It took quite a while before Lyney finally caught his breath again, though his voice still sounded raspy.
By now, Shao Yun and Yanfei had both downed an entire bottle of Fonta, and the seasickness that had been tormenting them had eased significantly.
As their conditions steadily improved, the atmosphere among the group grew much lighter.
Lyney took the initiative, chatting with them as though they were old friends.
"So, you all came such a long way to Fontaine—are you here for sightseeing?"
Yanfei offered a cheerful and straightforward explanation: "Me? I'm actually here on a commission—handling some private matters."
Meanwhile, Shao Yun replied calmly, "Lumine, Paimon, and I are simply here to relax. Just a vacation."
Lyney blinked in confusion. "Vacation? You mean you didn't come specifically to meet Lady Furina?"
His gaze drifted between Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon, as if trying to read their expressions.
Hearing that, Shao Yun's eyes narrowed slightly. His tone sounded amused, yet probing. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"
Lyney remained completely unfazed.
He casually shrugged, then lifted his right hand, pointing toward the railing near the lift platform atop the distant steps.
"Well, look over there. It seems Lady Furina has been watching you all."
"And… I don't know exactly when it started, but she's been staring at you three without looking away."
Following Lyney's pointing finger, Shao Yun, Lumine, Paimon, and Yanfei all looked in that direction.
Sure enough, a girl stood upon the railing.
Her hair resembled flowing white jellyfish tentacles, graceful and luminous. She wore a blue-and-white ceremonial dress, exuding an air of refined nobility.
From afar, she looked like an elegant orchid blooming upon water—ethereal, poised, and awe-inspiring.
Paimon's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Eh?! That's… the Hydro Archon?! But how did she know we were coming… Shao Yun! Was this your doing?"
She shot him a suspicious look.
But Shao Yun quickly shrugged, shaking his head with a helpless expression. "Hey now, this has nothing to do with me! Must be Liloupar's divine intervention. Definitely not my doing."
Once she realized they had finally noticed her, Furina—never one to waste an opportunity—launched into her dramatic introduction.
"Rich or poor! Those with goblets or those with empty hands—raise your cups high! And if you have none, then raise your arms instead!"
Her voice rang crisp and melodious like a heavenly chorus, echoing across the entire port.
Immediately, the bustling harbor fell silent. People stopped whatever they were doing and looked toward her.
Then—boom!—a wave of thunderous cheers erupted. The crowd surged forward, excitement radiating from every face.
Pleased by the spectacle, Furina smiled brilliantly and continued, "As you can see, foreign travelers have arrived in my nation. Come—let us offer them our blessings! A toast to the traveler from afar and her companions!"
Paimon stared wide-eyed. "Ehh!? Don't tell me this grand welcome is… for us?!"
Lumine nodded thoughtfully. "It looks like… it really might be."
Furina gazed down at the crowd with theatrical confidence.
She planted both hands on her hips and proclaimed, "I've long heard rumors that you two caused chaos across multiple nations. Yet I still welcome you—no, I personally come to greet you."
After a dramatic pause, she added, "Fear is the conduct of small minds. As a god, I do not abide by such pointless caution. You may rest assured—your devotion is clear to me."
"An audience serves to better appreciate my power and authority. Wise, very wise. Clever individuals always gather beneath the correct banner."
Then, spreading her arms wide, she shouted in a captivating voice, "Welcome, noble guests from afar! Welcome to the Nation of Hydro!"
"Here, I—Focalors the Great—shall personally recognize the extraordinary worth and profound meaning of your journey! Let your joyful cheers resound without restraint!"
Yet despite the grandeur of her speech, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon simply exchanged blank looks.
Paimon muttered quietly, "Honestly… I thought the Hydro Archon would send her guards to block us at the border and ban us from entering."
Lumine nodded. She and Paimon had mentally prepared for the worst—being turned away. Fortunately, their worries seemed unnecessary.
Yanfei overheard them and smiled reassuringly. "You two shouldn't have trouble entering. Unless it's Shao Yun, of course. With the title of 'General of Watatsumi Island' hanging over his head, he might attract extra attention."
