[Lumine and Paimon originally intended to head to the Opera Epiclese with Lyney's help to see what the Hydro Archon actually looked like.]
[However, just as they were about to move, Clorinde appeared before them with a squad of the Gardes, lining the path.]
[Immediately after.]
[Furina appeared on a high platform, strutting with her slender legs in a swaggering manner.]
["Eh!"]
[Paimon instantly felt Furina's extraordinary presence and looked at Lumine in a panic: "Is that the Hydro Archon? How did she know we were coming..."]
[Furina was very satisfied with the surprised expressions on Paimon and Lumine's faces.]
[But she did not address them directly.]
[Instead, her gaze turned toward the surrounding citizens of Fontaine.]
["My people, the wealthy, the poor, those with wine glasses or those with nothing at all, raise your glasses! If you have none, use your arms instead!"]
[Ohhh...]
[Clap clap clap...]
[Seeing Furina suddenly appear, the surrounding citizens of Fontaine also clapped their hands excitedly.]
[They enthusiastically welcomed their Hydro Archon.]
[Seeing this, Furina became even more proud, puffing out her chest as she looked at Lumine and Paimon: "As you can see, a strange Traveler has come to my nation."]
["Come, let us offer them our blessings. A toast to the Traveler from afar and her companion!"]
[Lumine and Paimon were stunned by the passionate atmosphere around them.]
[Although she was considered Fontaine's mascot, she seemed quite popular in the eyes of her people.]
["I have long heard that you two have stirred up storms in several nations, but I still welcome you."]
["Oh, no..."]
["I must come to greet you in person."]
["After all, fear is the action of a minor character. As a noble deity, I will not become cautious just because I heard rumors about you."]
["But, you can rest assured. I see your piety clearly."]
["You wish to seek an audience with me to better admire my power and Authority."]
[Furina crossed her arms over her chest, her entire body radiating a confidence stronger than anyone else's.]
[One could even say she was overconfident, her ego beginning to swell.]
["Of course, this is very wise."]
["Smart people always gather under the correct banner."]
[Facing Lumine, who had already been shocked into silence.]
[Furina was extremely satisfied. She spread her arms wide and announced loudly: "Welcome to the nation of Hydro. I, the Archon Focalors, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, Furina, shall acknowledge the value and meaning of your journey. Now, you may cheer to your heart's content!"]
[Lyney: "..."]
[Lynette: "..."]
[For a moment, the siblings didn't know how to explain the current situation to Lumine.]
[Clorinde was even more troubled, holding her forehead in silence.]
[According to Kael's instructions, the matter of welcoming the Traveler only required making them realize that Fontaine welcomed and respected them...]
'The only requirement was to introduce them to Furina as soon as possible.'
'The most important thing was to find out the Traveler's specific purpose for coming to Fontaine.'
'Additionally, if necessary, they needed to be placed under surveillance.'
'Unfortunately, Furina didn't seem to understand Kael's intentions.'
'She had gone ahead and made such a grand, ostentatious display.'
'Clorinde couldn't stop her, but she knew Furina simply wanted to flaunt her status as the Hydro Archon of Fontaine in front of them.'
'Perhaps, this was exactly the outcome Furina desired.'
Kaeya: "Is Furina sending a distress signal to Lumine?"
Diluc: "Are you suggesting she wants to use Lumine's hand to get rid of Kael?"
Arataki Itto: "Hahaha, this is killing me! She wants help, but her attitude is even more arrogant than Lumine's."
Lisa: "She has to emphasize her status as the Hydro Archon in every other sentence. I don't understand what she's trying to do."
Klee: "But I think the Hydro Archon big sister is very interesting and cute!"
Fischl: "Mhm, her presence is quite formidable."
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Stirring up blood and storms in several nations... Haha, she's repeating Kael's words back to Lumine."
Yae Miko: "Such a disobedient god. She's having her fun now, but I wonder what kind of treatment she'll face once she gets back."
"Uh..." Paimon was speechless, but she still turned to look at Lumine.
"I didn't expect to meet the Hydro Archon of Fontaine the moment we arrived."
"This is much faster than in the previous four nations."
"It's just... why do I feel like this Hydro Archon is trying a bit too hard?"
At that point, it would have seemed quite rude not to respond to Furina's welcome.
