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

The autopsy report came back quickly: death by Sinthe... cough, cough... specifically, sudden cardiac arrest caused by Sinthe-induced mental overstimulation and a rapid heartbeat.

When the man heard the results, he nearly vomited!

Originally, selling Sinthe had only meant sneaking into the Fortress of Meropide to tamper with the Clockwork Meka manufacturing machines. Now, he might as well start contemplating his next reincarnation.

He bitterly regretted his greed for those 200,000 Mora.

He couldn't understand it. How could others drink Sinthe for so long without incident, while Lofan's body had already gone cold after just one night? Was his constitution really that fragile?

Afterward, Lofan leveraged his position to thoroughly investigate the man's background. The man wasn't particularly resilient; to avoid physical punishment, he spilled everything he knew.

Following the leads, Lofan apprehended several small-time Sinthe dealers. But before he could reach the higher-ups, the organization sensed the danger and temporarily cut off all supply lines, leaving his trail cold.

Lofan's operation had been conducted with relative discretion, yet it was exposed so quickly. This suggested that someone within the Poisson Maison Gardiennage was working for them.

Good grief, the Maison Gardiennage must be rotten from top to bottom!

Lofan was speechless.

The organization selling Sinthe clearly wielded immense power, capable of planting informants within the Maison Gardiennage.

At this point, he couldn't trust any of the other officers, and he sensed that his current identity was becoming compromised. He needed to assume a new one to continue his investigation.

Fortunately, Sinthe hadn't yet caught the attention of Fontaine's higher authorities. Moreover, with the perpetrator of the previous incident apprehended, the case was officially closed, and no investigators had been dispatched from Fontaine.

Of course, it was also possible that Fontaine's higher-ups simply wanted to avoid meddling in Poisson's awkward political situation.

During this time, members of the Spina di Rosula had come to inquire about the situation, but with the group's local leaders currently absent from Poisson, they were likely just gathering intelligence.

With the investigation stalled, Lofan decided to take decisive action.

If Fontaine thought the commotion in Poisson was too minor, he'd give them something bigger to worry about!

But before he could put his plan into motion, a minor incident occurred. As Lofan hurried to the Maison Gardiennage to report his latest findings, he bumped into someone...

Midway through his journey, Lofan unexpectedly ran into a familiar face: Scarface.

"Well, isn't this a stroke of luck!" Lofan thought, his smile widening. He strode forward and clapped Scarface on the shoulder from behind.

"You little bastard! Trying to get yourself killed by slapping me like that?!" Scarface whirled around, his face contorted with murderous rage. When he saw Lofan—a fair-skinned youth around twenty with no apparent muscle—his expression instantly shifted to disdain.

"Hmph, looks like we've got a wet-behind-the-ears kid here."

"Why don't you call your grandpa over here?"

Scarface's mockery did nothing to diminish Lofan's smile; in fact, it only grew brighter. He calmly produced his identification and displayed it before Scarface.

"First, I'm a Maison Gardiennage officer."

Scarface's face froze as he recognized the official credentials. His blustering arrogance visibly deflated.

"Second, hand over the knife you're hiding on your chest."

Scarface's heart skipped a beat at Lofan's words. How could the officer know he was hiding his knife on his chest?

Completely bewildered, Scarface had no choice but to comply.

"Officer, I admit I'm carrying a knife, but it's just for self-defense."

"Fontaine's laws don't forbid carrying a weapon for self-defense in public, do they?"

Seeing Scarface pull the knife from his chest, Lofan nodded in satisfaction.

"You're right. Fontaine's laws don't prohibit carrying weapons in public."

"You haven't broken any laws."

Scarface breathed a sigh of relief.

"But now, you have."

Lofan seized Scarface's wrist and slammed his own chest against the knife.

With a sickening thud, the blade sank completely into Lofan's chest, blood gushing forth.

Scarface froze in shock.

"Remember... in your next life... be a better person," Lofan said softly, patting Scarface's shoulder. Then, gathering his strength, he roared:

"How dare you!"

"You've assaulted a police officer!!"

