Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

She had originally thought that there would be some issues when the audience saw [Furina]'s unusual behavior, but… there weren't any problems at all!

This guy was just temporarily substituting for her, but the gazes he received—even Furina had never experienced that.

Well… to be fair, she had, but even if it was the same "reverence for a god,"

It was completely different from Jiang Qiao's!

She had to painstakingly and exhaustingly put on a performance, like a clown in a circus, just to barely elicit such emotions from the Fontaine citizens. And afterward, she still had to maintain this image and continue with her second, third… performances.

But Jiang Qiao,

As [Furina], he didn't need to resort to tricks and posturing like Furina to barely obtain a superficial reverence. He received genuine "worship of a god."

"…It's not that different…" Furina mumbled softly, comparing herself to [Furina] sitting on the throne.

—It was the same body. In Furina's hands, it became a "mascot," but in Jiang Qiao's hands, it truly became the revered "Sovereign of All Waters, All Opulence, All People, and All Laws."

Furina felt both dissatisfied and puzzled by this.

"Just get used to it. Reliable Me is always exceptionally skilled at using other beautiful girls' bodies." Fairy Ely comforted her, then nodded as if in confirmation, "Mmm, very impressive!"

"Silence." The dull thud of a cane striking the ground quieted the opera house.

Neuvillette looked at Lumine in the defendant's seat.

"Regarding the plaintiff's accusations, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The answer—only silence.

"Please answer my question."

"…." Lumine blinked her eyes innocently, looking confused.

The Chief Justice fell silent for a moment.

Then he warned, "If you remain silent, I will assume you are waiving your right to a defense."

"I must inform you—even if you attempt to remain silent, you cannot escape judgment. Your silence will be interpreted as a bad attitude, and your sentence will be doubled."

The blonde girl still didn't speak.

"Could she be mute?"

"Perhaps she is. She hasn't said a word since she arrived."

"Sigh, what a pity, such a cute girl is actually mute."

"Are you crazy? She's the culprit in the serial disappearances case."

"Could this little mute girl really be the one?"

"Who says a mute person can't be a criminal?"

The audience murmured amongst themselves.

"Silence."

"The defendant, Lumine, has displayed a poor attitude and refused to cooperate. As Chief Justice, I will, in accordance with Fontaine law…"

"Wait a moment." Neuvillette, about to deliver the verdict, stopped and looked at [Furina] in the viewing platform, his tone slightly displeased.

"Please do not interfere with my judgment."

Fontaine upheld the law of justice, claiming that even gods could be judged. Therefore, although Furina, as the Hydro Archon, held a high position, even being Neuvillette's superior and Fontaine's leader, the solemn judgment process couldn't tolerate her interference.

Of course, Furina rarely interfered.

"My apologies, but I object."

The two-toned silk gloves clasped together as the blue and white-haired girl sitting on the throne calmly stated her position.

This made Lumine in the defendant's seat look up at her, even with a hint of gratitude.

How should she put it, although she appeared calm,

Lumine was actually quite panicked.

But she didn't know what to do or what to say.

She had been inexplicably picked up by someone, inexplicably accused, and brought to court. Everything was just inexplicable!

Lumine was filled with resentment.

Nothing good had happened since she woke up. Feeling hungry, she had wanted to go fishing by the river, but…

A crazed dragon suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and after a gust of wind, she lost consciousness. When she woke up, she found herself at sea, then she was inexplicably struck by lightning… well, she fainted again.

When she woke up again, she was on a merchant ship. According to the ship's owner, he had found her on his trade route. Seeing that she looked pitiful but still alive, he brought her back to Fontaine on his ship.

And then… they were attacked by sea monsters. The ship capsized, she was beaten by the sea monsters, and fainted again.

After that—just as Neuvillette had said.

Lumine, who had thought that her misfortunes would end after reaching shore and being rescued, hadn't even had time to rejoice when the person who rescued her disappeared, and she was accused of being the culprit in the "serial disappearances" case and brought to the Opera Epiclese.

She knew about trials, and she wanted to defend herself.

The problem was, after all that drifting, Lumine's head was still spinning, completely confused.

She didn't even know what Fontaine was. If she were to defend herself, she could probably only stammer, "I'm innocent, your honor!"

Lumine had thought she was doomed.

But—the person sitting on the stage actually spoke up! It seemed she was going to speak for her… A kindred spirit!

"Isn't it a bit too hasty to conclude the trial like this?"

"Indeed, but the defendant has also pleaded guilty." Neuvillette nodded, somewhat helpless.

He also felt that this trial was too rough, and it might be a miscarriage of justice. But the problem was, this was Fontaine's legal procedure. As the Chief Justice, even if he felt it was inappropriate, he had to follow the rules, or everything would be in chaos.

The reduction in death sentences in Fontaine law was precisely due to this reason.

