[Navia: This is way too ridiculous. I just saw The Knave say Furina wasn't the Hydro Archon, and I was thinking either The Knave's intelligence was wrong or Charlotte was making things up.]
[Charlotte: Am I that kind of person? How could I possibly make things up?]
[Arlecchino: Based on past experience, my intelligence is generally accurate.]
[Neuvillette: Furina's earlier evasiveness was also rather ambiguous. I think if she had any divine power at all, things wouldn't have come to this...]
[Tartaglia: It's a little absurd, but thinking about it that way, it does seem to make sense. She didn't even dare fight Clorinde. I don't think any god would pass up a chance to show their power before their people!]
[Venti: Not necessarily. Let me tell you a secret: I'm the Anemo Archon. Do I look like I want to show off my power?]
[Diona: Drunk again? You annoying drunkard!]
[Barbara: Lord Barbatos, please forgive this rude person's insolence!]
[Lyney: Could the Traveler and Paimon have been influenced after entering the opera house and started putting on a play too?]
[Navia: Yeah, this is just too crazy!]
[Ganyu: How could a mortal impersonate a god for so long without being caught?]
[Lisa: The cuties are right here beside me. I never realized they had such a sense of humor!]
[Arataki Itto: Hahahahaha! Shinobu, did... did you hear that? It's killing me! Saying Furina isn't the Hydro Archon! That's hilarious!]
[Kuki Shinobu: Boss... didn't you just tell me you were going to talk less?]
[Raiden Ei: That is certainly a possibility!]
[Yae Miko: Hehe!]
[Kujou Sara: What do you mean? The Shogun believes this wild fantasy?]
[Hu Tao: Furina might be a little cute, but saying she isn't a god... that's just...]
[Lynette: Here in Fontaine, Furina being the Hydro Archon is common knowledge. Any three-year-old you ask would know!]
[Paimon: What's going on? Why would we say something so far-fetched and crazy in the future?]
Throughout the livestream chat, although some believed it, most still treated it with mockery.
On-screen.
As the commotion at the scene grew louder, Neuvillette lightly tapped his cane and addressed Furina in a low, emotionless voice. "The charge is valid."
"Lady Furina, do you accept the charge brought against you?"
Hearing the Traveler's words, Furina had never imagined she would face such a situation one day. The Traveler's words were like a sharp sword, instantly piercing her heart.
She had made no mental preparations whatsoever beforehand, so she was instantly stunned.
The entire opera house remained silent for a long time before Neuvillette's puzzled voice rang out again. "Lady Furina?"
His voice was quiet, yet it instantly jolted Furina awake. "No... of course I don't."
"I, Focalors Furina de Fontaine, one of The Seven who preside over the mortal world, the God of Hydro, the embodiment of justice... am unquestionably a true god."
The more Furina spoke, the more confident she became, and the audience throughout the opera house began voicing their support.
"That's right. Lady Furina might act a little over the top sometimes, and her personality is admittedly a little strange, but isn't that precisely the difference between gods and humans...?"
"Never mind Lady Furina, even I'm baffled! Who would ever question something like that? At most, people would just complain that all she does every day is watch operas..."
Clang!
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale changed.
[Hu Tao: Wow, now that's the presence a god should have! So cool!]
[Arataki Itto: She's oozing dominance! Oozing dominance!]
[Klee: Klee's going to become a fan of Furina too!]
[Sigewinne: All hail the Hydro Archon!]
On-screen.
Furina's voice grew louder and louder. Seeing that the situation favored her, she struck while the iron was hot. "See? The public sees clearly. As for the fact that I'm a god, any Fontainian you ask would know!"
With that, Furina pointed at the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. "Even the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale is naturally tipping in my favor. My friend, are you sure you want to continue this utterly absurd trial?"
"If you withdraw your charge against me now, I promise in the name of the God of Justice that I won't do anything to you. I'll simply treat this as a farce. After all, you have certainly brought people some drama!"
Seeing this, Navia couldn't help worrying for Lumine at the prosecution stand. "Is she already at a disadvantage when the debate has only just begun? She has to argue not only against the Hydro Archon, but against everyone's common knowledge here!"
Faced with Furina's argument, Lumine did not appear particularly flustered and immediately seized on the key issue. "You're right. Everyone considers you a god. That's common knowledge, but common knowledge alone cannot serve as evidence!"
Hearing Lumine's words, Furina looked helpless. "All right. Since you want to argue with me so badly, I'll play along. By your logic, if I'm not a god, how have I lived until now?"
"Not only the audience here, but even their ancestors must have seen me!"
Those words clearly stumped Lumine. She looked at the information Charlotte had handed her, carefully trying to recall where the flaw lay.
But the words Arlecchino had spoken to her suddenly rang out in both her and Paimon's minds.
Paimon: "On this continent, a long life doesn't mean someone is a god. [Long-lived species] can do that too, or there might be some other way..."
Lumine: "For example... a curse!"
Furina looked disdainful and scoffed. "How ridiculous. Where did you hear such rumors? Was it that Fatui Harbinger? You've really gone to great lengths to slander me, using anything you can come up with!"
Lumine: "It doesn't matter where this information came from. What matters is the truth!"
Standing on the high platform, Neuvillette couldn't help pondering too. Was that the aura of a curse? I thought it was something all gods possessed.
Now it seems there is no direct connection between the two. It was simply something Furina had.
Paimon noticed and said to the Traveler beside her, "Looks like Neuvillette noticed too!"
Lumine nodded. "So, Furina, you're merely a human burdened with a curse!"
[Yelan: Long-lived species... there do seem to be such beings in Teyvat!]
[Lisa: Put that way, the Traveler's words do make some sense!]
[Dainsleif: I have heard of this kind of curse!]
[Arataki Itto: What kind of curse is that? It lets you live forever without aging? I want to be cursed too.]
[Zhongli: A long life is not necessarily a good thing!]
[Hu Tao: I know what this is called, Consultant Zhongli. It's called sour grapes! Hahahaha!]
[Zhongli: ...]
[Baizhu: Does anyone know about this kind of curse? Could you tell me about it?]
[Amber: Although I trust the Traveler, and this Fatui called The Knave also behaved very well in the video, I don't think we can believe everything the Fatui say. It's still better to reserve judgment!]
[Ningguang: Indeed. Although she did a good deed, we cannot change our opinion of him over this one incident alone!]
[Tartaglia: There's really no need to treat us so badly!]
The entire opera house began stirring again.
A shocked audience member said, "The Hydro Archon... is only human? My heavens!"
Quite a few people also began seriously considering Lumine's words. "That makes sense too. Judging by appearance alone, there really isn't any difference between humans and gods!"
Clang!
The Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale stirred again, only this time it tipped toward Lumine.
Watching the situation gradually turn against her, Furina grew a little flustered. She was also frantically thinking about how to answer this question...