Paimon hurriedly asked, "Lady Furina, how did you know we were coming to Fontaine?"
Furina rested a hand on her hip.
"Oh, I understand. Outlanders inevitably have some vulgar perceptions," she said with an air of self-importance.
"But do not forget, there are mediocre gods and there are exceptional ones. It is perfectly understandable that you are astonished by my brilliance."
"On that note, perhaps you should reflect on whether you truly possess the character and etiquette required to communicate with a deity."
"For me, gathering information on you required nothing more than the flick of a finger. Nothing could be simpler."
'Hehe, did you really think I wouldn't know anything without you, Lord Pope?'
'I am the prestigious Hydro Archon. Is it too much to have a few intelligence agents? Not at all.'
Paimon and Lumine stared silently at Furina, who stood on the high ground.
Paimon covered her mouth and whispered to Lumine, "Whoa, her attitude is so arrogant..."
Lumine nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and she keeps emphasizing her status as a god..."
Kaeya: "Alright, I take back what I said. There was no deep meaning behind Furina's actions."
Zhongli: "This is the first time I have seen such a high-profile deity. To do all this just to flaunt her status as a god..."
Hu Tao: "Exactly! She's nothing like our consultant. To hide his identity as a god, he staged a death falling from the sky. I didn't know back then, but if I did, I would have dragged him to the Liyue Qixing to discuss whether Wangsheng Funeral Parlor could handle the Rex Lapis's funeral arrangements."
Jean: "She's also unlike the Anemo Archon of our Mondstadt. Even if he were standing right in front of you, you'd never associate him with the Anemo Archon."
Lisa: "Maybe she's being squeezed so hard by Kael that she's just venting?"
Paimon: "Not at all! In this life, when we met Furina, she was just like this. It probably has nothing to do with Kael. It just feels like she's added a bit of a desire to show off against him."
Furina: "Hey, there are so many people here! Give me some face!"
Yae Miko: "Pfft, that line really broke her character. Our Lady Hydro Archon seems quite adorable after all."
Kujou Sara: "When did she become 'your' Lady Hydro Archon?"
Yae Miko: "Just chatting, don't be so serious."
Seeing that Paimon and Lumine had no reaction at all, Furina froze.
'Could it be that the welcoming ceremony wasn't enough?'
Furina truly didn't know what else to say.
Paimon and Lumine just stared at her silently, offering no response whatsoever.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned incredibly awkward.
"This..."
'It's over. If I had known it would be this awkward, I should have followed Clorinde's plan and met them in the office.'
'I need to think of a way to fix this, and fast.'
'Otherwise, who knows what he'll say about me again.'
Paimon: "Eh? Furina, were you thinking that back then too?"
Clorinde: "I don't know, but I suspect not. After all, in this life, there were no arrangements from Mr. Kael. Everything was Lady Furina's own decision."
Arataki Itto: "Her momentum vanished instantly!"
Kamisato Ayaka: "Is she worried about being criticized by Mr. Kael after messing up? Sigh... Poor Hydro Archon..."
Fortunately, more and more onlookers were gathering.
Driven by the desire for a spectacle, the citizens assumed Furina was about to duel the Traveler.
Their excited discussions reached Furina's ears.
Furina instantly regained her spirit.
"Ahahaha! Calm yourselves, my people!"
"Just as you have imagined, I have indeed resolved to engage in an epic duel with this Traveler from a foreign land!"
What!
The expressions on Paimon and Lumine's faces changed instantly.
"This... we're starting just like that? Isn't this moving a bit too fast?"
Paimon couldn't help but complain.
Having traveled through four nations, she had never experienced anything this ridiculous.
Seeing this, Lumine didn't say a word. She stepped back and drew her longsword.
This scene immediately startled the Gardes, who rushed forward to surround them.
Clorinde drew her musket and longsword, her gaze sharp. "What do you think you're doing, Traveler?"
"Are you trying to insult a god in front of the people?"
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Furina immediately panicked.
'It's over, it's all over. It looks like I'm going to mess this up.'
'Clorinde will definitely report everything that happened today to that guy.'
'No, I have to think of something quickly.'
Furina's eyes darted around the room before suddenly locking onto Paimon.
"Hehe, I've got it."
~✦~ End of Chapter ~✦~
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