Jean had witnessed the two of them trading barbs from start to finish, and her certainty about Lora's identity only grew stronger.
"All right, everyone should get some rest," Jean said, her smile fading as she straightened.
"I'll dispatch personnel. Tomorrow, we'll head to Stormterror's Lair together to completely resolve the dragon disaster plaguing Mondstadt and save Dvalin."
At this moment, she instinctively resumed the composed authority of the Acting Grand Master.
"Yes! Understood! Acting Grand Master Jean!" Paimon snapped to attention in midair and replied with impressive formality.
Venti smiled.
"In that case, I'll take my leave for now. Once you're ready, come find me at Windrise. I'm usually… well, usually there. If I'm not…"
"Then head to Angel's Share, right?"
Lora smoothly picked up where he left off.
"Yes! As expected of Lora—very clever." Venti laughed heartily and bade everyone farewell.
Lumine and Paimon didn't linger either. They motioned for Lora to leave with them.
Jean and Diluc stood to the side as Jean spoke up.
"Miss Lora, could you stay for a moment? I have something I'd like to ask you."
Lora wasn't surprised. When she had been sparring verbally with Venti earlier, she already knew that someone as perceptive as Jean would have noticed something.
She turned to Lumine and Paimon.
"You two go on ahead. I'll talk with Acting Grand Master Jean for a bit."
"Okay!"
Neither of them suspected a thing and took their leave.
Once they were gone, Lora turned back to Jean and Diluc.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, what did you wish to discuss?"
Jean looked at her, took a deep breath, and spoke carefully.
"Miss Lora… you're not human, are you? If I'm not mistaken, you're a god—just like Lord Venti."
"And which god do you think I am?"
Lora asked with a smile.
"You wield Hydro power. That would make you Fontaine's 'Archon'—the God Hydro, Lady Focalors, wouldn't it?"
Jean voiced her conjecture as she looked at Lora.
A god who controlled Hydro and was closely associated with Venti—it certainly pointed to Fontaine's Archon.
Lora smiled and shook her head.
"Nope."
"No?" Jean froze, disbelief creeping into her voice. "How could that be…"
"Acting Grand Master Jean, you really are sharp," Lora said calmly.
"Unlike Lumine and Paimon, you noticed my identity. It's true—I'm not human, but a god. However, I'm also not Fontaine's current 'Archon.' On that point, there's no need for me to deceive you."
She didn't need to conceal her identity completely—only keep it hidden from Lumine and Paimon for the time being. When the time came for them to know, they would learn the truth naturally.
As Jean fell into thought, Lora added, "If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back now."
"Take care." Jean watched her leave.
"The temperaments of gods vary greatly, yet Miss Lora is unexpectedly easy to get along with," Jean murmured.
"She truly is someone worthy of being friends with Lord Barbatos."
Her brow soon furrowed again.
"But who exactly is Miss Lora? She's definitely not a Mondstadt deity."
"Go ask Lisa," Diluc said from the side.
"She's the librarian—she knows more than you do."
Jean snapped back to attention.
"Right. You're right. I can ask Lisa about this."
Diluc gave Jean a glance and left the Knights of Favonius headquarters without another word.
Though not officially part of the Knights, he could come and go freely. After all, Diluc's name was known to everyone in Mondstadt.
Jean found Lisa in the library, where she was organizing books, and asked her about gods who controlled Hydro.
"Oh?" Lisa looked up, mildly surprised. "What made you think to ask about that, Jean?"
Jean didn't mention Lora. After all, it was someone else's secret. If the other party didn't wish it to be known, it wasn't something she should share.
It was a matter of respect—for Lora, and for a god.
"Let me think…"
Lisa struck a thoughtful pose, pondered for a moment, then smiled.
"If we're talking about the most famous god who governs Hydro in Teyvat right now, that would naturally be Fontaine's 'Archon'—Focalors."
Jean nodded.
"Of course I know that. I meant others."
"Others… hmm."
Lisa tapped her chin.
"If it's not Fontaine's Hydro Archon, then gods who control Hydro are actually quite rare. The most famous would probably be the one from Liyue—the 'Overlord of the Vortex,' Osial, who was once sealed deep beneath the sea by Rex Lapis."
She added, "But Osial has been sealed away, so that's probably not who you're looking for. I do recall that Fontaine had a previous Hydro Archon, though she seems to have passed away five hundred years ago."
"A deceased Hydro Archon…"
Jean frowned slightly as a thought struck her.
Could Lora be the Hydro Archon who perished in Fontaine five centuries ago?
She murmured to herself, "Is it possible for a fallen god to reappear?"
"It's possible," Lisa said with a smile.
"The existence of gods is far beyond the understanding of mortals like us. They're beings born of the elements—powerful existences that can live for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. A god thought to be dead appearing once more isn't impossible."
After hearing this, Jean sank into deep thought.
After a while, she took a deep breath and nodded.
"I understand. Thank you, Lisa."
"Oh, no need to be so formal between us," Lisa said with a smile and a wave of her hand.
"Though I am curious why you asked. When the time comes that you can tell me, I'd love to hear the story."
Jean smiled as well.
"Tomorrow, I'll lead a team to Stormterror's Lair. Together with the Traveler and the others, we'll finally put an end to the dragon calamity threatening Mondstadt and save Dvalin."
She continued, "While I'm away, I'll be entrusting all Knights affairs to you. Be careful of the Fatui—I'm worried they might make a move."
"Don't worry," Lisa replied confidently.
"This isn't my first time dealing with them. As long as things stay within the rules, they won't get the better of me. And if they go beyond the rules… then there's no reason for us to keep following them, right?"
After all, Lisa was a once-in-a-century genius of the Akademiya. She had plenty of confidence when it came to handling the Fatui.
Jean and Lisa discussed arrangements for the Knights' upcoming affairs for a while longer before Jean finally left the library.