"The Fontinalia Film Festival, huh."
After returning from her Inazuma trip, Themis was moved by Neuvillette's haggard appearance.
Out of guilt, she returned to her post, ready to serve Fontaine with renewed vigor.
Well, Neuvillette's been working for five hundred years now. I can't treat him like a dragon-shaped Pal and exploit him mercilessly.
People need to understand sustainable development, you know.
If I exhaust Neuvillette in one go, that'd be downright inefficient.
There are plenty more trips coming up. Better let Neuvillette prepare himself mentally first.
Reading the letter personally written by Raiden Shogun, Themis felt a pang of guilt on Focalors' behalf.
But Focalors' thick skin, rivaling the city walls, left her completely indifferent to Raiden Ei's emotions.
The immediate priority was preparing for the Fontinalia Film Festival.
The new Fontaine characters debuting at the festival were Chevreuse and Chiori.
Themis could only say she'd heard whispers about these two, but knew nothing substantial.
As expected, Themis was most familiar with Furina. For instance, without even checking her room, she could tell Furina had likely woken up by now.
Focalors lay on the sofa in Themis' office, occasionally turning over or poking the cushions in boredom.
To be honest, Focalors found it very dull.
She'd initially thought being out would be exciting, but the first hurdle turned out to be deciding what to eat next.
Themis' answer was: eat whatever's available. If you don't want it, just leave it untouched. You could trick Furina into eating it instead.
Unbeknownst to Furina, Focalors had secretly blessed her with weight-gain prevention magic. Each day, after being coaxed into finishing food the two disliked, Furina still had to diligently exercise.
Getting more exercise is indeed beneficial, especially for overall health.
"The Fontinalia Film Festival is about to begin," Themis said, resting her chin on her hand. "The Raiden Shogun plans to visit Fontaine during this period. Out of courtesy, you and Furina should at least send one of you to greet her."
Focalors yawned. "Then let Furina go. I think she'd be interested in this matter."
"I doubt she would be interested," Themis countered. After all, the previous incident had left Furina feeling guilty whenever she heard the name Raiden Ei.
In Inazuma, they'd spread a flurry of rumors about Raiden Ei, creating an extraordinary impression of the Raiden Shogun among people from other nations.
For Furina, the perfect lady, though she hadn't directly caused the rumors, her connection to Focalors made her feel guilty and uneasy.
"Fine, fine, I'll go myself," Focalors relented. Having guessed Furina's reaction, and out of affection for her, Focalors decided to face Raiden Ei directly, hoping the Thunder God wouldn't strike him down with her divine blade.
"I heard Beelzebul has a sweet tooth. Perhaps... we should have Furina select some treats for her."
Themis knew no one in Fontaine had better authority on sweets than Furina.
Focalors offered no objection.
As the remaining reception preparations unfolded, wave after wave of arrangements kept the Palais Mermonia staff busier than ever.
But none of this concerned Furina.
With Themis handling matters and Focalors ready to shoulder any labor she wished to avoid, she found herself utterly idle - a contemporary deity's daily reality.
She'd spread out novels and tea snacks, sitting motionless all day. Occasionally she'd stroll through the wilderness when the mood struck.
If she could win a fight, she'd brawl. If not, she'd flee.
When resolute, she'd battle Boom Boom Beasts. When cautious, she'd desperately escape local legends while shouting "Themis, save me!" three times.
At night, Themis would pin her to the bed for kisses.
Such was the perfect day's conclusion.
"The Fontinalia Film Festival approaches," Furina declared. "Time to start demanding my little cakes!"
Furina stood with her hands on her hips, her head held high with confidence as she eagerly anticipated which cake flavor would be most popular this year.
After swiftly completing her work, Themis called up her System.
She found CatCatEatsNoMedicine and entered the live stream, curious to see what would happen.
Based on past experience, it was probably going to be a movie production.
This matter began when Themis first arrived in Fontaine.
As a normal human who had lived through the internet era, Themis found herself nearly going mad with boredom after suddenly arriving in Teyvat. With nothing else to do, she turned to reading novels to pass the time.
Under her guidance, the Academy was officially established. Out of personal interest, Themis poured most of the funds into it.
