, since you have important business to attend to, we won't keep you any longer."

"Very well. Next time, bring your friends to Hotel Debord—my treat."

Marcel watched the five figures disappear, his expression darkening. A profound unease settled over him.

Where are they going?

Have they noticed the issue with the bodyguards?

Why are they making such rapid progress? Could it be that Melusine?

Because the case was classified and the entire Poisson Garrison had been dismissed and placed under investigation, Marcel hadn't received any intelligence from them. Unaware that Lofan was the key figure, he could only speculate that Melusine's unique abilities were driving the investigation forward.

This won't do. If they keep investigating at this pace, I won't be able to hide for long...

As the thought solidified, a murderous glint flickered in Marcel's eyes.

If that's the case, I might as well eliminate them all...

With that thought, Marcel turned and headed back toward Poisson.

-

"What?! A bodyguard turned into water right before everyone's eyes?!"

Upon hearing this news, the five felt their hearts sink. They had arrived too late.

They exchanged glances, their faces etched with resignation.

"We've been outmaneuvered," one of them said. "Their cleanup operation was far faster than we anticipated."

"It's unlikely the information leaked," Lofan replied. "I've only shared my deductions with you."

"So the killer intended to silence him from the start."

Lofan paused, as if a realization had struck him. "But why wait until now? They probably received news from Fontaine and feared being discovered if they acted sooner. That's likely what prompted them to act now."

To Lofan's dismay, he found himself taking the blame for this mess. He was speechless.

"Let's not despair yet," he said. "Fontaine is deliberately suppressing information. Only a handful of factions have received updates from there, which significantly narrows our investigation."

While Vinani's words weren't entirely without merit, conducting a thorough investigation would undoubtedly take far longer than simply questioning the bodyguard directly.

"At this point, we have no other choice," Navia said. "It's better than having no leads at all."

"Besides," she added, "we're closer to the truth than ever before."

Navia's comforting words lifted everyone's spirits considerably.

Meanwhile, the wealthy merchant hesitantly addressed the group, his face etched with anguish.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice trembling, "my daughter... is she already...?"

From their conversation, he had deduced that the bodyguard's death was the result of the killer silencing him. Given the perpetrator's ruthlessness, his daughter's fate was all but certain. Yet, unable to accept this reality, he clung to the last shred of hope he might find in their words.

But they couldn't offer him that final solace. The merchant's eyes dimmed.

"I understand..." he whispered, his voice barely audible.

He seemed to age decades in an instant, his face twisted with unbearable pain. Suddenly, he seized Lofan's hands, his expression contorted into a desperate grimace, tears streaming down his face.

"Please, you must catch the murderer who killed my daughter! I'm willing to give up everything I own!"

"I... I beg you!"

Feeling the man's desperate grip, Lofan remained silent for a long moment before solemnly replying, "Very well. I promise you."