Yes, Furina-sama!

When they opened the crates, what lay inside wasn't gold, silver, or jewels, nothing like what Richard or Furina had imagined.

Instead, they were filled with bottles and jars containing the same liquid, a nearly transparent substance... that looked just like ordinary water.

But if the Treasure Hoarders were willing to go to such lengths to transport it, even daring to defy their god, how could it just be simple water?

Richard picked up one of the bottles and walked over to the Treasure Hoarder boss. He was certain this criminal leader knew something.

"Stop pretending to be unconscious. You know what this is, don't you?" Richard crouched down, gently shaking the bottle in his hand as he asked with a mild tone.

Yet, to the Treasure Hoarder boss—beaten down by overwhelming water pillars conjured by this seemingly gentle, refined man, Richard's pleasant smile looked no different from that of a devil.

There was no point hiding it anymore. The boss admitted simply and directly:

"It's… 'Luss.'"

"Luss?" Richard frowned. The name rang a bell, but he couldn't quite recall what it was. He vaguely remembered Lynette mentioning it once, but clearly, it wasn't important enough for the city hall's chief secretary to worry about.

"Luss? What's that?" Furina also overheard and was just as confused.

Clearly, even the Hydro Archon herself had never heard of it. She stared at the bottle in Richard's hand and muttered, "It just looks like plain water to me."

Hearing this, the boss, still lying on the ground, gritted through the pain and sat up, replying:

"Lady Furina… this isn't ordinary water. It's… a specially crafted beverage."

"A beverage? You attacked your own god, for some drinks?" Furina was furious.

She felt deeply insulted. Were a few crates of drink really more valuable than her, the Hydro Archon, in the eyes of her people?

Sure, she could admit her image over the last century had been a little… inconsistent. But still, was it really that bad?

Furina always believed she was quite popular in Fontaine. In fact, she was confident she could go toe-to-toe with any of the other six archons in terms of popularity!

Comparing her to a few crates of drinks? That was just rude.

Richard also found it hard to believe. Attacking them over some beverages? These people really didn't take Furina seriously at all.

There had to be more going on.

Perhaps the boss also sensed that his explanation sounded absurd, so he quickly added:

"Of course, it's not just any drink. Luss is addictive. It makes people feel euphoric and creates pleasant hallucinations. But the side effects… they're serious, lack of focus, mood swings… And once someone stops drinking it, they become exhausted, anxious for no reason. That's how we made a fortune. We exploited its addictive nature."

The word addictive alone was enough to make Richard frown.

He knew all too well the destructive impact addictive substances could have on a society.

Let alone one with such damaging side effects.

Even just from the boss's description, Richard could tell, this was much more serious than just attacking a god.

This had deeper implications.

"Even so, it still doesn't explain why you'd attack an Archon," Richard pressed. "You don't strike me as an idiot who can't read the room. Earlier, you said 'we', so it wasn't just you? You have accomplices?"

"Of course. We're just pawns under him." The boss was breathing heavily, his voice rising with agitation. His skin flushed red. His whole body began to tremble with unnatural excitement.

"Him?" Richard immediately caught the keyword. "Who is he?"

"H-He's…" The boss kept gasping, so shaken he could barely speak.

Furina stepped in, trying to calm him. "Don't push yourself. Just speak slowly."

Classic good-cop, bad-cop routine, they'd played this act before.

But this time, things were clearly more complicated than expected.

Just as the boss was about to say a name

Suddenly, his eyes widened in terror. He looked down at his hands and saw his skin… changing.

He recognized the signs immediately. Something wrong was happening to his body.

It was fear, raw and unfiltered, that gripped his heart.

"No… no! I didn't mean to betray you! Please… don't…!"

With a scream full of desperation, the boss melted into a puddle of water, right before Richard and Furina's eyes.

The bizarre scene made Furina jump. Even Richard, who'd seen much, raised his eyebrows in surprise.

One moment, the man was sitting there.

The next, he was gone, reduced to nothing but a pool of water.

And on the sand, the only thing left behind were his clothes, a chilling confirmation that what they saw was real.

"Richard… w-what just happened?" Furina's first instinct was to turn to Richard for answers.

"I'm sorry, Lady Furina. I don't have an explanation either. But someone's interfering, someone else is here, nearby."

Richard glanced around warily. But with so many hoarders sprawled all over the ground, it was impossible to tell who, or what, was behind it.

He couldn't even determine what method had been used. After all, turning a man into water? That was unheard of.

"My apologies, Lady Furina. Given what just happened, I think our little team-building outing is… officially over."

Even Richard was starting to feel the headache coming on.

What was supposed to be a pleasant day outdoors, relaxing and maybe earning some approval from the Furina, had spiraled into this bizarre mess.

"This isn't your fault," Furina said, unusually serious. "The top priority now is to investigate this thoroughly."

Something about the man's final moments had triggered a dark thought in her mind.

A terrible connection.

A person… turning into water.

Wasn't that exactly what Fontaine's apocalyptic prophecy foretold?

"In the end, all will dissolve into the sea, and only the Hydro Archon shall be left, weeping alone upon her throne."