The next day, a message from Wriothesley arrives, and predictably, the Traveler accepts the quest.
Early in the morning, Lumine rises from bed, shaking a groggy Paimon awake in the process.
"Hey, have you two decided to take on the quest?"
Upon arriving at Wriothesley's office, they found the Duke absent. Instead, they were greeted by the head nurse who had been waiting for some time.
"Wait, that's not right. Head Nurse, why are you here? Where's Wriothesley?"
"Ah, of course it's because the Duke had matters to attend to," Sigewinne replied with a smile, skillfully deflecting the question without revealing the true reason.
"You two still haven't answered my question," Sigewinne pressed.
Lumine sighed, nodding in agreement. "That's right, we've decided to accept the mission."
Paimon curiously asked, "So what's the mission?"
Sigewinne looked at Paimon and shook her head, admitting candidly, "I don't know."
"Huh?" Paimon was bewildered, with even Lumine wearing a puzzled expression.
"What about Wriothesley? We could wait for him to return and ask directly."
After a moment of surprise, Paimon reasoned that the head nurse's ignorance was understandable — as long as the Duke knew the details.
But contrary to Paimon's expectations, Sigewinne spread her hands. "It's obvious the Duke instructed me to wait here for you. Since he didn't inform me, that's why I don't know."
Paimon exclaimed, "Then we came all this way for nothing!"
"It's obvious," Sigewinne said, "The Duke didn't tell me because he doesn't know what the mission is either."
Paimon let out a startled cry, utterly bewildered. "Wait! Wasn't it Wriothesley who gave the mission? Why would he not know?!"
In the real world, players currently experiencing the scenario were equally bewildered by this development.
"Exactly! Why doesn't he know?!"
"I didn't get up at dawn just to make a pointless trip!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine was particularly indignant!
When she saw the Traveler in the Fortress of Meropide lamenting how busy Themis must be outside, she could no longer contain herself.
Being deceived by two executives working together only fueled her anger further.
From an omniscient perspective, F*CK, they're clearly taking advantage of my ignorance to manipulate me!
「Damn! This is outrageous!」
「I think the game's Fontaine's Unofficial History isn't enough. Mihoyo should at least give us physical copies in reality!」
「I wholeheartedly agree with the above!」
The audience members weren't against being used as tools, but the rewards had to be substantial.
Take Arlecchino for example - a Snezhnaya executive with quintessential Fontaine charm, who made players spin in place.
They weren't particularly concerned about Mora; what mattered was whether it was worth more than two golden flowers' worth of currency! What they truly cared about was the official's hidden stash of smut!
They just wanted lewdness! They only craved lewdness!
As the ancients say, when full and warm, one thinks of lust. In the game, they couldn't feel hunger, and it wasn't yet mealtime outside. What else remained but lewdness?
Seeing the conversation veer off-topic, CatCatEatsNoMedicine vigorously clicked her mouse in protest.
"Is lewdness the only thing in your heads?!"
"Just Fontaine's unofficial history! Nothing more!"
[But you were reciting passages from it yesterday.]
[And you looked utterly desperate searching for that history across Fontaine!]
"Nonsense! I was studying!"
"Studying? You know what that means?!"
"How can a streamer's activities be called lewdness...?"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine flushed crimson, spouting classical phrases that sent the live chat audience into uproarious laughter.
Finally, she forcibly cut off the topic, refusing to glance at the comments as she focused solely on advancing the plot.
The previously infuriating narrative now seemed so comforting in comparison.
Continuing the conversation with Nurse Sigewinne would entrust her with a letter.
This letter would grant temporary permission to leave the Fortress of Meropide.
From the text on the letter inside, it became clear that the one who truly issued the mission was the Regent of Fontaine herself.
When it came to Themis, CatCatEatsNoMedicine's expression completely changed.
"Hey, why didn't you say so earlier?! If it's a task from my wife, there's no need for such complications!"
"No need to be so shy either. If you want my help, just ask straight out!"
"What kind of relationship do we have?! How could I not agree to you?"
[Host, when did you learn face-changing?]
[Heh, woman, you've successfully caught my attention.]
[Themis: We're not close. We really aren't close.]
[A passing Yellow-hair Traveler at most. Maybe just a tool, nothing more.]
The barrage of heartless comments in the chat left CatCatEatsNoMedicine deeply wounded, her heart pierced through with countless holes.
"You're the most rebellious audience I've ever encountered!" she exclaimed in frustration.
Watching the screen fill with "ha ha ha" reactions, she felt like she might die from anger. These netizens were truly impossible to handle!
Can't you let her fantasize a little? It's not like it's illegal!
At that moment, she envied the people of Fontaine. With so many wild legends, they must be great at daydreaming too!
Maybe they're all single dogs like me, having been alone for years!
