Furina's posture was a monument to vanity. She stood with her spine arched, her chin pointed so high she was nearly staring at the ornate moldings of the ceiling. There was a certain glow about her, the kind that only came from a person who believed they finally held all the cards.
"My apologies, everyone," she began, her voice carrying that theatrical lilt she loved so much. "But I'm afraid I've found a new backer. A very... substantial one."
She adjusted her hat with a flick of her wrist. Her eyes shimmered with a smugness that bordered on the offensive.
'Look at her. She's practically vibrating with self-importance. It's almost a shame I have to ruin the mood.'
[Kael and Clorinde are slowly closing in.]
The sound of footsteps began to drown out her self-congratulatory silence. It was a heavy, rhythmic cadence. One set of boots was firm and grounded, the other light and dangerously precise.
Kael didn't look at the guards. He ignored the exits entirely. His eyes were locked on the girl center-stage, his expression a mask of calm indifference.
Beside him, Clorinde was a study in lethal grace. Her hand hovered near her weapon. Her thumb brushed the guard with a casualness that was more threatening than a drawn blade.
'She hasn't noticed yet. Or maybe she thinks her "new backer" is enough to stop us. Cute.'
The gap between them closed.
Ten paces.
Eight.
Furina's fingers twitched against the fabric of her sleeve. The triumphant curve of her lips faltered, just for a heartbeat, as the shadow of their approach finally touched her.
'There we go. The mask is starting to slip.'
The Silent Protest of a Blubberbeast
[Furina swallowed hard, her throat tight with nerves.]
[The Gardes finished their salute. Clorinde signaled with a sharp wave, leading the unit a short distance away to maintain a silent, watchful vigil.]
["Wait..."]
["Hey..."]
[Panic flickered across Furina's face as she watched her protection detail depart without a second thought.]
[She opened her mouth to protest, to call them back.]
[But Kael was already there, standing right beside her.]
[He looked down at the Blubberbeast, his voice low and steady.]
["Do you want to kill me? My friend..."]
[What?]
[Kill who?]
[Furina's body gave a violent shudder.]
[Over the last century, Kael had served as the Pope of Fontaine. It seemed he had less and less respect for her status as a god with every passing year.]
[At least, that was how the citizens saw it.]
[In the hearts of the people of Fontaine, the Pope's word carried more weight than anyone else's.]
[Even Clorinde, her own shadow, would dismiss the guards at a mere gesture from him.]
['He...']
['He wouldn't actually try to kill me, would he? I'm a god! Mostly. Sort of. Oh, Archons, he's going to bury me in the sand.']
[Fear surged through her, cold and sharp.]
[She pointed a trembling finger at Kael. "You... you, you, you! What are you trying to do?"]
["Hmm?"]
[Kael paused, looking at her with a hint of genuine confusion.]
["Lady Furina," he said, his voice flat. "I was simply translating the silent protest of this Blubberbeast."]
[Huh?]
[Furina froze.]
[Her mouth hung open in a tiny, perfect circle of disbelief.]
["What did you say?"]
["Look at it. Can't you see the tears in the corners of its eyes?" Kael smiled, though the expression didn't reach his eyes. "The sounds it was making... it was asking you a question."]
["'Do you want to kill me, friend?'"]
Arataki Itto: "This is weird. I don't see a single trace of a god in Furina. Not one bit."
Kamisato Ayaka: "She looks absolutely terrified... It's hard to watch."
Alice: "Hehe! Regardless of whether Furina is the Hydro Archon or not, Kael is fascinating. He can actually understand Blubberbeast language?"
Jean: "He spoke Hilichurlian in Mondstadt, and now he speaks Blubberbeast in Fontaine?"
Alhaitham: "It appears Mr. Kael is proficient in at least twenty different languages."
Nahida: "Wait, that many?"
Paimon: "Is it possible he's just making stuff up? Nobody knows what those things are saying. Maybe he's just trying to scare her on purpose!"
Ningguang: "From where I sit, it looks more like a probe."
Yelan: "You think Mr. Kael is testing Lady Furina? Seeing if she actually harbors any murderous intent toward him?"
Neuvillette: "..."
The thoughts of the crowd were spinning wild theories.
Kael was an outlander who had risen to become the all-powerful Pope of Fontaine.
There was no way he didn't know Furina's true worth.
That line... "Do you want to kill me, friend?"... might have been exactly what the creature meant.
***
Back at Kael's home, Furina sat with her legs pressed tightly together, rigid as a board.
This was bad.
Very bad.
It looked like her relationship with Kael in their past lives was a total disaster.
"You weren't really testing me, were you?"
"The moment you found out I had bad intentions, you were going to get rid of me."
"Weren't you? Tell me!"
Furina wrinkled her nose, her eyes welling up with a pitiful, wounded look.
The other three in the room were speechless.
Her current life was hard enough.
She hadn't expected her past life to be even more miserable.
