The seventh episode of Reporting to Lady Furina had begun, continuing from the sixth episode.
Furina, emboldened by her recent victories, had grown arrogant and initiated this war against Ye.
On the table was a plate with fourteen meatballs and two skewers.
And so, the show began.
"Lady Furina, during my recent travels, I didn't just visit Inazuma—I also took a trip around Teyvat. And what I found truly surprised me."
"Oh? What could possibly surprise you?"
Furina skewered a meatball with her skewer, blew on it gently, took a small bite, swallowed, and smiled with interest.
"For our Supreme Bishop to say something like this is what truly surprises me."
Ye spoke calmly, "I've heard a saying: heroes shape the times, and the times shape heroes. Whenever the winds of change blow, the world becomes lively. It seems this world is no exception."
Furina raised an eyebrow after swallowing the rest of the meatball. "What do you mean by 'lively'? The Traveler? It's true—wherever she goes, that nation becomes lively."
"The Traveler is certainly one factor that livens up the world, but she's not the only one."
Ye also picked up a skewer and speared a meatball, but he didn't eat it right away. Instead, he looked at it and said softly:
"First, Inazuma gave birth to Sen'emon, who was born as the strongest. Then, Natlan produced a dragon girl stronger than any dragon. Next, Liyue saw the emergence of the Mountain and Sea Fairy. And now, a newcomer who had never been heard of before has risen to become the top-ranked Fatui Harbinger… Even Mondstadt and Sumeru, which seem the most peaceful, are hiding dragons and tigers."
After saying this, he finally ate the meatball, taking a bite before swallowing it whole.
Furina skewered another meatball, took a careful bite, and smiled. "Our Fontaine isn't lacking either, right? Aside from Astrea and the others, didn't you, the Supreme Bishop, recently defeat Inazuma's strongest? To be honest, I was quite surprised when I heard the news."
Furina swallowed the second meatball whole.
Ye also skewered a second meatball, taking a bite and savoring the hot, flavorful juice. "Lady Furina, do you not trust me?"
Furina looked at the remaining ten meatballs, hesitated for a moment, and then skewered the one closest to Ye. This time, she popped the whole thing into her mouth, biting down gently. The rich flavor filled her mouth, leaving her lips and tongue utterly satisfied.
Enjoying the delicious taste, Furina smiled contentedly. "I'm not surprised that you defeated her. What surprised me was that you actually did it."
"That's quite contradictory… though I think I understand what you mean."
Ye sighed, calmly skewering the meatball on the far right and eating it in one bite. Under Furina's watchful gaze, he took a bite before swallowing, his expression unchanged as he continued:
"I've never intentionally hidden my strength. It's just that there's never been a need for me to use my full power. Besides, defeating Sen'emon was mostly luck. The body I trained before coming to this world played a big role. If we fought again… I probably wouldn't be able to win next time."
Furina skewered a fourth meatball and glanced up at Ye, only to find him staring back at her intently, not letting his guard down for a moment.
She smirked, took another bite of the meatball, and the hot juice sprayed onto the tip of her nose.
But Furina didn't mind. Instead, she smiled happily. "What's the basis for that statement?"
"That woman is a true 'genius.' Her rate of improvement is so absurd it would leave anyone speechless."
Ye looked away from Furina's face and down at the seven remaining meatballs on the plate. After a moment's thought, he calmly skewered the one in the center and ate it, taking another bite.
It was hot, flavorful, and delicious!
"I once controlled Themis to fight her, and during the battle, she grew stronger every second. The sword techniques I used through Themis were things Themis herself didn't even understand, but she learned them at a glance and improved upon them with a second look—this kind of 'talent' is something even the heavens would envy."
"If even you say so, then I'll reluctantly acknowledge her 'genius.' But it's not really important anyway."
Furina replied absentmindedly, her eyes locked on the six remaining meatballs on the plate.
Then, in an instant, her right hand shot out, skewering a meatball and pulling it back to her mouth in one swift motion. She covered her mouth with her hand and swallowed it whole.
"Hic… By the way, who are the dragon and tiger you mentioned in Mondstadt and Sumeru? I've never heard of any dragons or tigers there before… You're not talking about the Anemo Archon and the Dendro Archon, are you? Hic…"
Furina, who had eaten too quickly, let out a cute hiccup and quickly drank some water.
Ye, however, completely ignored Furina's question and instead narrowed his eyes at her. "Lady Furina, this game was your idea. Isn't it a bit unfair to cheat?"
Furina patted her chest and blinked innocently. "Cheat? How did I cheat?"
"Alright, since Lady Furina seems to have forgotten, let me remind you."
Ye looked down at the plate, skewered a meatball, and ate it gently, taking a small bite.
"Lady Furina brought this plate of Dragon Pearl Delight today, saying it was for me to enjoy. I thought it would be nice to share this delicious dish, so I invited you to join me."
"You gladly agreed and made a rule that we would take turns eating one meatball each."
"Faced with a divine command, I naturally had to comply. So, I called Neuvillette over to act as our referee."
"Neuvillette, why don't you explain the rest to Lady Furina?"
The camera panned to Neuvillette, who was sitting nearby, sipping water. He spoke calmly:
"I covered the plate with a lid and randomly rearranged the meatballs. Then, I set the rule that no one could swallow a meatball whole—they had to bite into it to taste the juice inside. I now declare that Lady Furina has indeed cheated. As punishment, you must eat all the remaining meatballs."