In the end, Clorinde stayed at Lucian's home.
She didn't fight him for the bed and truly slept in the living room.
A few days later, with everything prepared, Lucian woke up early and set off for Vacher's factory.
Meanwhile, Clorinde, along with the Gardes, had also located Marcel (Vacher).
"President of the Cabriere Merchant Guild, Mr. Marcel, you have been accused of being the true culprit behind the [Serial Disappearances of Young Women Case]. Please come with us," Chenee declared.
"Is that so? Then let's go." Marcel (Vacher) had no intention of fleeing.
He was just an ordinary person—trying to escape under the watch of the Gardes, especially Clorinde, would be nothing short of delusional.
The group escorted Marcel (Vacher) to the Opera House.
Now, Marcel (Vacher) knew who had accused him.
Standing opposite him was Navia.
The audience was buzzing with excitement.
The Cabriere Merchant Guild and the Spina di Rosula were sibling organizations.
Yet now, they were witnessing a dramatic scene of betrayal—truly a spectacle to behold.
Furina looked puzzled as she observed Clorinde behind Marcel...
I told you to protect Lucian, so why are you here?
"How sudden, Navia. Could there be some misunderstanding? Your uncle, I—" Marcel smiled, as if everything really was just a misunderstanding and he was still that kind elder.
"Silence!" Neuvillette immediately cut off Marcel's words.
"Both parties are now present. The accuser may present their argument," Neuvillette stated.
"This matter traces back to three years ago—the case of [Callas the Unjust]."
"There is a crucial clue in this case that is key to solving the [Serial Disappearances of Young Women Case]," Navia explained.
Since the [Lyney's Magic Case] had not yet occurred, no one knew that Fontainians could dissolve into water.
Navia intended to use this case to reveal this critical piece of information to everyone.
Lucian had already discussed the truth of this case with Navia—she knew it well. Now, she just needed to convince the others.
"Before that, shouldn't we refresh everyone's memory about that case?" Furina interjected.
"Then allow me to explain."
Neuvillette retrieved the original [Maison Gardiennage] investigation report and recounted the events of the [Callas the Unjust] case.
The gist was this: two gunshots were heard, and only two people were present at the scene.
Callas was holding the firearm, Jacques was dead, and though it was raining, there were no traces of a third person leaving.
"In that case, the culprit could only be Callas, right?" the crowd murmured.
"Exactly, there was no one else there."
"He always acted so righteous, yet he shot his own friend—no wonder they called him [Callas the Unjust]."
Whispers spread like waves.
Without knowing that humans could dissolve into water, the possibility of a third person was unthinkable—unless that person was the Phantom Thief Kid.
Now, Navia had pieced the case together.
"A pile of clothing was left at the crime scene. The Gardes believed it was Jacques' disguise."
"But in truth, those were the clothes of a third person!"
"A third person?! How is that possible?!" the audience exclaimed in disbelief.
"Right, how could someone just vanish without a trace?"
"Silence!" Neuvillette struck his cane, and the room fell quiet at once.
"Miss Navia, if the clothing belonged to a third person, how did they disappear?" Neuvillette asked.
"It was the Primordial Seawater—it causes Fontainians to dissolve into water," Navia declared.
Neuvillette stiffened slightly. He hadn't expected Navia to know about the Primordial Seawater.
But humans who came into contact with it would only feel discomfort—they wouldn't dissolve into water.
Unless... Fontainians weren't truly human in the strictest sense?
Neuvillette seemed to realize something and fell silent.
So this is the truth behind Fontaine's prophecy—it's not simply about being submerged in water.
But how can I save Fontaine? As an incomplete dragon, I cannot freely control the Primordial Seawater.
Does Furina know something? She's been investigating the prophecy all along.
Hm? Wait—why am I thinking about how to save Fontaine...?
The audience was baffled. How could humans dissolve into water? Such a claim couldn't convince anyone.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Neuvillette did not refute it—and the scales of judgment tilted slightly in Navia's favor.
All of this suggested that Navia's words were likely true.
Humans really could dissolve into water!
In truth, even without this evidence, Navia had already prepared samples of Primordial Seawater and related information.
But now, it seemed unnecessary.
The people of Fontaine deeply trusted Neuvillette and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
Panic began to spread. The prophecy, once ignored, now weighed heavily on everyone's minds.
"H-how is this possible? Can humans really dissolve into water?!"
"Then the prophecy about Fontaine being flooded... No! I don't want to die!"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
Watching the uproar, Marcel curled his lips into a sneer.
Arrogant Fontainians. I told you long ago that humans could dissolve into water, yet you paid no heed.
You don't believe the words of man, yet you trust the judgment of a machine.
How laughable!
"Sil—" Before Neuvillette could finish, Furina stole his line.
"Silence!" Furina stood and proclaimed.
The crowd quieted, all eyes turning to their Archon upon the high platform.
"There is no need for panic! I have long prepared a solution to the prophecy!"
"I—Furina de Fontaine, the God of Hydro, Sovereign of Waters, Lands, People, and Laws—will never allow the prophecy to come to pass!"
"Lady Furina!"
"Lord Hydro Archon!"
"Thank goodness, truly thank goodness!"
"Lady Furina! Please step on me! (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )"
"Fufu, my Fufu!" Lucian cheered.
Indeed, he had already investigated the factory and obtained the evidence.
The crowd gradually settled—Furina's influence over them was immense.
The people of Fontaine trusted their Archon deeply.
If she said there was a solution, then surely there must be one.
Furina's hands trembled slightly as she gazed at the crowd below, thinking:
I must save Fontaine... Is the me in the mirror truly reality?
Lucian, I'm counting on you—you must have a way to resolve the prophecy!
Neuvillette looked at Furina. This Archon was truly an enigma to him.
Usually, she seemed so unserious, as if she understood nothing—yet at critical moments, she displayed remarkable resolve.
Neuvillette couldn't tell whether she truly knew nothing or if she knew everything.
Even Navia's opinion of Furina shifted slightly. She had always viewed the Hydro Archon as an idle deity.
After all, it was always Neuvillette who handled Fontaine's affairs, and it was he who presided over trials whenever incidents occurred.
Furina was like a mascot—aside from observing trials, she only ever met with various people.
"The trial will continue. Miss Navia, please proceed with your testimony," Neuvillette said.
"Based on the information we gathered from Jacques' family, Jacques had no intention of killing Callas."
"The mastermind anticipated this and thus sent another person—the third individual."
"This third person shot Jacques first, then attempted to kill Callas, but Callas wrestled the gun away and killed them instead. That is the origin of the two gunshots."
"The mastermind dissolved the third person into water, framing Callas for the crime. This is the truth of the case."
"Miss Charlotte has already confirmed the identity of the third person."
"This is sufficient proof of their existence."
Previously, no one had considered the possibility that humans could dissolve into water.
Thus, the investigation followed conventional logic—since no body or traces of a third person were found, the possibility was dismissed.
Who would have thought that the person had dissolved into water and been washed away by the rain?
Once Charlotte learned that humans could dissolve, she investigated the disappearances from that day.
Following this lead, she uncovered the identity of the third person.