Xianyun and Zhongyue noticed Lora from the stage. Both of them smiled and waved at her.
Lora waved back with a smile and sighed. "That entrance of yours really was something..."
Zhongyue then noticed Chaya. Looking at Chaya seated in the very front row of the audience, she could not help frowning.
That feeling was so familiar. Could it be...
Wait. Wasn't that Zhongli?
Realizing Chaya's identity, Zhongyue's eyes widened in disbelief. She tugged at Xianyun's sleeve and said, "Look over there..."
Xianyun followed the direction Zhongyue was pointing. When she saw Chaya, she immediately understood what Zhongyue meant. Holding back a laugh, she said, "One glance is enough to tell this is Lora's handiwork..."
Furina stood on the high platform and asked, "Who are you? What is going on here?"
Chaya walked onto the stage and said to Furina, "This is Xianyun, and this is Zhongyue. They are both old friends of mine."
"Hm?" Furina blinked, then immediately leaned back a little. "Your old friends?"
Wasn't Chaya a god? Then her old friends...
Furina thought for a moment, then suddenly widened her eyes. These two could not be gods too, could they? So many gods had gathered in tiny Fontaine. What kind of day was this?
If Furina knew she had personally watched three Archons get sent to the Fortress of Meropide earlier, who knew what she would think.
As for Neuvillette, after hearing Chaya's explanation and seeing that Lora was familiar with Xianyun and Zhongyue, he relaxed.
As long as they were not enemies, that was fine. Zhongyue gave him an indescribable sense of pressure, and he was not confident he could stop her if she caused any damage.
Lora sat in the audience and asked, "How did you end up here? And with such a... creative entrance? Don't tell me Lyney invited you."
"Lyney? Who's that?" Zhongyue asked, blinking.
"You... didn't accidentally stumble in here, did you?" Lora frowned in confusion after hearing that.
"It cannot exactly be called an accident. This adeptus... ahem, Zhongyue, Xiao, and I were originally investigating on Elynas. After going deep underground, Zhongyue and I continued in one direction. When we arrived beneath this place, we sensed power surging above us, so we came up," Xianyun explained with a shake of her head.
Hearing this, Lora frowned. "So there's a tunnel from Elynas to here?"
Zhongyue shook her head. "No. I dug it."
Lora fell silent for a while before asking, "...Then Xiao is still on Elynas?"
Xianyun nodded. "Yes."
Before anyone else could say anything, Xianyun suddenly added, "I found something interesting below. I think you may be interested."
"What is it?" Lora asked curiously.
Xianyun pointed at the girl who had been carried out by the wind. "Do you know her?"
Neuvillette nodded. "She is the audience member who cooperated with Mr. Lyney's magic act just now. Is there a problem?"
"Magic? What is that?" Zhongyue asked Lora curiously.
Lora explained, "A trick performance."
"Oh, I understand!" Zhongyue said in realization. She glanced at the young lady. "She doesn't look like someone who can perform tricks, though..."
Xianyun continued, "When we found her, she was hiding inside a box. I do not think anyone would normally hide in such a place."
Hearing Xianyun's words, Lyney frowned as well and questioned, "Who exactly are you?"
"I... I..." The young lady nervously looked at everyone present and clenched the hem of her clothes.
Lora noticed the Water from the Primordial Sea on her had not yet dried, then said slowly, "You're not from Fontaine."
Hearing Lora's words, the young lady widened her eyes in shock and backed away again and again. But Xianyun held her shoulders, stopping her from retreating any farther. She could only face Lora directly.
Under Lora's calm yet stern gaze, the young lady lowered her head and whispered, "I... I'm indeed not from Fontaine. My name is Liliane... I'm from Mondstadt."
Liliane then explained what had happened to her earlier and revealed that she was a thief. Because she had been afraid Lyney's magic trick was meant to catch her, and because someone really had tried to grab her in the tunnel, she knocked that person unconscious and stuffed him into the magic box, while she hid inside another box in the tunnel.
The person crushed to death was the one who had tried to catch Liliane.
"That was an assistant from our magic troupe, Cowell," Lyney said in a low voice.
"But I still don't understand. Why would Cowell try to catch you?" Furina stood on the high platform and questioned Liliane.
Liliane shook her head. "How would I know... Maybe he recognized me as a thief?"
"Cowell never cared about things like that. There's no way he could have known you were a thief," Lyney said, shaking his head and rejecting Liliane's guess.
"Mr. Lyney, the matter has not yet been fully investigated, and you remain the prime suspect, so please do not speak out of turn," Neuvillette reminded him.
"Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette." Lyney nodded.
"Did that Cowell pour a bottle of water over your head?" Lora suddenly asked.
Liliane nodded. "Yes. How did you know?"
"Water?" Hearing Lora ask that, Neuvillette walked directly onto the stage and came to Liliane's side. When he saw traces of Water from the Primordial Sea still lingering in her hair, his brow furrowed.
He had already learned from Lora what Water from the Primordial Sea would do to Fontainians. Yet Cowell had somehow obtained Water from the Primordial Sea?
Surprised, Neuvillette looked toward Lora in the audience.
Only after seeing her nod did he say, "Search all of Lyney's magic troupe's luggage and belongings immediately. Do not miss a single corner. Also, while searching, pay close attention to your own safety. Do not touch any water."
"Yes!" The Maison Gardiennage personnel nodded and immediately went to investigate.
After they left, Neuvillette said to Liliane, "Miss Liliane, please step down. Once everything has been investigated, you will also pay the price for your actions as a thief."
"And after Fontaine is done with you, we'll send you back to Mondstadt and hand you over to the Knights of Favonius," Lora added calmly. "No need to thank us."