Richard never expected Furina's reason for saving money to be so simple and straightforward.
And yet, her method wasn't without merit. Compared to Fontaine's immature and unstable anti-gravity technology, Liyue's Jade Chamber, crafted with Adepti arts and built upon "Floating Stones", seemed far more reliable.
Furina also knew that the Jade Chamber had been continuously expanded over the years. From a small pavilion, it had "grown" into the massive floating palace that could now accommodate the Liyue Qixing's daily affairs, proving its potential to serve as the prototype of an airborne city.
At the very least, it was far more dependable than Fontaine Research Institute, which hadn't yet launched a city into the sky but had already managed to "ascend to heaven" in the literal sense by blowing itself up.
"But Lady Furina, how can you be sure that Liyue would even agree to sell it?" Richard asked.
"Because from what I know, the owner of the Jade Chamber, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, is a pure merchant at heart. As long as the price is high enough, and the reasons persuasive enough, I believe she might sell it to me."
Furina had long since sent people to gather information after learning about the Jade Chamber. Naturally, she had learned a few things about Ningguang. If the intelligence was accurate, then though it might be difficult to purchase the Jade Chamber, it wasn't entirely hopeless.
"Besides," she added, "wasn't the Jade Chamber half-destroyed not long ago due to the chaos caused by rogue gods? Rebuilding it will require a huge amount of mora. So even if Ningguang doesn't want to sell the chamber outright, she might be willing to sell the related technology to fund its reconstruction."
Her reasoning was sound. Given Ningguang's attitude toward Mora and the positive justification, the chance of such a transaction wasn't small.
But Richard frowned. "Even with the technology, there's no guarantee we can collect enough Floating Stones before the prophecy comes to pass."
Floating Stones, before activation, remained inert. Only through special Adepti methods could they be awakened to defy gravity and float skyward. These stones formed the foundation of the Jade Chamber.
They weren't exactly rare in Liyue; lanterns at the Lantern Rite were made from them. But finding a colossal one capable of supporting an entire city was extremely difficult.
The Jade Chamber itself had been built around a massive central Floating Stone, with smaller ones added in layers outward.
With Liyue's current reserves, even if Fontaine bought them all, they might only manage to build another Jade Chamber at best.
As for a floating city? That was a dream far out of reach. Even with Liyue pushing production at full speed, constructing such a city would take at least a decade.
But could Fontaine survive that long?
Signs made it clear: the prophecy's fulfillment was near. In as little as three years, or as many as five, the flood crisis would strike. Fontaine would sink beneath the waters, leaving only the Hydro Archon weeping alone upon her throne.
"I know a floating city isn't something that can be built overnight…" Furina sighed. "But right now, I don't have any better options."
"And the cost," Richard reminded her, "is astronomical. No amount of penny-pinching will ever save enough Mora for such a project."
Even if she stripped all civil servants of their welfare benefits, the savings would barely cover the cost of a floating latrine.
And she couldn't possibly cut everything. Trying to save enough to build a giant Jade Chamber was nothing but a fantasy.
Furina knew this, too. She nodded. "So the focus must be on earning more, not just saving."
If saving wasn't enough, then she had to find ways to make money.
But what kind of business could possibly raise the enormous sum required?
Everyone knew that earning money was harder than saving it. And she needed far more than pocket change.
"Do you have any good ideas?" Furina asked eagerly, her eyes fixed on Richard, while her hand quietly stretched toward the small cake in front of him.
Since she'd decided to prioritize revenue over frugality, there was no reason not to indulge in a little teatime.
But just as her fingers were about to touch it, Richard's knife and fork came down first, slicing off a neat piece.
Furina: "!!!"
Her apricot eyes widened in disbelief as she pointed at the cake, staring between it and Richard in shock.
"You, you, you…" She was so flustered she couldn't even speak.
Richard found her reaction amusing. With an easy motion, he pushed the fork forward, gently feeding the bite-sized piece straight into Furina's mouth.
"Mm!" Furina instinctively accepted it, the familiar sweetness bursting across her tongue and silencing everything she'd wanted to say.
'So delicious…'
She had this cake almost every week, yet somehow today's tasted different, better, even. Perhaps it was because it had been hard-won, like taking that first gulp of sparkling soda after enduring a long thirst.
