After a long day and night of traveling, they finally arrived at Fontaine's Romaritime Harbor.
Because this place bordered the desert region of Sumeru, it was usually rather quiet, with few people lingering near the docks.
However, with Port Ormos temporarily closed, the volume of cargo and passengers at Romaritime Harbor had surged dramatically!
Ships of all shapes and sizes were now densely packed across the port.
Some were simple wooden boats, others large cruise vessels.
They gently swayed upon the shimmering surface of the water, which sparkled like scattered jewels under the light.
Worth noting was that the entire Fontaine region rose about a hundred meters above sea level, making the massive and imposing waterfall the natural boundary between Fontaine and the outside world.
The waterfall roared downward with thunderous force.
At times, its noise could completely drown out both the mechanical sounds of the harbor and people's groans.
To reach the top of the waterfall—and thereby enter Fontaine—one had to use a special lift mechanism, which still took a fair bit of time.
At this moment, Lumine stood quietly at the dockside of Romaritime Harbor. She tilted her head back slightly, gazing at the lifting mechanism, the majestic waterfall, and the crowds going to and fro.
She couldn't help but exclaim:
"Wow, so this is Fontaine! The Nation of Hydro…"
Paimon, seeing Lumine's excitement, immediately floated closer, eager to offer a quick introduction.
"I heard Fontaine's industry is super advanced, and there are all kinds of strange machines around—"
Just then, Shao Yun clutched a lamppost on the dock, letting out low, miserable gagging sounds.
"Ugh—"
Lumine hurried to his side, patting his back gently.
"Shao Yun, are you okay? Come on, hang in there!"
Shao Yun forced his head up and croaked painfully, "I'm not a good sailor… we should've just crossed the desert and gone to Natlan for 'vacation' instead…"
Before he finished complaining, another groan echoed nearby.
Yanfei was in just as bad a state. One hand clutched her head, the other pressed her abdomen; she staggered as if the world were spinning.
"I can't do this anymore either… motion sickness is horrible. It feels like some monster is trying to burst out of my stomach…"
Seeing the two of them barely able to stand, Lumine quickly said, "You two rest here for a while. Paimon and I will go buy drinks or something for you."
Leaning against a crate, Yanfei mustered her fading strength and whispered weakly, "That's really… very kind of you, Lumine…"
Shao Yun, face still drained of life, waved them off. "Go on, be careful… I'll just… breathe…"
…
Shao Yun and Yanfei picked a few crates to sit on, collapsing into makeshift seats as they panted for relief from the torment of seasickness.
They sat quietly like that, for who knew how long.
Eventually, both of them felt their bodies gradually adjust as the dizziness eased a little.
At that moment, a sudden system notification popped up for Shao Yun, displaying his current status in Fontaine.
[Your current Reputation Level in Fontaine: 0]
[Higher reputation brings respect; lower reputation evokes fear.]
…
After resting for a while, still no sign of Lumine and Paimon returning.
To pass the time, Shao Yun and Yanfei began chatting.
Shao Yun's mind was still foggy as he asked, half muddled, "By the way, Yanfei, what did you come to Fontaine for again? Some kind of legal exchange conference between the two nations?"
Yanfei shook her head gently—her complexion pale and her voice weak. "No, it's private business that brought me to Fontaine…"
But she paused halfway, then added, "Still, now that you mention it, a Liyue–Fontaine legal exchange conference does sound pretty interesting. I'd love to attend one if it existed."
"I've dealt with Fontaine law before, but mostly commercial law. There's so much I don't know. Honestly, learning other nations' legal systems seems pretty important."
"I've only really studied Fontaine law in detail this past month. If there were a conference, I'd love to ask their legal consultants a lot of questions."
Shao Yun, still rambling to keep conversation going, asked, "So is it because you bought something from Fontaine and it turned out to be defective, so you came all the way here to file a complaint?"
