Genshin Impact: Transmigrated as Furina's Second Personality

"Lady Furina, I must ask out of curiosity—as a Archon, you surely don't lack wealth. So, why did you ask for a share of the profits?"

"Exactly, Felina, I'm curious about that too. Why would we need so much money?" Furina's voice rang out within their shared consciousness, clearly intrigued by the question.

"You silly girl!" Felina chuckled. "Once the prophesied crisis is over, our mission will end. Have you thought about what kind of life you want to live after that?"

"Based on what I know of you, you'd likely resign from being a Archon and live as an ordinary person, right?"

"When that time comes, without divine privileges, everything will rely on ourselves."

"Oh~!" Furina exclaimed, realization dawning on her. "I see now. You really are reliable, already planning for the future."

Smiling at Furina's response, Felina gave a similar explanation to Charlotte's question.

"That makes sense," Charlotte replied. "But to think you're already planning your retirement after only five hundred years on the throne! You really do have a long-term vision."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Charlotte soon turned to her primary reason for the visit.

"Lady Furina, the trial the other day left many questions unanswered. After reviewing the case thoroughly, I still have numerous doubts—and I believe the citizens of Fontaine do as well. Would you be open to a follow-up interview to address these lingering questions?"

Furina's foremost duty was to play the role of Hydro Archon convincingly, without arousing suspicion. The recent media coverage, along with the explosive, theatrical trial, were all part of Felina's strategy to boost Furina's standing.

Even if Charlotte hadn't approached them, Felina would have arranged for another interview with the press. She needed to use the media's influence to secure Furina's position, making it easier for Furina to maintain her seat as the Hydro Archon without worries.

The stronger Furina's displayed abilities, the greater her public reputation. And the more solid her position, the less she'd have to worry about others' opinions, granting her the freedom to live joyfully—no longer forced to lead a cautious, nerve-wracking life due to her limitations.

"An interview sounds fine," Felina agreed with a smile. "But you know the terms."

"Of course!" Charlotte grinned. "The revenue split will remain fifty-fifty."

"Then let's not delay. Let's start the interview now."

Over an hour later.

"I see… Thank you for clearing that up." Charlotte concluded, clearly impressed. "To think such an intense game was being played behind the scenes during the trial! Your wisdom is truly unmatched—Fontaine is fortunate to have you as its Archon!"

"With that, the interview is complete. Lady Furina, I look forward to tomorrow's headline. Today's interview will absolutely take center stage!" With that, she bid Felina farewell and left, no doubt eager to begin her article.

The next day, the release of the Steambird's report once again sparked a fervent discussion across Fontaine.

"An In-Depth Follow-Up Interview with Lady Furina on the Vacher Case."

Two days ago, Lady Furina's trial of Vacher at the Opera Epiclese became the talk of Fontaine. The evil-doer received judgment, a long-unsolved case was closed, and the families of the victims found some solace—a triumph indeed.

However, our reporters at the Steam Bird found that many citizens still had questions about the trial. To that end, our reporter Charlotte gathered several key questions on the public's behalf and, with Lady Furina's permission, conducted a follow-up interview at Palais Mermonia.

Charlotte: It's certainly a relief to have this case closed, but several questions remain. I hope you can help clarify, Lady Furina.

Furina: Please, go ahead.

Charlotte: First, during the trial, you claimed that you had no evidence linking Marcel to Vacher, yet you acted with a certainty that he was indeed Vacher. Normally, such conviction would suggest you had solid evidence connecting him to the crimes, but you openly admitted that no proof was available. Isn't there a contradiction here? Were you truly without evidence, or did you have some method that couldn't be revealed?

Furina: Miss Charlotte, questioning whether your own Archon would stoop to underhanded means to gather evidence—that's rather bold, isn't it? If you have more questions, feel free to ask them all at once, and I'll address them together.

Charlotte: Hahaha, you certainly have a sense of humor, Lady Furina. Alright, here's the second question.

Vacher committed such terrible crimes, all in the name of reuniting with his lover. Logically, someone so cruel should receive a harsher punishment. Yet his fate was to dissolve into water, allowing him to reunite with his lover in the watery depths.

Many citizens feel his punishment should have been far graver. Instead, it appears that Vacher got exactly what he wanted. The criminal has been "reunited" with his beloved, while the families of those he harmed have been left with irreplaceable losses. Is that truly fair to the victims?

