The matter of Furina becoming a great director met no skepticism within the film crew; instead, it garnered profound admiration.
Yet among the crew, there were those who rejoiced and those who panicked.
However, Furina, immersed in the emotion of bringing her beloved story to perfect cinematic life, failed to notice.
Compared to these trivial matters, clearly Themis' task of calming Furina's nerves took precedence.
Because Raiden Ei... the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma had arrived in Fontaine.
After a day of exhausting filming, the weary Furina returned to Palais Mermonia.
Yet awaiting her was neither Focalors nor Themis.
Seeing the purple-haired woman seated in her office, Furina seriously considered fleeing immediately.
Neuvillette! Neuvillette!
Aren't you really abusing your position for personal grudges?!
It's not like I made you handle mountains of official documents during that Inazuma trip, leaving you running around like a headless chicken and sleep-deprived at night!
Focalors, look at the mess you've created!
Furina wanted to cry but no tears came. Inside her heart, a cat wailed as she stared at the Raiden Shogun's expressionless face and her emotionless deathly gaze. Moving like a mechanical puppet, Furina walked stiffly toward the Shogun, her limbs moving in unison.
This foolish child has been frightened senseless by the Raiden Shogun.
She hadn't been afraid before, but now she feared being slashed to death by the Shogun's blade—because Furina felt guilty!
Raiden Ei observed the younger Hydro Archon's persona through the Raiden Shogun's eyes.
She had learned most of Fontaine's situation directly from the Traveler herself.
But no one had warned her that Fontaine's new Hydro Archon would be so... well, so unconventional.
Remembering those two books from Inazuma, Raiden Ei suddenly felt a familiar darkness cloud her vision.
Her gaze grew complex as she stared at Furina, trying to peer through the face identical to the Hydro Archon's divine essence to discern what kind of nonsense Focalors was constantly thinking.
After all, Raiden Ei had directly intervened to stop the Shogun.
Otherwise, her first meeting with Furina... no, counting the previous award ceremony, this would have been their second encounter, and that second meeting wouldn't have been so peaceful.
Raiden Ei hesitated, her expressionless face gradually becoming complicated as emotions began to color her thoughts.
The Shogun remained clutching her Musou Isshin, seemingly unwilling to release it anytime soon.
As the creator of the Shogun, Raiden Ei had no doubt that the first action the Shogun would take upon logging in would be to slash at Furina before her.
Just contemplating this horrifying possibility, Raiden Ei could only mentally apologize to the Shogun.
She would never allow the Shogun to log in at this moment.
If by some accident Furina were to be killed, just thinking about Themis' face—identical to the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles—would give Raiden Ei a headache.
Under Raiden Ei's oppressive and authoritative gaze, Furina—already feeling guilty—grew even more frightened. Her eyes darted about as she wondered why Themis wasn't coming to rescue her, or why Focalors wasn't arriving to clean up her mess.
In the bright and spacious office of the Hydro Archon, the Raiden Shogun and the Hydro Archon sat on opposite sides of the same table, facing each other in wordless confrontation.
Just as Raiden Ei was about to speak, Furina—unable to bear the weight of her conscience and guilt any longer—cried out:
"Let me make this clear! It was all Focalors' doing! I had nothing to do with it—!"
"I was just accompanying her on a trip to Inazuma! The novel and everything else? I only found out about that later!"
"I-I'm innocent!" Cat cried, tears streaming down her face. Furina opened her eyes wide, her innocent gaze practically begging to be let down from Focalors' shoulders to prove her innocence.
Raiden Ei: "..."
The Hydro Archon's divine essence might have unique neural pathways, but even her personality's emotional intensity was striking. Now it made sense why she'd written those three novels.
With such volatile mental states, compounded by five centuries of oppressive circumstances, it's no wonder she'd been suppressing herself all this time.
Ah, come to think of it, Focalors was really in the wrong here.
How could a god deceive even her own personality?
Though driven by Celestia's oppressive will and personal helplessness, seeing Furina endure so much suffering truly filled the Archon with concern and affection.
With a gaze tinged with pity and Raiden Ei's features softening like a movie star's, Furina found herself at a loss. Though bewildered, she mentally cheered at the unmasked shift in Raiden Ei's emotions—Yes! Finally distracted her attention away from me.