Yanfei couldn't help but chuckle. "Aiya, what kind of expensive 'defective product' would I have to buy to personally come to Fontaine? Of course not, it's actually like this—"
Just as she was about to reveal her true purpose for visiting Fontaine, Lumine and Paimon suddenly returned, interrupting the conversation.
Paimon waved the half-finished bottle of Fonta in her hand excitedly. "Shao Yun! Yanfei! Look, we brought drinks back!"
"And guess what—we made two new friends!"
Shao Yun accepted the orange drink Lumine handed him. Hearing that they'd made "new friends," he froze.
"What? New friends?"
Paimon nodded enthusiastically. "Yep yep! New friends!"
Then she pointed behind her.
Shao Yun followed the gesture—only to see a striking pair of siblings standing there.
The older brother wore a magician's top hat and a fitted black suit jacket paired with a layered scallop-shaped court-style cravat that reached down to his waist, adding elegance and complexity to his look.
Below, he wore black stockings with garter attachments—a rare design for a male figure, adding uniqueness and flair.
Black dress shoes completed the outfit, matching the overall dark palette.
The younger sister had cat ears and a low ponytail.
She wore a fitted formal dress with a large bow on the back, giving her a delicate and charming appearance.
A teal bow at her collar contrasted sharply with the darker tones, adding a vivid highlight.
Her short black skirt resembled a double-layer ballet design, enhancing the elegance of her silhouette.
She wore black stockings and heels, echoing her brother's stocking design but in a more feminine style.
Just then, the boy in the magician's hat removed it with a playful flourish, revealing a bright smile as he greeted them warmly.
"Hey there! I'm Lyney, and this is my sister—her name's Lynette!"
Lynette, standing beside him, looked more shy and reserved. Her little cat ears drooped slightly as if embarrassed.
She lifted her hand gently, giving a few subtle waves as she whispered, "H…hello…"
Yanfei took a sip of her drink, the cool sweetness instantly refreshing her tired mind.
Smiling, she replied, "Hello! I'm Yanfei, a legal consultant from Liyue. Nice to meet you both."
Meanwhile, Shao Yun simply stared quietly at Lyney and Lynette.
His expression was cool and distant as he offered a bland, "Hello."
Lumine noticed immediately; she could understand Shao Yun's mindset.
After all, it was normal to be cautious around strangers in a foreign land.
So, she gently advised, "Shao Yun, you seem a bit too cold, you know. Since fate brought us together, it wouldn't hurt to be friendlier."
"And they're the ones who helped us find the vending machine. Otherwise, we wouldn't even know where to get these drinks."
Lyney stepped in to smooth things over with a sincere smile. "Don't worry about it. In a foreign land, being wary of strangers is only natural!"
He even smiled encouragingly at Shao Yun.
Shao Yun stared at him for a moment before his rigid expression softened a little.
"Hmm, smart kid. I'm Shao Yun—good to meet you."
With that, he hopped down from the old crate and walked toward Lyney, extending his right hand.
Lyney quickly stepped forward to shake it.
But the moment their hands met, Shao Yun's gaze sharpened as he murmured meaningfully:
"If we become friends, that's ideal. But if we become enemies… I'll make you regret it."
Lyney froze for a second, feeling awkward.
He forced out a smile and nodded rapidly. "Haha… don't worry! We'll definitely be good friends! C'mon, cheers!"
He clinked his Fonta bottle against Shao Yun's.
Shao Yun drank without hesitation.
Paimon, relieved the atmosphere hadn't collapsed, floated in with a grin.
"Shao Yun, you shouldn't treat everyone like they're bad guys."
"I mean, really—how bad could people we meet from now on be? Worse than the Eremites in the desert who murder people for fun? Or the Fatui who do human experiments?"
As soon as Paimon said the word "Fatui," Lyney choked violently on his drink.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
His face turned bright red, eyes watering.
Lynette immediately hurried to pat his back gently.
"Brother, are you okay? Does it hurt?"
Lyney waved weakly, still feeling the burning sting in his throat, forcing out, "I-I'm fine… just choked a bit… no worries… really…"
===BREAK===
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