Yes, Furina-sama!

The large-scale investigation into Luss, the Serial Disappearance of Young Girls, and the Treasure Hoarder Leader Who Turned into Water was now officially under Clorinde's supervision.

However, as Richard had anticipated, the interrogation of the captured Treasure Hoarders yielded little progress. Each one of them responded with the same blank ignorance. The interrogators exhausted all legal methods, ultimately confirming: these guys truly knew nothing.

They didn't make Luss. They were merely transporters.

Back in Poisson Town, the investigation into Luss had also hit a dead end. Every single known point of sale vanished overnight.

Like sewer rats, knowing they couldn't survive in daylight, they retreated into dark corners to await the fall of night.

And with that, the investigation completely stalled, no new leads, nothing useful. It was as if all evidence had dissolved into the endless sea.

Still, life had to go on. Work at Ministry didn't stop just because an investigation hit a wall. Besides, that case was never under the Ministry's jurisdiction to begin with; the Court had always been the lead authority. Clorinde's role was more of a supervisory one, checking in occasionally and reporting updates to Furina.

As for Richard, aside from taking a bottle of Luss as a sample, he no longer appeared interested in the matter.

Of course, he didn't plan to drink it, he wasn't crazy enough to risk his health knowingly, especially when he suspected the contents were dangerous.

Even with half-elf resilience, that would've been sheer recklessness. Richard had always been meticulous about his health.

The reason he kept a bottle was to ask someone with far more experience: his worldly and well-traveled aunt, Lady Alice.

As a renowned adventurer of Teyvat and a member of the Hexenzirkel, Alice had encountered more bizarre phenomena than Richard could ever imagine. And let's be honest, everyone in the Hexenzirkel seemed like a bunch of oddballs anyway.

Come to think of it, Richard realized he hadn't visited Mondstadt in a while. He wondered how Klee was doing. Had she caused any trouble for the Acting Grand Master lately?

If possible, he would've liked to bring Klee to live with him and take care of her personally.

But Fontaine's current situation was far from ideal. No matter how chaotic Mondstadt could be, it was nowhere near facing extinction.

And now, with this whole "people turning into water" business, there was no way he'd bring Klee to such a dangerous place.

Yes, Richard was, without question, a hardcore little sister type.

The likes of Yae Miko had been barking up the wrong tree. If they had just brought Klee to Inazuma, Richard would've caved in a heartbeat.

"Richard, are you even listening?" Furina's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

She was surprised, Richard spacing out was a rare sight.

"Yes, Lady Furina. About the refugee issue, I believe we're unlikely to reach a consensus," Richard replied calmly, despite his momentary distraction.

The meeting that day centered around a recurring issue in Fontaine: refugee resettlement, a matter not unique to them but also shared by the other six nations.

Teyvat was never as peaceful as it looked. Between monsters, the Abyss, and unpredictable rifts in reality, who knew what horrors might crawl out next?

Outside of the capital cities and large settlements, there were few truly safe places for ordinary people.

So it wasn't hard to understand why waves of refugees regularly appeared across the continent.

Each time this happened, debate raged in the halls of the Palais Mermonia: Should Fontaine accept refugees? And how should they be resettled?

This was one of the most troublesome periods for Ministry, tasked with coordinating the often clashing positions of the departments. The goal: to keep things running despite the internal quarrels.

And don't think it was absurd, Fontaine didn't pay anyone to sit idle. Every department had its reason to exist.

Just like how every bizarre rule in Fontaine had an even more bizarre backstory.

As usual, Ministry was now split into two clear factions: the Admit Faction and the Reject Faction.

Furina, leading the Admit Faction, argued that welcoming refugees would showcase Fontaine's inclusivity and help ease its labor shortages. Plus, it would save money, no need to build separate refugee camps, thus cutting costs and boosting efficiency.

Most importantly, if she could lead and resolve the crisis, her reputation would echo across the nations of Teyvat.

Richard, on the other hand, stood with the Reject Faction, or rather, the Separate Settlement Faction. He believed refugees should be resettled outside the city. Allowing large numbers into Fontaine proper would strain public infrastructure and cause all sorts of social issues. And they couldn't ignore the feelings of the native citizens.

Rather than expend enormous effort tackling those problems, it would be better to stick to tradition: allocate a specific area outside the city for resettlement. Over time, those who were compatible with Fontaine would naturally integrate, and those who weren't would filter out.

Though the process was slow, it was cost-effective, safe, and backed by historical precedent.

In Richard's eyes, there was simply no better solution.

"With all due respect, Lady Furina, you're only seeing the benefits of admitting refugees into Fontaine. You're ignoring the costs. Everything has a price. If you want to gain something, you must also bear the corresponding risks."

Richard rarely used the phrase "with all due respect, Lady Furina." In this office, it was practically code for "Lady Furina, that might be the dumbest idea I've ever heard."

To Richard, her proposal was clearly more harm than good, a rash decision she'd come to regret.

And this wouldn't be the first time.

But Furina, not being a seasoned bureaucrat, failed to catch the hidden meaning and took Richard's words at face value, as earnest advice.

"Who says I'm ignoring the downsides, Richard? I've thought long and hard about this decision!" Furina stood from her seat and leaned forward, trying to overwhelm Richard with her presence.

But Richard remained calm, almost amused. He, uncharacteristically, met her forcefulness with equal resistance.

"Then perhaps you haven't thought about it long enough, Lady Furina. I suggest giving it some more consideration."

"No, you're the one who needs to think harder, Richard. Did you even look into the background of these refugees?"

"Aren't they always the same? People from the other six nations, mixed, unpredictable, unstable. A top-tier public risk."

"But this time is different! These refugees… are mainly from Mondstadt!"