At the entrance of the Hotel Debord, Nolan saw the twin magicians lingering outside. They looked a little surprised to see him and his companions emerge.
Are they… waiting for us? Nolan wondered silently.
"Huh? Lyney, Lynette, what are you two doing here?" Charlotte waved at them.
"Charlotte, I thought it was you! During the performance, I caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd—didn't expect it really was you. What a coincidence," Lyney said with an easy shrug, adjusting his tall black hat.
Beside him, Lynette—dressed in sheer black tights and short boots—cast him a calm glance. Her soft lips parted as she added quietly:
"What he means is, he noticed you were with some very well-known adventurers, and thought he'd take the chance to make their acquaintance."
"I knew it!" Charlotte said with her hands on her hips, as if she'd expected as much.
"Eh? Charlotte seems awfully familiar with them, huh?" Paimon blinked at Nolan and Lumine.
"I've interviewed them a few times. After a while, we became friends," Charlotte explained.
"That's right," Lyney nodded, then turned to Nolan's group. "You must be the famous adventurers everyone's been talking about lately. A pleasure to meet you—I'm Lyney, and this is my sister, Lynette."
He gestured to the quiet girl beside him.
"Hehe, nice to meet you! Paimon is Paimon, this is Lumine, and that guy's Nolan," Paimon introduced brightly.
"Your performance earlier was excellent," Nolan said with a smile. Lumine nodded in agreement.
"Much appreciated," Lyney replied politely, while Lynette only dipped her head slightly.
[Lynette Has Developed Good Feelings towards you, Obtained 300 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (0/300).]
Nolan noted the system prompt. Though Lynette appeared calm, distant, and sparing with words, she clearly appreciated genuine praise. And thanks to his "Beloved by Maidens" trait, her first impression of him leaned positive.
"Well then, we still have a tour to finish. Do you two have other matters to attend to?" Charlotte asked.
"No, don't mind us," Lyney shook his head.
"In that case, we'll be on our way. If you ever need to commission us, just leave a message at the Adventurers' Guild."
Nolan nodded. With that, the group bid farewell and walked off.
Watching their backs disappear down the street, Lyney rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Lynette gave him a sidelong glance and said calmly:
"Brother, aren't they the Travelers 'Father' mentioned? Should we introduce them to him?"
"Mm. 'Father' did say the prophecy crisis would be difficult for the House of the Hearth to face alone—we'd need allies. And those travelers who've stirred nations with their deeds are exactly the ones he had in mind," Lyney murmured.
"I didn't expect to meet them today. But… inviting them straightaway, without preparation, to take on something that heavy—feels a bit abrupt. Especially with Father's… identity."
He rubbed his forehead in mild frustration.
"Mm." Lynette nodded lightly. "Then let's go back and tell Father first."
"Good idea. Let him decide," Lyney agreed without objection.
---
Fontaine, Liffey District.
Guided by Charlotte, Nolan and the others made their way from the Quartier Narbonnais District to the Liffey District, learning more about the city along the way.
"It's getting late," Charlotte said. "For the last stop today, why don't we visit the Adventurers' Guild? As adventurers, you'll be familiar with the place."
"Right. We can also start picking up commissions whenever we explore Fontaine," Paimon declared, floating with arms crossed.
For adventurers, knowing where the guild was in any city was essential—without it, there'd be no way to earn money through commissions.
"Speaking of which, Charlotte," Nolan interjected, "we'd like to meet the Hydro Archon. Do you know of any way?"
He hadn't forgotten their main purpose in Fontaine: to work with the Archon, primarily to make use of her Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
"Well…" Charlotte's pale face showed hesitation.
Seeing this, Lumine quickly clarified: "We're not asking you to take us directly. Just if you know the proper channels."
After all, Charlotte was a journalist—hardly someone with direct access to a god.
"I do know," Charlotte nodded, then explained. "It's actually simple: if you want to meet Lady Furina, just make an appointment at the Palais Mermonia."
"Eh? That easy?!" Paimon exclaimed.
"It sounds simple, but I haven't finished," Charlotte said with a wry smile. "Because it's easy, everyone in Fontaine wants to see Lady Furina. The number of appointments is astronomical.
"Unless it's a special case, she receives visitors strictly in order of the queue.
"For example, I put in an appointment when I was a child. But even now, the number of people ahead of me is beyond counting.
"And Lady Furina doesn't even meet petitioners every day. Only when she has free time—and when she feels like it—will she schedule them.
"Sigh… I may live my whole life without ever meeting her face to face, let alone interviewing her."
Her voice carried deep regret. For any journalist, an interview with the Hydro Archon herself would be the highest honor imaginable.
"A whole lifetime and still no chance? That's ridiculous!" Paimon said, stunned.
"Seems we can't rely on normal methods," Nolan sighed, rubbing his cheek.
"Well, if you just want to see Lady Furina from afar, there are ways…" Charlotte said with a small smile.
"What way?" Lumine asked curiously.