-
Ahchoo!
Focalors sneezed and rubbed her nose in confusion.
How is this possible? she wondered. I don't even have a physical body, so how can I catch a cold?
Using her divine power to thoroughly examine her current state, she found everything to be perfect—no issues whatsoever, absolutely flawless.
She slapped her face to force herself to stay alert.
After teasing Themis two days ago, Focalors had been in an exceptionally good mood.
While the feeling still lingered, she hastily wrote a new unofficial history.
Although she received a "friendly exchange" from Themis in the middle of the night the next day,
she was quick-witted enough to immediately stop it.
Focalors covered her face with embarrassment. Why did Themis's techniques last night seem bolder and more experienced than when Focalors had teased her the previous night?
If she hadn't regained her senses in time, her clothes would have been completely stripped off.
"I simply wish to examine the differences between your body and Furina's. Surely you wouldn't object, would you?"
Themis narrowed her eyes, her expression radiating amusement.
But no matter how Focalors looked at it, something felt deeply off. Has the script flipped? she thought.
Biting her thumb, Focalors furrowed her brow, utterly bewildered. She'd barely had a chance to tease Themis a second time before the tables turned completely.
Clutching her skirt, Focalors glanced down at her divine attire for the first time, realizing how vulnerable she was to assault. Her flat yet smooth chest, exposed through the lace fabric, proved defenseless against even the slightest touch.
The slightest pinch not only sent electric shivers through her but also left telltale red marks.
When Themis saw this, her excitement visibly intensified.
Last night's excitement had been just a small spark, yet her clothes had almost been stripped off completely.
If this excitement continues, Focalors thought, she'd likely lose her virtue soon.
But would she fear it?
No!
Not at all!
Who was she?! She was the divine Archon, Focalors!
Far from fearing it, she felt a surge of excitement herself.
Experiencing firsthand what she'd once written in her books...how fascinating it all seemed when she thought about it.
Still, yielding so quickly left Focalors with a sense of being far too casual.
She scrutinized her body carefully—everything appeared fine, perfectly intact!
The pinched marks on her waist, the kiss marks on her stomach, neck, and shoulders—all had vanished without a trace.
Two nights ago, she'd merely teased the other party, only to end up pinned against a table for a kiss—that hadn't crossed any lines.
Last night, her clothes had nearly been stripped off, leaving some marks—but still, no boundaries were truly breached.
So reasoned Focalors.
Themis expressed her strong agreement.
Meanwhile, Furina had become increasingly clingy, seeking hugs and kisses every evening.
During the day, she would sit beside Themis, occasionally mustering the courage to perch herself on Themis' lap in the office, straddling her waist and initiating kisses.
But that was as far as it went, for Furina had no idea what would come next.
Themis had been teased by Furina during the day, then sought release from Focalors at night—only to be kicked out midway through. This left her feeling quite frustrated.
A mere kiss had once sufficed, but now... forgive her, Themis wanted more! What harm was there in wanting more from her lover?
"Sooner or later, I'll make Focalors beg for satisfaction!"
Themis declared.
With this thought, Themis pulled Furina, sitting nearby, into another kiss.
Furina's technique had become far more skillful, now appearing quite natural. However, with people coming and going from the office, they kept it subtle—a simple peck, nothing more.
She'd let things be for the day; there would be plenty of opportunities tonight.
Themis held Furina close, giving her a kiss on the lips before placing a kiss on the adorable kitten's forehead.
Having received her daily dose of affection, Furina spun with delight, half-excitedly, half-shyly embracing her "little seafoods" as she left the office.
Watching Furina depart, Themis shook her head helplessly, realizing one thing: both Furina and Focalors' bodies were incredibly sensitive.
As expected of the Hydro Archon, the goddess who masters the Hydro elements.
Not only were the Hydro elements richly present in her teardrops, even a simple kiss could elicit a reaction.
Themis didn't need to guess. Furina's hasty departure meant she must have returned to her bedroom to change her clothes.
Ahh, looks like sometimes having too much of the Hydro element around isn't such a good thing...
-
Before long, the Traveler arrived at the office with her trusty sidekick, carrying the quest letter she had written.
"Themis! We came to accept the quest!"
Little Paimon's voice was inversely proportional to her tiny body - petite frame, booming voice.
Lumine stood beside Paimon, glaring with eyes like lifeless fish.
Oh no, not again! Paimon beat me to it. Lumine's heart filled with sorrow as she lost her voice once more, relegated to being a mute bystander.
She could only stare at Paimon's external speech organ and communicate through Themis.
Now, Lumine and Paimon stood together, adhering to the principle of "first come, first served."
Having missed out on the opening line, Lumine obediently took the role of backdrop. After all, there was no need to repeat the same thing twice. Moreover, interrupting others is impolite behavior.