The Supreme Archbishop of Fontaine

Hearing the words from the other end, Zhongli's expression remained unchanged. He simply lowered his head to look at the communicator in his hand and calmly asked, "If that's the case, why didn't you prevent this from happening from the very beginning?"

"Why should I prevent it? Having you feel guilty toward Astrea benefits what I want to achieve—that's my judgment. Isn't that correct?"

"..."

Faced with such blunt words, Zhongli was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

This was the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine. He always knew how to find the most suitable distance and attitude when dealing with others.

He made no attempt to hide his intention to use Zhongli, which was why he deliberately allowed the situation to escalate to this point—even though no one would have known if he hadn't said anything. Yet, he made it clear to Zhongli.

And surprisingly, Zhongli was swayed by this approach.

"I do feel guilty toward Astrea, but it's only toward her."

"That's enough."

"What do you plan to do?"

"Handle it according to the law."

"How so?"

"In Fontaine, the law is absolute. All crimes must be judged in court, and Astrea's crime is no exception. I have already charged her with treason and disrespect. When the time comes, I will take the plaintiff's seat and do everything in my power to have her sentenced to life imprisonment in Meropide—but Lady Furina disagrees with my approach. She has decided to act as Astrea's defense attorney."

"When will the trial begin?"

"Three years from now."

"What about these three years? Will she be imprisoned the entire time?"

"Indeed, keeping her imprisoned doesn't seem ideal. How about this: let her stay in Liyue for now, under your supervision, Mr. Zhongli. Then, three years later, you can personally escort her to Fontaine. How does that sound?"

"Very well. Then it's decided. When the time comes, I will also appear as a witness in Astrea's defense."

"Did you hear that, Fanseti? Return everything to Astrea. Until she is formally convicted, she is not yet a full-fledged criminal. Therefore, since we are not arresting or escorting her, I have no reason to confiscate her belongings."

"Yes, Your Excellency, the Supreme Bishop."

Fanseti lifted her skirt slightly and gave an elegant curtsy.

The animated short ended here, and the story returned to the dialogue.

The cape and elemental symbol that had been stripped from Astrea were now returned to her.

The communicator and the Scales of Justice were likely returned as well.

Of course, these details weren't important at the moment.

Axue clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding.

"Brothers and sisters! What is this? Even though the Supreme Bishop is clearly using Astrea, I can't help but find him incredibly cool!"

「This kind of man is so domineering, but it's exactly what attracts women, right? That's why the 'overbearing CEO' trope is so popular.」

「His aura is terrifying! But it's also so captivating!」

「Is this the charm of a scheming man?」

「This part of the story has planted some very important foreshadowing. I wonder what the Supreme Bishop plans to use Zhongli for in the Fontaine storyline.」

「Ahhh, I can't stand being stuck in 1.1 anymore. When will Fontaine finally be released?!」

「Didn't they say? Three years! Just wait patiently.」

As the auto-play continued, the story dialogue progressed as well.

Astrea looked up at Zhongli with guilt. "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhongli. It's all because of me..."

"The one who should apologize is me. Don't let the outcome overshadow the process."

"... I think I understand what the Supreme Bishop wants to use you for, Mr. Zhongli, but I'm very sorry—I can't tell you."

"It seems to be something very important."

Zhongli pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but smile.

"My old friend is just like this. If he wanted help, all he had to do was ask. But he insists on holding all the initiative in his hands, treating everyone and every god like puppets to manipulate. He was like this three hundred years ago, and he hasn't changed at all."

"Well, even though this trip was for nothing, since the matter is resolved, I should take my leave. I still have other things to attend to."

After saying this, Fanseti turned and walked away with elegant steps.

"This matter is indeed concluded. All that's left is the Rite of Parting."

Zhongli also summarized the situation.

"Traveler, Paimon, Astrea."

"I welcome you to attend my funeral."

"Oh, and Astrea, you can stay in Liyue with peace of mind. I will inform the Qixing and the Adepti of the situation through a dream."

The story ended here.

Then, another animated short cut in.

"miHoYo, an animation studio held back by making games."

Watching the frequent animated shorts, Axue said seriously:

"Why not just make an anime? Why bother inserting a game into the animation?"

Jokes aside, she still paid close attention to the story.

Then, a familiar scene appeared.

Signora was running quickly.

"Ohhh, is this another scene where Signora gets humiliated? Is Themis going to show up again? Or is it Fanseti from earlier? Did she say her important task was to take Signora's Geo Gnosis?"

As expected, Signora's expression changed slightly. She stopped and narrowed her eyes at the figure ahead.

Black flames burned through space, slowly creating a massive hole.

First, a perfectly curved foot in a black high heel stepped out, followed by a mysterious and dangerous black-haired girl who walked out gracefully, smiling elegantly.

In a soft voice, she said, "Miss Rosalyne, could you please stay for a moment? By order of the Supreme Bishop, I need you to leave something behind."

"Hmph, and who are you?" Signora's expression remained cold as she asked, "I thought it would be that little girl who showed up."

"Third Knight of the Holy Knights, the Knight of Black, Fanseti. By order of the Supreme Bishop, the Geo Archon's Gnosis will be claimed by Fontaine."

"So it's you again. But... do you think I'll fall for the same trick twice? While I couldn't lure out that little girl, taking you down isn't a bad consolation prize."

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

As Signora spoke with a cold laugh, the sound of applause slowly echoed. A masked man stepped forward.

"I never expected Fontaine to have such powerful forces hidden away. I've never heard of you before. Your Supreme Bishop has been hiding you quite well."

He looked at Fanseti, who remained smiling, and said with a grin:

"Still, even for him, losing a god-level combatant would be quite painful, wouldn't it?"

"I'd really love to see the look of agony on his face."