Witness and Evidence Present, How Do You Plead?

After witnessing Jiang Qiao's 'vanishing trick', both Fluffballs were momentarily stunned.

They waited for a moment, while [Furina] held her pose. They simply stared at each other.

"And then?"

"It's already finished~" Blinking innocently, [Furina] spread her hands.

"Isn't the problem solved now?"

See, Rukkhadevata wanted to eliminate the 'main body' containing Forbidden Knowledge, and Nahida didn't want Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to die because of it.

So, just making it 'disappear' solves everything, right?

[Furina] indicated, I was totally doing what you both wanted just now!

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's cute eyes widened—what he said seemed to make a lot of sense...

Thus, the next moment, Miss Tree Lord, the former God of Wisdom, launched a 'flying pounce', latching directly onto [Furina]'s face.

"Spit my body back out!!!"

Rukkhadevata, her anger meter maxed out, furiously used her weight to shake [Furina], like playing with a shaker toy, roaring in a voice both youthful and rational, yet brimming with anger.

Elimination was definitely necessary, but who told you to do it like this?

Never mind that it was her own body, but swallowing the 'Forbidden Knowledge' contained within—what if something went wrong? Wouldn't Fontaine's God of Justice be harmed too?! How could she face Egeria then?!

Of course, what made the rational and gentle Miss Tree Lord even more 'furious' was the strange, almost maddening sensation of being enveloped by something soft, sticky, and warm after her body was eaten. This feeling constantly 'tormented' her senses.

For Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who had never experienced such a feeling before, this stimulation was perhaps a bit too much.

It was hard to imagine the benevolent Greater Lord Rukkhadevata actually straddling someone else, prying at [Furina]'s mouth, looking anxious enough to cry, cheeks flushed, biting her lip, trying to pull something out with her slightly chubby little hands.

But unfortunately, this effort was clearly futile.

No matter how hard she tried to save her 'body', it was already too late.

After all, this was the world of dreams.

And those present here, whether the two Fluffballs or Mr. Jiang Qiao manifesting as [Furina], were essentially closer to a 'mental' state.

Jiang Qiao, who possessed an unusually outstanding 'abso... cough cough, digestive ability' in this regard, had already 'gobbled up' Miss World-Fluffball the moment he swallowed her body.

Miss Tree Lord, seemingly struggling frantically now, was essentially already inside Jiang Qiao's 'stomach'. Only the special nature of this dreamscape allowed her to maintain her form as an independent entity—but as the person involved, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata knew her current state all too well.

She sighed, seemingly accepting the situation, but still glared angrily at [Furina]:

"Doing that was too risky!"

Compared to Nahida, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's wisdom was naturally deeper. She understood why Jiang Qiao had done this.

Clearly, [Furina] had sided with Nahida.

Rukkhadevata was, of course, happy about this. After all, both of them fought against her wish to depart simply because they didn't want her to leave.

But it also left her feeling helpless and troubled.

After all, if she continued to exist carrying Forbidden Knowledge, the living beings of Teyvat might be harmed again—and Rukkhadevata had no confidence she could remain in Sumeru in such a state without causing problems.

After all, Forbidden Knowledge, that potent poison of the world, affected even Archons.

Even King Deshret, though he indeed used that knowledge to create an unprecedentedly glorious civilization, Rukkhadevata, as his close friend, had witnessed firsthand the change in him before and after obtaining it.

Though not obvious on the surface, in her eyes as the God of Wisdom, the Scarlet King had long strayed onto the wrong path and was deeply influenced by it. Rukkhadevata had even sincerely tried to persuade her dear friend to turn back, but the final outcome needed no retelling.

Even a god as powerful as King Deshret eventually met such an end. Rukkhadevata, whose strength lay not in martial prowess but other means, knew she wouldn't have a good outcome if she followed the Scarlet King's path.

Because as the will of Irminsul, she was very special and pure, making her more susceptible to 'contamination'.

Just like before, simply cleaning up King Deshret's mess forced her to sacrifice her life to stop the Forbidden Knowledge from contaminating all of Irminsul.

If she had lived on until now, under the contamination of Forbidden Knowledge, a maddened God of Wisdom, the consciousness of Irminsul, would be a huge disaster for the entire continent of Teyvat.

Being able to separate her consciousness was fortunate.

She wouldn't have to face such a lonely end.

But detached from the essence of Irminsul, existing only as a newborn sapling, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata absolutely couldn't resist the contamination of Forbidden Knowledge.