Though the Raiden Shogun Beelzebul now wore an expression akin to a young mother's, it mattered little. When Furina confronted Focalors—the true culprit—later, that maternal tenderness would likely evaporate.
These past days had thoroughly acquainted Furina with Focalors' insidious nature, where venomous schemes flowed as freely as poison.
Observing Raiden Ei's earnest demeanor... Furina couldn't help but worry that Focalors might completely bewitch her.
As mutual sympathy filled the air, the office door swung open again.
Themis had arrived, summoned by news of Furina and Raiden Ei's encounter. Beside her stood Focalors, yawning incessantly with eyes half-lidded.
"Everyone's here now," Focalors mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she leaned against Themis. The truth was, she had no desire to move.
But since Raiden Ei had come specifically to visit, staying away would have been impolite.
Settling beside Furina, Focalors continued to rub her eyes.
Ahem. Furina hastily coughed twice and nudged Focalors with her elbow, reminding her to maintain proper decorum in formal settings.
However, Furina clearly didn't understand the nature of gods. Human etiquette meant nothing to divine beings.
"Beelzebul, welcome to Fontaine. How was your journey?" Focalors asked with a smile, her face as pure as a jasmine flower. The combination of her innocent appearance and divine attire was utterly deceptive.
Even though Raiden Ei knew the god's mental state was somewhat concerning, it didn't stop her originally somewhat critical expression from softening.
"Fontaine differs from Inazuma. The city's appearance seems quite advanced. As fellow gods, I should learn more about how you govern your realm."
As the saying goes, there's no end to learning. Raiden Ei wasn't about to let pride get in the way of seeking knowledge.
Being praised by such a senior figure, Focalors became completely smug, completely forgetting that Themis and Neuvillette had been doing all the hard work for years.
Neuvillette was one thing - he'd become a tool dragon as soon as he entered human society.
But Themis was the real problem. She used to be a naive university student, you know!
People, do you understand the pain of being forced to become a workaholic by a lazy bum?
"This visit to Fontaine has been most enlightening."
"If it's possible..." Raiden Ei stared at Focalors Cat like smiling face ◕⩊◕, hesitating as she carefully chose her words. "Could you please avoid mentioning my personal life in your book?"
The main issue was that some believers took it all too seriously!
Over the past few days, countless Inazuma Narukami devotees had been scheming daily before her divine statue, plotting to stage chance encounters with her.
They envisioned her descending like a celestial heroine to save them, but the problem was—why did they all insist on attracting creatures like Hilichurls or even vicious bandits to chase them down?
At first, Raiden Ei was utterly bewildered. But how could she possibly abandon her followers to certain death?
If her people perished before her divine statue, it would be a profound disgrace.
After much consideration, Raiden Ei finally tore through the aether to save the first victim.
Then... she truly understood what it meant to be utterly drained.
After reading the novel and being vigorously promoted by the saved believers, her workload skyrocketed hundreds of times over.
This trip wasn't just about Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, urging her to take a break. Raiden Ei herself desperately needed respite.
Look, I've already left the country. Can't you guys stop playing these dangerous games at my statue?
That's a novel, not reality!
Don't mistake fictional storylines for real life!
What? You say someone was personally saved before, so it can't be fake.
Raiden Ei's heart skipped a beat.
"Past is past, present is present! Stop using old stories to justify current behavior!"
"Besides, I'm just one god. I can't teleport across all of Inazuma's statues simultaneously!"
"Can't you believers spare me some peace of mind?"
Raiden Ei could only hope that by the time she returned to Inazuma, these incidents would be completely eradicated.
Come on, miko. Whether we can stamp out this bad behavior depends on you!
She'd never doubted Yae Miko's administrative capabilities, but she'd also underestimated the miko's penchant for causing trouble.
When Raiden Ei finished her Fontaine trip and returned to Inazuma, she found people looking at her with even stranger expressions.
Ahem, let's not stray from the topic.
In short, the current issue was the Raiden Shogun's secret visit to Fontaine to meet with the Hydro Archon.
All the elaborate welcome preparations at Palais Mermonia had become utterly pointless.
