In the Regent's office at Palais Mermonia—
Lumine and Paimon, who had rushed over, sat down on the sofa as attendants brought them each a glass of juice so they could rest for a bit.
After coming straight from the Fortress of Meropide, they were quite tired and gladly accepted Themis's hospitality.
Once they'd eaten and drunk their fill, they enjoyed a leisurely time unlike anything they'd experienced in Meropide.
Lumine looked at Themis's face, feeling an extra sense of closeness.
What good was there in Meropide? The infuriating Tartaglia, or the machines and parts being repaired with fists—utterly unlike actual young ladies?
"Traveler, Paimon, I apologize for interrupting your new experiences in Meropide."
"Please forgive my mysterious behavior; I hope this sudden mission doesn't offend you two."
"I just thought that after a few days, you might have been able to get something out of Childe."
Themis looked at Lumine and Paimon, sitting across from them, and pushed her own piece of cake towards the little Paimon, who had been stealing glances at it.
After making sure several times that it was truly for her, Paimon bubbled with joy.
Paimon's eyes lit up as she stared at the cake on the plate, instantly forgetting her ordeal at the Fortress of Meropide. She repeatedly assured the kind and gentle Regent, "Not offensive at all, not even a bit. Lumine and I were just wondering how we'd get out."
"But..." Paimon couldn't help but complain to Themis about their life in the fortress, "Although life in the Fortress of Meropide was quite novel for us, working there all the time is really exhausting."
Lumine nodded in agreement, her eyes brimming with hope, longing for Themis to rescue her and Paimon.
Despite Lumine's formidable strength, being confined in the same place for an extended period had become mentally draining.
Under the expectant gazes of the two girls, Themis chuckled helplessly. "Though I'd love to get you out immediately, I must be honest—the events within the Fortress of Meropide are beyond my control. The true master there is Duke Wriothesley."
"Huh? Wriothesley? I thought he was your subordinate," Paimon exclaimed, astonished. She and Lumine had always assumed Wriothesley worked under Themis.
"It seems you've misunderstood. Wriothesley is not my subordinate. In fact, when it comes to matters concerning the Fortress of Meropide, he may refuse my requests if we don't have a compelling reason."
"After all, on paper, the Fortress of Meropide does not fall under the jurisdiction of Palais Mermonia; it is an autonomous region."
"Unless there's an extraordinary crisis, Palais Mermonia typically wouldn't directly take over there."
"Therefore, I must apologize. It appears the two of you will have to remain until your sentences are fully served."
Lumine and Paimon instantly slumped, grimacing at the prospect of more labor. Their dejected sighs couldn't help but amuse Themis.
"Alright, let's return to the main topic. Did you learn anything about Tartaglia's plans and objectives from him?"
At this mention, Lumine and Paimon paused momentarily, letting out uncomfortable laughs.
Observing their awkward demeanor, Themis realized the situation.
"It seems there was a misunderstanding; your friend isn't engaged in any risky actions. That's truly good news."
"Indeed, indeed, quite fortunate," Lumine and Paimon nodded, hastily explaining the true purpose behind Childe's visit to the Fortress of Meropide, in line with Themis's understanding.
The malfunctioning of the Vision, and those dreams about whales and such.
Themis inwardly muttered, "As expected." Even if Tartaglia hadn't been judged by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale to be sent to the Fortress of Meropide, he would have headed there out of sheer habit.
"So, this one-track-minded combat fanatic, Tartaglia, genuinely only wants to investigate the matters concerning the Vision and the whales."
"Based on Arlecchino's speculation, both of these issues are deeply connected to the Fortress of Meropide itself," Lumine explained.
At this point, Lumine and Paimon turned to look at Themis. They knew Wriothesley was stingy, but they were confident that Themis, with her five million power, must be both wealthy and generous!
Lumine said, "That's why we wanted to ask about the circumstances surrounding the Fortress of Meropide itself."
She felt a bit embarrassed, as she knew that exploiting loopholes like this might put Themis at a disadvantage. Ahem, but could she really be blamed? How was she to know that Wriothesley was so tight-fisted?
This is all he offers for helping the Regent?
In Lumine's mind, the task Wriothesley had given, supposedly from Themis, was just a pretext. Themis's real intention was simply to inquire about their investigation progress.