Rather than ultimately betraying her principles and harming the people she loved, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata preferred to die.

"It's actually not that dangerous~"

"It's simple, like how different parts handle digestion."

[Furina] licked the corner of her mouth, her index finger tracing her lips, looking quite alluring.

Of course, Miss Tree Lord only felt anger. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly.

"Don't talk about people like they're food...!"

"Besides, is Forbidden Knowledge something you can just eat?"

"Yeah, eating dirty things carelessly might give you a stomachache!" Nahida chimed in, finally processing the situation and voicing her displeasure.

Although shocked and having complex feelings about Jiang Qiao eating Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, if it meant Rukkhadevata would abandon her suicidal thoughts... she could barely accept it.

Now, both Fluffballs were less concerned about 'Greater Lord Rukkhadevata being eaten clean' and more worried about whether [Furina] would suffer any ill effects.

"Who are you calling dirty—" Rukkhadevata immediately pinched Nahida's cheek, her smile not reaching her eyes, looking quite miffed.

She understood Nahida meant the Forbidden Knowledge, but she herself had been eaten along with it.

"It's fine, my digestive ability is very strong~"

"But the taste really wasn't great... Hard, astringent, with a grassy flavor... Not tasty..." The blue-and-white-haired girl reminisced about the taste, an involuntary expression of distaste flashing across her face.

Undoubtedly, Miss Tree Lord's face instantly darkened.

For Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who had been eaten, Jiang Qiao's commentary on the taste of [Greater Lord Rukkhadevata] felt like a deeply personal and insulting critique. This was absolutely intolerable!

"Who are you calling not tasty... Wait, if it wasn't tasty, why did you eat it! I never told you to eat it! If it tastes so bad, then spit it out—!"

Hearing [Furina]'s post-meal review, Miss Tree Lord, her anger meter completely filled, instantly lost her cool. She planted her hands on her hips, glaring furiously.

After 'eating her clean', saying something like that, it's just too hateful!

How on earth did that Egeria choose her successor? Hearing that 'Focalors' was Egeria's Oceanid, how did that woman even raise her familiar?!

Annoyed yet helpless—Rukkhadevata, the God of Wisdom, felt deep concern about Egeria's successor having clearly gone astray.

Yes, for Egeria's sake and for the people of Fontaine, as the God of Wisdom, I have a duty to properly educate this clueless, reckless god!

At this moment, Miss Tree Lord felt an undeniable responsibility to educate [Furina].

...

Fontaine's Fortress of Meropide—this is the final destination for Fontaine's criminals after trial, the place of exile for sinners.

"Honestly, that little one actually ran off!"

Having completed the processing procedures and standing on the steel floor, [Jiang Qiao]—Furina—complained with annoyance and resignation.

Regarding the Hydro Archon being sent to prison by her own laws, she was naturally exasperated and speechless.

Especially since one of the charges apparently wasn't even her fault—something about leading a flying creature, that was clearly that bad guy Jiang Qiao's carelessness... But honestly, she herself had forgotten to remind him about that law.

Feeling annoyed and resentful, Furina at that moment desperately wanted to reveal the truth—I am the real Hydro Archon!

But she ultimately held back.

Though it felt unjust, to uphold the laws of the Court of Fontaine, she had to cooperate somewhat.

As for why she continued to keep the secret of the body swap even though Fontaine's prophecy seemed solvable, it wasn't because of any agreement with Jiang Qiao... well, there was an agreement.

Initially, the agreement was to avoid exposing the truth about the fake Hydro Archon, which would violate her promise to Focalors.

But now, with the pressure of the prophecy greatly reduced, Miss Furina was more concerned about her own image.

After all, look.

That guy Jiang Qiao had been such an outstanding Hydro Archon during this period. If the truth about the 'swap' came out, wouldn't that mean she, the real Furina, lost to Jiang Qiao, the fake 'Furina'?

Miss Furina, who cared deeply about her image, often suffering for the sake of face, certainly couldn't accept such an outcome. She had been the Hydro Archon for so many years, building up such a good reputation. If the truth got out and led people to whisper things like 'I feel like the fake Lady Furina was even more capable than the real one', Furina probably wouldn't even dare leave the Palais Mermonia.

Too embarrassing!

So, even if she might not continue as Hydro Archon in the future, Furina still intended for her time as 'Hydro Archon Furina' to conclude perfectly.

Even if the process wasn't entirely pleasant, at least it preserved her dignity, right?

