"I cried?"
Lora froze. She withdrew her hand and lightly touched her cheek.
A cool, damp sensation lingered on her fingertips.
It was tears—without a doubt.
This was… probably the first time she had cried since coming to this world.
Hélie watched Lora standing there in a daze and asked softly, "Lady Lora, are you alright? Do you need me to call someone to help?"
Lora took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her chest, and replied, "It's fine. I was just a little overwhelmed. There's no need to trouble anyone else."
Seeing that Lora truly seemed all right, Hélie finally let out a sigh of relief. Still, she kept her attention firmly on her, afraid that something unexpected might happen. This was a task personally entrusted to her by Neuvillette—she had to carry it out perfectly, without the slightest mishap.
Lora lingered by the Fountain of Lucine for a while longer. Hélie couldn't quite tell what she was doing; she only saw a soft blue glow rise from Lora's hands and drift into the fountain's waters.
As a Melusine, Hélie could see things from angles invisible to humans. She saw the sorrow, grief, despair, and pain within the water being gently soothed, as if… the Fountain of Lucine itself were being purified.
Only after finishing did Lora turn to Hélie. "Let's go. We'll look around somewhere else."
"Alright!" Hélie nodded eagerly.
The two headed toward the Morte Region. After only a few steps, Lora suddenly stopped. She turned her head and looked toward the bushes behind them. The path was empty, but a tuft of blue-and-white hair was sticking out from the shrubbery.
Lora let out a helpless sigh, walked over, and personally hauled the person hiding there out into the open.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing!? I'm the Hydro Archon! This is a violation of Fontaine's laws—it's disrespectful to the Hydro Archon!" Furina complained nonstop as Lora dragged her out of the bushes.
"The laws of Fontaine don't apply to me," Lora replied flatly. She crossed her arms and looked at Furina.
"What are you staring at!?" Furina felt uneasy under Lora's gaze and instinctively took a step back, holding her arms defensively in front of herself.
Lora's expression gradually turned serious. "As the Hydro Archon, you followed me without any evidence that I was suspicious, infringing on my privacy. Isn't that the real violation of Fontaine's laws, Lady Hydro Archon?"
"Uh… I—I was just… curious!" Furina shivered, especially when Lora addressed her as "Lady Hydro Archon."
Strange. Why did that make her feel like this?
"Curiosity isn't a justification for breaking the law, is it?" Lora continued, looking straight at her. "Fontaine's laws don't state that a Hydro Archon's curiosity must be satisfied."
"Y-you… I… this…" Under Lora's gaze, Furina's momentum collapsed instantly. She retreated a few steps without thinking. "There's no such clause in Fontaine's laws…"
But she quickly forced herself to regain her composure. "Ahem! What are you implying!? I am Focalors, one of Fontaine's 'Seven Archons'! In Fontaine, my words are the law! Are you questioning me? In Fontaine, no one is allowed to question the Hydro Archon's authority!"
"Is that so?" Lora looked at Furina, a smile still on her face.
Seeing that smile, Furina's hastily gathered confidence crumbled again. "Y-yes… of course. What about it? Do you have a problem with that?"
"Of course not. I'm not questioning the Hydro Archon's authority at all." Lora's smile remained gentle as she deliberately softened her voice. "I believe that as in Fontaine's 'Seven Archon,' the god Focalors would certainly understand a mere mortal like me. I simply don't want anyone prying into my affairs."
Although Lora spoke with a smile, Furina felt inexplicably flustered listening to her. She hurriedly said, "D-don't talk like that! It sounds… weird…"
Lora blinked, then smiled. "Oh! I see."
Right—her mistake. No matter what, Furina was still her retainer. Speaking to her in that tone would naturally make her uneasy. She'd been enjoying herself too much at the Lantern Rite and hadn't reacted in time.
"What do you see?" Furina asked, completely confused.
Lora didn't explain. Instead, she said, "Hydro Arch—Furina. We're heading to look for a 'Local Legend.' Would you like to come along?"
"'Local Legend'?" Furina's eyes widened. She coughed lightly. "You're really going? They're incredibly dangerous! Even I, as the Hydro Archon, would find it hard to deal with them!"
Lora nodded. "Of course. I've finally come back to Fontaine—naturally, I want to see them."
"Th-then why are you inviting me?" Furina asked, puzzled.
"Because I'm scared too," Lora replied earnestly. "I want you to protect me. As Fontaine's Hydro Archon, you wouldn't mind protecting a tourist visiting Fontaine, would you?"
Furina frowned. "You're not allowed to hire the Hydro Archon in Fontaine."
"That's why I'm not paying you," Lora answered without hesitation. "If there's no money involved, it doesn't count as hiring, right?"
Furina: "..."
Seeing Furina's utterly stunned expression, Lora reached out and rubbed her head. "Alright, alright, I'm just kidding. I'll treat you to some desserts instead—how about that?"
"Don't touch my head! That's disrespectful to the Hydro Archon!" Furina waved her hands, trying to stop her. Despite her protest, she felt oddly conflicted inside—the feeling of Lora's hand in her hair was… surprisingly comfortable.
After Lora withdrew her hand, Furina cleared her throat with forced dignity. "Since you've put it that way, then this Hydro Archon will graciously protect you for a while!"
Lora nodded. "Thank you."
"But!"
Furina quickly added.
"When we encounter those 'Local Legends,' you're not allowed to get close. You can only watch from a distance! If you go any nearer, I can't guarantee your safety! They're all extremely dangerous!"
Hearing Furina's warning, Lora smiled and nodded.
"Mm, I understand."
With that, she directly took Furina's hand and led her—along with Hélie—toward the direction of the Local Legend, Rocky Aivelson.
Furina stared wide-eyed at Lora holding her hand, momentarily forgetting how to speak, and simply let herself be led away from the Fountain of Lucine.