Because Fontaine's laws were too rough, to avoid serious miscarriages of justice, as long as the person was still alive, the case could be overturned. After all, a head wasn't like a leek; it couldn't grow back once cut off.

As for the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale,

Although many people in Fontaine believed it was absolutely just, was there anything absolutely just in this world?

Even the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale couldn't always be right. Moreover, it wasn't actually a machine for judging right and wrong, but a machine for collecting and converting energy by judging right and wrong.

Lumine puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips—When did I plead guilty?! I don't even know what happened!

"Lady Furina, what are your thoughts?"

"I suggest a more thorough investigation before reaching a conclusion."

Jiang Qiao naturally had simpler ways to clear Lumine's name—like bringing the real culprit onto the stage.

As long as the true culprit behind the serial disappearances was caught, Lumine would naturally be released.

But if he did that, the problem would be too big.

Fontaine upheld the law, and if he directly intervened as the "Hydro Archon," losing would only be embarrassing—although there was no such thing as losing, but if he won…

'The Hydro Archon's discerning eyes saw through the true culprit behind the serial disappearances.'

If things developed in this direction, the people of Fontaine's reverence for the "God of Justice" would reach its peak, perhaps even turning into fanaticism—Everything the Hydro Archon says is right, going against her words is absolutely wrong!

As for whether this was alarmist… the old noble factions of Fontaine were still alive and well. Whether in the Gardes or the Steambird, there were still many Fontaine nobles, and when it came to doing bad things, nobles were professionals.

Even Neuvillette, the Chief Justice and de facto Prime Minister of Fontaine, wasn't necessarily feared by the nobles, or they wouldn't have dared to target his descendants, the Melusines.

Moreover, if they could use the Hydro Archon's banner, they would be even more emboldened.

Who is the true Hydro Archon of Fontaine, Neuvillette, or Lady Furina?! We must criticize, severely criticize!

"Of course, you can still maintain your original decision. There's no need to consider my thoughts." The blue and white-haired girl said calmly.

What he offered was merely a "suggestion," an "opinion," but definitely not a "demand."

Otherwise, from an outsider's perspective, it would appear as a disagreement, or even a political conflict, between the "Hydro Archon" and the "Chief Justice."

This was absolutely unacceptable.

Otherwise, Neuvillette would only face more obstacles in the future.

As for why the original Furina didn't need to consider these things—because she was essentially a hands-off ruler.

She had delegated almost all of the Hydro Archon's authority to Neuvillette. In the eyes of the people, Furina was just a mascot.

But because of this, having lost certain powers, Furina could only use those comical methods to barely maintain her image as the Hydro Archon.

Of course—the more important reason was that Genshin Impact was a T for Teen game. What politics did a T for Teen game need to consider?

A game naturally didn't need any, but when the game became reality, at least now, using [Furina]'s body, Jiang Qiao, as the "Hydro Archon," had to consider these things for the people of this nation. Otherwise, it would be irresponsible.

"Understood. Then, let the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale decide the verdict." Neuvillette, leaning on his cane, fell silent for a moment, then delivered his judgment.

As Chief Justice, he chose to uphold Fontaine law.

After all, if even the Chief Justice didn't abide by the law, how could the law be trusted?

"What are you thinking?" Furina asked, slightly annoyed. "Could it be that because you know that girl, you want to exonerate her? Absolutely not! I am the God of Justice, I cannot violate justice, violate the law."

"Quite the contrary—I am upholding Fontaine's justice." The blue and white-haired girl, her heterochromatic eyes hidden behind her bangs, looked at the original owner of the body with a hint of exasperation.

To save the people of Fontaine from the prophecy, for this continued "justice," Fontaine had already taken many wrong turns.

Their leniency towards the old nobles, the imbalance in their treatment of the lower class, and even the distorted legal system.

Furina, who had already established a close relationship with the people, couldn't implement any drastic reforms, and Jiang Qiao couldn't use this body to do so either. In that case, he could only use the Hydro Archon's authority to initiate a change.

Only in this way would Neuvillette face less resistance when dealing with these issues later.

Of course—Jiang Qiao could also wait until the prophecy ended and the Hydro Archon perished. Neuvillette could still achieve this, just slower… but if that were the case, why bother going through all this trouble?

Only the weak would pray to fate.

"However, I don't deny having a 'need' for that girl."

"Hmm?" Fairy Ely blinked.

Furina also blushed.

A… a 'need'?!

This guy was too much! Although that girl did look quite cute…

Jiang Qiao, seeing their thoughts, didn't explain much and sighed.

His expectations for Lumine weren't related to any hormonal impulses, and it wasn't because he needed her to advance the plot and fulfill the prophecy.

What Jiang Qiao wanted was the variable that Lumine represented.

Like a game of chess—Teyvat was a fixed, cyclical game, and in this game, some pieces remained unchanged, having no significant impact on either side.