Five hundred years later, the Academy contained many inventions too advanced to be revealed. Afraid they might be too revolutionary, she only dared to use them secretly in small circles.
Currently, the people of Fontaine used almost entirely outdated technologies.
One day, Themis would introduce magnetic levitation trains throughout all of Fontaine and develop aerial transportation.
And the sea shouldn't be forgotten either.
She planned to reserve some space and create an underwater amusement park.
Excellent! I'll use this for the promotional campaign—perfect for boosting Fontaine's reputation and developing tourism.
Jotting down the idea on paper, Themis pondered whether to deploy the All-Devouring Narwhal as a Pal laborer.
After all, Skirk was still in her grasp. Once Skirk finished dealing with the ash and the New Academy was completed, Themis would kick her straight into the undersea amusement park to work as a security guard.
When you ask, "What if Skirk throws a tantrum?"
It's a joke. That would mean she doesn't know what's good for her.
She's already been captured. From now on, serving Fontaine must become her life's purpose!
A captive who can't serve Fontaine has no value.
You ask if Skirk and the All-Devouring Narwhal want to die? Of course they don't.
Humans prefer compromise, and pets even more so.
When you don't want to die, working becomes your only hobby.
They had lost only their freedom and rest, while Themis gained happiness and saved Mora. Fontaine gained more Mora and a worker! A working whale!
Heh~ When will we let Neuvillette transform into a dragon and show off the Dragon Sovereign's majesty?
The thought of Neuvillette not being exploited left Themis feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
Some Dragon Sovereigns could clearly create more value, but they still had to consider the emotional value of others.
However, people are all hypocrites. Themis was still willing to take care of Neuvillette, not making him carry rocks or mix water.
So Master Rene, who was serving as temporary Dean at the new Academy, was once again assigned the task of designing an underwater amusement park.
Even after death, people still had to be exploited until they came back to life.
You thought that by not needing a coffin or funeral, you wouldn't have to benefit Themis.
Wrong, wrong, wrong! Once you're not even human anymore, there's no need to talk about human rights!
If you won't work, there are plenty of others—both living and dead—who will!
These young people and souls nowadays are still too immature. They throw tantrums and develop depression at the slightest challenge.
Even if Neuvillette spends his days wallowing in depression, doesn't he still have to work and create value?!
Seize sunny days, seize cloudy days. Treat drizzle as good weather, work under moonlight as daylight, double your efforts on clear days.
Work in light rain, push through heavy rain, exploit gaps in torrential downpours, and go all out when dry—work, work, work!
Isn't that exactly how Neuvillette operates?
Exactly! That's the spirit!
We've already successfully trained one Dragon Sovereign.
Themis has been serving as the Hydro Archon's Pal for five centuries now.
With two high-ranking officials of Palais Mermonia leading by example, what excuse do you have for not working hard?
Building a beautiful Fontaine starts with each of us!
At the New Academy construction site, Skirk—wearing a hard hat and using her sword to spread mortar—watched as a new slogan arrived from Palais Mermonia. To be honest, it made her feel like her world was collapsing around her, leaving no hope for the future.
[Question Alice, Understand Alice, Become Alice, Exceed Alice!]
Ahem, ahem, ahem... Let's not get carried away. Better focus on the players in reality.
She skillfully opened the forum and found CatCatEatsNoMedicine's live stream, just in time as the broadcast had just begun.
Genshin Impact 4.3 Version PV: Roses and Muskets
As the Fontinalia Film Festival opened its curtains, directors, producers, actors, art directors... all seemed to have taken their proper positions.
Now, whether the rifle fires at the precise moment and whether the rose blooms at the exact instant—this depends on everyone's efforts.
"So it's still about making movies."
As Themis had expected, the synopsis with its Fontaine mystery novel atmosphere suggested 4.3 wouldn't be much quieter.
CatCatEatsNoMedicine's official live stream.
But to be honest, Themis was still more focused on the PV itself, with little interest in other introductions.
[Photographer? This is a highly technical job. Are you really up to it?]
Themis recognized Furina's voice from the opening lines.
However, the camera kept shaking erratically, missing the key shots. Not only did she think the technique was poor, but Furina herself would probably find it unacceptable too. They'd likely have to reshoot many times.
"However, let Furina be the director."