But then it dawned on her: 'Wait, was I just hand-fed by Richard?!'
Her face heated up instantly. She snatched the fork from his hand and stammered, "I-I'll feed myself…"
She pulled the cake dish in front of her and quickly cut another bite, stuffing it into her mouth without a word. Her expression was taut, a faint mist of steam practically rising from her head.
But oddly enough, this second bite didn't taste quite as good as the one Richard had given her.
'Maybe… it's like that saying about soda: the first sip is always the best.'
No way it was because Richard fed it to her… right?
Trying to calm her racing heart, Furina's cheeks still held a soft blush, but her voice regained its usual fluency.
"Actually, I just thought of another way," she said, poking the cake with her fork while avoiding Richard's gaze.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Since the Palais Mermonia has no money, then let's get it from those who do." She pointed toward the window.
From this height, they could see the pristine streets of Fontaine's wealthiest district, home to less than one percent of the population, yet controlling seventy percent of its wealth and resources. The divide was only growing worse with each passing year.
The upper city's elites hoarded most of society's assets, while the lower city's residents survived on scraps, and the underground dwellers of the Gray River District were forced into backbreaking labor.
Such inequality fueled unrest and crime.
Furina's idea was to collect the funds for a floating city directly from the rich, not only to save Fontaine but also to ease the wealth gap.
The poor could be given work on the project, steering them away from crime. A win-win solution.
But how to make the rich hand over their mora?
"Indulgence vouchers?" Furina mused. "The prophecy says every Fontainian is born with original sin. If they pay me, the God of Justice, for a certificate of absolution, it makes sense… doesn't it?"
Richard shook his head. "If it has no real effect, those rich merchants won't buy it."
"And if it does work," Furina frowned, "then Fontaine would face serious problems."
"What about a 'lifeboat ticket'? Like insurance. If the prophecy comes true, it would guarantee survival. Some would pay for that."
"That's more plausible," Richard agreed. "But if the price is too high, they won't accept it. Too low, and it won't be enough to build a floating city."
"A deadlock, then."
"A deadlock indeed."
"What if we sell the concept instead?" Richard suggested. "Like how some developers sell apartments before they're even built. Even if the floating city doesn't yet exist, we could pre-sell property, shops, and residences on it. With the Palais Mermonia and your name as guarantors, and the allure of a city that will never sink, people will buy."
"That's brilliant!" Furina's eyes lit up. The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Yes, as expected, asking Richard was the right move.
"But one issue remains," Richard reminded. "Everything depends on whether Liyue agrees to authorize the technology. Without that, none of this works."
"They… should agree?" Furina said uncertainly.
"Which means there's still a chance of failure. That's why there's no need to rush. Let's wait for the negotiations first. In the meantime, we can focus on rebuilding the Institue."
When Furina frowned, Richard added: "The Institute may have been corrupt at the top, but not all its researchers were worthless. Even after losing two-thirds of its staff, its accumulated patents alone are a treasure trove."
"If used properly, those patents could become a fortune. The Ministry of Finance won't fund the Institute because they see no return. But if patents are used as collateral, they might grant a generous loan."
Furina's ears perked up. "Wait, the Institute's patents are actually worth a lot?"
"Very much so."
"Then why haven't they just sold them?"
"Because without the Palais Mermonia's approval, no one dares to sell or buy. Though technically a private institution, its research was always supported by the state. Selling its results without permission would be seen as embezzling national assets."
"Before, the Ministry of Education handled this. But everyone knows its current state, it's practically defunct."
"So if we approve it, the Institute can get the mora to restart, and we'd also gain a massive sum?"
"Exactly. But the authority must first be transferred from the Ministry of Education. The Administration doesn't yet have that power."
"Didn't you say the Ministry of Education is being restructured? Then, during the restructuring, we can seize that authority."
Richard had indeed told her this before, but she hadn't paid attention. Now she saw its potential.
"I can't guarantee success," Richard said carefully.
But Furina heard only confidence: 'No problem. It will succeed.'
"Then let's do it. I expect results this month."
Richard smiled, stood, and bowed. "Yes, Lady Furina."
Once again, he and Furina had reached an agreement.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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