This led Lumine to think that Wriothesley, even when tasked by the Regent, clearly wasn't putting in much effort.
If she had known it was a quest from Themis all along, Lumine would have dragged Tartaglia by his collar straight to her bedroom last night to get it done!
Though it might... no, their punishment would definitely have been doubled.
"I also know very little about the Fortress of Meropide." Themis observed how their faces instantly sank with disappointment.
She tried to comfort Lumine and Paimon, "Even 'very little' is still some knowledge, so don't be so disheartened. It's just that I'm not sure if this information will be helpful to you."
Paimon responded, "We won't know if it's helpful unless you tell us. If you don't share, how are we supposed to find out?"
Lumine added, "I feel the same way!"
Lumine nodded and exchanged glances with Paimon. Deep down, they didn't believe that Themis genuinely knew nothing. After all, she had served as the Regent of Fontaine for five hundred years; there must be some information that was beyond their reach.
"You're right," Themis conceded. "In that case, I'll share what little I know about the Fortress of Meropide itself."
The goddess delved into her ancient memories, piecing together fragments of events from a distant past. Amidst the two youths' anxious expressions, Themis slowly began her tale.
"The exact date of founding for the Fortress of Meropide remains shrouded in mystery. Its origins predate even Furina's tenure as the Hydro Archon. It is certain, however, that construction of the fortress began during the reign of the first Hydro Archon, Egeria."
During the time when the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, held her position, any Fontaine citizen who committed crimes would be exiled.
"Such criminals typically received no sympathy. Exiled to the barren shores, they endured hardships, cold, and suffering. Some began to repent, praying to god and asking if there remained any service they could perform for the Hydro Archon."
"Pitying their yearning, Egeria the Hydro Archon said: 'Descend to the seabed and guard my secrets.'"
"Thus, through the power of the Hydro Archon, they descended to the seabed and began constructing a fortress built by many together."
"This is the Fortress of Meropide known to the Fontainians today."
Under Themis's explanation, Lumine and Paimon learned about the Fortress of Meropide.
"The secret of Hydro Archon Egeria..."
Lumine furrowed her brow, pondering intently. "Just what kind of secret could it be?"
"On that point, having experienced the young girl's disappearance case, you should understand by now."
"The Primordial Sea that Neuvillette mentioned?" Paimon blurted out, astonished. "We heard from Lyney about Fontaine's prophecy crisis on our way here."
"Could it be that all the prophecies are true?"
Lumine: "Everyone dissolves in the water, leaving only Hydro Archon Furina to weep alone on her divine throne..."
Lumine's mood turned somber; the previous second-generation god to face such a tragic fate was Nahida.
At first, Lumine thought Furina should be happy and content since she was loved by so many people.
So that's how it is… Lumine suddenly recalled when Paimon had asked Themis back in Meropide about whether Furinas' love for sweets was because of stress.
At the time, Themis had stayed silent. Furina must also be troubled by the prophecy crisis.
If that's the case, Lumine couldn't just stand by and watch anymore.
Clenching her fists, she thought: No matter what, I can't let what happened to Nahida happen again!
"Is there anything we can help with?"
Lumine's gaze was burning as she looked at Themis. For some reason, Themis could see an unwavering determination in Lumine's eyes.
Though she had no idea what scenario Lumine had conjured in her mind, Themis still made her request.
"I hope the two of you can take on my personal commission."
"Huh? Not an official Fontaine commission?"
"Hmm? What's the difference?"
Smiling, Themis's words left Paimon confused.
"A personal commission and an official commission aren't the same!"
"It doesn't matter. Right now, I'm issuing this as the Regent of Fontaine. Since it's for Fontaine's sake, a personal commission is the same as an official commission."
Lumine looked helpless as she spread her hands. "Don't try to trick Paimon just because she's easy to fool!"
Paimon was shocked. "Huh? So it's really not the same thing!?"
Lumine gave Paimon a pitying look. "Of course not! Don't let a piece of cake sway you!"
Lumine still remembered the whole "one favor per person equals one favor" deal from before!
"Haha." Themis chuckled, not at all upset at being exposed. She simply smiled seriously and said, "If it's to sway little Paimon, I think having the Palais Mermonia cover all of your expenses in Fontaine would be far more convincing."
"Really?"
Lumine's eyes sparkled. "Can I really take that seriously?"