Themis felt that if the technical skills were lacking, one might risk being corrected by Furina to the point of mental breakdown.
The Kamisato siblings from Inazuma—why was Yoimiya also present?
After reviewing the footage multiple times, Themis discovered that in the corners of the shaky camera shots, they had inadvertently captured Raiden Ei eating a dumpling and Focalors reading a book.
Resting her chin in her hand, she mused that Raiden Ei might actually be susceptible to Focalors' manipulations.
[Let this film sweep through Fontaine like a tsunami!]
[Uh... I meant the kind that leaves people stunned, not the kind that drowns them.]
Alright, alright, she'd heard enough to understand Furina's psychological hangups.
"My goodness! Furina is absolutely adorable!"
CatCatEatsNoMedicine empathized with Furina's residual traits from being a Hydro Archon.
She isolated a frame lasting less than a second where Themis briefly appeared.
Finally reunited with her favorite Genshin Impact beauty, she felt her heart flutter with excitement.
[My dear friend, [Xavier], I've finally found him in Fontaine!]
"Do you know why the Raiden Shogun's portraits are plastered all over Fontaine during the festival season? Because it's the 'Fontinalia Film Festival'!"
"Do you know why the Yashiro Commission siblings get personal guidance from Furina during the festival? Because they're the 'Godly Siblings'!"
"Hey, is that Cyno himself up there?!"
"Yoimiya: Raiden Shogun, I don't want to die!"
"So I can understand the Kamisato siblings going to Fontaine, but is it really wise to send Raiden Ei there?"
"Fontaine's Twin Gods team-building! Yesss!"
"Last time was Zhongli and Venti celebrating the Lantern Rite in Liyue!"
"So, are we filming Sinners' Elegy with Themis or Elysia Realm with Yoimiya?"
"We have our own famous actress here in Fontaine!"
With an awkward chuckle, Themis decided not to reveal that Focalors had written a lewd novel about the Raiden Shogun, which had led to this situation.
Glancing at Focalors still sprawled on the couch, Themis felt embarrassed on her behalf.
But if they did reveal the truth, the Focalors character in player-created fan works might become even more despicable.
Already being quite annoying, if it gets any worse, it might rival Lumine's level of obnoxiousness.
Though players might be too thrilled to care, having the official release eighteen-plus fan creations would only stoke their excitement further.
At the end of the live stream, our honorary mother to Genshin Impact players, Themis de Fontaine, delivered an unexpected gift:
"When Fontaine's 4.3 update launches, all Travelers will receive 1,600 Primogems and ten Intertwined Fates from seven days of daily logins. As a bonus, we're including three new novels by the author of Fontaine's Unofficial History."
"Of course, as a wholesome, positive game, our age rating remains twelve and up."
The cheering players couldn't contain themselves anymore. Truth be told, they wouldn't have minded if Genshin's age rating had been raised to eighteen!
They desperately wanted to read three brand-new works by the Unofficial History author!
Wiping their faces, they never expected this to actually happen.
But at least Focalors hadn't been exposed, Themis thought.
However... why was everyone claiming the Unofficial History was written by her?!
Now they were presenting these novels as gifts from her to the Travelers. This was it—Themis felt she'd have to shoulder the blame for Focalors again.
Standing up, Themis picked up Focalors from the sofa, who wore a dumbfounded expression. She knocked her head in annoyance.
"Waaaah... That hurts! I need a kiss from Themis to get up~"
Clutching her head, Focalors nuzzled against Themis's chest.
"I barely used any strength at all."
Despite her words, Themis gently pried Focalors's hand away from her face and pressed their lips together.
Initially, Themis thought a single kiss would suffice, but Focalors immediately seized her head and launched a counterattack.
What was lost must be reclaimed by my own hands!
Today, she, Focalors, is determined to counterattack!
In that fleeting moment of surprise, Themis was directly pinned against the sofa back.
Focalors straddled her hips and began her counter-press, only to be swiftly subdued by Themis's overwhelming resistance.
There's still work to be done today, and with all these people coming and going—do you think stopping once isn't enough? Do you want dozens of rounds instead?!
Overpowered and defeated, Focalors's fate took a turn for the worse that night.
Furina watched as Themis dragged Focalors onto the bed, mourning for her for two whole seconds before making a hasty retreat.
