That afternoon, after her visit to the infirmary, Furina, still diligently earning Credit Coupons, discovered something miraculous.
The accumulated fatigue of recent days had almost completely vanished, replaced by an inexhaustible surge of energy.
Even when delivering parts that afternoon, the supervisor's face rarely showed such satisfaction.
"It seems Lady Furina will have to find time to thank Nurse Sigewinne properly," the girl said with a smile after hearing Furina's account.
"But I never want to experience that treatment again..." Furina replied, grimacing.
Now, even the sight of desserts made her feel slightly nauseous—except, of course, for the cakes Emily baked herself. Those were truly delicious!
Thinking of the cake, Furina eagerly handed the still-warm Credit Coupons to Emily.
"Quick, Emily! Where's today's cake? Bring it out now!" Furina wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, her face beaming with anticipation.
Emily accepted the coupons and then said mysteriously, "Lady Furina, today's the Mutual Aid Network's gathering. Would you like to come with me?"
"Ah, well..." Furina hesitated, her expression uncertain.
"I'm not a member of your Mutual Aid Network. Would it be appropriate for me to come? Besides, I'm not sure if my presence would make everyone feel awkward."
"Maybe I shouldn't go after all..."
"There will be many of my signature cakes at the gathering."
"Of course I'm going! How could Furina possibly miss an occasion like this?!"
Furina immediately patted her chest, her eyes shining with unwavering determination as she declared, "Let Furina make this gathering even more spectacular and lively!"
The girl smiled radiantly, then softly suggested, "Then what are we waiting for, Lady Furina? Let's depart."
Under the girl's guidance, they weaved through a labyrinth of pipes.
As time passed, Furina's anxiety gradually resurfaced.
She had rarely attended gatherings of this kind before, and this particular event was hosted by Emily, one of her closest friends. Furina worried that maintaining her flamboyant persona might disrupt Emily's event.
Yet, if she abandoned the Archon persona the public expected, she wouldn't know how to interact with others, and she feared her true identity might be exposed.
She really shouldn't have indulged her sweet tooth, but Emily's homemade cake was simply irresistible!
Normally, 300 Credit Coupons would only get her one slice of cake. Today, however, she could take as many as she wanted!
Never mind the consequences. Once the party starts, I'm diving right in!
I'm going to eat until I'm stuffed!
As this thought filled her mind, Furina's inner anxiety was quickly replaced by excitement and anticipation. Her face lit up with a wide smile, convinced she had struck gold today.
Soon, they arrived at the gathering spot—a secluded corner of the underground pipe network. There wasn't even a proper room, yet the place was unexpectedly crowded.
"Miss Emily!"
"President!"
The moment they spotted the young woman, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic greetings, their eyes burning with fervor.
A portion of the crowd also noticed Furina's presence and greeted her warmly.
"And Lady Furina!"
"Oh my Archon, I never thought I'd get to meet Lady Furina up close like this!"
"Lady Furina, I'm a huge fan! Could I please get your autograph?"
Seeing the Mutual Aid Network members so enthusiastic and easy to get along with, Furina gradually relaxed and began interacting with them.
After much effort, she finally managed to handle the overly enthusiastic crowd and let out a deep sigh of relief.
Just then, a young woman appeared beside her, smiling warmly as she spoke.
"It seems Lady Furina is truly beloved by everyone here."
"Ha ha! After all, I am the God of Justice of Fontaine!" Furina declared, lifting her chin proudly. This was the first time she had encountered such enthusiastic crowds since arriving at the Fortress of Meropide.
"Heh heh."
"I hope Lady Furina doesn't find the humble conditions here too inadequate."
"How could I? I rather enjoy this kind of freedom!" Furina waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, as long as I can eat Emily's cakes, any place is paradise!"
"I am deeply honored by Lady Furina's approval," the young woman replied with a smile. She then explained, "The Mutual Aid Network was once a very small organization. It only grew gradually over time."
"However, due to the Mutual Aid Network's core principles of unity and mutual assistance, our finances have always been strained, preventing us from affording a larger venue."
"But that doesn't matter. As long as we have each other, that's all we need."
Hearing the young woman's words, the surrounding crowd erupted in unanimous agreement.
"Yes, yes! Joining the Mutual Aid Network was the happiest period of my life!"
"All thanks to Miss Emily's meticulous management! In a place like the Fortress of Meropide, few would ever offer aid to those in need. You've given us hope!"
Hearing their praise, the young woman shook her head modestly.
"I've only done a small part. The Mutual Aid Network's growth to this day is entirely due to everyone's collective efforts."
"Alright, everyone, it's about time we got down to business. Let's bring out the food and snacks—please enjoy!"
A wave of excited cheers erupted from the crowd at her words. Furina could sense the genuine respect and affection they held for the young woman.
"Lady Furina, please excuse me for a moment. It seems there are some ingredients left over. I'll see if I can bake a few more cakes for everyone to share."
"Alright."
After hearing the girl's words, Furina nodded and watched as the girl's figure gradually receded into the distance.
Since most people were very enthusiastic toward her, Furina didn't feel particularly awkward and quietly listened to the crowd's conversations.
"Great! We get to taste Miss Emily's homemade cakes again!"
"Don't even mention it—my mouth's already watering!"
"It's such a shame Miss Emily's cakes are so delicious, yet she doesn't sell them!"
What? Someone dares to compete with me for Emily's cakes?!
Furina clenched her small fist. She absolutely would not lose this cake-snatching battle!
Wait a moment... something's not right.
"Huh? They're not for sale?"