She'd have bragging rights later on.

Besides, Furina wasn't actually that averse to the 'Hydro Archon' experience anymore.

After all, when chatting with people in the group chat and in Fontaine, she realized.

Being the 'Hydro Archon', the Queen of Fontaine, was definitely a plus factor. It might even be useful for certain things later.

If she lost those titles, wouldn't she, as an ordinary person, lose all her competitiveness?

Furina understood, of course, that not everyone valued such things. But for her, lacking some self-confidence, having such an impressive-sounding title provided a bit more backing. It even helped her stand taller.

Moreover, Furina hadn't actually been to the Fortress of Meropide in a long time, and she was genuinely curious to look around.

The sentence wasn't even that long, was it?

But what really annoyed Furina was Ely, the fairy.

She actually ran off immediately upon hearing they were going to the Fortress of Meropide.

Not only did Ely earn the charge of 'fleeing to escape justice', but she also left Furina all alone.

She had been planning to show fairy Ely around while also trying to gather some useful intel.

"Not cute at all!"

Recalling that youthful, cute face, Furina puffed her cheeks, fuming.

Ditching me to go find that guy in Sumeru... Hmph, that little fairy had better get lost in the Sumeru desert for three days and three nights!

"...What's not cute?"

An innocent, childlike voice sounded beside her. Looking up, she saw—a white-haired unidentified flying object wearing a strange dress and a crown, accompanied by a blonde girl in a white dress—Lumine.

This little one was called Paimon. Apparently, she was Lumine's cellmate, encountered upon arrival. Her crime was stealing supplies sent from the Court of Fontaine to the Fortress. When discovered, Miss Emergency Food was fast asleep with a round, full belly.

Then she somehow ended up sticking with Lumine.

Miss Unlucky Traveler seemed quite satisfied with this.

After seeing Ely, Lumine had been longing for a similar flying companion.

Now her wish was granted.

Although this Paimon seemed to be quite the big eater and a bit clumsy and silly, a huge difference from the pink-haired one, Lumine sized her up and decided she would make do.

"Nothing!"

Seeing the unlucky duo appear, Furina pursed her lips, turned, and walked away.

Thanks to that pink pixie, her attitude towards Paimon was rather indifferent.

As for Lumine... even less needed to be said.

The moment this blonde girl opened her mouth, she felt like she was seeing that guy.

The resentful Furina had absolutely no desire to chat with this unlucky pair and silently went off to tighten screws (do menial work).

"Weird, he seems really angry," Paimon said, shrugging questioningly.

Lumine also scratched her head:

"...Maybe he's just in a bad mood. This is a prison, after all."

She had actually been quite happy to see [Jiang Qiao] arrive, hoping to see [Furina] and that pink pixie too, but only he showed up...

...Oh well, I should go do what she asked first... What was it again? I remember it was something about a hat...

While Lumine stroked her chin, pondering the task Jiang Qiao had given her...

Far away in Sumeru, within the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

Focalors, who had been waiting for Jiang Qiao's return while chatting with Egeria, brightened up when Jiang Qiao's consciousness returned.

"You're finally back!"

Due to the mental nature of the interaction and Jiang Qiao needing to prevent the Forbidden Knowledge from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata from contaminating Focalors—which, while not unsolvable, would add significant trouble—Focalors hadn't accompanied him to Irminsul.

Though unaware of the details, Focalors had obediently waited for his return.

However, she had already decided: as soon as this guy got back, she would definitely take a big 'sip' (absorb his experiences).

After all, Focalors, originating as an Oceanid, had never seen the legendary Irminsul.

Even Egeria's memories held no record of it.

But before Focalors could eagerly 'sip' from Jiang Qiao, she instantly detected a strange sensation.

—It's the scent of another woman!

Focalors was absolutely certain and smelled a vibrant, grassy scent.

...Could it be?

Amidst a bold premonition, a Fluffball in a W-sit appeared in the mental space.

Seeing this conspicuous, not-unfamiliar Fluffball, the corner of Focalors' mouth twitched instantly.

Then, she glared fiercely at Jiang Qiao, her smile not reaching her eyes:

"Jiang Qiao, regarding this, don't you think you owe me a proper explanation?"

Fine, fine, fine! You go to Irminsul once and bring back another one, huh?

Any other woman would be one thing, but didn't we agree you wouldn't make a move on Lesser Lord Kusanali?!

Now, with both witness and evidence present, let's see how you plead!