"Well, let's see about that personal commission…"
"No! It's an official commission! Themis, you misspoke! How could your request not be considered official when it's for the sake of all of Fontaine?! It's clearly an official commission!"
Paimon watched in disbelief as Lumine suddenly switched to a bootlicking tone, grabbing Themis's hand with a flattering look.
Seeing Paimon's expression, Lumine put her hands on her hips and declared, "I'm the one covering your food expenses, you know! You need to start earning your own Mora, Paimon!"
"Huh!? Wait a second!" Paimon's eyes widened in horror. "Lumine, you can't just abandon me like that! No way! I want Themis's official commission too!"
Shaking her head in disbelief, Paimon threw herself onto Themis and hugged her head.
Now with both hands held and her head hugged by two people, Themis blinked in confusion while sitting on the couch.
Meanwhile, in the real world, players were losing their minds.
["Did the devs just shamelessly sneak in a sugar daddy arc?"]
Mondstadt gave the Traveler the title of Honorary Knight.Liyue let them show up in front of the Qixing.Inazuma had them get slashed by the Raiden Shogun for an entire patch.Sumeru initially gave them the title of Sage before taking it away.
Now, in Fontaine, Themis's letter had sent the Traveler straight to Neuvillette's office—where they'd received 5 million Mora!Fifty whole chests!The last time players got that many chests was from the 76 Aranara event!
And now, a "personal"—no, an official commission from Themis came with the perks of being financially supported by Fontaine!
["Players are losing it!"]
["You think they're criticizing Zhongli for spending money without paying? No—they're just jealous he gets to spend money without needing to pay!"]
["If there were a popularity ranking, Themis would probably be the most popular character of the year!"]
["I want Themis to take care of me too!"]
["Please, look at me, Themis!"]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine cried out in chat:"Forget covering all expenses—if she could pay off my mortgage, I'd be overjoyed!"
["Whoa, don't bring up depressing stuff while I'm watching the stream!"]
["No one is born useless—so how did I turn out like this!?"]
["Join Themis's camp and live the life of a lord!"]
CatCatEatsNoMedicine added, "It's not her money I'm after."
The chat understood immediately.Of course! CatCatEatsNoMedicine is already a rich lady—she's after Themis's body!
But getting Themis's body… that would come at an entirely different price!
The Traveler clicked to accept Themis's "personal" official commission.
"It's probably about the prophecy crisis."
"Wonder if we'll get 20 Primogems after this?"
"You're dreaming—be happy if you get two Sweet Flowers!"
"Can't I dream for a bit?"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine laughed. Everyone knows the devs are stingy.
In Teyvat, Themis smoothly glossed over the whole "sponsorship" talk.
Lumine and Paimon sulked for a bit, but they quickly perked up.
"So… what's the actual commission about?"
Themis hugged Paimon. With their size difference, Lumine couldn't help but think of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles and her sister.
Lumine quickly shook off that terrifying thought. One of them was already impossible to beat—if they teamed up, she'd be doomed!
"It's nothing complicated—just do what you're best at."
Lumine tilted her head in confusion. "I'm best at a lot of things!"
"Like?"
"Lumine's really good at fighting! And cooking! And she can play instruments, shoot arrows, and draw!"
"Even though her last drawing on Dragonspine was terrible!"
Paimon still hadn't forgiven Lumine for drawing her as emergency food in a pot.
Lumine stuck out her tongue—it was just a joke!
"The Traveler sure is multi-talented."
Themis didn't hold back her praise, which made Lumine a little embarrassed—but she quickly puffed up with pride. Yes, she really was amazing!
Now Lumine finally understood why Paimon always twirled around when people praised her.
"You two are really close—that's heartwarming to see. I hope your future shines as brightly as the noonday sun."
Themis gently patted Lumine's head. Seeing pretty girls always put her in a good mood.
Standing up, Themis released Paimon. "Since you've accepted my official commission, let's not waste any time—let's go."
"Wait—you're coming with us!?"
"Of course. Since this involves the prophecy, which threatens all of Fontaine, it's better to resolve it quickly."
"Hidden danger? Does that mean there's an obvious threat too?"
Themis smiled. "Exactly. You're quick to catch on. Since it's a prophecy, there's always more than one way it could come true."
