Furina stared at her nearly depleted personal treasury, her heart aching.
As the Hydro Archon, her daily life was managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and she did receive a salary. Additionally, Furina occasionally earned money from her stage performances.
—That said, her personal treasury only held around a billion Mora. It was all casually saved over time, as her daily expenses were covered by the state. She rarely needed to spend her own money, so her personal funds were largely irrelevant—or so she thought. But this was her money!
Spending national funds versus her own savings were two entirely different matters!
The national treasury wasn't short on Mora. While spending hundreds of millions at once was a bit painful, Fontaine was wealthy. Trade with Sumeru alone netted billions annually, and Fontaine's booming commerce rivaled Liyue's, leaving ample surplus from taxes and investments like the Northland Bank.
Furina's extravagant spending wasn't due to ignorance—she knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to make Ye suffer and remind him to keep her happy, lest she spend even more recklessly. She had her limits.
In short, Fontaine's treasury could handle it.
But her personal savings?
Few knew this, but Furina was acutely aware she was a "fake" archon. Though retirement seemed distant, she might one day step down. If her deception were exposed and the people turned against her, her personal treasury would be her lifeline to flee Fontaine.
Now, half of it was gone—a loss of five centuries' worth of savings!
Why did I ever let him manage my treasury? What was I thinking?!
"Ye!"
Furina gritted her teeth.
Just you wait. This isn't over. I'll bankrupt you!
Wait—wouldn't that drain the national treasury, not Ye's pockets?
...Whatever! Bankrupt him!
With the launch of Version 2.0, Elysia went live as a streamer for the first time.
As the voice actress for Lumine (the Traveler), Elysia knew little about upcoming plot details. She wasn't involved in game development—her role was limited to voice acting and managing her streaming platform.
"Did you miss me? I missed you all~!"
"Ah, don't say such embarrassing things! Even I can get shy, you know?"
"As a kind and lovely girl, I'd love to chat more, but let's focus on the main event! I've been dying to explore Version 2.0's story."
"You think I know the plot? Of course not! You should complain to Kiana for me. Even though I voice the protagonist, I barely have any lines! How could I possibly know the story?"
"But not knowing makes it more exciting, right?"
"Psst—I heard from Tingyun that the Supreme Bishop will appear soon in Version 2.0. I'm sooo excited!"
"Do I like the Supreme Bishop? Of course! You have no idea how often he stars in my dreams~"
"What kind of dreams? Oh, you know… I couldn't possibly say~♪"
Elysia giggled, clasping her cheeks and swaying playfully. Though she wasn't lying, her theatrics made it seem like a joke.
「Lumine barely talks, but Elysia never shuts up. So out of character!」
Elysia pouted at the comment. "Blame Kiana and Paimon! Kiana gives me no lines, and Paimon hogs all the dialogue in-game. It's their fault!"
Grumbling, she logged into Genshin Impact, accepted a quest from the Adventurers' Guild, and headed to the Crux Fleet.
"I love Genshin, but I wish there were more cute girls. I even asked Kiana to add me as a playable character, but she refused! How cruel!"
"Someone as adorable, kind, and talented as me would be perfect in-game, don't you think?"
"Fine, I'll keep pestering her! Maybe she'll pair me with the Supreme Bishop as a couple~"
"Shameless? Me? No way! If anything, he's the one obsessed! Why else would he haunt my dreams? He must have some supernatural power!"
Elysia was a natural streamer. Within minutes, she'd charmed her audience, and her viewer count skyrocketed. But her excitement for Version 2.0 was genuine.
She adored Genshin Impact, and the Supreme Bishop's impending appearance in Inazuma thrilled her. After all, she had dreamed of him often—just last night, she'd envisioned her legs draped over his shoulders.
Elysia suspected these weren't ordinary dreams, but the idea felt too fantastical to take seriously. Still, she didn't mind. Handsome men had their privileges.
As the ship set sail, a cutscene played: crewmates bustling, the vessel braving thunderstorms, and Inazuma emerging from the storm's aftermath.
"Wow! It's breathtaking!"
Just like Mondstadt and Liyue, Inazuma's beauty lived up to the hype. Though previewed in trailers, experiencing it firsthand was magical.
"Don't rush me, everyone! I want to meet the Supreme Bishop and Ayaka too, but let's unlock Waypoints and Statues first."
Elysia swapped her party to Astrea, Themis, Longhua, and the exiled Kaedehara Kazuha. Why? Because every Kazuha-haver did the same.
And so, Version 2.0 began.