Furina: Not surprising, coming from a seasoned journalist. You certainly know how to ask sharp questions. To answer these, you'll first need to understand what happens to the people of Fontaine when they dissolve.

As I've explained before, the people of Fontaine are imperfect beings created by Oceanids, formed by a thin membrane enclosing the Primordial Sea's waters. When they come into contact with the sea's water, the primordial essence within them instinctively strives to return, triggering their dissolution.

In other words, a dissolved Fontainian isn't truly dead—they've simply shifted from a human form into a liquid one.

Once dissolved, they retain consciousness and continue to exist as Oceanids within the waters of Fontaine.

Understanding this should make it easier to answer your two questions.

As Hydro Archon, I hold the power to commune with all water and with every Oceanid.

After my recent encounter with the assassins, I was initially unaware of the identity of the one who sent them. But then, in front of me, they dissolved into water, giving me the opportunity I needed.

I suspected that the mastermind might be watching from the shadows, so I feigned fear of the Primordial Sea's water, retreating in apparent panic to plant the idea that I, too, might dissolve if exposed to it.

Afterward, I used my powers to meld my consciousness into the waters, seeking the spirits of the dissolved assassins to question them about the mastermind's identity. Before I could locate them, however, over twenty Oceanids came forward to find me.

Yes, these spirits were the girls whom Vacher had abducted and dissolved in the series of disappearances. Alongside them was also the spirit of Vigneire, Vacher's lover.

They recounted the horrors Vacher had committed and begged me to bring him to justice.

However, not everyone can perceive the presence of Oceanids, nor can everyone hear their voices in the water. This is why their testimonies couldn't be used as evidence in the trial.

This was why, despite knowing that Marcel was Vacher, I couldn't present any solid proof.

As for Vacher's fate, some may consider it a merciful one. In reality, however, it is quite the opposite.

Fontaine is where all water converges, and every consciousness that dissolves will eventually reunite within its depths.

Along with Vigneire's spirit, the waters also hold those of the twenty-four young girls and other victims Vacher left behind.

In the mortal world, Vacher's wealth and power gave him the means to harm many people. Yet, within the water, everyone is equal.

Because of his immense sins, Vigneire despises him and will never see him again.

Water is sacred, and its essence is one of unity. Within the waters, all Oceanids merge as one. Yet a corrupted spirit like Vacher's cannot be accepted by the other spirits.

When his consciousness flows into the waters, the spirits of the girls he dissolved will not let him go unpunished.

The victims will seek him out in the currents and exact their vengeance.

Vacher's consciousness will forever drift, evade, and suffer until it fades entirely.

This reckoning, where the victims seek justice directly from their killer, offers them the greatest possible sense of fairness.

All I did was pass judgment upon Vacher and send him to face those he wronged.

Actually, Felina had lied.

She did not have the power to communicate with all the waters, nor could she commune with the consciousness of spirits within them.

Her claim that "the spirits of the young girls dissolved by Vacher came to me in the water and revealed his crimes" was a fabrication.

She had never made contact with those girls' spirits—she didn't have that ability, and there was no need for it.

After all, Felina was a transmigrator who already knew the plot. The moment she saw the assassins dissolve, she was well aware that Vacher was the culprit.

Vacher's crimes were all revealed in the main storyline; she had no need to learn them through the Oceanids.

But when faced with Furina and the public's questions, she couldn't exactly confess to being a plot-savvy transmigrator, could she?

So, she had to invent a lie to provide the people of Fontaine—and Furina herself—a satisfactory answer.

Another point of deception: in the report, she claimed her panicked retreat upon seeing the assassin dissolve was deliberate, intended as a calculated ruse for the mastermind watching from the shadows.

In reality, she had been genuinely afraid at that moment.

In the original plot, Furina had displayed symptoms identical to those of ordinary Fontainians when exposed to diluted Primordial Seawater, meaning she, too, would dissolve.

So, when she saw the assassin dissolve, she feared that Furina's body might come into contact with the water and dissolve as well. Thus, she had instinctively backed away to avoid it.

As for what followed—

Once Felina deduced that Vacher was the mastermind, her initial plan had been to send investigators to collect solid evidence and then have him tried.

But that very night, after protecting Furina, Felina unexpectedly gained the Pure Water Spirit Body.

With this, she no longer feared dissolution by the Primordial Seawater. This new power made her reconsider her approach.

"Odds are, Vacher was hiding nearby, observing the scene as the assassin attacked me. Seeing my hasty retreat, he probably noted this detail."

