After Kevin left, Nashida called Elhaisen.
Elhaisen walked into the house, calm and collected. "Little Lucky Grass King."
Nashida motioned for him to sit. "Elhaisen, after we return to Sumeru City and defeat the Great Sage's faction, I want you to become the new Great Sage."
Elhaisen refused without hesitation. "Forget it. I'd rather pursue my research in peace than govern a nation."
Nashida had anticipated this. With a gentle smile, she took out a textbook she'd purchased from Clara. Clara had studied it herself—a book on how to cultivate trees in extreme environments and transform barren land into habitable soil.
"Take a look at this."
Elhaisen flipped it open. After just one page, his eyes lit up with intrigue.
"I want you to govern the desert," Nashida said softly, "and transform it into an oasis. You can apply the theories in this book, and at the same time, help me manage Sumeru."
Elhaisen pondered. This... wasn't impossible. After a brief moment, he gave a slight nod. He would do it.
With that, he also left the room.
Nashida stretched and stepped outside to enjoy a stroll through the village.
Along the Aru Village river valley, Kevin, March 7th, and Liuying arrived. On the Star Channel, they spotted Sparkle chasing a Dendro Elemental Crystal Butterfly.
"Sparkle!" Kevin called out.
Sparkle paused, her eyes lighting up. She ran over excitedly. "Kevin! You guys are here too~"
Kevin nodded. "Just wandering around. What about you? Not going after that butterfly anymore?"
Liuying gave him a nudge. "The Doctor."
Kevin snapped his fingers. "Oh right! How's the Doctor thing going?"
Sparkle placed her hands on her hips proudly. "I'm the invincible Sparkle~ I caught five versions of him! Teenager, young adult, adult, middle-aged, and elderly. I've got five new actors—I can write a new play!"
March 7th tilted her head, intrigued. "And the two guys from earlier? Did you write something for them too?"
Sparkle wiped her nose smugly. "Of course. Our Grand Theater Prison's head playwright Aha wrote something tailor-made for them."
Aha chuckled nearby. "Hahahaha! The script's called The Beautiful Love Between the Little Golden Retriever and the Little Wolf. Hehe~"
Kevin shivered. The name alone sent chills down his spine.
Two grown men... in a love story? Awkward. And yet... strangely intriguing.
Sparkle looked around. "Kevin, where's Yuri? I need to open a portal."
"He's somewhere up in the village," Kevin replied. "Not sure exactly where."
With a dramatic spin, Sparkle grabbed Aha and headed uphill. "To the village!"
Kevin, March 7th, and Liuying wandered through the tranquil valley. The blue light shimmering across the water gave the place a dreamlike beauty. Tiny fish darted below the surface, their movements like flickers of silver.
Meanwhile, inside Yuri's shop, the portal shimmered. Himeko, Welt, Clara, and Kafka looked up from their dinner.
A burst of light—then Furina appeared, bursting with energy.
"Ding ding~ The great Lady Furina makes a grand appearance!"
Himeko smiled warmly. "Furina, welcome. Have you eaten? Come join us."
Furina patted her stomach. "Stuffed full of little cakes~ But thank you, Himeko. I'm here to hang out with Kevin and the others. Are they on the train?"
Welt shook his head. "They went to Teyvat. Sumeru."
Furina's eyes sparkled. "Sumeru? Oh, I know that place. It's right next to mine. What are they doing there?"
"Helping Nashida take back what's hers," Himeko explained. "They're in a desert village."
"A desert? Even better! I'm going too! Goodnight, everyone!"
Moments later, Furina reappeared in Fontaine.
She strode to the palace doors and shouted, "Lancelot! Gather the Knights! We ride for the desert to find Nashida!"
Lancelot nodded and disappeared.
Soon after, the Knights of the Order assembled at the gates of the Momang Palace.
Furina emerged in full flair.
"Haiba Cart Cart!"
With a flash of magic, a flying chariot pulled by two towering seahorses appeared. Lancelot opened the carriage door and extended his arm.
Furina took his arm and stepped inside with grace.
As the chariot lifted into the night sky, the citizens of Fontaine whispered in wonder.
"Where's Lady Furina going this late?"
"Who knows? But she's not someone who needs protecting."
"Are you kidding? Did you see what her Knights did to that Hili-churl King? One strike!"
"Mom, the knights are so cool! Can I join them one day?"
"Of course, sweetie. Just eat your vegetables and grow strong."
"Okay! I'll eat lots!"
The flying chariot soared over desert sands. At first, Furina gazed in fascination, sipping her tea. But the scenery quickly grew dull—just sand, more sand, and even more sand.
After a two-hour journey, they arrived at Aru Village.
Naturally, the mercenaries took notice.
"Intruders! Weapons ready!"
The chariot landed beneath the Tree of Life. Furina stepped down, wide-eyed.
"Wow~ This place is beautiful. So full of life."
A mercenary stepped forward. "Who are you? What's your business here?"
Before Furina could answer, Nashida appeared, her presence calm and reassuring.
"Don't worry, everyone," she said. "She's my friend."
The tension melted like snow in the sun.
Only after hearing Nashida's words did the mercenaries lay down their weapons.
Furina looked at Kevin.
"Kevin, long time no see."
Kevin was very happy to see Nashida.
"Nashida! Long time no see!"
Kevin ran toward Nashida, picked her up, and spun her around joyfully.
Nashida blushed, flailing her small hands.
"Furina, put me down!"
Furina laughed, spinning her a few more times before gently setting her down.
Elhaisen glanced at Furina, then turned to Nashida.