Neuvillette was still serving as a document-processing dragon when Raiden Ei followed her nose straight to the Hydro Archon's office.
Dragon nearly bristled with irritation, but Beelzebul remained motionless on the sofa, her strange gaze fixed unwaveringly on him.
Neuvillette's brow furrowed deeply. Yet, out of respect for the Raiden Shogun and basic social courtesy, he ultimately only asked her to wait here in a polite tone.
As he stepped out to find Focalors or Themis, coincidentally, Furina arrived just then.
Considering Furina was part of the Hydro Archon's domain, holding equal status, having her converse with the Raiden Shogun instead of Fontaine could be seen as a suitable match.
When Furina and Raiden Ei locked eyes in a tense standoff, Neuvillette knew Furina wouldn't last. The moment he left, he rushed to the top floor of Palais Mermonia to summon reinforcements.
One must say, Neuvillette's foresight was truly remarkable.
What malicious intentions could a quiet, well-mannered little water dragon possibly harbor?
Focalors and Raiden Ei engaged in friendly conversation, though Focalors did most of the talking.
As the wisest Oceanid and Egeria's last hope, Focalors' intellect was beyond question.
Focalors, having found a topic of interest in sweets, described the desserts and cakes Furina had eaten with such vivid enthusiasm that it made Raiden Ei's eyes sparkle with anticipation. Though she'd never tasted them, the visual description alone filled her with longing.
The Raiden Shogun could see the sparkles in Raiden Ei's eyes - all for a mere dessert? Was it really worth this much excitement?!
The Raiden Shogun couldn't comprehend it, finding the reaction somewhat exaggerated. She kept shooting icy glares at Focalors, the mastermind behind this. If looks could kill, Focalors would have paid dearly for writing that slanderous yellow book.
"Oh, Beelzebul, shall I show you around?" Focalors suggested with a smile, her large eyes sparkling mischievously as they darted about, clearly hatching another scheme.
Themis, who knew Focalors well, silently hoped Beelzebul wouldn't catch on. Ahem, she hoped Beelzebul would keep getting tricked... ahem, well, it didn't really matter.
The main concern was that if Focalors went too far, it might provoke Raiden Ei's embarrassed anger, which would be truly problematic.
Though Raiden Ei appeared clumsy and naive, she was undeniably a brilliant engineering prodigy with exceptional learning capabilities.
Moreover, her emotional intelligence was remarkably high, though her occasional gullibility made her easy to deceive.
Raiden Ei gave Focalors a meaningful gesture, and the latter immediately understood. She would undoubtedly take Beelzebul on a thorough tour of the new Academy.
If they could coax Beelzebul into sharing more about mechanical engineering, that would be ideal.
Raiden Ei found Focalors quite amiable, personally guiding her through Fontaine's Academy.
Seeing the innocent, almost foolish demeanor of Raiden Ei, Themis felt a twinge of guilt. Was it right to manipulate the lonely Ei like this?
However, after a few seconds of self-reproach, Themis's guilt vanished completely.
They hadn't tricked Raiden Ei; Focalors simply thought she'd be interested in the Academy and wanted to show her around.
As for what Raiden Ei might think or do after visiting, that was none of Themis's concern.
Besides, when it came to technological innovations, weren't Rene and Jacob already handling things at the Academy as part of their punishment?
Even without Jacob, there was Rene to ruthlessly exploit.
Rene required no wages, no food, no rest. He worked twenty-four hours a day without pause, calculating relentlessly. His sole devotion was to Fontaine—so committed that even offered respite, he'd refuse.
Themis leaned back, laughing. Heavens, what kind of Teyvat employee would move a boss to tears?!
Doubt, comprehension, becoming, surpassing—
At least no streetlight hanging here.
That was Themis's relief.
I need a high-IQ workhorse. Rene needs me to provide a position where he can realize his value and save the world. What a coincidence—we both win!
As for what Rene and Jacob (who observed Rene's corporate drudgery) truly thought, Themis neither cared nor wanted to know.
-
Watching Raiden Ei's icy face melt under Focalors' charm, Furina stared at the retreating figure. Her expression grew complex.
You look so cold and unyielding—how are you so easily tricked?!
