After finishing the story, readers couldn't help but feel that "Pantalone" must have sneaked his way in—his appearance didn't quite match the others' vibe.
As for the Fatui, whispers spread: "Did you hear? There's some weird guy burning a tree in front of a big tree."
Upon closer inspection: "Wait, it's you!? Lord Dottore!?"
Ordinary Fatui soldiers were dumbfounded. "Come on, man, this is intel even we didn't know about! You're spilling everything, huh?"
Spilling everything will only get you in trouble!
Though the specifics of the plan were unclear, within the Fatui, not many actually minded Lucian throwing Dottore under the bus.
Dottore was, frankly, not well-liked within the Fatui ranks—his character was just that bad.
Sure, the Fatui were "villains" to the outside world, but to the people of their own nation, they were proper "heroes."
For a high-ranking Harbinger like Dottore to have such a deplorable personality was something most people weren't thrilled about.
But Dottore was capable and a master at manipulation, which made his subordinates fiercely loyal—loyal to an almost absurd degree.
How loyal? Loyal enough to seem like they had a bit of a "human-dog duality," to the point where you couldn't always tell if they were people or pets.
While others addressed Harbingers as "sir," "lord," or "Lord Harbinger," Dottore's subordinates were different—they called him "Master," like some sort of 91st Ph.D.
His followers showered him with praise, but to the Fatui who weren't under his command, Dottore was, frankly, a bit less than human—almost a Scaramouche-level jerk.
Yet his abilities and combat prowess were undeniable, so despite the bad reviews, his seat among the Harbingers remained secure—truly "stable happiness."
Most Fatui soldiers preferred to serve under "The Captain," the Harbinger with the highest approval rating.
The Captain's rank, character, and strength all outshone Dottore's, so it was no wonder they'd rather join his ranks.
The story ended with a scene of Collei waking up startled, accompanied by Tighnari calling her to go on a forest patrol. With that, the book's content was fully concluded.
For most readers, Dottore's act of burning the tree in the final scene was baffling—arson for the sake of it?
Surely the Fatui's grand schemes weren't just about setting a tree on fire? What kind of "blasphemous experiment" was this?
But to those in the know, the act carried a vastly different meaning. That tree—could it be the World Tree?
Venti and Zhongli's gazes turned to Nahida. The Dendro Archon was, without a doubt, the deity most closely tied to the World Tree, even more so than the Dragon King of Dendro.
Yet Nahida had been manipulated by the Sages for five hundred years since her birth. Regaining her confidence was something she owed largely to the Traveler's help.
This brought up why the Traveler was called the "First Sage."
Nahida's newfound confidence stemmed largely from the Traveler's constant encouragement.
For someone isolated and manipulated, having someone stand before them, encouraging and believing in them, was incredibly powerful.
It's like when a teacher asks, "Who do you admire most?" and someone names the isolated person.
That feeling of being seen, of being trusted, can truly save someone.
Speaking of being seen, Rosalyne also felt that gaze, though not by choice.
As someone who was supposed to be "touring the afterlife," Rosalyne had just closed the book.
She was alive, and the feeling was… strange.
It wasn't resurrection, but avoiding death altogether left her with a lack of tangible realness.
Still, she had to admit Lucian had saved her. Forget wanting to whip or burn him—now she owed him a favor.
Moreover, with this book out, Pierro and Her Majesty the Tsaritsa would likely agree to Lucian's proposals, perhaps with just a bit more time.
Which meant she'd have to listen to him later. What a situation…
"Sigh." Rosalyne sighed, putting the book away. She had a dedicated shelf for prophetic books.
When she first read this prophetic book, she was filled with anger, vowing to give that Prophet a good thrashing if she ever got the chance.
Now, not only was she no longer angry, she couldn't even thrash him.
Looking at the shelf full of books, Rosalyne couldn't help but marvel—she'd unknowingly become a "true fan."
Meanwhile, "casual fan" Collei had just seen the final scene of the book.
Why a casual fan? Because she was illiterate.
She knew very few words and struggled to understand the stories Lucian wrote. Previously, she relied entirely on her master, Tighnari, to act as her storyteller.
But she felt too embarrassed to keep asking Tighnari to read to her, so despite her interest in Lucian's stories, she hadn't actually read many of them.
Though she didn't read, Tighnari did, and she often saw illustrations from the books while by his side. This time was no exception.
"Collei…" Tighnari hurriedly closed the book, hoping Collei hadn't seen too much.
But Collei had noticed. She saw herself drawn into the book, but what caught her attention more was someone else—Dottore.
A mix of anger and fear overwhelmed her, leaving her frozen. The sealed remnants of the Archon residue within her seemed to stir faintly.
Tighnari inwardly blamed himself. He'd been too engrossed in the content and hadn't noticed Collei standing behind him.
"Collei, don't worry. Everything will be fine," Tighnari said, setting the book aside and standing to comfort her.
"Mm…" Collei didn't want her emotions to affect Tighnari and tried to act nonchalant.
But having spent so much time with her, how could Tighnari not see through her feelings? After a moment's thought, he said:
"The Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival is coming up. Want to go to Sumeru City to check it out?"
It was now October, and in a few days, it would be Nahida's birthday.
The Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival was meant to celebrate the Dendro Archon's birthday, though the Archon herself had never attended.
"Can I?" Collei was excited but still concerned about Tighnari's schedule.
As a Forest Ranger, Tighnari was very busy, especially with the recent spread of Withering Zones, which kept him even busier.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Tighnari said with a gentle smile.
With that, the two made plans to go to Sumeru City for the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival. They'd likely invite Cyno and the others too, if they had time.
Over in Fontaine, Furina, having finished the "terrifying story," stood up, brushed off nonexistent dust from her backside, and left.
Neuvillette watched her go, his mind full of question marks.
What was this Hydro Archon doing? She didn't come to review his policies or check on his investigation into the prophecy.
She barely said two words to him. What was she here for?
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice: Neuvillette – About Furina's Behavior
"Is it some kind of hint? Something she can't say outright and can only imply through actions? …It's probably a hint, right?"