"Lady Furina has a well-known hobby," Charlotte explained. "She never misses a single trial. Whenever there's a hearing at the Opéra Epiclese, Lady Furina is always present.
"So if you wait until a trial is scheduled there, you'll be able to see her."
"…Wait, wait," Paimon interrupted, confused. "How do the words trial and opera house even go together?"
Even with her limited education, she knew that trials were supposed to take place in a courthouse, not a theater. Opera houses were for operas!
"That's just Fontaine's quirk," Lumine said with a sigh. "Didn't we ask Ningguang about this before coming? Sounds like you were too busy eating the snacks Baixiao and the others prepared."
Paimon shrank a little under her gaze. "Hehe…" She did vaguely recall Lumine asking Ningguang about Fontaine.
"That's right, it really is Fontaine's specialty." Charlotte adjusted her monocle and continued:
"In other countries, trials are solemn events, and holding them in an opera house would be unthinkable.
"But in Fontaine, watching trials is a pastime beloved by the people, like attending an opera. Some cases are more dramatic than operas themselves, with endless twists and reversals.
"To them, it's great entertainment.
"And while it may seem absurd, for Fontaine it's necessary. Seeing criminals convicted and punished strengthens the people's faith in justice.
"That faith, converted into Fonta energy, is what keeps Fontaine's many cities running."
"Well… each nation has its own ways. Outsiders really shouldn't judge," Nolan said with understanding.
"Exactly. So, as long as there's a trial, Lady Furina will be at the Opéra Epiclese. If you want to meet her, that's when to go," Charlotte concluded.
Nolan found this acceptable. All he needed was to see her—then he could find a chance to appear before her directly. He had the strength for that now.
"Got it. Then Charlotte, do you know when the next trial is?" Paimon asked eagerly.
"That I don't," Charlotte admitted. "But whenever a trial is scheduled, the opera house posts notices a few days ahead. When that happens, I'll let you know."
"Alright. Just leave a message at the Adventurers' Guild," Lumine nodded. "We'll be there almost every day anyway."
In every new nation, they always traveled widely and took commissions—it was the best way to explore, and to earn mora. Not that she was short on money with her guild shares.
"No problem," Charlotte agreed, nodding her pale chin.
Talking of the Adventurers' Guild, the group walked on until Katheryne's familiar figure came into view.
"Hi, Katheryne!" Paimon called brightly.
"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild." Katheryne greeted them with a gentle smile. "It seems you already know me well from other cities. How may I assist you here?"
"Hehe, nothing for now. We just arrived in Fontaine and wanted to look around," Paimon replied.
"I see. Then I wish you a pleasant journey through Fontaine. I'll be here whenever you need me," Katheryne said with a serene smile.
As it was getting late, the group chatted a little more, then left.
Paimon suggested dinner, and neither Nolan nor Lumine objected. To thank Charlotte for guiding them all day, they insisted on treating her.
Charlotte declined politely a few times, but in the end accepted, her favor rising slightly:
[Charlotte Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (360/500).]
After dinner, Nolan and his companions bid Charlotte farewell and returned to the Fairyland Wonderland Space.
It had been a long day. Lumine and Paimon, exhausted, went to bathe and rest.
Nolan, however, still had work to do—namely, farming EXP on the gray planet. He wondered how much the swarms had multiplied in a single day of "breeding."
With curiosity, he opened a portal and stepped through.
Like walking into another room, he emerged on the distant gray planet.
It wasn't large. Gravity was about a third of Teyvat's, with no oxygen or sunlight—no star nearby, only cosmic radiation.
Of course, that posed no problem for him.
By activating Noelle's favor skill, Wholehearted Guardian Shield, he could block radiation and other hazards perfectly. Even though his own body could endure it, there was no need to expose himself unnecessarily.
Shield active, he hovered a hundred meters above the ground and swept the land with his spiritual sense.
What he found surprised him. Despite yesterday's heavy culling, the swarms had not only recovered but multiplied further.
This "breeding" power… truly outrageous. These Stingers really can spawn endlessly!
He grew intrigued. Could any natural species truly reproduce so fast? Given food, they simply ate and spawned without end. On a living world, such creatures would mean catastrophe.
Fortunately, the gray planet was lifeless. Yesterday, while purging the swarms with his Lumine's Sword Gods, he'd confirmed there was no native life to be endangered.
And because it was uninhabited, Nolan decided to try a new method today.
A bow appeared in his hand—the old hunting bow once gifted by Draff. He stroked its string fondly, then drew upon Cryo energy to conjure an arrow of pure frost.
But he had no intention of clearing swarms slowly with arrows. Instead, he willed Amber's affection skill into being, and a Baron Bunny appeared.
At level 109, with Amber now at level 93, the summoned Baron Bunny's explosion packed the force of over 2.02 megatons of fiery destruction.
One bunny could devastate a radius of seven or eight square kilometers—far more efficient than sending Lumine's Sword Gods to carve through the bugs one by one.
(T/N: Go Go Mega Baron Bunny!)
(End of Chapter)
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