"Now that I have the Pure Water Spirit Body, I have no fear of the Primordial Seawater. So, I could certainly make use of that little detail."

With this in mind, Felina began devising a plan to eliminate Vacher.

Gathering evidence of his crimes would be a tiresome task.

She sent Chevreuse to question Vacher every few days, bringing up one of his crimes each time. By doing so, she steadily applied more and more pressure, with each visit delivering a heavier blow.

From Vacher's perspective, it appeared that the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol was rapidly closing in on his crimes.

In his eyes, his offenses were quickly being uncovered, and judgment was inching closer; once the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol had gathered enough evidence, it would be time for him to stand trial.

When Chevreuse uttered the name "Vacher" in front of him, and Clorinde's killing intent locked on him—

When he realized his home was under surveillance, the pressure mounted to an unbearable peak.

Fontaine hadn't yet issued a death sentence in court, but that didn't mean death sentences didn't exist; Vacher was unsure whether his crimes would merit such punishment.

But he knew that offending an Archon would never end well for him. After all, there were fates far worse than death, and he was certain the Archons had ways of delivering them.

Driven to a dead end, his survival instincts would make him cling to any possible means of escape.

Finally, he remembered Felina's panicked retreat when the assassin dissolved.

In seizing upon that detail, he unwittingly fell into Felina's trap.

For at that moment, Felina was just finishing her interview with Charlotte, where she had conveniently mentioned the reason Fontainians dissolved upon contact with the Primordial Seawater, and that she would one day, according to prophecy, deliver all Fontainians from this fate.

To the average citizen, this report read as a reassuring message of truth and encouragement from their Archon.

But to Vacher, it sent a different message: that ordinary Fontainians dissolved in the Primordial Sea, but the Archon would not.

"If gods are immune to Primordial Seawater, then why did she retreat? Could it be that she isn't truly a god?"

Pressed to his limit by survival instincts and Felina's constant psychological pressure, he grasped at this one hope and promptly fell into the trap Felina had laid for him.

Felina had arranged Furina's schedule down to the last detail, knowing there was only one day in the month that she would visit the opera. For Vacher, wanting to denounce Furina and strip her of her godhood before his crimes were exposed left him only that one day.

For that very reason, Felina summoned Neuvillette to the opera on that day.

Sure enough, Vacher—convinced he had evidence against Furina—hurriedly appeared and publicly accused her of impersonating the Hydro Archon.

In the end, he revealed his "trump card"—the Primordial Seawater—using the public's voice to force Felina into contact with it.

What he didn't know was that Felina now had no fear of Primordial Seawater.

He thought he had cornered Furina, never realizing he had walked right into Felina's carefully laid trap.

The moment Felina's hand touched the Primordial Seawater and remained unharmed, his delusions shattered.

And so, the judgment he'd feared was upon him.

He thought he'd cleverly tracked Furina's movements and seized the perfect day to accuse her, unaware that the entire day had been a ploy devised by Felina to draw him to the opera house.

He thought that as long as Felina didn't have all the evidence, she would be powerless against him, yet Felina had controlled him by his greatest weakness all along.

Just the words, "I can reunite you with Vigneire," had shattered all of Vacher's defenses, making him kneel and confess his crimes in full.

It was not until the moment before his dissolution that Vacher realized his naivete in believing he was in control. In truth, he had never escaped Felina's plans.

And the entire battle of wits between Felina and Vacher behind this trial was carefully recorded by Charlotte and published in the Steam Bird.

After reading the report, the people of Fontaine finally understood.

They felt both a sense of satisfaction at Vacher's punishment and awe at the brilliance of the struggle hidden within the trial.

They were deeply moved by the methods, intelligence, and cunning displayed by their Archon.

After this report, many sensed that their Archon seemed somehow different.

Previously, Furina had been seen as a cheerful symbol of good fortune who enjoyed singing, dancing, opera, and trials.

Now, however, she had revealed her strength and intellect, qualities at odds with their past image of her.

But that hardly mattered.

After all, a Archon should be like this—powerful, wise, a protector of the nation, and a force of deep and strategic wisdom.

Through this explosive, dramatic trial, Felina had not only eliminated Vacher but displayed her skill, securing unprecedented prestige and solidifying Furina's standing.

She had achieved a resounding success, becoming the one who had gained the most from this trial.

Of course, the surprise at Furina's transformation was not limited to the citizens of Fontaine.

Upon hearing of these events, Neuvillette and Focalors both fell into contemplative silence.

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