Fontaine's Grand Stage: Come If You Dare! (Genshin Impact)

While the citizens of Fontaine celebrated Relf's death with wild abandon, Lofan had already been enjoying a leisurely few days in Poisson.

Of course, Lofan's presence in Poisson wasn't purely for relaxation. He had a specific reason for targeting this small town; otherwise, wouldn't he have preferred the vibrant pleasures of the bustling metropolis of Fontaine?

The environment in Poisson was only slightly better than that of Fleuve Cendre. After all, they were cut from the same cloth, and Fontaine's upper echelons naturally looked down on Poisson.

Lofan drained his glass of wine in one gulp, feigning drunkenness. In reality, his body hadn't even digested a drop of alcohol.

While intoxication wouldn't cloud his consciousness, it would impair his physical control. He couldn't afford such a risk.

He currently appeared to be a man in his thirties, fitting perfectly among the tavern's clientele. Lofan blended seamlessly into the crowd, drawing no attention.

However, after staking out the tavern for several days, he still hadn't spotted his target. This made him wonder if he was on the wrong track.

Whether in the nobles' damning confessions of their misdeeds or in the intelligence gathered by the Spina di Rosula, Lofan had encountered something that deeply troubled him:

Sinthe.

After reviewing the descriptions of Sinthe, Lofan couldn't help but exclaim, "Good heavens! This guy is practically a textbook example of... you know!"

Typical Fontaine! he thought. The Nation of Justice indeed!

It seems they've cornered the market on everything other countries lack!

Lofan harbored an absolute hatred for Sinthe, a sentiment as unwavering as his zero-tolerance policy for nobles who treated children as mere playthings.

Consequently, he temporarily shelved his investigation into the missing young girl case, resolving to first eradicate Sinthe from the world entirely.

Initially, driven by a desire to manage his emotions, Lofan refrained from resorting to extreme measures in his search for clues about Sinthe. Instead, he relied on his own deductive reasoning and instincts.

However, after several days of fruitless searching, Lofan grew increasingly impatient.

After all, every additional day Sinthe remained active could devastate countless innocent families.

Yet, he found himself at a loss as to how to proceed.

Even if he wanted to use the System to fabricate an identity within Sinthe's organization, he needed at least some basic information about the group. The System wasn't an omnipotent wish-granting machine.

Perhaps a higher-ranking position could grant him access to relevant intelligence, but Lofan doubted his Points balance could withstand such a costly gamble.

He had already spent 50,000 Points on Intermediate Pyro Elemental Mastery and another 20,000 Points on Basic Dendro and Anemo Elemental Mastery.

Intermediate Elemental Mastery was incredibly powerful. As long as the body he had exchanged for didn't hold him back, Lofan's strength would undoubtedly place him among the Fatui Harbingers, likely in the upper ranks.

By forcibly overdrawing his body's reserves, he could even hold his own against the top three Harbingers for a short time.

Yet Lofan remained unsatisfied. He needed to unlock Advanced Elemental Mastery before he could confidently turn his attention to other nations.

His current plan was to upgrade his Pyro Elemental Mastery to the advanced level, then acquire all other basic Elemental Masteries. This would lay the groundwork for his future schemes.

As for why he prioritized Pyro, it was mainly due to an inexplicable feeling deep within him...

Lofan shook his head, banishing the intrusive memories. He stood up, ready to move on.

No time to waste. I need to find another way.

Unexpectedly, as Lofan left the tavern, he sensed someone trailing him. Raising an eyebrow, he immediately resumed his act, feigning drunkenness as he stumbled into a secluded alleyway.

Sure enough, his pursuer quickened their pace, closing the distance—closer, closer!

Lofan's heart leaped with joy, but he maintained his drunken facade, staggering forward as if oblivious to the danger.

"Stop! Hand over everything valuable if you want to live!"

A scar-faced man suddenly leaped into his path, his thick, bare arms gleaming under the dim light as he brandished a knife. He glared at Lofan with the hungry eyes of a wolf sizing up a plump lamb.

Hearing the footsteps behind him halt, Lofan nearly cursed aloud.