"Guards! Someone's assaulting a police officer in broad daylight!" Lofan roared.

Scarface was initially stunned by Lofan's thunderous shout, but his face quickly paled as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"No, you ran into me!"

"You can explain that to them," Lofan said, gesturing to the Maison Gardiennage officers who were rushing to the scene. Then he dramatically collapsed onto the ground. "Ah, I'm dead!"

Scarface stared in bewilderment.

Looking at the bloodstained knife in his hand, Scarface suddenly began to tremble violently. The knife slipped from his grasp and clattered loudly onto the pavement.

"Alert! This suspect is extremely dangerous! Draw your weapons! If he resists, shoot to kill!"

The other Maison Gardiennage officers had initially assumed Lofan was unharmed, given the vigor of his shout. But when they saw him lying on the ground bleeding profusely, their expressions hardened. They drew their weapons and leveled them at Scarface.

Faced with this overwhelming force, Scarface dared not resist. He raised his hands in surrender and was promptly handcuffed by the officers.

Only then did the Maison Gardiennage officers breathe a sigh of relief. They rushed to check on Lofan, but could no longer detect any vital signs.

Enraged, the officers glared at Scarface, their eyes burning with the desire to tear him apart.

"Assaulting a Maison Gardiennage officer in broad daylight? You've got some nerve!"

"It's a misunderstanding! He ran into my blade himself! I had no intention of attacking him!" Scarface was on the verge of tears, desperate to clear his name. "I swear, I'm being framed!"

"Shut up! You expect us to believe that ridiculous excuse?" The officers' anger flared anew. One of them stepped forward and slapped Scarface across the face twice, sending him reeling.

"He ran into the blade himself, huh? Answer me! Is that what happened? Is it?!"

"It's the truth!"

"I swear I'm innocent! You have to believe me..."

"Wait, I don't even know why he's targeting me. He's trying to set me up..."

Slap! Slap! Two more slaps interrupted Scarface just as he was about to speak.

"Is that the truth?"

Slap! Slap!

"We're framing you, right?"

Slap! Slap!

"We're making you a scapegoat, huh?"

Slap! Slap! Two more slaps.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me!"

The physical pain combined with the mental torment finally broke Scarface. His face, swollen like a pig's head, streamed with tears.

He was a hardened criminal, but he never imagined that even killing could be so utterly humiliating.

After the relentless beating, Scarface was barely conscious, yet the Maison Gardiennage officers still felt no satisfaction.

They had lost a comrade!

Beyond their grief and anger, they knew that if they didn't deal with this firmly, their own safety would be at risk in the future.

With that thought, their blows grew even harsher.

"Hold on, everyone. We're Maison Gardiennage officers. We can't be doing this."

Suddenly, one officer couldn't bear to watch any longer and stepped forward to intervene.

"Look, the crowd is gathering. This is making us look bad."

Hearing this, Scarface turned a look of immense gratitude toward the officer, who nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Then the officer continued:

"Let's drag him back to the station and deal with him there. We don't want to make a spectacle of ourselves out here."

Scarface: "???"

"Good idea."

The others wholeheartedly agreed. They assigned one officer to handle Lofan's affairs, then dragged Scarface back to the police station under the watchful eyes of the gawking crowd.

Meanwhile, Lofan regenerated another body, this time as a Maison Gardiennage officer from Poisson. Reborn right inside the police station, he spared himself the trouble of getting there.

He gathered every lead he could find about the Sinthe trafficking organization, collected most of it, and burned it all.

Before the other officers noticed anything amiss, he meticulously staged the crime scene.

Finally, Lofan shattered a window, used a shard of glass to slash his own throat, and collapsed onto the floor. He tightly clutched a pre-prepared note containing relevant information, his wide, staring eyes fixed on the window as he took his last breath.

When the other Maison Gardiennage officers rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion, they were stunned by what they saw.

Someone had dared to commit murder inside the police station?!

What kind of depraved monster would do such a thing?!

A chill ran down everyone's spines.

"We must investigate this thoroughly and uncover the truth!"