"Then why not deal with the obvious threat first?"
"Because the hidden one is harder to find."
Themis shrugged. "We'll start with easy mode first."
"That makes sense," Paimon said, understanding the point. "It's like how we can't expect Lumine in Mondstadt to single-handedly take down a giant mecha created in Sumeru."
Seeing that Lumine and Paimon had no issues with helping in the fight, Themis continued, "Now that we've settled the terms of the quest, let's discuss the compensation."
"Compensation."
At this, Lumine and Paimon instantly perked up!
Though not being financially supported was a bit of a letdown, Themis was nothing like Wriothesley. She must be incredibly generous!
"Being kept as a mistress isn't possible, but I can grant you unrestricted access to all areas in Fontaine except for a few top-secret locations."
"Moreover, I've heard that as a Traveler who's journeyed through many countries, you're searching for certain sparkling stones."
At the mention of sparkling stones, Lumine immediately pulled out a pink-purple Primogem. "These are called Primogems."
"Though I don't know their exact use, they seem very precious to you," Themis said. "So, let's include some of the Primogems from Fontaine's national treasury in your compensation."
"Just remember, these gems are merely decorative to us, so the treasury doesn't have many to begin with."
"Perfect! I don't mind!"
Though Lumine didn't know their purpose either, she still wanted them anyway!
In the real world, when Themis's quest was issued, a new task updated below the mini-map.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine immediately clicked to view it!
[Quest: The Hidden Reef Beneath the Sea]
[You discuss the prophetic crisis with Themis and learn the prophecy will manifest in more than one way.]
[During this period, Themis will accompany you to resolve one of the triggers causing the prophecy's fulfillment.]
[Rewards: 1600 Primogems, 500,000 Mora]
"Huh? How much?!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine cried out, feeling like she was in a dream!
[???]
[???? Holy shit—!]
[What—?! How much—?!]
"How much?! Brothers! How much did she give?!"
"Am I seeing things?! Ah?!"
"Sixteen hundred Primogems—?!"
Covering her head, rubbing her eyes, CatCatEatsNoMedicine sprang to her feet.
"No way, Mihoyo's being so generous this time!"
"Are we celebrating New Year early?!"
[Fontaine's own Sea Lantern Festival!!!]
[Primogems! Primogems! Damn, so many Primogems! Log in now!]
[Ahhhh! Mihoyo! I'll never call you stingy again!]
[Shit! Is this a bug?! Hope this bug never gets fixed!]
[Themis! My Archon—!]
"I hereby proclaim! She is the most popular character in Genshin Impact!"
"My eternal white moonlight!"
At that moment, players erupted in frenzy!
"I declare! She is officially Genshin's most popular character!"
"My eternal white moonlight!"
At this moment, the players completely lost their minds!
「Join Themis's faction—now!」
「Morax gave me security, but you, Themis—you are my true god!」
「I could care less about Mora, but in front of Primogems, I kneel without hesitation!」
「Mother Themis, please accept my bow!」
You're right—no one can break the Traveler's pride.
But with just a small gesture, Themis managed to capture the hearts of all Genshin Travelers, making even the Captains from Honkai Impact seethe with jealousy.
It's not that players can't afford to pull for the Hydro Archon's banner—it's just that Themis is a better deal.
That year, when she stood in Palais Mermonia and announced a reward of 1,600 Primogems, she had no idea she was becoming the irreplaceable white moonlight in so many players' hearts.
If true love had a color, it would be the color of the Primogems in Themis's hands.
That's Lady Themis, Fontaine's esteemed Regent!
At this very moment, she had ascended as the players' most beloved and irreplaceable white moonlight, soaring to the top of the Genshin player forum's popularity rankings!
Welcome to the grand documentary: Themis's Legend!
Taking a quick look at the player forum, Themis was completely dumbfounded.
What's going on?Did the Primogems she gave the Traveler somehow get sent to the players' inboxes too?!
Watching General MacArthur's sudden return and her fan content blowing up online, Themis fell into complete silence.
(TL Note: 麦克阿瑟 or General Douglas MacArthur, known for his famous comeback in World War II. In this context, it's used as a meme to compare Themis's rise in popularity to a grand, victorious comeback.)
She was starting to suspect that something strange was going on over at Hoyoverse.
How could this even be in sync?!