In this life, she had endured five hundred years of loneliness without a single confidant.
But at least no one restricted her movements.
She could still go out and play with the little animals by the sea.
In that past life, it seemed she didn't even have that final luxury.
Lumine quickly forced a smile. "No, no. How could Kael ever get rid of you? Don't overthink it."
"It's all your fault, Paimon. Stop scaring her."
Paimon scratched her head, looking suspicious. "I'm just saying! Even if the Pope is powerful, he's just the Archon's proxy. He wouldn't actually kill you."
Kael nodded slowly. "Right. At most, I'd just keep you under tighter watch. Slowly turn you into a puppet who obeys my every command. After all, I still need you as a figurehead."
Furina: "..."
"Lumine! He's so mean! He's just bullying me! Aren't you going to do something?"
Lumine blinked her large eyes.
'Sister, if you're going to acknowledge my authority like that, then we really are best friends.'
She put her hands on her hips and stood up, glaring at Kael.
"Kael! Furina is a guest in our home."
"Bullying guests is wrong!"
Kael: "Wait, what?"
***
[The Blubberbeast was actually saying that?]
[Furina stood stunned for several seconds.]
[She caught Kael looking at her as if she were a complete idiot.]
[A flush of red crept up her cheeks.]
[She quickly cleared her throat. "Ahem! It's been nearly one hundred years since we last met. I didn't realize the Pope had become so skilled he could communicate with Blubberbeasts."]
["Did you really come all this way just to stop me from playing with a pet?"]
["Hmph."]
[Furina let out a cold, haughty laugh. "Don't forget who I am. I am the Hydro Archon of Fontaine. The one named Focalors."]
["You think I don't know what a Blubberbeast is thinking?"]
["I was merely teasing it."]
["Does the Hydro Archon truly need the Pope's guidance just to play with an animal?"]
[At the mention of Focalors.]
[Kael's face twitched.]
[The mask cracked for a fraction of a second, revealing something dark and ancient beneath the surface.]
[Then, it was gone. The smile returned.]
["Of course not."]
["I only came to inform Lady Furina that it is time to return to the Court of Fontaine."]
["A blonde Traveler will be arriving in Fontaine soon."]
["For your safety, it would be best if you didn't wander off during this time."]
[A blonde Traveler?]
[Furina had heard rumors of this person's exploits.]
The Harbinger of Chaos
[She is a person wanted by multiple nations, and she has made quite a name for herself in every single one.]
[However, what does the Traveler coming to Fontaine have to do with you, Kael, restricting my movements?]
[Furina was no fool. She could hear the sharp edge hidden beneath Kael's smooth tone.]
[She cleared her throat, trying to reclaim a shred of her dignity. "Ahem... yes, I have heard of that Traveler's reputation."]
["But this..."]
[Kael didn't let her finish. He cut through her words like a blade through silk. "Since the Hydro Archon has heard of the Traveler's deeds, then you surely know what follows in her wake."]
["When she was in Mondstadt, Mondstadt suffered the dragon disaster."]
["When she was in Liyue, Rex Lapis fell from the heavens."]
["In Inazuma, the land bled from the wounds of a civil war."]
["And when she was in Sumeru..."]
[Kael leaned in, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "I heard that because of her, the deity of Sumeru was locked away by her own subjects."]
Lumine: "Kael, that is a complete lie! We went to Sumeru to save Nahida, not to get her locked up!"
Kael: "Relax, Lumine. That's my past self talking. He's clearly twisting the truth to rattle Furina's nerves."
Arataki Itto: "Wait, is the Hydro Archon trying to act tough again? She was literally vibrating with fear a second ago. Now look at her, trying to talk back."
Kuki Shinobu: "It is a curious shift in her demeanor. She seems to be searching for a foothold."
Nahida: "When she brings up her title, I think I understand her heart. She isn't blind to Kael's games. She knows exactly what he is doing to her."
Zhongli: "Precisely. Lady Furina is acutely aware of her situation. She knows Kael is weaving a cage around her, one polite word at a time."
Yae Miko: "Awareness without agency is its own kind of hell. Poor little Hydro Archon. I bet she spends her nights curled up on her bed, sobbing into her pillows when no one is watching."
Raiden Ei: "Miko. Do not judge the Hydro Archon so casually. You do not know the weight she carries."
Furina: "Aha! I see it now! My past self was playing the long game. I was acting to make Kael lower his guard. I was gathering strength in the shadows to reclaim Fontaine!"
Arataki Itto: "You? Smart enough for a long game? I don't see it. You look like you're about to trip over your own cape."
Furina: "What? You don't?"
Furina: "I mean... if a meathead like you could see through my plan, how could I possibly hope to deceive Kael? He's the Pope! I had to be convincing!"
Paimon: "Classic Furina logic. Why does that actually sound convincing for a second?"
Neuvillette: "..."
'What has gotten into her? It is as if she has found some invisible pillar of support. Her ego in this chat is reaching critical mass.'