Ha! As if she'd want to spend another week bedridden.
Focalors has a divine body and still can't handle it. How could her mortal frame with human mental stamina possibly manage?
The Fontinalia Film Festival and the Raiden Shogun's visit to Fontaine—these two events combined have turned the workload into something exponentially larger.
But with Themis overseeing everything, many complications have been avoided.
The staff only needs to focus on their assigned tasks.
No more endless debates about proper procedures to demonstrate Fontaine's hospitality and etiquette—arguments that could drag on for weeks.
In short, it's truly wonderful.
As expected, Fontaine can't function without the Regent's guidance.
Since it's festival time, extra Maison Gardiennage units have been deployed to maintain order.
The Melusine patrols on the streets are on high alert, their vigilance intensified.
Fontaine City is brimming with festive spirit. Even during work hours, smiles adorn everyone's faces—a rare sight.
Perhaps this is the true joy of celebrating festivals.
-
Standing by the window, Themis gazes at the decorated Fontaine City, feeling as if she's seeing it anew.
Themis, embodying the principle that those with greater ability bear more responsibility, readily took on the task since she was capable.
She gently ruffled Furina's small head before pulling her up from the bed as usual.
Furina, still half-asleep, was cradled in Themis' arms and received a kiss.
The girl nuzzled affectionately against Themis, only to startle when water dripped onto her head.
"Stay still, I'm washing your hair."
Themis pressed Furina's head back down, thoroughly wetting her long white hair.
Though Themis could have effortlessly cleansed Furina using divine power, she preferred the tactile experience of manual care - a deliberate choice to maintain constant physical contact with the girl.
Perhaps the soothing motions and warm water proved too comforting. Furina's fading consciousness threatened to slip back into slumber, her head nearly dipping beneath the bathwater before Themis caught it in time.
After bathing, a single command dried Furina's body and hair, restoring softness and volume.
Themis dressed Furina in fresh clothes and meticulously styled her hair.
The brand-new perfect superstar Furina was ready.
Furina was being well-behaved, while Focalors beside her showed a hint of rebellion.
During bath time, they played a splashing game, drenching Themis's face with water.
When dressing, Focalors remained mischievous. Though Themis did secretly enjoy seeing Focalors half-dressed in bed, today there were important matters at hand!
After firmly dressing Focalors, Themis dragged her out.
After preparing the meal, Themis - being a working adult - needed to rush to her job, so she ate quickly.
Having finished eating, she parted ways with the two of them.
Furina watched Focalors warily, fearing another teasing incident.
She hastily stuffed the bread in her hand into her mouth and fled the room, hurrying in the direction Themis had left.
"Seriously, am I that scary?" Focalors propped her chin up and snorted.
Focalors admitted she enjoyed teasing Furina, especially when teasing her on the bed. But surely she hadn't made Furina this cautious, right?
Sigh, kittens are just too easy to tease.
Well, maybe I should be gentler next time.
Though Focalors believed she was already quite gentle.
At least when teasing Themis, she always went full force, while with Furina it barely reached one-tenth of that intensity.
Furina remained oblivious to this difference in treatment.
She raced to Themis's office as if pursued by something, leaving Themis utterly bewildered.
Upon arrival, Furina immediately collapsed onto the sofa and fell asleep.
Furina had stayed up late again last night, so she was catching up on sleep...
Seeing Furina's drowsy state, Themis draped a blanket over her.
As Themis returned to handle documents, she unconsciously softened her page-turning sounds, wary of waking Furina.
Sleeping cats are quiet, but once Furina awakens, she won't remain still in one spot.
-
Meanwhile, on another side...
The renowned Traveler Lumine and her best companion Paimon arrived at Fontaine's main city.
"It looks like Fontaine is celebrating some festival!" Paimon pointed at the nearby flag. "Even the flags have been changed."
"The square is so lively! Look at all the people holding candies and Kameras, they seem so happy."
"Let's go check it out too!"
Driven by curiosity, Lumine and Paimon headed toward the square. They never expected to encounter an old friend in Fontaine.
The old friend was Xavier, whom they last met while filming in Inazuma.
Paimon and Lumine stood nearby, listening curiously.
It seemed the investors had a sudden emergency, preventing them from preparing funds for Xavier.