And the "outsiders/Descender" the so-called "variables," were the most crucial elements in this game.

They could break the established constants and introduce new variables.

Focalors, who had deceived Celestia, was a variable. Lumine, as the Traveler, was a variable. That person in the Ipsissimus Tower… barely counted—of course, the greatest variable was undoubtedly Jiang Qiao himself.

The prophecy and that All-Devouring Narwhal certainly needed to be dealt with, but he couldn't ignore other things either.

After all, there was an old saying in Liyue—One who doesn't plan for a thousand years is not fit to plan for a single day; one who doesn't consider the whole situation is not fit to plan for a single moment.

"Look, the verdict is out." To Fairy Ely's surprise, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale had already produced a slip of paper. Neuvillette, looking at the paper, frowned.

"The verdict of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale is… not guilty… guilty…" The Chief Justice was dumbfounded.

This… what kind of verdict was this?

Previous verdicts were simply "guilty" or "not guilty." But this time, it was both…

"What? Not guilty, guilty, so is she guilty or not?"

"This is the first time such a verdict has appeared."

"Could it be that the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale malfunctioned? Lady Furina!"

Hearing this, everyone's gaze focused on [Furina] on the throne. Furina, merely brushing against this attention, felt her scalp tingle. In the past, she would have been sweating profusely at this point. Now, she could just sit back and watch.

However, feeling slightly guilty, Furina still subtly shifted her position, trying to distance herself from her own body.

… She should be fine, right?

Furina felt worried. Whenever it involved the Hydro Archon's creations, she would always panic.

—Her later reaction of "How would I know? Don't look at me!" was precisely because of this.

Because she truly didn't know!

Although the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale was the Hydro Archon's creation, it had nothing to do with her, the acting Hydro Archon, right?

Because of this, Furina didn't even dare to take credit for the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.

She had learned her lesson—if she claimed to understand the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, how would she explain it to the researchers? What if it malfunctioned and they asked her to fix it?

If that happened, and she couldn't fix it, it would be game over!

While Furina was anxious, [Furina], under everyone's gaze, remained calm. She opened her small hand, covered by a white silk glove:

"Neuvillette, give me the verdict."

Neuvillette was stunned, then nodded, handing the verdict to Clorinde, who presented it to [Furina].

Just as everyone wondered what she was going to do, Furina's eyes widened:

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Seeing [Furina] pull out a pen from somewhere, although puzzled about where the pen came from, as she hadn't brought anything like that, Furina was still startled to see her writing on the verdict.

This was too bold! That was the verdict!

As a crucial item in the trial, it was only handled by the Chief Justice, and afterward, it would be archived along with the case files. Someone daring to scribble on it… this was a first in five hundred years!

"Alright." After some modifications, [Furina] handed the verdict back to Clorinde, who glanced at it, her lips twitching in confusion, but still acted as a messenger, delivering it to Neuvillette.

He looked at the contents and frowned:

"Lady Furina, the Opera Epiclese is not a place for your antics."

On the pristine verdict, two large crosses were clearly drawn over the two verdicts, looking incredibly absurd.

Neuvillette was slightly angry—but honestly, there seemed to be no law in Fontaine forbidding drawing on a verdict.

—Normal people wouldn't even have access to it!

Neuvillette was already planning to add this to the law after the trial.

No scribbling on verdicts—not even the Hydro Archon!

"Of course~ but the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale is my creation—I should have the right to interpret it, shouldn't I?"

Neuvillette fell silent for a moment, unable to deny it—this thing was said to provide absolutely correct results through the "power of human belief," but this claim had long been debunked.

If simply holding these absurd debates and observing the tilt of the scales could determine right and wrong, there wouldn't be so many miscarriages of justice in Fontaine.

And there wouldn't be cases where the scales clearly tipped one way, but the result was the opposite.

What supported the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale was the Hydro Archon's endorsement.

It was just that because Furina's behavior over the past five hundred years had been so absurd, everyone had come to view her and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale as separate entities—but even so, whenever the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale malfunctioned, people would still look to Furina. The reason was self-evident.

"It seems you have no objections. In that case—please disregard the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale and deliver your judgment based on your own will, Neuvillette." The girl sitting on the throne shrugged and said calmly,

"Fontaine's law will not cease to function just because it loses the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale's judgment, don't you agree? My Ludex~?"

Just like the Unknown God's script for the Traveler twins, [Furina], as the "Hydro Archon," looked at Neuvillette, the "Chief Justice" she had appointed, with a smile.

It had to be said—this was quite effective against a simple dragon.

After a long silence, the crisp sound of Neuvillette's cane echoed through the Opera Epiclese.

"Due to the anomaly of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, and the many suspicious points in this case, as Chief Justice, I hereby pronounce—this case will be adjourned until a more thorough investigation is conducted!"