Distracted by sweets, she hadn't even made Focalors promise not to write that unofficial history about the Raiden Shogun's harem before being swept away.
In just a short time, Focalors' deception skills have grown exponentially!
What Furina didn't expect was that even the Raiden Shogun Beelzebul had a sweet tooth.
This shared interest made Furina's fondness for Beelzebul skyrocket.
Especially after learning that Focalors had made up the entire history of the Raiden Shogun's romantic affairs, Furina felt pity for Beelzebul's plight.
Focalors, you're truly despicable!
Focalors retorted, "I'm a God, so of course I'd do what Archons do!"
What Archons do? Is that writing smut to slander other Archons' love lives?!
Furina couldn't comprehend it, but she was utterly shocked.
She stabbed her fork into the blueberry cake before her, replenishing her sugar levels.
Being a big director is exhausting, you know!
Especially when you're about to rest and suddenly get startled by the Raiden Shogun. Furina nervously smoothed her hair and let out a long sigh.
After Raiden Ei had completely left the office and her figure was no longer visible, Furina, holding a small cake, her eyes sparkling, was just about to happily take a bite...
A hand reached out and snatched away the plate containing the blueberry cake.
"Furina~"
Themis called out softly, her eyes brimming with teasing amusement.
"Did you forget I'm still here?"
Facing the Regent who was nearly forgotten, Furina stared at her smiling face, wanting to cry but holding back tears.
Already exhausted to the point of death today, could I really die from overwork?
"No!"
"Give me back the cake first."
Before collapsing from exhaustion, Furina chose to become a cake-stuffed corpse!
Seeing her pleading eyes, Themis relented and returned the cake.
The unexpected ease of retrieval left Furina in a daze, but who cared? Her cake was back - happiness!
Themis was equally delighted. She reached out, smeared some cream, and painted Furina's mouth.
"Furina loves cake so much. No wonder you were so sweet yesterday."
Blinking, Themis watched Furina's face flush with embarrassment, chuckling softly.
After making Furina lick off the cream, Themis gently stroked the still-trembling ahoge on her head.
"Alright~ You've worked hard. Finish eating and rest quickly. We have work tomorrow."
Furina turned away, slightly flustered. "I know."
"Remember to brush your teeth and wash your face before bed."
"I'm not a child anymore."
Furina pouted and whined a bit, her cheeks puffed in dissatisfaction with Themis's attitude toward children.
Regardless of how you look at it, they were... well, husband and wife? Ah, wife and wife!
"Alright, you're not a child."
Since Furina had said it, even though Themis hadn't really thought of her that way.
After all, if Furina were truly a child, Themis would have felt a bit guilty.
After comforting Furina, Themis kissed her cheek again.
Furina was sweet and soft, with a milky fragrance.
Due to her long seclusion at Palais Mermonia, combined with the curse from Focalors, Furina's skin had become fair and tender, surpassing even that of a baby's.
Her eyes were round and bright, clear yet hinting at a touch of foolishness.
Generally speaking, when people see Furina like this, they can't help but feel overwhelmed with maternal love, right?
Unfortunately, Themis didn't feel that maternal love.
Instead of maternal love, she felt more like the urge to smother a particularly cute kitten with kisses.
And this cat was her wife!
She can kiss her freely, and they can do whatever they want together.
However, after indulging in excessive desires earlier, Furina clearly seems a bit afraid.
After eating the cake, she fled the scene immediately, not daring to listen to Themis' words anymore, fearing she might be tricked into staying. By the time she realized it, it was already too late.
Furina ran faster than a rabbit, using her once-in-a-lifetime full potential to just run away... it was really...
Themis didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and she touched her own face. I'm not that scary, am I?
There were really quite a few things to do next, mainly regarding Snezhnaya's side, where they were coming to request an Harbringer.
Tartaglia had expressed wanting to spend more time with his master.
But given Skirk's silent and reserved demeanor, there probably wasn't as much desire to interact with him as Tartaglia imagined.
Stretching lazily, Themis found herself in a rare moment of nothingness. As for Furina, it was best not to scare her anymore.
She decided to go out alone and take a walk to clear her mind.