Watching the investors depart, Paimon and Lumine exchanged glances before approaching.
"Xavier!"
Paimon's call roused the dejected Xavier from his despondency.
The sight of familiar faces from home brought some comfort, easing the weight of recent misfortunes.
"My dear Miss Lumine and Paimon! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!"
"I never thought... I never thought we'd meet like this..."
Lumine, noticing the weariness in Xavier's eyes, asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
"Though I'd love to say I'm fine, the truth is I'm not just unwell—I'm utterly devastated."
Xavier covered his face, his hopes crumbling like sandcastles.
"Everything was fine until moments ago."
"Then came the knock at my door bearing bad news."
"The investor we partnered with for the film can no longer provide funding due to financial troubles."
The anguish etched on Xavier's face was palpable.
Paimon and Lumine had overheard fragments earlier—not through deliberate eavesdropping, but the pair's raised voices had carried clearly.
Paimon, ever the optimist, suggested, "Can't you simply find another investor?"
Hearing Paimon's suggestion, Xavier frowned and said, "No, it's not as simple as you think... This contract was specifically signed for the Fontinalia Film Festival. It prohibits me from collaborating with other investors until after the festival concludes."
"Fontinalia Film Festival?" Paimon asked, the name sounding vaguely familiar.
Lumine looked at Paimon and reminded her, "Someone mentioned it when we were seeking Themis earlier."
Indeed, the name had been casually mentioned, but no further details were provided.
Xavier: "This is your first time participating in Fontaine's Fontinalia Festival, isn't it? Let me explain."
"The Fontinalia Festival was established to commemorate the legendary quest to find the Oceanids and welcome back the Hydro Archon Egeria's Lochknight."
"This day is intrinsically linked to Fontaine's founding, as well as its unique 'Law' and 'Judgment' systems. It's also one of Fontaine's most important festivals."
"Xavier's expression suddenly became awkward, like... like he was swallowing an old newspaper..."
Xavier indeed didn't seem like someone who would typically say such things.
"These are just words from a book. To avoid... uh, unnecessary debates over definitions, when I need to quote something, I usually just... recite it word for word."
Xavier scratched his head, offering an awkward explanation.
"Oh! I see!" Paimon exclaimed. "It's like Mondstadt's Windblume Festival or Liyue's Lantern Rite!"
"You can think of it that way," Xavier agreed. "Festivals, you know! Who doesn't love them? Just like other countries' celebrations, during the Fontinalia Festival, Fontaine hosts many events.
"People commemorate the Lochknights by dressing in special costumes, carrying golden cups, and going door-to-door asking for pure water.
"But in recent years, Lady Furina found this too dull, so she changed 'asking for pure water' to 'asking for sweets'."
"That's exactly her style..." Paimon mused.
"It fits perfectly," Lumine agreed. "That's something she'd definitely do."
After all, Furina had always been known for her love of small cakes and sweets.
The fact that this change only occurred a few years ago suggested Furina must have been working hard to restrain herself before.
"Now it's more like a carnival," Xavier continued. "The children love it. Every year you'll hear kids saying, 'No sweets? Then Judgment for you!'"
"That sounds pretty interesting!" Paimon's eyes lit up at the prospect of free candy. "But what's this Fontinalia Film Festival you mentioned earlier?"
"Oh! We've strayed from our topic," Xavier said. "My excitement at meeting you must have gotten the better of me. Let's return to the main point.
This was initially proposed by the Fontaine Film Association with Lady Themis's permission. Now that film technology is maturing, it's time to bring this art form to a wider audience.
During this period, the association collects completed films from the public and holds a final evaluation. The film with the highest score will receive the association's Furina Award."
The camera panned to the small golden statue of Furina in the square.
Paimon's eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-what kind of award?"
Lumine scratched her ear, wondering if she'd misheard.
Noticing their disbelieving expressions, Xavier repeated himself. "The Furina Award, named after the Hydro Archon. Uh... don't look at me like that. This name was approved by Lady Themis herself. And well... Lady Furina hasn't objected to its use either."
"Besides, there's nothing in all of Fontaine that wields greater artistic influence than Lady Furina."
"Naming the award after Lady Furina herself is recognition enough."
Xavier found the idea quite agreeable.