Instead, he turned to face the would-be robber, his gaze radiating lethal intent. I knew I was being too soft, he thought. In this day and age, you'd think street thugs would at least carry guns instead of knives!

Fine, fine, I'll remember you.

Next time, I'll give you a real reason to be afraid!

The scar-faced man flinched under Lofan's gaze, a chilling, death-defying intensity that made his blood run cold.

Damn it, he thought. Looks like I've picked the wrong target.

It's just about stealing some Mora, Scarface thought. What difference does it make who I rob? There's no need to risk my life over this.

With that, Scarface began to have second thoughts about pressing the attack.

But then, suddenly, a pouch of Mora was thrust into his hand.

"Here, take it all. Please, just don't kill me," Lofan said coldly, leaving Scarface bewildered.

Looking at the pouch in his hand, he wondered if he'd misjudged the situation. Anyway, no matter what, he thought, there's no reason to return money once I've got it.

"Hmph, good thing you know what's good for you!" Scarface tucked the pouch away and hurried off, Lofan's gaze giving him a creeping sense of dread.

After Scarface was gone, Lofan sensed the person tailing him hadn't left. He began to wallow in self-pity aloud.

"Why am I so cursed? Even stepping outside means getting robbed!"

"That damn boss at work! He ran off with all the money and his sister-in-law, stiffing me on my last paycheck!"

"My beloved Yanelle left me for some rich guy... Yanelle, Yanelle, how can I go on without you?!"

"I don't want to live anymore! What's the point?"

The person trailing him was stunned by Lofan's anguished wails. Though no saint himself, he couldn't help but feel deep sympathy for the man.

"Brother, listen to me," the man called out. "You have a long life ahead of you. Don't give up now!"

The man who had been tailing Lofan finally revealed himself, almost unable to believe he had uttered those words earlier.

But Lofan looked so utterly miserable that he couldn't bring himself to torment him any further.

Fine, he thought. I didn't have a choice before, but now I'll try being a good person, at least for a little while.

"You don't understand!" Lofan cried.

"Don't try to talk me out of it. My mind is made up!"

"I've already decided. When I get back, I'll spend all two hundred thousand Mora I've saved over the years, then find a sacred burial ground to end my life!"

The man's eyes widened at the mention of two hundred thousand Mora. He had assumed Lofan was worthless, but it turned out he was a big fish after all.

He immediately abandoned the last shred of his conscience. Seriously? Conscience isn't even worth ten thousand Mora!

Besides, if Lofan was already contemplating suicide, guiding him to a moment of supreme pleasure in his final moments would be an act of immeasurable merit!

With this thought, the man's smile broadened.

"Brother, how about this? I've got something really good to drink at my place—something that'll send you straight to heaven!"

"What is it? A new kind of wine?" Lofan asked.

"Nah, it's way more exciting than wine."

"Come on, follow me. I guarantee you'll love it!"

And just like that, Lofan was led through a winding path to a secluded corner, where the man mysteriously produced a bottle of Sinthe.

"Hey, bro, ever heard of Sinthe?"

"Sinthe? What's that?" Lofan asked, feigning ignorance as he suppressed his excitement at finally getting a lead.

"Sinthe is the real deal!" the man exclaimed. "This is the delicious drink I was telling you about."

"Drink this, and you'll feel like you're floating in paradise, forgetting all your troubles!"

"So, what do you say, bro? Want a bottle?"

"Forget all my troubles..." Lofan pretended to hesitate. "You're not pulling my leg, are you? Is it really that amazing?"

"Of course not!" The man grew slightly impatient. Despite Lofan's drunken state, his caution remained sharp, and he couldn't afford to let this big fish slip away.

"Tell you what, brother, we hit it off so well, I'll treat you to this bottle! It's on the house!"

"This is top-shelf stuff! Even the nobles in Fontaine adore it. Most people never get a chance to try it!"

"If I didn't feel so sorry for your hard luck, I wouldn't dream of giving it away!"

Hearing this, Lofan adopted an expression of profound gratitude as he accepted the bottle. "I can't believe there are still such kind-hearted people in this world!"

"Enough said! From now on, you're my sworn brother, blood or not!"