Suddenly realizing something, Furina asked in surprise.
"Didn't I hear that Emily's cakes are sold for five hundred Credit Coupons per slice?"
"Lady Furina, where did you hear that?"
The person Furina asked looked equally puzzled before replying, "Miss Emily is so busy every day—where would she find the time to make cakes for sale?"
"Even we members of the Mutual Aid Network only get to taste it once in a while, during our gatherings."
"If it were really possible to buy them, I'd definitely save up all my extra Credit Coupons just to buy Miss Emily's cakes!"
By this point, Furina was utterly bewildered. Countless questions flooded her mind, none of which she could make sense of. But she quickly seized on the most pressing one and asked:
"Wait a minute, do you have to pay an entrance fee to attend these gatherings?"
"Lady Furina, you're joking, right? How could Miss Emily possibly charge us Credit Coupons?!" The person burst into laughter at her question.
"When we have enough Credit Coupons, though, we do donate some to the Network. After all, many of us have received Miss Emily's help, and we're deeply grateful to her."
"Besides, running the Mutual Aid Network by herself must be tough. We try to lighten her burden in any way we can."
By now, Furina was completely dazed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reconcile the greedy little demon she knew as Emily with the perfect image being described.
And the most important question remained: why was she the only one being charged Credit Coupons?
"Lady Furina, are you alright?"
Hearing the concerned inquiry, Furina immediately shook her head.
"It's nothing. I was just pondering some matters."
"The matters Lady Furina ponders must be of great importance to Fontaine!"
"O-of course," Furina replied awkwardly. Just then, the girl finally returned.
The person who had accompanied the girl quickly arranged the food on the table, its tempting aroma making everyone's mouths water.
Soon, everyone was embroiled in a cake-grabbing frenzy. Furina, unable to squeeze in, could only stomp her feet anxiously.
Furina's initial optimism about simply grabbing a piece of cake had proven overly optimistic. She had forgotten the irresistible allure of the girl's cakes. Now, not only would she not get her fill, she might not even manage a single piece.
But just then, Furina felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she was greeted by the girl's radiant smile, who held a slice of cake in her hand.
Seeing this, Furina's face lit up with joy. She gave the girl a quick, excited hug before eagerly taking the cake and devouring it.
After nearly finishing the cake, Furina finally couldn't hold back and voiced her long-held doubts to the girl.
"Ah, you mean that, Lady Furina?" Emily replied. "It's true that I don't sell my cakes. Of course, I wouldn't ask my friends for Credit Coupons when they taste them."
"That's because everyone here is my friend!"
"I wanted to be friends with you too, Lady Furina, but you turned me down back then."
"Selling you the cake for 300 Credit Coupons went against my principles, you know."
"But what choice did I have? I admire you so much, Lady Furina!"
Furina: "???"
Upon hearing Emily's explanation, Furina's body stiffened. She strained to recall the moment, vaguely remembering Emily had indeed offered friendship. It seemed she had rejected it, wanting to maintain the Hydro Archon's aloof image.
The realization made Furina want to slap herself. Why hadn't she simply agreed back then?!
Three hundred Credit Coupons for a single cake! That was nearly half a day's worth of her hard-earned wages!
At that moment, Furina felt a piercing pain in her chest, so intense it took her breath away.
"Emily, aren't we already friends?!"
Hearing Furina's words, the girl replied with utmost sincerity, "No, I believe Lady Furina is right. To become your friend, I still have much to learn and many shortcomings to overcome."
"Emily, I truly believe we're already friends!"
"No, Lady Furina, I know I'm not worthy yet!"
Furina was on the verge of tears. My Credit Coupons! How much longer must I endure this?!
In the end, Furina channeled her grief and frustration into appetite. After licking her plate clean, she glanced at the table and froze in shock.
To her utter shock, a considerable portion of the cake remained untouched.
She glanced at each person's place setting and realized they had tacitly divided the cake into equal portions, each taking only one slice before discreetly moving on to other desserts.
Despite how eagerly they had craved the girl's cake during their earlier conversation, not a single person had taken more than their allotted share.
Noticing Furina's gaze, the crowd turned to her with warm smiles.
"Lady Furina, please eat! We know how much you love sweets, especially cake, so we saved some just for you!"
Hearing these words, Furina's body trembled slightly, deeply moved.
At that moment, a young woman gently patted Furina's back and said, "Go ahead, Lady Furina. This is a gift from everyone in the Mutual Aid Network, just for you!"
Unable to refuse their kindness, Furina stepped slowly to the table. However, she only cut a piece of cake roughly the same size as everyone else's and said, "Thank you all for your kindness. But I already ate something before coming here, so I can't eat much more. Please share the rest among yourselves!"
As soon as Furina finished speaking, surprise flickered in many eyes.
"Lady Furina, you seem to be crying!"
"Ah?"
"R-really?"
Furina hastily wiped the warm tears from her face, composed herself, and addressed the crowd.
"These aren't tears—it's just an excess of Hydro Element!"
"What else would you expect from the Hydro Archon? Ha ha ha!"
"So that's how it is!"
"To witness Lady Furina's power manifest up close—I'm truly blessed!"
Hearing the crowd's words, Furina felt she had managed to pull it off this time, letting out a small sigh of relief inwardly.
But then a wave of guilt washed over her. She desperately wanted to tell everyone the truth, but she couldn't—she mustn't!
The secret she carried was too heavy, crushing her until she could barely breathe. Even so, she dared not relax her guard for an instant.
Unbeknownst to Furina, the girl who had been observing her performance intently now wore an even more dazzling smile.