Holding Furina's hand, Themis led her back to the Palais Mermonia. Themis glanced at the panicked and restless crowd, searching left and right, but Neuvillette was nowhere to be seen.
"Calm down! Everyone, return to your posts and resume your duties. Do not abandon your positions during work hours."
With Neuvillette absent, Themis had no choice but to step up and take charge of the situation.
Furina stood beside Themis, watching the crowd gradually settle back into order. Seeing everyone return to their tasks left her feeling quite satisfied.
Good. That's how it should be. Though the tremor earlier was sudden, staying calm was undoubtedly the best course of action in this situation.
"Where is Neuvillette now?"
"Lady Regent, Monsieur Neuvillette left for the Opera Epiclese shortly after you departed to attend the trial."
Nodding in understanding, Themis pulled Furina into the office.
After closing the door, Themis sat down and silently watched Furina pacing back and forth.
"Themis, what exactly happened?"
Furina scratched her head, anxiety written all over her divine face.
Earlier, she had managed to stay calm by mirroring Themis's composed demeanor, but internally, she was extremely on edge.
Though Themis hadn't explained anything yet, Furina was certain the tremor was related to the prophecy crisis.
"You mentioned before that René was part of the cause of the prophecy crisis. So… is this the second part? Could it be the narwhal?"
Furina covered her head with her hands, her expression distressed.
"No matter how big the narwhal is… wait, no! There's no 'but'! We'll definitely succeed! That's right!"
She nodded to herself, building up her own confidence, trying to regain her usual composure.
Themis comforted her, "There's no need to worry. The prophecy will come eventually—but not today."
"But the prophecy will come." Furina's playful charm from their earlier date had vanished, replaced by a heavy sadness and anxiety that made it hard to breathe.
Themis stood up and wrapped her arms around her troubled god. Furina clung to Themis's warmth, unwilling to let go.
"Furina…"
Themis called her name softly. Furina lifted her head and gazed at her.
"Mm, I'm here. What is it, Themis?"
Themis cupped Furina's cheeks, her golden eyes gazing steadily into hers. Furina shifted uneasily under the intensity of her stare.
"It's nothing."
She kissed her goddess gently, dissolving the doubts in Furina's heart.
"It's just…."
"I was wondering… Furina cries so easily. If one day I resigned from my post, would Lady Furina cry over me?"
There was a trace of melancholy in those golden eyes, which made Furina uneasy. She hugged Themis tightly.
"How could you resign? If you want to resign, that depends on whether this Hydro Archon agrees or not!"
"So, stop mentioning resignation, got it?!"
Furina's emotions were a little intense—it was obvious that Themis's words had unsettled her.
If Themis resigned… what would she do?
After five hundred years of closeness, Furina had long regarded Themis as the light of her life—warm and reassuring. Furina couldn't even begin to imagine what her life would be like if Themis were to leave her side.
No, it's not that she couldn't imagine it—it's that the thought of being left alone, with no warm embrace to rely on, filled Furina with a sense of grievance and fear she couldn't suppress.
Perhaps she would endure it, continuing forward for the sake of her promise to the other self in the mirror—but Furina knew very well that the pain she would have to bear would grow exponentially.
Without Themis by her side, could Furina still truly be Furina?
Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. That fragile yet resilient heart of hers made Themis's heart ache, but there was nothing she could do.
"Please trust me, Furina. No matter what happens, I will always stand behind you."
"I promise you. So… please believe in me, okay?"
Wiping away Furina's tears, Themis, for the first time, felt at a complete loss.
The future was far too heavy and inevitable for Themis. If it were possible, she would naturally want to stay with Furina and Focalors for eternity.
"Why would you resign? If you want to quit, you'll need to get the Hydro Archon's approval first!"
"That's why I won't allow you to mention resignation again, do you understand?"
Furina's emotions were visibly agitated, her panic evident at Themis' words.
What would happen to her if Themis resigned?
Five centuries of intimate companionship had made Furina see Themis as the light in her life - warm and comforting. The thought of Themis leaving her side was unimaginable.
No, it wasn't that she couldn't imagine it, but the mere thought of being alone without anyone to embrace her, without warmth to cling to, made Furina feel overwhelmed with sorrow and fear.
