The Supreme Bishop of Fontaine

"Sen'emon, what exactly did you want to ask about Ye earlier?"

While tracking down the Rifthounds, Paimon suddenly remembered that Sen'emon had brought up Ye with clear intent, though the topic had been completely derailed. Now that she mentioned it again, the first to react was Ei.

Ei frowned slightly. "Ye? You mean the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Hmph. Whatever it is about that man, it's best not to pry. Keeping your distance from him is the wisest choice."

"Uh..."

Ei's attitude left both Paimon and Lumine stunned.

Unlike the puppet Shogun, Ei had always been perceived by the two as a somewhat reserved yet gentle deity. Even when they had been adversaries, Ei had never shown outright hostility—always holding back. But now, she made no effort to conceal her disdain for the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine.

"You're still young. Your understanding of that man is shallow. Trust me—stay far away from him."

"Your Excellency, are you familiar with the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine?" Sen'emon raised an eyebrow in surprise, a faint smile playing on her lips. "To my knowledge, you've never met him before, have you?"

At this moment, Ye quietly logged into Sen'emon's "account." Even when not actively controlling his alternate personas, they served as his extra eyes and ears, syncing everything they saw and heard. Ei's assessment of him had piqued his curiosity, prompting him to take direct control.

"Even without meeting him, I've heard enough of his deeds. Over these centuries, he's caused no small amount of trouble." Ei exhaled, composing herself before continuing.

"To name just one example—three centuries ago, the economic war he instigated left every major nation outside Fontaine in ruins."

"Wait, wasn't that economic war between Fontaine and Liyue?"

"In truth, Liyue wasn't the one who suffered the most. It was the other nations caught in the crossfire." Ei sighed. "The Geo Archon unwittingly became his pawn. For twenty years, the Supreme Bishop used Morax and Liyue as a smokescreen, plundering the wealth and populations of other nations. By the time they realized what was happening, it was far too late."

"Wow, Ye's got some nerve! Wasn't he afraid you gods would come after him? Unless… he's actually stronger than a god?"

"His true strength is hard to gauge. But unless pushed to the brink, a god would never interfere in another nation's affairs. And Fontaine has its own deity."

Ei spoke bluntly:

"What makes the Supreme Bishop so infuriating is that he always toes the line—never giving a god sufficient reason to act. Moreover, fighting a god on their own territory is the height of foolishness."

"For Ei to say that… the Hydro Archon must be terrifyingly strong."

Hearing Paimon's awed murmur, Sen'emon chuckled. "Well, she did declare she could 'even judge foreign gods.' Hard to imagine her being weak. That said… I'd love to test her strength myself. Any god who can rein in the Supreme Bishop must be quite the force."

With that, Ye logged out of Sen'emon's body. Back to work. That bastard Neuvillette, sneaking off on vacation and dumping his duties on me. I'll make him regret it when he returns.

Lumine hesitated, then decided to steer the conversation away. If this continued, Sen'emon might actually storm Fontaine on a whim—that was the impression she gave.

"So, Sen'emon," Lumine redirected, "what did you want with Ye?"

"Nothing too serious. I just wanted a rematch."

Sen'emon's casual tone made Lumine's eye twitch. Yep. Exactly as expected.

"Couldn't you just send a formal challenge to the Palais Mermonia?"

"I did. But his reply was… puzzling."

"What did he say?"

"This."

Sen'emon produced the letter. Lumine took it, Paimon peering over her shoulder. Even Ei pretended disinterest while subtly edging closer for a glance.

"If you wish to challenge me, defeat Reinhard first."

Sen'emon tilted her head. "My question is—who is this 'Reinhard'? How am I supposed to defeat someone I've never heard of?"

Lumine: "..."

Paimon: "..."

Ei: "...If I recall correctly, isn't Reinhard a character from a light novel?"

Paimon gasped. "Wait, Ei, you've read that too?!"

"Ahem. Merely idle reading. It's… decent. Far better than anything Yae writes."

Sen'emon blinked. "Light novel?"

"Yeah, one written by Ye—Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World."

"What? He wrote it?" Ei's expression darkened. "No wonder it's so dreadful. Yae's works are masterpieces by comparison."

"Uh… you literally just said the opposite?"

"Light novel…" Sen'emon mused, ignoring the aside. "How does one defeat a fictional character?"

"You're seriously considering it?! He's obviously messing with you!" Paimon cried.

Sen'emon smiled faintly. "I know. That man's words aren't to be trusted. But… if you choose to believe him, he won't lie to you."

"Huh? That's the same thing Lumine always says!"

Paimon shot Lumine a look. Lumine blinked innocently. What's wrong with that? Just means I'm not the only one who sees through him.

Ei scoffed. "An accurate observation, but only because he's too self-absorbed."

"True. I've never met anyone as arrogant as him—not even gods. But there's something odd…"

Sen'emon narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"A man that prideful should disdain lying outright. So why does every word from his mouth sound like deceit? As if… it's become an instinct."