What artist or performer wouldn't want a statue of Lady Furina in their home to pay daily homage? To bask in the artistic aura of the great Furina herself.
"I never thought Themis would actually agree to this."
"I expected her to reject it outright."
Lumine shared this sentiment.
But then again...
Given how the award had been designed, shouldn't they pay Furina for endorsement and portrait rights?
In fact, this was undoubtedly necessary!
Even the Furina statuette's design required Themis's repeated pleas to update the figure's attire to match the original exactly.
However, when Furina donned the white silk dress, the statuette creator Themis's hands wandered over her body, leaving Furina deeply embarrassed.
Regarding the statuette's purpose, Themis had only stated it would be used for figurines.
Considering Furina's sense of shame, we didn't refine the facial features too much.
But everyone could tell just by hearing the name and seeing the little golden statue's distinctive hair tuft that this was Furina's little golden statue!
At Palais Mermonia, the Themis people watched the live broadcast of actors from Inazuma.
"How should I put it? It feels a bit out of place."
The Kamisato siblings looked fine, but Yoimiya's Inazuma-style makeup stood out like a sore thumb in Fontaine City.
Sis Yoimiya, you're wearing way too little!
Yoimiya might not have realized it, but Themis was certain that plenty of people on the streets were secretly stealing glances at her.
And just as Themis had thought...
Although the game characters were all NPCs, the residents of real-life Fontaine City were genuine humans.
Ah, they were truly human this time.
Seeing the Traveler join forces with Xavier and the Kamisato siblings to help Xavier fulfill his dream without compensation...
Themis: "What's going on? This seems pretty passionate, ha."
But as the discussion continued, they suddenly decided they wanted Furina to be the director.
"Ugh..."
"It seems Furina's time as a mascot is coming to an end."
Recently, Furina's life of eating when hungry and sleeping when full had become truly unhealthy.
It was perfect timing to find some work for Furina, to give her a more fulfilling life.
Experiencing a life she'd never known before - Furina would surely enjoy it.
Meanwhile, while the Traveler hadn't yet brought Paimon to the door, Themis had already given them the green light.
Seeing Furina lying on the sofa, fast asleep and completely unaware of what was happening, Themis felt even more convinced of the necessity.
"She helped a theater troupe not long ago."
"Though we don't know if Furina would be willing to become a director now."
"But if Themis agrees, Furina would probably agree one hundred percent."
"Anyway, she's currently very idle."
"Recently, Furina and Themis went on a trip to Inazuma and did some sort of cultural exchange."
At this point, Paimon failed to notice the complex expressions on the Kamisato siblings' faces.
Yoimiya scratched her head. "A big shot from Fontaine going to Inazuma for cultural exchange? I've never seen that before."
"Recently, three novels by Fontaine authors have become popular in Inazuma."
"I heard it's by the author of Fontaine's Unofficial History, who's quite famous in Fontaine."
To be honest, it's best not to mention this topic at all. Once brought up, it leaves everyone involved feeling awkward.
The Fontaine's Unofficial History is still fresh in everyone's minds. Who could truly withstand the full force of that author's rumor-mongering and fabricated scandals?
Xavier, a native of Fontaine, widened his eyes in shock. "Really?! The author of Fontaine's Unofficial History wrote the book themself?"
"Yae Publishing House said so. Oh, I meant Inazuma's Unofficial History, written by the author of Fontaine's Unofficial History."
"The other two books—when they went to receive the awards, it was two other white-haired Fontaine authors."
A complex expression flickered across Chiori's usually impassive face.
Well then, Fontaine's elite, an unofficial history author, three white-haired figures... and recently, only Neuvillette had been in Fontaine...
It was practically spelled out, requiring no guesswork to understand.
However, the identity of the Unofficial History author remained a mystery that needed to be deduced.
Now it was narrowed down to one of three possibilities.
The difficulty had significantly decreased, yet no one dared to ask directly.
Thus, the author of the Unofficial History remained an unsolved enigma.
As the conversation veered toward speculating about the Unofficial History author, Lumine and Paimon hastily steered the topic back on track.
They had agreed to visit Themis with Traveler and Paimon, as Furina still preferred not to go out.
Finding Themis through this channel would be both convenient and swift.
