Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
After Shao Yun rode away from the Palace of Alcazarzaray, he urged his horse toward the Avidya Forest, unable to stop himself from grumbling along the way.
"In a situation like that just now, why didn't you warn me in advance?"
A system dialogue box popped up.
[If Nahida truly intended to kill you, I would definitely have warned you. But she didn't. So why would I need to remind you?]
Seeing this line, Shao Yun's expression grew even darker.
He muttered anxiously to himself, "I practically wiped out all of her Aranara kin, and I even stabbed her once! How can you be so certain she wouldn't want to tear me to pieces?"
The system proceeded to explain its reasoning in detail.
[First, those Aranara didn't die—they merely turned into seeds. Given enough time, they will grow back.]
[Second, her thirst for knowledge and curiosity about altering fate mean that, for now, Nahida won't make a move against you.]
[However, it's still best to avoid contact with her. If she truly wished it, she could prevent you from ever leaving Sumeru. But because you have a very capable brother-in-law, consider yourself fortunate.]
Hearing this, Shao Yun couldn't help but let out a complicated smile. He murmured, "So that's how it is… thanks, brother-in-law."
His words sounded both contemplative and tinged with a hint of helplessness.
…
At the same time, in a temporary camp belonging to the Abyss Order, a seemingly trivial yet oddly amusing incident was taking place.
"Achoo!" Aether suddenly sneezed.
Seeing this, Enjou, who stood nearby, hurried forward and asked with concern, "Your Highness, are you… feeling cold?"
"Shall this subordinate kindle a warm flame for you?"
Aether looked at Enjou in his Abyss Herald form and smiled helplessly as he replied softly, "With you by my side, how could I possibly feel cold?"
"It's just… I miss my sister a little. I wonder how she's been lately."
Hearing this, Enjou understood the prince's concern for his blood relative and immediately demonstrated the reliability expected of an excellent subordinate.
"Your Highness need not worry at all! I personally went to check on them earlier. Your kin and your kin's beloved have been living quite comfortably lately!"
"In Fontaine, they spend their days fishing and shopping—leisurely and carefree beyond measure!"
Upon learning that his sister and brother-in-law were doing so well, Aether let out a long sigh of relief, tinged with a faint trace of jealousy.
"Is that so…? Sigh, I'm a little envious now."
…
Palais Mermonia, Furina's room.
Furina had someone prepare an extra serving of breakfast and personally brought it to Eula—her concern was unmistakable.
Seeing Furina and the breakfast she carried, Eula felt completely overwhelmed. She never imagined she would one day be waited on by the Hydro Archon herself.
Compared to Eula's flustered reaction, however, Furina appeared perfectly composed.
She said this was only what she ought to do—if she were to ignore Eula entirely, word would get out, and then she might as well not live anymore.
No matter what, deep down, Eula felt immense gratitude toward Furina for personally bringing her breakfast.
She reached out to take the utensils Furina handed her and began eating the meal.
Just then, Shao Yun walked in, carrying Eula's two-handed greatsword in his arms—the very weapon that Dori had taken earlier and that he had just redeemed: Song of Broken Pines.
When Shao Yun reached the bedside, he set the greatsword upright against the wall and said calmly, "Your greatsword—I've helped you get it back."
Eula froze mid-chew, staring at the familiar weapon in disbelief.
It wasn't that she was surprised to see her beloved sword again. What truly shocked her was that less than an hour had passed—how on earth had Shao Yun managed to redeem the weapon she sold in Sumeru?
"How did you get it back? I mean, I sold it in Sumeru! Even if you're incredibly fast, how did you manage a round trip between Fontaine and Sumeru in just one hour?!"
Shao Yun didn't explain the details. Instead, he calmly credited everything to Furina.
"How I went to Sumeru isn't important. What matters is that Furina generously paid to help me redeem the weapon you sold. So shouldn't you thank her properly first?"
Before Eula could respond, Furina herself was already stunned.
"Huh? Me?"
Shao Yun, without batting an eye, continued to fabricate his story with complete composure.
"When I went out earlier, I happened to run into Furina. I told her about how you sold your weapon to cover your travel expenses to Fontaine."
"She immediately showed great compassion and handed me three million Mora, instructing me to redeem your weapon no matter what. If it wasn't enough, she told me to come back and get reimbursed!"
At this point, Shao Yun paused slightly, then vividly imitated Furina's tone and demeanor.
"Mr. Shao Yun, I—the Queen of All Waters, All Lands, All Peoples, and All Laws—hereby implore you: no matter how much Mora it costs, you must redeem Eula's weapon intact."
"Otherwise, the waters shall weep for me, and the rain shall echo my sorrow."
Shao Yun's portrayal was so vivid, and his imitation of Furina's mannerisms so convincing, that Eula completely believed him, firmly concluding that Furina had paid for the redemption herself.
Filled with gratitude, Eula sincerely thanked Furina.
"Thank you so much, Miss Furina. I don't even know how to repay you."
Seeing Shao Yun praise her so enthusiastically, and faced with Eula's heartfelt thanks, Furina showed no embarrassment at all and instead put on a perfectly justified expression.
"There's no need for such formality. You were injured because of me—by all rights, as a god of a nation, I should compensate you. This is the recompense of water!"
Seeing Furina getting into character, Shao Yun pressed the advantage and continued, "And there's even more good news you wouldn't expect. The Hydro Archon not only redeemed your weapon—she's also prepared a generous gift for you."
Hearing this, Eula's curiosity, already piqued, surged instantly.
"A generous gift?"