As she pushed open the office door and passed Neuvillette's office, she found the young man deep in the midst of handling the utterly pointless Raiden Shogun's Welcome Ceremony.
She could only mentally cheer Neuvillette on from afar.
The child has grown up; it's time to learn how to work hard on his own.
The weather today was decent enough, though occasional dark clouds drifted by before tremblingly flying away.
Themis had thought she might need to send a few Melusines to flutter around Neuvillette again.
Now there was no need for such trouble - how wonderful.
The adult dragon had learned to control his emotions, which was such a great progress for Fontaine.
Neuvillette's small step meant Fontainians no longer needed to fear forgetting their umbrellas' big step.
What Themis hadn't expected was encountering Lumine walking with Chevreuse on the street.
To be honest, when Lumine saw Themis strolling on the street, she was also somewhat bewildered.
How strange. She saw Zhongli's street-slicker shadow in Themis for no reason.
But logically speaking, shouldn't Furina have returned to Palais Mermonia by now? Why had Themis come out instead?
Based on Lumine's past experiences, she felt something was off—super off. Could it be that the young couple was having a spat?
Lumine's pupils widened, but seeing Themis' usual gentle smile, she realized she might be overthinking things.
"Ah, it can't be helped. Furina is a bit tired."
"Focalors went for a walk with the shogun."
As if reading Lumine's thoughts, Themis approached and preemptively explained before Lumine could ask.
"Oh, so it's not a lovers' quarrel."
Lumine sighed in relief, but under Themis' amused gaze, she suddenly felt self-conscious.
Paimon stood nearby, munching on street snacks like fried chicken and French fries. Her cheeks bulged like a hamster's, reminiscent of Furina with cake stuffed in her mouth.
Lumine curiously poked Paimon's cheek. "Don't you get full eating so much?"
Paimon swallowed her food with a determined gulp and replied earnestly, "Not at all! I've got a bottomless appetite!"
When it came to eating, Paimon's confidence knew no bounds.
"Alright, alright, let's switch to a more lighthearted topic."
"Are you enjoying your time on set?"
"It's fun, but also exhausting. I've been holding that camera the whole time... Still, it's been quite entertaining."
Lumine sighed, feeling drained yet satisfied. Director Furina's standards were truly relentless - any minor mistake meant starting the scene over from scratch.
In her pursuit of cinematic perfection, Furina's control over details was absolute.
After their grueling workday, the exhausted Lumine and Paimon emerged to find sustenance.
Unexpectedly, they encountered the unannounced Themis.
"The clapperboard is quite fun! The rhythmic tapping feels satisfying!"
Compared to Lumine's workload, Paimon's role had been relatively easy.
The only discomfort came from not calling out "Cut!" during clapperboard strikes - Paimon felt it robbed the process of its dramatic flair!
"Wait, Themis, did you just mention 'Ei' earlier?!"
"Has Raiden Ei already arrived in Fontaine?" Paimon suddenly realized and urgently asked.
"Yes, not only has she arrived, but she's been here for quite some time. She appeared with a sudden whoosh, nearly giving Neuvillette a heart attack."
Paimon recalled how the Raiden Shogun had suddenly materialized at Palais Mermonia, then considered Neuvillette's status as the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. She couldn't help but chuckle.
"No wonder Neuvillette was startled. A sudden appearance like that can be quite frightening."
"Speaking of which, Themis, shouldn't you be accompanying Focalors?"
"When the Raiden Shogun visits Fontaine, it's only natural for Focalors, as the Hydro Archon, to handle the negotiations."
In other words, this wasn't the Regent's responsibility, so she could take a break.
Besides, Raiden Ei had clearly come for Focalors. What need was there for her to be present?
"Oh, I see," Paimon nodded, though she didn't fully grasp Themis's true intentions. Still, she nodded along.
As they conversed, a figure approaching from a distance caught Themis's attention.
"Ah, isn't that Chevreuse?"
"How was today's musket training?"
Chevreuse looked at the Traveler and Paimon, a hint of exasperation on her face. It seemed they hadn't informed her about their temporary change in duties.
"Madam Themis, my musket training went exceptionally well."
"However, due to certain special circumstances, I've been temporarily added to the cast as one of the two main characters."