This sentiment burned in the heart of every officer present.

Soon, their attention was drawn to an object clutched tightly in the victim's hand. After struggling to pry it loose, they unfolded it and gasped in shock.

The Sinthe traffickers were operating with such brazen audacity!

Further investigation revealed that nearly all evidence related to the perpetrators had been deliberately destroyed. Their objective was clear: to cover their tracks. Lofan likely stumbled upon them while they were destroying evidence and attempted to intervene, leading to this tragic outcome.

A thorough examination of the scene confirmed signs of a struggle. The perpetrator possessed a Pyro Vision.

The thought of Lofan, an ordinary human, risking his life against a Vision wielder to preserve this final clue earned him the profound respect of his fellow officers.

Realizing the case was beyond their jurisdiction, they immediately reported it to Fontaine.

The higher-ups in Fontaine were deeply shaken by the news. They issued orders to launch a full investigation, demanding the culprit be apprehended within a week.

A murder within the police station, especially one involving a Maison Gardiennage officer, was a scandal that could not be tolerated. The implications were devastating.

Reporters who had caught wind of the case hadn't yet had time to file their stories. The Maison Gardiennage needed to achieve a breakthrough before the newspapers broke the news, or public confidence would plummet, with unpredictable consequences.

Fontaine's Maison Gardiennage had just resumed full operations and was immediately thrown into high gear, prompting some to remark on the Court of Justice's impeccable timing in passing the buck.

Though silent complaints brewed, their actions were swift. After all, the deceased was one of their own, and that fueled their fury.

Moreover, the suicides of several Marechaussee Hunters in Poisson, driven to despair by an unknown fear, were highly suspicious. Poisson had been pressing for an investigation for some time, and this was an opportunity to investigate both cases. The Garrison Captain quickly assembled a team, and preparations were made to depart for Poisson.

"Henry, I'm temporarily promoting you to deputy captain for this mission. When I'm not present, you'll be in command."

The officer designated by the Garrison Captain appeared young, but no one questioned the decision. Anyone who might have objected had been thoroughly subdued in recent days.

Besides, Henry's abilities were undeniable. Despite his recent recruitment, he had already uncovered overlooked clues in two separate cases, earning the captain's trust.

Hearing the captain's order, Lofan immediately stepped forward, his voice firm and resolute.

"Yes, Captain Elton!"

"I won't let you down!"

"Good! That's the spirit!"

Captain Elton gently patted Lofan's shoulder, his eyes filled with paternal affection. "Young people should be brimming with energy, ha ha ha!"

Lofan returned Captain Elton's gaze with a radiant smile. Most of the team, including Captain Elton himself, were familiar faces—old rivals from his earlier days.

When he had acquired this body, the memories of the Maison Gardiennage's tumultuous history naturally flooded his mind. Lofan felt a pang of guilt for single-handedly dragging down the team's average income.

This time, he resolved to work tirelessly and ensure everyone received bonuses until their hands ached, making up for his past actions. With this thought, his gaze toward Captain Elton softened even further.

"Oh, before we depart, a special envoy from the Marechaussee Phantom will be joining our operation."

"Our guest is a special individual," Captain Elton explained to the group as he led them to meet the envoy. "But there's no need to be nervous. She's here to help us uncover any overlooked clues and won't interfere with our operation."

Soon, they came face-to-face with the envoy. Her small stature differed significantly from human proportions, and her appearance was undeniably adorable. Yet, no one underestimated her, given the Melusine race's centuries of dedicated service to Fontaine, which was widely acknowledged.

A Melusine.

"Hello everyone! My name is Vinani. It's a pleasure to meet you all," she greeted them warmly.

"Welcome, Envoy. Our team is assembled. If you're ready, we can depart for Poisson," Captain Elton replied with a smile, visibly relieved that she seemed approachable.

"Please, just call me Vinani. This operation primarily depends on your efforts," she assured him.

"The Marechaussee Phantom has been quite busy lately; otherwise, they would have handled this case directly. Thank you all for taking it on."

Vinani's words immediately won over the crowd.