"Clorinde, you're finally back!"
After returning to Fontaine, Clorinde handed over the Cult of the Dragon members to the Maison Gardiennage and went straight to the Palais Mermonia, where she found the two looking utterly distressed.
When Furina saw Clorinde, she seemed to regain her composure and immediately lunged toward her.
At this sight, Clorinde stiffened. Her mind involuntarily replayed the confession recorded by the Echoing Conch, and without thinking, she took a step to the side, dodging Furina's flying leap.
"Lady Furina, if you have something to say, please just say it directly."
Furina looked at Clorinde with a hint of grievance. She didn't know when it had started, but she felt a growing distance between them, a sense of detachment that hadn't been there before.
Focalors, who knew about the misunderstanding between them, watched with a cheerful smile, having no intention of explaining. She just wanted to enjoy the show.
"This trip must have been tough, Clorinde."
"I heard the situation in Sumeru has been resolved. Did Neuvillette say when he'll be back?"
Hearing Focalors' question, Clorinde shook her head.
"Monsieur Neuvillette encountered a minor issue and might need to stay in Sumeru for a few more days."
"Did they uncover more activity from that faction?"
Furina immediately asked with urgency.
"Not exactly. It's related to some of Monsieur Neuvillette's personal matters..."
As Clorinde said this, her expression turned slightly odd, but she quickly composed herself.
"Personal matters..."
Even if Furina racked her brain, she couldn't imagine what personal matter could possibly detain Neuvillette. She soon gave up trying to figure it out.
"Forget it. I'm not going to dwell on it."
"By the way, Clorinde, since you were in Sumeru, did you happen to meet a blonde traveler and a small, white floating sprite?"
Furina thought for a moment before continuing.
"Oh, right, they were also accompanied by an Abyss Herald disguised as a human."
"I know them. They are esteemed guests invited to Fontaine by Monsieur Neuvillette, and they are incredibly powerful."
Clorinde nodded after hearing Furina's words.
"They played a significant role in resolving the recent incident in Sumeru."
"And according to them, the blonde traveler has also journeyed through Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma. She and the white floating sprite were present when Liyue was attacked by the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial. In Inazuma, they eased the conflict between the Shogunate and Watatsumi Island, leading the Raiden Shogun to repeal the Vision Hunt Decree."
After recounting some of their heroic deeds, Clorinde asked the two.
"Your Excellencies, have those esteemed guests already arrived in Fontaine?"
"They... they have..."
Furina stammered.
"I imagine that after they announced their identities, Your Excellencies must have given them a warm welcome, correct?"
"It was... quite a warm welcome."
Focalors added awkwardly.
Of course it was. As esteemed guests invited by Neuvillette, they had barely arrived in Fontaine before being thrown in jail, then hammered with accusations from the defendant's stand, and finally slated for shipment to the Fortress of Meropide to bang on parts. Now, it was basically confirmed to be a misunderstanding, and everyone was just numb.
The main issue, of course, was the Abyss Order's highly purposeful actions. From their perspective, even if the travelers' identities were misjudged, anyone involved with the Abyss Order couldn't be good. So they had played along and set an ambush in advance. They just hadn't expected the Abyss Order to have the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial, on their side. Despite their thorough preparations, they still suffered significant casualties.
"Your Excellencies... did you give them a hard time?"
Noticing the strange expressions on Furina and Focalors' faces, Clorinde asked curiously.
"It was fine. We just let them experience Fontaine's unique specialty firsthand."
"Oh, did Your Excellencies take them to enjoy Fontaine's cuisine?"
"No, we took them to participate in our Fontaine's [Judgment], and they were the ones being judged."
Clorinde: "..."
Afterward, Clorinde finally learned the full story from Furina, and now she too was utterly speechless.
Clorinde knew she couldn't blame the two of them. If she hadn't been privy to the truth, she likely would have made the same mistake.
"Did Monsieur Neuvillette not mention them when he returned?"