Shao Yun dropped the bombshell casually. "Furina plans to grant you fifteen billion Mora as medical compensation. Well? Surprised enough? Unexpected enough?"
However, upon hearing that staggering number, Eula felt not joy but pure shock.
Fifteen billion—she wouldn't even dare dream of that much money!
She immediately began to suspect that Shao Yun had accidentally mixed up the units.
"Generous gift… how much? Fifteen billion? Are you sure you don't mean fifteen million?"
She then turned her head toward Furina, seeking confirmation.
Furina hadn't expected Shao Yun to announce it so quickly—she hadn't even figured out how to explain it yet.
But as a seasoned performer with outstanding acting skills, Furina instantly displayed astonishing composure.
From initial panic, to confidence, and finally to full Archon-level gravitas—
"Well… is there a problem?" she declared. "This Hydro Archon has always been clear in rewards and punishments. You risked your life for me—what is a mere sum of Mora in comparison?"
Hearing Furina's impassioned words, Eula was left utterly stunned.
Even after confirming she hadn't misheard, she still felt uneasy and overwhelmed by such an astronomical sum.
If it were one or two million Mora, Eula would have accepted it without hesitation—she nearly died protecting her, after all.
But over ten billion? She wouldn't dare dream of that.
Deep down, she even began to wonder whether this money was Furina's way of buying her life.
After an intense internal struggle, Eula took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and looked Furina straight in the eyes.
"Thank you… but I can't accept this. It's far too much. Such a huge sum—I…I don't dare take it…"
Eula was panicking. Furina was panicking too—honestly, if it were her, she wouldn't dare accept that much either.
At that moment, Furina shot Shao Yun a frantic look, signaling: You caused this mess—think of a solution!
After a brief moment of thought, Shao Yun spoke up.
"Well… since Furina has already decided to give you this money, you should accept it with peace of mind. If you keep refusing, wouldn't that be disrespecting her?"
"If word got out, others might think you're looking down on Furina's care and concern."
Hearing this, Furina immediately seized the opportunity and put on a commanding air.
"That's right! Eula, are you saying you look down on me?"
"If I don't give enough, people will think I, the Hydro Archon, am stingy and mistreat my guards. Then who would be willing to serve me in the future?"
Faced with the two of them working in tandem—half coaxing, half deceiving—Eula ended up nodding dazedly and accepted the enormous sum of Mora.
Seeing that Eula had finally taken it, Furina let out a huge sigh of relief. Giving away over ten billion Mora—she wouldn't even dare act that out on stage!
Then, for reasons unknown, a thin mist formed in Eula's eyes.
Slowly, it condensed into crystal-clear tears that slid down her pale cheeks, leaving visible trails.
"Thank you…" Her voice trembled slightly, tinged with a sob she couldn't suppress.
This sudden crying caught Furina completely off guard.
"H-Hey, don't cry! Shouldn't you be happy?" Furina asked anxiously, waving her hands in an attempt to comfort her.
Eula shook her head and wiped away the tears that kept welling up.
After a while, she finally calmed down a bit, though her emotions still ran deep.
"It's nothing… I'm just… really moved. To be treated so well in a foreign land…"
Seeing Eula like this, Shao Yun felt a complex mix of emotions rise within him.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something—but no words came out.
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to excuse himself.
"I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll head out now," Shao Yun said, turning toward the door.
Furina quickly echoed him, "Yes, yes—Eula, get some good rest. I'll head out too."
With that, she hurried after Shao Yun, leaving Eula alone on the bed, quietly overwhelmed with emotion.
…
After leaving the room, Furina couldn't help replaying what had just happened.
She was honestly terrified—if she hadn't reacted fast enough, she might not have caught Shao Yun's cue at all.
Thinking about it, she turned to Shao Yun with a hint of complaint.
"What were you doing back there? I hadn't even figured out how to explain it yet, and you just blurted out the fifteen billion Mora. I almost couldn't keep up!"
In response to her grievance, Shao Yun replied, "Come on, didn't everything turn out fine in the end? Eula didn't notice anything strange."
"You didn't spend a single Mora, and you even earned a reputation for being considerate to your subordinates—yet you're still complaining?"
Hearing this, Furina, who had been about to continue complaining, stopped. After thinking it over, she realized he wasn't wrong.
So, she swallowed the rest of her complaints.
Soon after, she asked again, "Putting that aside—where did you even get that much money?"
Shao Yun gave the same answer as before.
"Don't ask. The real question is, how should I hand those fifteen billion Mora over to you? I'm worried that if I take them out here, I'll flood the corridor—and then you'll have to pick them up one by one."
Seeing that Shao Yun was genuinely determined to give Eula the money in her name, Furina's imagination ran wild with a bizarre idea.
"You didn't… preemptively take Lumine's Adventurers' Guild commission rewards, did you? Wouldn't that be basically selling her off?"
Hearing this, Shao Yun's face twisted once again.
First, she suspected he was using Lumine's hard-earned savings; then she accused him of robbing a bank—and now she was saying he'd practically sold Lumine!
Sure, the bank robbery part was true—but the fifteen billion Mora had been a gift from Arlecchino, not stolen!
Expressionless, Shao Yun raised three fingers and began counting down.
"Three… two…"
Seeing that Shao Yun was serious this time, Furina immediately panicked and begged for mercy.
"Wait, wait, wait! I'm sorry, I won't say nonsense anymore! You're not really going to hold it against me, right?"
She clasped her hands together, putting on a pitiful expression.
Seeing how frightened she looked; Shao Yun couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
But on the surface, he kept a stern face and snorted coldly.
"Good. At least you know better."
===BREAK===
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