Perhaps she would continue for the sake of her promise to the other self in the mirror, but Furina knew clearly that the pain she would have to endure would multiply exponentially.
Could Furina remain true to herself without Themis?
A tear slid down Furina's cheek. Themis felt her heart ache for Furina's fragile yet strong spirit, but there was nothing she could do.
"Please trust me, Furina. No matter what happens, I will stand behind you."
"I promise you this, so please trust me too, okay?"
Wiping away Furina's tears, Themis felt utterly lost for the first time.
The future weighed heavily on Themis, an inevitable burden. If possible, she would have chosen to stay by Furina and Focalors' side forever.
Yet all lives hold equal value, each person granted but one lifetime.
To save one life, another must be sacrificed.
Furina buried her face in Themis' chest, tears glistening before silently soaking into the fabric.
"Even if Themis doesn't want to be Regent anymore, I'll make time to visit you. Just give me your address, and I'll come find you."
"Though the Archon's duties are many, I could always delegate these matters to Neuvillette."
Her voice cracked into broken phrases as she clenched her jaw, refusing to let humiliating sobs escape.
Themis' unusual behavior drew Furina's intense concern.
Yet she knew better than to ask - Themis would never reveal the true reason.
"So please, don't leave me, Themis..."
The Archon pleaded through tear-choked words, but Themis offered no reply.
"Ah~ of course. I'm the Regent of the Hydro Archon. Making the Hydro Archon sad would be a grave matter."
Without the Hydro Archon, there would be no need for a Regent of the Hydro Archon.
Burying the latter half of the sentence deep within her heart, Themis restored her usual smile - that expression which always put Furina at ease. She gently stroked Furina's hair, cradled her in her arms, and tenderly kissed the Archon's face.
When Furina had finally settled down, Themis let out a relieved sigh. She guided Furina to sit in a nearby chair, then piled all the accumulated paperwork from her absence before the Archon.
Furina gazed at the documents, her tear-filled eyes meeting Themis' in a silent stare. In the end, she obediently picked up a document and began processing it with earnest care.
Idle minds wander, Themis thought. Better to keep Furina occupied.
Watching Furina work with such childlike devotion, like a grade school student completing homework, Themis couldn't help but internally praise the Archon's cuteness over and over. Such a beautiful and pure deity was meant to be cherished and protected.
Resting her chin in her hand, Themis' eyes brimmed with unhidden affection.
Their established lover status made Furina particularly sensitive to Themis' gaze. Still unsettled by Themis' earlier questions, Furina kept glancing at her companion after finishing each document, as if checking whether Themis remained by her side.
Then the adorable blue-white kitten would be kissed by Themis until she could hardly breathe.
Far away at Opera Epiclese, Neuvillette—who had immediately pinpointed the source of the problem—rushed to the Fortress of Meropide.
Only after reinforcing the seal on the well cover containing the Primordial Sea did Neuvillette allow himself to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, seeing Neuvillette's grave expression, it was obvious this matter wasn't nearly as simple as it seemed.
"Goodness, that was terrifying! We were in the middle of discussing matters when the sea suddenly erupted."
Wriothesley wore an expression of relief.
After successfully negotiating terms with The Knave, he had departed swiftly.
But then another small-scale tremor shook the Fortress of Meropide.
Forcing Wriothesley to descend and inspect whether the valve could still hold.
Fortunately, he had checked quickly. Given the hissing water from the valve, Wriothesley feared any later arrival might have doomed the entire fortress.
"I can sense it," Neuvillette said. "Within the Primordial Sea beneath the Fortress of Meropide, a colossal beast has awakened."
At this point, Neuvillette couldn't help but wonder, "Yet the awakened beast remains trapped within the sea, failing to breach the surface. How peculiar."
"I had originally thought we'd face a fierce battle."
Neuvillette had even prepared himself to go all out, ready to be away from Palais Mermonia for a long time.
Paimon said, "Oh, maybe Tartaglia is down there holding back the whale's advance."
"Tartaglia... the Fatui's Harbinger?" Neuvillette asked, puzzled. He couldn't imagine why the man would take action on his own.
"That Childe guy has been acting like he's invincible since we were in Liyue," Paimon continued. "Maybe seeing such a powerful opponent in the Primordial Sea actually pleases him."
Paimon's words left the dragon utterly confused. It seemed he hadn't encountered anyone so reckless in these past five hundred years.