"No, hasn't Neuvillette been busy dealing with the Cult of the Dragon ever since he got back?"
Hearing this, Clorinde understood.
It turned out Neuvillette had expended so much energy cleaning up the mess that he had temporarily forgotten about the matter.
Moreover, Neuvillette hadn't expected them to arrive in Fontaine so soon, and right when he was heading to Sumeru. A series of coincidences had piled up, leading to this situation.
"Let's go, Furina. We should go apologize to them."
Hearing Focalors' words, Furina nodded.
This was something they had already agreed upon; backing out at the last minute wasn't in her character.
After reaching an agreement, Furina and Focalors left the Palais Mermonia together.
Meanwhile, in Sumeru City.
Nahida felt a headache coming on as she saw the increasingly fervent calls on the Akasha from the desert people demanding to secede from Sumeru and join Fontaine.
She had already explained that the previous scene was a fake resurrection of Deshret, staged by a few criminals using a special device to deceive them. However, few believed her.
Even Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's testimony was ineffective, and it even slightly shook the people's faith in her. After all, for the desert dwellers, Deshret's call held far more sway than Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's.
As for the forest people, they were completely indifferent. They had always looked down on the desert people, considering them dirty and crude, and viewed the desert as a place of exile.
Although the situation had improved slightly after recent events, such deep-seated prejudice couldn't be changed in such a short time.
In the end, it was only when Neuvillette personally intervened that the situation began to show some improvement.
After all, the desert people wanted to join Fontaine, but they couldn't do anything if Fontaine's authorities disagreed. Moreover, Deshret himself had said to listen to Neuvillette.
Although the situation was temporarily suppressed, the decline in the desert population was unavoidable.
Some people, seeing that the desert couldn't join Fontaine, simply ran off to Fontaine on their own.
This was impossible to stop; after all, they couldn't forbid the desert people from leaving the country.
If such a decree were actually issued, it would truly cause an uproar.
While Nahida was overwhelmed with work, Neuvillette's situation was entirely different.
"Dad, the food here is so delicious!!"
The Little Dragon Girl mumbled indistinctly as she devoured the food on the table, leaving Neuvillette feeling quite helpless.
During this time, neither he nor Apep had managed to get her to change how she addressed him. Neuvillette had hoped to rid himself of this little nuisance with some time, but now it seemed he wouldn't be free anytime soon.
In her spare time these days, she would constantly pester him to explore Sumeru City with her, showing intense curiosity about everything new and being particularly boisterous.
Neuvillette wanted to refuse, but every time, she would pout her little lips, looking like she was about to burst into tears, and within three seconds, Neuvillette would have to surrender.
And when he took her out to play, the worried Apep would immediately follow. Whenever he looked at Apep, she would maintain a stern expression, her icy demeanor melting like snow only when the child ran to her.
Such scenes easily led to misunderstandings, and Neuvillette could feel that rumors were already spreading throughout Sumeru City.
The collaboration with Nahida was now mostly settled. Nahida had agreed to provide the Akademiya's Akasha technology. Since Irminsul's roots spread across the entire continent of Teyvat, connecting Fontaine to the network wouldn't be difficult.
He couldn't delay any longer. This matter needed to be addressed as soon as possible. Judging by the mysterious faction's actions, Teyvat didn't have much time left.
Besides, it had been long enough; Dottore should be awake by now. It was time to settle the score with him.
Neuvillette knew that if he were to leave, the Little Dragon Girl, currently devouring her meal with gusto, would definitely follow him.
And if the child went, Apep would surely follow as well.
Furina and Focalors of Fontaine already gave him enough headaches, and this little one was no easy handful either, not to mention the even bigger trouble accompanying her.
Although he didn't want Apep to come to Fontaine, it was very difficult to refuse.
Apep never had much fondness for humans to begin with, and as a dragon who had been a shut-in for who knows how long, she was completely out of touch with society.