As Themis listened to Chevreuse's words, she observed the expression in her eyes and sensed genuine happiness.
"I see. That's good. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"Anyway, just trust Lady Furina's guidance."
"After all, Lady Furina is a renowned artist from Fontaine, a master of both art and virtue who has graced our nation for five centuries."
Themis believed no praise could be excessive when speaking of Furina's talents.
Chevreuse clearly agreed wholeheartedly with the Regent's words.
However, her presence here today wasn't about this matter.
"Speaking of which, regarding the Two Musketeers, I have some official business to discuss."
"Do you remember my request from yesterday?"
Chevreuse sighed, watching Lumine and Paimon standing there clueless. Have they completely forgotten?
Under Chevreuse's gaze, Paimon racked her brain before finally remembering the forgotten matter.
"Oh no! We were having so much fun, we completely forgot!"
Paimon grabbed Lumine's arm, looking somewhat guilty.
Themis's curiosity was piqued. "What official business? Can you tell us about it?"
The truth was, Chevreuse had been too preoccupied with Furina and Focalors' sweet and soft charms to pay much attention.
When the Regent spoke, Chevreuse saw no reason to hide. After all, the Regent naturally deserved to know about this matter.
"Here's the situation, Lady Themis," Chevreuse began, speaking with utmost respect.
The case of the two Musketeers from the novel had overlapped with a real-life Musketeer incident.
"The modus operandi is too similar," Chevreuse explained. "After committing the crime, they leave a rainbow rose at the scene to tell the nobles we've returned."
"Hmm..." Paimon pondered. "So our initial lead should be to contact the author for more information?"
"Should we continue investigating along the musket line?"
"Logically speaking, if it's muskets we're dealing with, they should all be under unified management," Themis said.
"The only places to obtain muskets are certain restricted areas or through imitation production."
Paimon latched onto Themis' words. "Restricted areas?"
"Areas where underworld figures secretly conduct their dealings."
Themis' straightforward explanation immediately clicked with Paimon, who suddenly recalled a major blunder from their time in Liyue.
"When we first met Zhongli, we actually mistook him for an underworld figure. Thinking about it now, it's rather embarrassing," Paimon said, scratching her head.
"Oh? I wasn't aware you had such amusing encounters with Zhongli," Themis remarked.
"It was all a misunderstanding," Lumine interjected.
"However, since you're still busy, I won't keep you any longer."
"Huh? Wait, Themis! You weren't investigating with us all along?!"
Paimon watched as Themis turned to leave, her voice filled with surprise.
Lumine was equally taken aback. Based on their previous interactions, they'd expected Themis to thump her chest and declare her intention to investigate with them!
"Don't look at me like that. I'm a Regent, true, but Chevreuse is the one handling the case, isn't she?"
"Besides, if I were to intervene, it might alert the snake in the grass. What if we scare the culprit away, making them vanish without a trace?"
"Uh... you do have a point. Themis, your face is simply too recognizable."
Paimon sighed. She'd hoped for a quick resolution, but it seemed they'd have to conduct a proper investigation from scratch after all.
"Rest assured, Chevreuse is a young and capable captain of the Special Task Force."
"Her administrative capabilities are no less than mine."
Chevreuse felt Lady Themis was being too humble. While her abilities were indeed commendable, Themis had served as Regent for five centuries without a single mistake. This level of professional competence was simply beyond comparison.
After repeatedly assuring Lady Themis that she would not disappoint, Chevreuse hastily led Lumine and Paimon away under Themis' smiling gaze.
Chevreuse marched forward with renewed vigor. Inspired by Lady Themis' encouragement, she felt brimming with energy to solve the case swiftly and restore Fontaine's order!
The Raiden Shogun had already arrived in Fontaine for her state visit. The timing of this incident during her stay was particularly irritating for Chevreuse.
What annoyed her most was the unexpected complication. Nevertheless, the case still needed to be resolved promptly. If the Raiden Shogun from Inazuma were to find out, it would become a laughingstock, damaging Fontaine's national prestige and casting a shadow on the Hydro Archon, the God of Justice herself!
Watching Chevreuse's resolute figure receding into the distance, Themis sighed wistfully. How wonderful it is to be young.