When visiting someone with important matters to discuss, it would be improper to arrive empty-handed.
"Evelyn mentioned there's a famous cake shop in Fontaine—a five-hundred-year-old establishment. Their pastries are highly regarded. Why don't we get some as a gift?"
Yoimiya's suggestion was perfect, as Furina had a particular fondness for sweets.
"You make sense."
Regardless, he should first prepare sweets to bribe the Hydro Archon.
Then, he needed to mentally rehearse his praise-filled words.
After all, Furina was the type who responded better to flattery than force.
To be honest, when Xavier first entered Palais Mermonia, he had half a mind to flee.
It wasn't surprising that Xavier felt intimidated; after all, he was just an ordinary Fontainian.
Now he had to visit Themis due to a lack of directors, and even ask her to persuade the Hydro Archon—the supreme ruler of Fontaine—to become the director for their obscure little group.
Never mind what others might think, even Xavier himself found the idea somewhat humiliating.
"I hope Lady Themis won't look down on me."
Paimon was genuinely worried about Xavier's dejected state. They hadn't even seen Themis yet, and Xavier was already this anxious.
Would Xavier really not faint upon meeting Themis face-to-face?
"Xavier, calm down! Themis is a kind person; she wouldn't harm you!"
Paimon tried to encourage him.
"I-I understand that Lady Themis is a gentle person," Xavier said, though his nervousness remained palpable. "But that doesn't mean I can't still be anxious!"
His anxiety had reached the point where he was walking with his arms and legs moving in unison.
After taking several deep breaths and carefully composing himself at the threshold of Themis's office, Xavier mustered the courage to push open the door.
"Lady Themis, I..."
He walked in with his eyes closed, but before he could finish his sentence, Paimon nudged him. When Xavier opened his eyes, he saw Themis making a hushing gesture.
Pointing at Furina who was still asleep on the sofa, Themis said, "Let's discuss this outside."
"O-of course," Xavier nodded instinctively, stepping aside to let Themis pass.
"He really... um, obeys without thinking, doesn't he?" Paimon whispered to Lumine.
"What can you do? When Themis doesn't speak, her cold expression is particularly intimidating," Lumine replied softly.
"I heard that."
Even the quietest whispers couldn't escape Themis's ears, who chuckled lightly.
"My apologies, Mr. Xavier. I didn't mean to startle you."
Though it wasn't Themis's fault, one could clearly see that Xavier's previous nervousness had vanished entirely. In its place was panic, as he scrambled to explain himself.
"I didn't mean to! Lady Themis, I'm truly sorry. I was being rude—I forgot to knock when I came in!"
"I nearly woke Lady Furina!"
"My deepest apologies!"
If not for the items in his hands, Paimon was certain Xavier would have prostrated himself before Themis in a grand bow.
"Rather than this, let's change the subject."
"What brings you three here today?"
Though Themis already knew their purpose, she asked anyway. As a prominent deity alongside Furina, agreeing before they spoke might give the impression of desperate eagerness.
"We're actually here about the Fontinalia Film Festival," Paimon interjected, seeing Xavier's nervousness render him speechless. She activated her substitute speaking mode.
Paimon never imagined her role would double up like this.
"The Fontinalia Film Festival... Indeed, I recall Monsieur Xavier registered for it."
"Did you come here instead of preparing for your shoot because of some malicious competition? Are you planning to report it?" Themis asked Xavier, feigning a puzzled expression.
"No, it's mainly because Xavier's investors can't provide funding for various reasons. We've managed to gather others, but we're still missing a director."
"That's why we came to ask if we could invite Furina to be our director."
"We found you here because we didn't know where Furina was."
"Oh, I see," Themis nodded. "Furina has indeed been quite free recently. If you invite her, there's a high chance she'll accept."
"What's your opinion on this, Themis?"
"Me?" Themis pointed at herself and smiled at Paimon. "You should ask Furina. This is her matter after all."
"Of course. But if you must know my personal view, I'd say I do hope she gets out more often."
Paimon and Lumine exchanged glances, instantly understanding that this matter was guaranteed to succeed.
"What are you all doing here?"
Rubbing her eyes, Furina opened the office door to find four people huddled together. She blinked in confusion.
What's going on? Why are they all staring at me?