In just these few days, Apep had already caused some outrageous incidents, like "zero-mora shopping" when buying things, or suppressing anyone who got too close to the child with her aura, treating them as dangerous individuals, which caused Nahida a great deal of trouble.
The Sumerians were one thing; they would just try to hide when they couldn't win a fight.
But Neuvillette knew the people of Fontaine were... unrefined. If they suffered such a huge loss, they might just plant a pile of explosives on your usual route next time.
Just imagining that scene made Neuvillette's head throb. While Fontaine had fewer major cases, street brawls were still common. After all, with axes hidden under skirts and flintlocks inside top hats, people tended to speak with a lot more... force.
Therefore, some things needed to be clarified with her beforehand, to prevent Apep from causing him a mountain of trouble in Sumeru.
With this in mind, Neuvillette approached Apep who was sitting on the other side.
"Apep, I have something I want to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
Apep who had been gazing at the child with a gaze so gentle it could melt stone, immediately turned cold upon hearing Neuvillette's voice. She crossed her arms, tilted her head back, and glared up at him.
Although Apep's mood shifted so quickly, Neuvillette had grown used to it over this period and continued speaking.
"I am returning to Fontaine."
"Our Fontaine is the nation of fairness and justice. Even if I or the Hydro Archon were to violate Fontaine's laws, we would be sent by the people to face Judgment."
"Therefore, I hope you will abide by Fontaine's laws and refrain from any illegal activities."
"You wouldn't want me to send you to prison, only for the other Dragon Sovereigns to find out, would you?"
Neuvillette's expression was extremely serious now, putting considerable pressure on Apep.
But refusing to lose face, Apep maintained her scowl and spoke with a look of disdain.
"Hmph, as if mortal laws could ever bind me..."
"Dad, I'm finished eating!"
Just then, a small head squeezed between the two, looking curiously from one to the other.
Apep's expression instantly softened. She affectionately patted the child's little head and spoke with a doting look.
"Lia, are you finished eating?"
"Do you want a little more? You'll get skinny eating so little!"
Lia was the Little Dragon Girl's nickname. Her full name was Otillia, chosen by Apep. Because the child's father's opinion had to be heard, Neuvillette had even been threatened by Apep.
A waiter clearing the hundreds of plates from the table heard this, and his hands trembled, nearly dropping the entire stack.
She ate so little?
She's eaten our restaurant's entire stock clean!
And the chef is collapsed in a chair, shouting that he'll quit if he doesn't get a raise!
And she's worried the child will get skinny?!
However, because this family had become recent celebrities in Sumeru City—after all, they had even pulled off a "zero-mora purchase" incident, and Nahida, the Dendro Archon herself, had to personally step in to explain—everyone knew they were no ordinary people. Even when faced with such an absurd scene, they could barely manage to remain calm.
That's right, the three of them looked exactly like a family at this moment—the kind where the parents were having some marital problems, and the child was making great efforts to hold the broken family together.
What? A misunderstanding?
There was no way it was a misunderstanding. Didn't you hear the child calling them "Dad" and "Mom"?!
"Mom, I'm already full!"
Otillia patted her flat stomach, her words utterly unconvincing.
Then she threw herself into Neuvillette's arms, clinging to his arm and whining coquettishly.
"Dad, I want to play on your phone!"
Neuvillette was completely defenseless against her pleading. He quickly pulled out his phone and placed it in Otillia's hands, then ignored the murderous glare from Apep, who looked ready to chop his hand off, and gently ruffled the little girl's hair.
Taking the phone, Otillia's gaze lingered on each of them for a while before she said something shocking.
"Dad, Mom, you must be making up, right?"
"Can we sleep in the same bed tonight?"
After hearing Otillia's words, Apep, nearly lost control of her expression.
After managing to send Otillia away, Neuvillette and Apep, resumed their serious discussion.
Apep, wanted to sound more domineering, but after the earlier interruption, she couldn't find her rhythm, and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.