Unlike her, who had barely worked for five centuries and was already nearly exhausted.
Especially after resolving Fontaine's crisis, she felt that perhaps being a Regent wasn't worth it.
However, while Fontaine no longer faced immediate threats, given the current trajectory of Teyvat's story, they might suddenly find themselves thrust into a final battle for the world's destruction at any moment.
Therefore, strength remained crucial - she needed to grow stronger quickly.
She couldn't figure out what the System had been up to lately. Even when she harassed it, there was no response, though to be fair, it had never been particularly responsive before.
Still, she could sense subtle differences.
For instance, Themis had been having recurring dreams about the Imaginary Tree.
Strange... I keep dreaming about charging at the Imaginary Tree.
No, not just the Imaginary Tree's branches, but the actual tree itself. And I think I slapped some blonde thing in the dream.
The dreams were illogical yet felt disturbingly real.
Thus, Themis concluded that either her System had gained new functionality or developed a new vulnerability.
So, with the System remaining silent or failing to provide any prompts, Themis found herself growing increasingly anxious.
"Hey, System, is there really no faster way to boost my power?"
Having been sent on a trip to Honkai Impact 3rd 1.5 and then returned, Themis kept her concerns unspoken, but inwardly she was terrified - the massive blow to her strength had left her shaken.
The System's screen flickered, presenting Themis with a progress bar.
Watching this snail-like loading speed, she relived the agony of internet buffering from bygone days.
Why does this System even have a network card? she thought. What kind of hellish conditions have you been through to end up this slow?
The stuttering progress bar was unbearable to watch - not even remotely smooth. She decisively closed it.
Handing the case over to Chevreuse and Lumine, Themis felt confident they could handle it.
She then checked on Focalors.
The New Academy's location was situated far from the Old Academy's site.
There was no choice - the explosion range in the original timeline had been much smaller than the current version.
This was Alice's own design - a Pyro-enhanced version personally planned and constructed by her!
However, when Themis recalled the explosion at the Academy—the deafening blast she could hear even from the Opera House—her fists clenched involuntarily. Alice should pray she never crosses paths with Themis!
At the entrance of the New Academy, Miss Skirk was diligently constructing decorative tail fin structures.
Tartaglia, the cheerful young master, sweat glistened on his brow as he worked under the sun—of course, he was moving bricks.
He carried the bricks, while Skirk mixed mortar and laid the walls.
Watching their master-disciple pair work with such seamless coordination, it was clear they'd grown completely accustomed to this routine.
Unfortunately, Tartaglia's joyful days with his master were coming to an end.
"Master, I'll miss you!"
Having received urgent orders from Snezhnaya—the command coming from The Jester himself—Tartaglia tearfully waved goodbye to Skirk.
He would cherish these carefree days with his master!
Carefree, indeed. Moving bricks was certainly more pleasant than fighting for survival against monsters in the Abyss.
Now only Skirk remained at the construction site. Themis gave her some words of encouragement.
"I must admit, when it comes to human wickedness and exploitation, the Abyss truly pales in comparison."
Skirk stared expressionlessly at Themis. Her eyes, once indifferent, now held no trace of emotion. Yet paired with her blank face, one could sense her deep resentment and silent rebellion.
Themis remained silent. What could she say? Tell Skirk that she accomplished less than one-tenth of the work Rene did?
To put it in perspective, Rene now had to manage research at the Academy, oversee urban planning and architectural design, organize festivals, deliver lectures at Fontaine School, contribute articles to The Steam Bird, handle land management, and more. All these responsibilities had been dumped on Rene's shoulders.
Moreover, Themis had even demanded he develop the internet quickly.
As for that world concept... it could be used, but just in case Rene developed any radical ideas, someone needed to keep an eye on him.
However, when it came to the internet, everything else took a backseat.
Once the internet was established, all those other tasks would become trivial!
To meet the Regent's demands, Rene bore an overwhelming burden of pressure.
Originally, the purple-pink Little Droplet had never possessed the height or physique of a normal person. With no hands to speak of, Rene diligently and tirelessly pursued his research work.
Jacob served as Master Rene's assistant, but he wasn't the only one.
After all, the advancement of research required both materials and funds.