"Master Little Jixiang Grass King, who is this?"
Nashida smiled and introduced her proudly.
"This is my good friend, the ruler of Fontaine, the demon god Furina."
Furina placed a hand on her hip, snapped her fingers, and announced grandly:
"Cheer! Cheer! Be happy that you are graced with the presence of the Demon God Furina!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
What?! The Water God?!
This girl was the legendary God of Justice—Her Majesty Furina, the Lord God of Water!
Furina glanced at the crowd out of the corner of her eye, clearly pleased with their reactions.
Haha! I, Furina, am amazing! Just announcing my name left everyone speechless. Delicious!
Nashida tilted her head and asked gently,
"Furina, why are you here?"
Furina beamed.
"I came to help you! I stopped by Yuri's store and heard from Himeko that you were about to go to war, so of course I came to assist.
Also, I wanted to play with Kevin and the others for a bit. Fontaine's been sooo boring lately~"
Nashida's heart warmed.
"Thank you, Furina."
Furina threw an arm around Nashida's shoulders.
"Hey~ Don't mention it. We're best friends! Now, where's Kevin and the rest? I want to go hang out with them."
Nashida grinned.
"They're in the river valley. I'll have someone take you there."
Furina nodded and cheerfully followed a villager from Aru Village toward the valley.
Nashida looked around at the gathered people.
"Everyone, go home. It's getting late. Rest well."
At her words, the surrounding mercenaries slowly dispersed, murmuring amongst themselves:
"I never imagined Lord Little Jixiang Grass King and the Lord Water God would be such close friends."
"Yeah! If even Lord Water God is here to help us personally, we're definitely going to win this war!"
"That's right! Let's give it our all. Once Lord Little Jixiang Grass King returns to Xumi City, we can finally live peaceful lives."
"Exactly. That fool Aether should be removed already. It's because of him we desert people have suffered so much."
Furina's arrival lifted the morale of the mercenaries immensely.
Two gods on our side—what can the enemy possibly do? We'll crush them!
Furina quickly found Kevin, March 7th, and Liuying. The four sat on small stools in the valley, Furina pulling out a bundle of snacks and cakes. They munched and laughed together.
Lancelot and a few knights stood guard nearby, ever vigilant.
Meanwhile, Yuri took the six little ones to play in the village. The children soon joined up with the local kids, running and laughing, filling the village with joy.
Yuri set up a coffee table under a big tree and sipped tea leisurely.
Just then, he noticed someone approaching and looked up.
It was Jing Yuan, Dan Heng, Blade, and Jingliu.
"Hey, you're finally back," Yuri said.
Jing Yuan casually pulled out a stool, sat beside Yuri, and poured himself a cup from the teapot.
"Yeah, we're done. Except for the five taken by Hua Huo and Changle Tian Jun, the rest have been humanely dealt with."
He sipped his tea, raising an eyebrow.
"Mmm~ Is this tea better than the stuff I usually drink?"
Yuri smirked.
"Of course. That tea cake cost me 10,000 Stellar Jade."
Jing Yuan blinked.
"This tea's that expensive? Mind sparing me a little later?"
Yuri rolled his eyes.
"You're a general, and you're begging me for tea?"
Jing Yuan chuckled.
"When you manage a household, you learn the cost of firewood and salt. I stretch my Stellar Jade like a magician."
Yuri sighed, took out a box, and placed a quarter of the tea cake inside.
"Here. Enough to last you more than half a month."
Jing Yuan grinned.
"Perfect. A whole month, easy. This kind of tea needs to be savored."
Jingliu looked at them both.
"Yuri, is Bai Lu here?"
Yuri nodded.
"She's playing over at the square."
Jingliu nodded slightly and made her way in that direction.
Dan Heng and Blade exchanged glances, then each grabbed a stone, sitting down beside the tea table to relax.
The next day arrived.
The thirty-man mercenary unit stationed at Kawan Station charged toward Aru Village.
When word reached them, Aether immediately ordered all the desert mercenaries to gather outside the village to confront the enemy.
The two forces met in the open desert. The leader of the thirty-man group sneered at Aether and the others.
"As expected, desert people are untrustworthy! Attack! Capture them all!"
The mercenaries surged forward.
Rahman drew his large sword, resting it on his shoulder. He turned to Aether.
"Aether, your call."
Aether looked calmly to the skies.
"No rush."
Rahman followed his gaze.
High above the battlefield, Nashida and Furina floated, divine power crackling around them.
Nashida, unwilling to let the battlefield turn into a slaughterhouse, invoked her power.
"This is the Hall of Wisdom!"
Her divine energy exploded outward, and a palace of lush grass elements bloomed into existence.
From the earth, massive vines surged upward, wrapping around the thirty mercenaries, binding them.
Furina raised her cane.
"Sing praises to me! Forbidden Spell—Deep Sea Cage!"
A colossal prison of water materialized and engulfed the mercenaries, locking them within.
Aether shouted, his voice like thunder across the sand.
"Thirty-man mercenaries! Before you are Lord Little Jixiang Grass King and Lord Water God Furina!
Will you still resist? Lay down your arms! Lord Little Jixiang Grass King will forgive your mistakes!"
One by one, the weapons hit the sand.
The miracle had broken their will. Most surrendered.
Aether turned to his own forces.
"Everyone! Lord Little Jixiang Grass King has offered mercy! But to those who refuse to surrender—
Show no mercy! For the Little Jixiang Grass King! For Xumi!"
The desert mercenaries roared and charged.
Nashida had given them a choice. Those who accepted peace were spared.
For those who chose otherwise—there would be no forgiveness.