Watching the Performance II
"Act One: Before the Mirror — Focalors."
......
Xiayu let out an admiring sigh. "So that's why Focalors pretended to be a god in the first place."
Conan stroked his chin, thinking it over. "The Focalors in that mirror must have been the true Hydro Archon — no, more precisely, the part of the Hydro Archon closest to her divinity."
Still, who would have guessed that the real Focalors, as a human, had this kind of personality? There was no trace of the haughtiness she'd shown later — if anything, she seemed almost humble. Just like an ordinary person.
"In that case," Xiayu said, "the Focalors we met before must have been the human side of the Hydro Archon."
Ah... battling against her own humanity...
He honestly couldn't imagine how she had endured for so long on sheer human willpower alone. It was remarkable — accomplishing as a mortal what only a god should have been capable of.
Moroboshi chimed in as well. "I never would have guessed Focalors would put Fontaine's safety above herself without a moment's hesitation. After spending time with her, I never saw the slightest hint of that kind of self-sacrificing nature in her."
"Though the Focalors in the mirror never said exactly when the performance would end," Conan mused. "She only said it would conclude in a grand, farce-like trial. Doesn't that sound like the trial we held for her?"
"It must be," Moroboshi said, his expression turning complicated as he finished the thought. "Putting a god on trial — how could that not be a magnificent farce? And once that trial was over, Focalors' human identity was exposed. Her performance as the Hydro Archon really did end there."
Before they could dwell on the discussion for long, the announcer's voice rang out once more:
"Act Two: The Inaugural Address — Focalors."
......
"So that's why Focalors turned into the person she was later on?" Conan said.
"She was playing a god, after all," Moroboshi replied. "In everyone's imagination, isn't a god supposed to be commanding, confident, impossible to ignore? Her inaugural address at the start was a little too humble and polite. Even my dad's speeches had more force and presence than that. No wonder the audience started jeering."
Though honestly, the second half of the speech didn't quite match his image of a god either — it felt overacted, the turn a bit too abrupt.
He considered saying so, then held his tongue. This was presumably Focalors' first time playing a god in front of her people. It was only natural she'd be a little rusty.
Xiayu crossed her arms, looking mildly indignant. "Be that as it may, when I think about the pressure Focalors was under, those comments from the audience feel downright cruel. Besides, what's wrong with a humble, approachable god? Who gave these people the right to question Focalors over that?"
Moroboshi begged to differ. "A god should really be more forceful, don't you think? Powerful, commanding, proud, elegant... without those traits, what makes a god a god at all?"
Xiayu turned to look at him. "Says who? Who decided that's what a god has to be? As the old saying goes, 'God loves all people.' A god who can't manage that isn't a god, no matter how much power she wields. Focalors may not have had any of those traits you listed, but she was willing to sacrifice herself for Fontaine — and that alone makes her worthy of the title."
"I'll admit Focalors was remarkable," Moroboshi said. "But she was only human in the end. There were things she couldn't do. A god should be omnipotent — by that standard, she doesn't qualify."
Neither could convince the other, and in unison they turned toward Conan. "Conan, what do you think? Whose side are you on?"
"......"
He truly hadn't expected the two of them to start bickering over something like this.
Still, if they wanted his honest opinion... "Personally, I do think a god should be a bit more commanding. But I think Xiayu's got the right of it. Focalors was worthy of the name Hydro Archon of Fontaine — right up to the very last moment, she was doing everything in her power to protect Fontaine."
Conan remembered the trial — how Focalors had kept trying to prove she was the Hydro Archon, right up until the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale delivered its verdict — and his chest tightened with mixed feelings.
Now that he knew why she had been playing the role, looking back on that scene made him feel as though they had been the villains all along.
Hearing Conan's answer, Moroboshi gave him a long look and said nothing more.
Just then, the announcer's voice rose again:
"Act Three: The Opera House — Focalors."
......
"I hadn't realized how much Focalors had on her plate every day," Moroboshi remarked. "She seemed so scatterbrained that I figured she didn't do much of anything — yet the whole time she was keeping watch over Fontaine's waters. She really did take that prophecy seriously."
"Yeah," Conan said quietly. "Performing from morning till night, without a single moment to let her guard down — the only respite she got was before sleep, and the next day the whole cycle would start over again, on and on, as if there were no end to it. Anyone ordinary would have broken down long ago under that kind of strain..."
As if to prove Conan's point, the fourth and fifth acts unfolded in the very same setting — only Focalors grew wearier of spirit with each passing day...
The onlookers watched with heavy, complicated expressions. Then came the next act: the same scene, the same daily routine, the only difference being that Focalors was clearly no longer the person she had been at the start. She looked as though she was on the verge of collapse.
At that sight, no one could find a word to say.
After a long moment, Moroboshi finally spoke. "I'll admit it — she was extraordinary. Repeating the same thing for over a hundred thousand days without ever letting her guard slip, and her mind never breaking... it's honestly beyond belief."
"No," Conan said softly. "Her spirit may have given out long ago. Just as Focalors herself said, she'd probably reached her limit ages ago. What we're seeing now is just her, going through the motions on numb autopilot."
"She kept going because of her conviction," Xiayu murmured. "Her belief in saving Fontaine. No matter how much it hurt, Focalors was always going to see it through."
Then came the final act: the opera house, Focalors, and...
As the lights blazed to life, Focalors appeared at the very center of the stage, dancing her graceful dance alone in the empty opera house, as if giving one last farewell performance.
Conan, Moroboshi, and Xiayu fell silent at last, their eyes fixed on the stage above, drinking in the final dance that belonged to Focalors alone.
She truly never let her guard slip, not even in the final moments. To the very end, she wanted to protect the people of Fontaine...
At last, as the music died away, Focalors spread her hands open at her sides and sank into a slight bow — as if bidding farewell to Xiayu and the others, and to everyone.