When Focalors brought Raiden Ei to the New Academy, she immediately sensed its grandeur and magnificence far surpassing expectations.
However, while Focalors' eyes lit up at the sight, Raiden Ei remained uninterested in such superficial matters.
Instead, she found herself captivated by the researchers' projects within.
Hearing the Hydro Archon was coming for an inspection, every researcher poured their full energy into their work, determined to make a good impression on the divine ruler.
Yet when Focalors brought Raiden Ei to the facility, the researchers seemed somewhat bewildered by her presence.
Raiden Ei observed the small gadgets they were creating - some were inventions to improve daily life, while others were simply new toys made from Clockwork Meka.
However, she didn't criticize these creations. Instead, she marveled at the application of Fontaine's Clockwork Meka technology.
After obtaining consent from both Focalors and the researcher, Raiden Ei began her studies under everyone's watchful gaze.
In truth, Raiden Ei was a self-taught prodigy in this field.
This surprised Focalors; she never would have imagined the Raiden Shogun possessed such craftsmanship.
"The Clockwork Meka is fascinating," Raiden Ei said, "but when I created my body, the difficulty was no less—and perhaps greater."
Pride colored her voice as she spoke.
Focalors nodded in agreement, clapping her hands and smiling warmly at Raiden Ei.
For some reason, she faintly glimpsed Furina's shadow within this scene.
The smug expression was identical to her little kitten's—how adorable!
Yet paired with Raiden Ei's cold, aloof demeanor, Focalors could only admire from a distance.
When it came to kittens, her Furina Cat remained incomparably cute.
When Themis arrived at the Academy, she found Focalors had already thoroughly charmed Raiden Ei.
Though unaware of the exact methods used, Themis observed Raiden Ei now enthusiastically sharing her research techniques and other technologies.
Fontaine's Clockwork Meka and the technology behind the Raiden Shogun, though slightly different, shared a fundamental unity. As fellow automaton mechanisms, they naturally had some commonalities.
Seeing Focalors in good condition, Themis felt relieved. She decided to head straight back and relax, chuckling mischievously: Furina, my Furina!
Upon returning to Palais Mermonia, the first thing she did was rush to Furina's bed, dive under the covers, and shower her blue-white feline companion with kisses and hugs.
Furina, suddenly lifted and smothered with affection, was utterly bewildered. Still half-asleep, she stared at Themis with hazy eyes. After a long moment, her brain finally processed the situation, and she irritably covered Themis' face with her paw to stop the madness.
"Im sleeping! Don't move me!"
Pinned beneath the covers, Themis gazed up at Furina's annoyed expression. She nodded and pulled the feline into her arms. The little cat was clearly in a morning grump - push this any further, and she'd start biting.
The bites wouldn't hurt much, but who wants to be suddenly nipped at?
Themis bit Furina's collarbone, not hard enough to hurt. Half-awake, Furina let out a soft whimper and turned over without fully waking.
Furina was truly exhausted. She'd barely slept that morning, forced herself through the day, and now felt like she might collapse if she didn't sleep soon.
Themis had been perfectly behaved tonight, not stirring once.
Holding Furina's warm, soft body felt absolutely perfect.
While Themis and Furina slept peacefully, Lumine and Chevreuse were running around like mad, their whole bodies nearly numb from the effort.
This underworld crowd sure has a lot of slang, Paimon thought, chuckling. But they really do give clues if you pay them in Mora.
"If you only offer Mora, they won't give you anything."
"For these people, getting paid without any risk is like a pie falling from the sky."
"It doesn't matter if you tell the truth or lie."
"Oh, so that's why you used threats, Chevreuse."
Paimon scratched her head. The adult world is really complicated.
"Yes, but you have to be careful with threats. There are plenty of desperate people here."
"Going overboard with threats can cause unnecessary trouble."
Chevreuse knew this matter like the back of her hand.
Paimon asked a question, and she answered immediately. Her current approachable demeanor was far more amiable than when she issued threats.
Lumine and Paimon stood beside Chevreuse as background figures, watching her skilled rhetoric deduce the culprit's possession of a firearm within moments. They marveled at her efficiency.
Truly worthy of Themis' praise—she's absolutely remarkable.