"Whether this stuff tastes good or not, you've earned my brotherhood!"

With that, Lofan took a bold swig without hesitation. His eyes widened immediately, followed by a blissed-out expression that made him look like he was floating on clouds.

After a long moment, Lofan finally snapped out of his reverie, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Magnificent! Utterly magnificent!"

"I'm spending all two hundred thousand on Sinthe! Here's my address, brother—don't forget it!"

"Sinthe, Sinthe! I'm going to be blissfully dead today!"

Hearing Lofan's words, the man felt a twinge of guilt, though not much. But when Lofan declared his intention to spend every last penny on Sinthe, the man's delight knew no bounds. He hastily etched Lofan's address into his memory.

After seeing Lofan off, the man pressed two more bottles of Sinthe into his hands. He wanted Lofan to stay blissfully drunk, and more importantly, to prevent him from changing his mind once the effects wore off.

One bottle might still allow for withdrawal, but three? In his experience, no one had ever managed to kick this stuff.

Back home, Lofan's blissful expression vanished instantly, replaced by an icy coldness.

It was indeed remarkably similar to that other substance, possessing an intense addictiveness and inducing an indescribable euphoria. Yet, compared to that other substance, its toxicity was relatively mild, which explained why even nobles indulged in it.

No, that's not quite right.

That other substance was highly toxic, and many celebrities still used it.

The real danger of this stuff wasn't its toxicity, but its addictive nature. Once hooked, it was nearly impossible to quit, leaving one utterly dependent, stripped of all savings, and at the mercy of dealers.

However, because its toxicity was moderate and it hadn't been around long, most people remained unaware of its true threat.

Lofan pondered this for a moment, then stashed two bottles of Sinthe nearby. Returning home, he gulped down the last bottle in one go.

Soon, the stimulant in Sinthe fully activated, flooding his brain. His entire body flushed crimson as his blood surged violently through his veins.

Seizing the opportune moment, Lofan deliberately stopped his heart.

With a final thud, Lofan collapsed to the floor, lifeless...

Early the next morning, Lofan's sworn brother—not related by blood but closer than family—arrived at his house with his entire stock.

In reality, he was just a small-time dealer who didn't even have 200,000 Mora worth of goods on hand. But who cared?

He'd claimed the goods were worth that much. Who would dare disagree? Even if they didn't understand now, they'd quickly come to terms with it once they saw the results.

With that kind of money, his life would be incredibly comfortable!

His smile widened at the thought. He raised his hand and knocked on Lofan's door, calling out, "Hey, buddy! I brought all the good stuff!"

To his surprise, the door wasn't latched and swung inward with his knock.

Puzzled, he craned his neck to peer inside. There, lying on the floor, was Lofan's lifeless body, already cold to the touch. His face turned deathly pale.

"He's dead!"

He couldn't believe it. Just one night apart, and Lofan was gone. A terrified scream burst from his throat.

"What? A dead body?!"

"Quick, call the Maison Gardiennage officers!"

Drawn by the commotion, neighbors rushed over, their faces mirroring the man's fear. Some hurried off to find the officers to handle the situation.

"This is bad!"

Suddenly realizing that while he wasn't responsible for Lofan's death, he couldn't withstand an investigation, the man panicked and tried to slip away unnoticed.

But someone spotted him fleeing and shouted, pointing, "He's trying to run! He's suspicious!"

"Everyone, grab him!"

The shout sealed his fate. The residents of Poisson were tough, hardened by years of competing with monsters for resources. Seeing him bolt, they rolled up their sleeves and swarmed him, ready to teach him a brutal lesson.

Maison Gardiennage officers arrived swiftly. After examining the scene, one of them picked up a bottle with a faint blue liquid residue, his expression growing graver.

Finally, the officer stood before the ashen-faced man and barked, "Take him away!"

Meanwhile, Lofan had already become a proud Maison Gardiennage officer—and happened to be the one escorting the suspect.

Seeing the man's lifeless eyes and utterly defeated demeanor, Lofan stifled a grin and said, "Move it! And behave yourself!"

My dear half-brother, I'm personally going to help you start over!