This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [369]
"Luo Qing, that guy... Didn't he say he wasn't coming?!"
Furina grumbled inwardly as she rubbed her aching leg.
The imposing air she had worked so hard to cultivate had been utterly shattered by his presence.
He must have done it on purpose!
Furina sniffled, already planning to head to Luo Qing's place after the performance to give him a piece of her mind.
Hmph! If he doesn't give me thirty tri-color dango, I'll wreck his house!
---
On the other side of the opera house, Luo Qing stifled a laugh, choosing not to pay attention to the antics of the ever-entertaining Furina.
Instead, he shifted his focus to the stage.
Originally, he had planned to watch the event remotely through Navia's Void Terminal. But upon second thought, he realized that if something unexpected happened, relying on Navia's perspective alone might not be enough.
It was better to attend in person. If things went south, he could swoop in and carry off his "partner" before she got herself killed—especially since she hadn't even fulfilled her end of the deal yet.
"Navia, see the girl with the blonde hair in the front row? That's the Traveler," Luo Qing instructed through the Void Terminal. "If she runs into trouble, lend her a hand. Building goodwill with her isn't just important for our mission; it'll benefit you and your Spina di Rosula as well."
"Understood, Mr. Luo Qing."
Navia cast a thoughtful glance toward the front row, where the golden-haired girl sat.
She had read about the Traveler in The Steambird. A celebrated figure in other nations, the Traveler had caught the Hydro Archon's attention almost immediately upon arriving in Fontaine—nearly leading to a duel.
Such treatment was unparalleled in Fontaine.
"Got it," Navia replied coolly, nodding to her two bodyguards.
Her one-billion-mora contract with Luo Qing would last until the Traveler left Fontaine. Until then, both she and her Spina di Rosula were obligated to gather intelligence on his behalf.
Soon, the opera house was packed, and the performance began.
Lynette and Lyney stepped onto the stage, performing small magic tricks as they built anticipation for the grander spectacle to come.
For any magician, the key lay in manipulating the audience's emotions—drawing them into a carefully orchestrated trap. Only then could the final act, using sleight of hand and secret mechanisms, deliver the "impossible."
This time, the trick was a classic: the "Disappearing Act."
Luo Qing, having seen a film in his previous life called The Prestige, was familiar with the mechanics of such illusions. Typically, they relied on hidden passageways or stand-ins.
And with Lyney and Lynette looking so alike—save for Lynette's feline ears and tail—it wasn't hard to guess their method.
The trick would involve locking Lyney and a "lucky volunteer" in separate boxes some distance apart. Using hidden mechanisms and doubles, their positions would seemingly switch.
Predicting the act's outcome, Luo Qing lost interest and began scanning the audience for anyone suspicious.
He had a keen eye for body language and could easily discern those with ulterior motives.
Sweeping his gaze across the opera house, he saw no abnormalities among the audience.
However, among the security personnel, a few individuals seemed off. One of them stood out, their movements stiff and unnatural—as though plotting something.
"Looks like we've got a traitor." Luo Qing smirked, leaning back with his hands behind his head as he turned his attention back to Lyney.
Under Lyney's careful showmanship, the audience's excitement reached its peak.
But as the countdown for the final act began, Luo Qing's sharp hearing picked up faint sounds of a scuffle beneath the stage.
"Well, this just got interesting…" Luo Qing murmured, eyes glinting.
As the countdown ended, Lyney appeared in a box on the opposite side of the stage from where he had started.
However, the "lucky volunteer" who should have been in the other box was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Lynette was there, looking disoriented.
Before the audience could make sense of what had happened, a loud snapping sound echoed through the opera house.
A water tank, suspended high above the stage, came crashing down, smashing directly onto the box where Lynette had been hiding.
The audience, still caught up in the performance, remained oblivious to the gravity of the situation. Most assumed it was all part of the show.
But Neuvillette immediately grasped the reality of the situation. Rising to his feet, he slammed his cane onto the floor.
"Performance terminated! Security, seal off the premises immediately! No one is to leave!"
His commanding voice jolted the audience out of their stupor.
Only then did they realize something had gone horribly wrong during Lyney's act—and that it had cost a life.
"Pfft…"
Watching Lyney's bewildered expression, Luo Qing chuckled softly. "You really botched it this time, Lyney."
"Uh…"
---
Up on the balcony, Furina—still seated in her throne—also snapped back to reality.
Though she maintained a composed façade, her heart raced with nerves.
Her eyes darted between Luo Qing and the Traveler below.
As the esteemed and brilliant Hydro Archon, wasn't this the perfect time for her to step in and restore order?
"Yes… That's exactly what I'll do!" Furina resolved.
This was her chance to shine—both in front of the Traveler and in Luo Qing's eyes.
She would prove that she wasn't the "scatterbrained fool" Luo Qing always teased her to be. Today, she would demonstrate that she, Furina, was a sharp, capable, and brilliant Archon.
Clearing her throat, she stood and approached the balcony railing.
Pointing dramatically at Lyney, she declared with haughty flair:
"Hehehehe, I've figured it out, Lyney! Trying to fool us with such an obvious trick—don't you think that's a little insulting?"
"Hmph. Tell me, oh so 'brilliant' and 'talented' Mr. Lyney, what could possibly be troubling you? Could it be… that you're the culprit behind this heinous crime?!"
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T/N: ONE BILLION? damn i dont remember the chapter they made the contract on, i gotta fix the number ( i never tried fixing it... )