"But then again, if Tartaglia gets seriously injured in the Primordial Sea, what would happen?"
Lumine murmured, "I hope he's alright."
In contrast to her colleagues, Tartaglia's image in Lumine's mind - all brawn with just enough brains - somehow seemed endearingly charming.
She imagined how devastated his younger siblings would be if something happened to him. Having experienced sibling separation herself, Lumine felt compelled to act decisively! She couldn't let history repeat itself!
After worrying about Tartaglia for a moment, Lumine shifted her attention to Neuvillette.
Seeing Neuvillette, Themis, and Furina's identical white hair, Lumine felt her heart grow heavy.
"May I ask you some questions?" Lumine inquired.
Wriothesley stood to the side, helplessly shrugging his shoulders. He tactfully withdrew, preparing to return and pacify the members of the Fortress of Meropide.
As Wriothesley's figure faded into the distance, Neuvillette turned his attention back to Lumine.
"Please proceed," he said.
"Your power can actually repel the Primordial Sea..." Lumine began.
Paimon interjected, "Don't tell me you're the Hydro Archon?! Waaah, but we clearly heard from The Knave that Themis is the true Hydro Archon..."
Neuvillette looked at them with bewilderment, his eyes radiating the question: Why would you think that?
This left Lumine and Paimon feeling inexplicably guilty.
Paimon fumbled, "Was I wrong? Okay, okay, let's... let's talk about something else. Ah ha ha, you people are so strange..." She scratched her head awkwardly under Neuvillette's persistent gaze.
"Though I'm not sure what peculiar rumors have misled you at the Fortress of Meropide, I can assure you - I am not the Hydro Archon."
"However, I am genuinely curious about this special information you mentioned. Might you share it with me?"
Neuvillette was still somewhat confused about the situation. To be honest, everything had happened so suddenly that he felt completely caught off guard.
Lumine, with a look that said "I understand," turned her gaze toward Paimon.
"Huh? Wait, am I supposed to explain again?"
"There's no choice. Who else would talk so much?"
With a mischievous expression, Lumine's large eyes stared intently at Paimon. Under this intense scrutiny, Paimon could only yield - after all, Lumine was the one in charge of her meals!
"The curse on Furina..."
Neuvillette's eyes showed deep confusion. "I'd never encountered deities from other realms before, so I assumed that was just how divine beings naturally smelled."
"But now that you mention it, I do recall something."
Paimon: "Ah? What is it?"
Neuvillette pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words. Under the expectant gazes of both girls, he began slowly, "From my perception, Themis also carries a peculiar aura. It's incredibly ancient, and somehow... unsettling."
"I originally thought Themis' extraordinary longevity and status might be due to some blessing - or perhaps a curse - bestowed by Furina."
"However... now that you've mentioned this..."
Neuvillette's words carried unspoken implications, lifting a corner of the veil that time had cast over Fontaine's hidden secrets.
Lumine and Paimon were equally stunned by this revelation.
"Don't worry, I'll inquire about this matter with Themis and Furina."
"Considering Themis's nature, I believe we're more likely to uncover the truth through Furina."
Between the two options, Neuvillette instinctively rejected the idea of questioning Themis.
"Ah, I hope The Knave can uncover the true reason why the Fontaine people were punished by the Primordial Sea and dissolved," Paimon said with a sigh.
Lumine found the situation particularly vexing.
Compared to Sumeru's issues, the prophecy that staked an entire nation of Fontaine was clearly more pressing for Lumine and Paimon.
Moreover, unlike Inazuma, the first three nations had resolved their crises alongside Archons. Who would have thought that in Fontaine, the Archons' secrets themselves would become crucial to resolving the crisis?
Even the Archons' identities remained unclear. Lumine shook her head, deciding to set that matter aside for now.
The most important task now was to discover why the Fontaine people dissolved into water.
As for the identity of the Hydro Archon, that would become clear when the situation reached its critical point!
After leaving the Fortress of Meropide, Neuvillette activated his intelligence network to investigate.
Meanwhile, the Knave Arlecchino was visibly more anxious. After all, her public identity remained that of a criminal from the Fortress of Meropide.
Seven days - not too many, yet not too few. But when measured against the scale of an entire Fontaine, the time was desperately urgent.