Knock…knock—!
There was a knock at Luc Vaudelier's door. He blinked, confused. Who would be looking for him at this hour?
After all, ever since he arrived in Fontaine, the only person who knew about him was Furina. No one else had any idea who he was.
And logically, Furina was still furious with him. Even if she were to look for him, it wouldn't be this soon.
Luc opened the door cautiously, only to find a member of the Gardes of Fontaine standing before him—a soldier in the regulation blue uniform and tall ceremonial hat.
The soldier offered a sharp, formal salute, then pressed his right fist to his chest at a precise 90-degree angle. A symbolic gesture in Fontaine, reminiscent of the phrase: Give me your heart.
"Good evening. I'm Hajimi, squad leader of the Fontaine Gardes," He said crisply. "We've received a report of possible illicit financial activity tied to this residence. We'll be conducting a standard inspection."
Luc blinked, stunned. Illicit activity?
Could it be that someone had discovered his method of "generating" Mora?
That shouldn't be possible!
Still, he stepped aside obediently. This wasn't his homeland. He had no weapons, no backup. Best not to resist.
The Gardes entered and searched the room with swift professionalism.
"Commander," a soldier called, lifting the edge of the bed. "We've found an unusual quantity of Mora."
Commander Hajimi turned toward Luc and asked sternly, "Do you have any documentation confirming the legal origin of these funds?"
Luc stood frozen. His mind raced. I made the money using the sack… How do I explain that? Should I just show him and create some coins right here?
Seeing that he didn't answer, Hajimi narrowed his eyes.
"Take him in for questioning."
"Hey! Wait a second!" Luc protested. "You don't even have evidence I broke the law! You can't just arrest me!"
But the Gardes did exactly that.
Meanwhile, the innkeeper watched the arrest from a window and finally exhaled in relief. "Whew… Good thing I contacted the Gardes when I did. That guy was suspicious from the start. Who knows what kind of trouble he would've caused…"
***
At the Palais Mermonia, Chief Justice Neuvillette sat solemnly at his bench, poring over case files in silence.
The door creaked open.
A familiar head peeked in.
Seeing it was Furina, Neuvillette's expression softened slightly.
"What is it?"
Furina strolled in confidently, puffing her chest with theatrical flair.
"What, am I not allowed to visit you if I'm just bored?" she teased. "How's work treating you, Monsieur Neuvillette? Did you miss me?"
He gave her a small smile. Despite her flamboyance, he was more at ease when she was around. It felt like things were back to normal.
Furina wandered the courtroom with a mix of nostalgia and melancholy. She had ruled here for centuries. Now she walked these marble halls not as an Archon, but simply as Furina.
Just then, Hajimi entered through the side door, saluting sharply.
"Reporting to Lord Neuvillette. We've apprehended a suspect at the Sursan Hotel. He's accused of possessing an unusually large quantity of unregistered Mora."
"A suspected thief, then?" Neuvillette mused. "Bring him in."
"Yes, my lord."
Moments later, two Gardes led a suspect into the courtroom. His head hung low, posture tense.
Luc Vaudelier—now under suspicion of economic fraud—barely dared to glance up at the Chief Justice.
So this is what it feels like to stand trial in Fontaine… My god, am I really a criminal now?
One of the soldiers stepped forward and presented a large pouch to Neuvillette.
"This was retrieved from the scene."
Neuvillette eyed it, then turned to Luc.
"Where did this money come from?"
Luc's knees trembled. He couldn't fabricate anything. Not without any preparation.
Seeing the silence, Neuvillette sighed.
"Detain him. We'll investigate further."
He had no legal grounds for a conviction, but the suspicious origin of the Mora was enough to justify temporary imprisonment pending inquiry.
As Luc was escorted out, Furina squinted at the figure. Something about his slumped posture… it looked oddly familiar.
***
Luc sat in the prison cell, utterly dejected. He had finally found a shortcut to wealth, only to end up behind bars.
"What the hell… Is this karma?" he muttered to himself.
At least he still had the sack. That was his only glimmer of hope.
Life in prison was far less comfortable than his cheap hotel room, but he wasn't starving or freezing. That counted for something.
He curled up on the thin mattress, closed his eyes, and tried to rest.
***
"Lady Furina, ma'am!"
The guards on duty saluted as the former Hydro Archon arrived at the prison.
She offered a polite nod, her expression unreadable.
When she entered the cell corridor and peered inside, her eyes widened.
It was Luc.
He lay on the bed, limbs curled up, looking small and vulnerable.
Why is he here? she wondered. Stolen money? But… how? I didn't notice him taking anything when he left…
Then she spotted it.
A glimpse of gold-trimmed fabric peeking from around his waist—that bag.
The magic sack.
She remembered how Luc had used it to produce objects from thin air—tools, food, even a mobile phone.
Of course he could conjure Mora too.
"Ugh! I told you minting fake money would crash the economy!" she huffed. "You absolute fool!"
Her face flushed with self-righteous anger.
"You deserve this! You must be punished! You'll ruin Fontaine's entire economic system if left unchecked!"
And yet…
Watching Luc, curled in on himself like a stray animal, something tugged at her heart. He really was alone here. No allies. No home. Not even a visitor.
A pang of guilt hit her.
Without thinking, Furina crouched down and reached out to brush her fingers through his messy hair.
"Idiot…" she whispered. "Why'd you have to go and get arrested…"