With that, Yanfei narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and glanced up at the Hydro Archon.
She murmured with curiosity, "So this is the Hydro Archon? Aside from the Geo Archon himself, it's my first time seeing another nation's deity…"
"But describing your journey as 'chaos and bloodshed' feels a bit exaggerated, doesn't it?"
Shao Yun thought bitterly: Exaggerated? Not even close.
Like Miss Nicole from the Hexenzirkel once said—he had punched the Anemo Archon, insulted the Geo Archon, killed the Electro Archon, almost killed the Dendro Archon…
If "Yae Miko's employee" hadn't saved the Dendro one, that could've ended badly. So, calling his track record "chaos and bloodshed" was practically an understatement.
And this deity was still welcoming them? That was miraculous.
Furina suddenly felt an odd gaze fixed upon her. She instinctively turned—and froze.
That gaze came from Yanfei.
Furina let out a confused little squeak. "Hmm? Hm!!?"
She stared wide-eyed at Yanfei—the unexpected fourth traveler she had not accounted for.
Everything she meticulously planned was thrown off, though she forced herself to look composed.
Inside, she screamed silently:
"Wait—when did an extra person appear?!"
Despite her moment of panic, she held onto her pride, pretending everything was perfectly under control as she addressed Yanfei:
"You there, traveler from afar—who might you be?"
Yanfei stepped forward calmly, replying with professional poise, "Hello, Lady Hydro Archon. My name is Yanfei, and I am a legal consultant from Liyue."
Furina's expression didn't change—but internally, she was spiraling.
"What?! A legal consultant from Liyue?! Did these three somehow know my plan in advance and bring backup to counter me?! Are they trying to intimidate me?!"
"Great, perfect! The performance is ruined!"
She took a deep breath, forcing her heartbeat to slow, and hyped herself up internally.
"No, Furina! You must not panic! This is Fontaine—your territory! Your stage! You cannot falter!"
At that moment, Paimon—ever observant—noticed a subtle shift in Furina's demeanor.
"Huh? Weird… why does it feel like the Hydro Archon suddenly got less intimidating? Just a minute ago she looked super scary and commanding…"
Meanwhile, Shao Yun had no intention of picking fights. He was here to relax, after all.
So, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted up at Furina:
"Hey! Lady Hydro Archon! How about we find a restaurant or something? Sit down and talk calmly, yeah? Anything can be settled peacefully!"
What he meant was:
Let's talk.
Then you go your way, I go mine.
We don't owe each other anything afterward.
Whatever she later chose to tell others about the meeting didn't concern him.
But Furina completely misinterpreted the gesture.
Instead of appreciating the friendliness, she decided Shao Yun must be easy to push around—and immediately leaned into it.
With arms crossed and chin lifted proudly, she spoke in a self-satisfied tone:
"Oh? Could it be you wish to admire my stunning beauty up close?"
"Well, that's understandable. As a god, I attract the eyes of all wherever I go~"
Shao Yun watched her preen dramatically on the high railing.
His lips twitched. Then he sighed and quipped dryly:
"I'm more worried that if a gust of wind hits you and you fall, it'd scare some poor kid walking by."
"And I really don't want to imagine what the Fontaine branch of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would look like."
Furina snapped out of her narcissism immediately, bristling back into arrogance.
"Hmph! I am the Hydro Archon! This height is nothing to me!"
Seeing she had taken the bait, Shao Yun decided to tease her more.
Still expressionless, he said, "You're the Hydro Archon, not the Anemo Archon. You can't fly. Gravity still works on you."
"And that's solid ground down there. You're not the Geo Archon—landing face-first probably hurts."
He paused—then added another jab:
"Of course, if you can jump straight from there into the harbor without causing a huge splash, I'll admit you're impressive."
"Just don't splash water onto everyone's clothes. You'd have to pay for all the drying fees. And honestly? I doubt you can afford it."
"Because every Archon I've met so far… has been broke."
Arms crossed, Shao Yun waited, thoroughly entertained, for her reaction.
===BREAK===
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