Fontaine.
Fu Ning followed behind Furina, taking in the unique architecture of the city.
Back on Blue Star, he had been one of the twelve most powerful superhumans, constantly embroiled in battles and slaughter. For someone who despised conflict, this life had left deep emotional scars.
But…
Fu Ning looked ahead at Furina, who was happily skipping over to greet a Fontaine woman.
"Lady Furina! Good afternoon!"
"Hello, Miss Emma. How are you today?"
Miss Emma smiled warmly. "Very well, thank you, Lady Furina."
This peaceful scene—this world—felt far more suited to him.
It was clear that, while Furina might not excel in combat as a Hydro Archon, she was certainly well-loved by her people. A ruler adored by her citizens couldn't be entirely unqualified.
Yet Miss Emma's eyes landed on Fu Ning. Her smile froze. She paled, stepped back quickly, and hurried off.
"…"
He hadn't noticed before, but now realized—his appearance must be terrifying.
[Talent Activated: Sequence 11 – Regeneration]
A soft green light swept across his body, knitting his wounds closed and concealing his scars with energy.
Furina was naturally talkative and had become rather familiar with Fu Ning during their time together.
Resting her chin on her hand, she thought aloud, "As the Archon who brought you here, I can't just abandon you in Fontaine. You're new to this world, and the only person you know here is me. So how about this: come with me to the Palais Mermonia. I'll ask Neuvillette to find you a job."
Fu Ning nodded.
"I'll leave it to you, Lady Furina."
With Furina's status in Fontaine, finding a position for an outsider like him would be no trouble.
At the same time, he took note of a name Furina had mentioned several times—Neuvillette.
That name… it carried weight.
Palais Mermonia.
This was Fontaine's most majestic building—among the grandest in all Teyvat.
It housed not only the Hydro Archon's official residence, but also the chambers of Neuvillette, Fontaine's Chief Justice.
They entered the building and turned right. Without hesitation, Furina kicked open a tightly shut door, excitement brimming in her eyes.
Inside, a man with long white hair and a solemn expression sat at a desk, immersed in paperwork.
He was Neuvillette, the Chief Justice of Fontaine.
Looking up calmly at Furina, he asked, "Lady Furina, what brings you here?"
As Furina pulled Fu Ning into the room, Fu Ning studied Neuvillette carefully.
Even without trying to sense it, he could feel the immense Hydro elemental energy surrounding Neuvillette—completely different from Furina, who exhibited no elemental presence at all.
It was almost as if Neuvillette were the true Hydro Archon.
Furina grinned and gestured toward Fu Ning. "Neuvillette, look at this guy! His name's Fu Ning—the Dark God!"
But Neuvillette had already been observing Fu Ning.
Clearly, the man possessed formidable power—though difficult to measure precisely, especially in his current weakened and injured state.
Neuvillette stroked his chin in thought. Fu Ning's aura bore similarities to Furina's, but with stark differences.
Of course—it made sense. Even if both were divine beings, Furina was one of the Seven Archons, while Fu Ning seemed to be something else… a demon god.
Neuvillette nodded slightly, though with a hint of caution.
"Greetings, I am Neuvillette, Chief Justice of Fontaine."
"Hello, Lord Neuvillette. I'm Fu Ning. You may just call me that. I… I'm a demon god who has only recently awakened. I came to Fontaine at Lady Furina's invitation."
Fu Ning found it difficult to call himself a "demon god." Back on Blue Star, Demon Gods had been his enemies. Now he bore the same title.
Neuvillette studied him silently and understood the unease in his expression.
There was no malice—Furina had likely dragged him here just after he regained consciousness.
After a pause, Furina coughed lightly and said, "Well, Neuvillette, Fu Ning just got here. He's got nowhere to go and nothing to do. Why not arrange a position for him?"
"…"
Classic Furina.
Last time, she dragged someone in and made him Chief Justice without warning. Now she'd brought a demon god and expected him to be assigned an official post right away.
He sighed inwardly but still asked, "Mr. Fu Ning, may I ask—do you possess any particular skills that might influence the role we assign you? Please answer truthfully."
"…"
When he first awakened his talent, he was just a high school graduate. He was preparing to enter university when the first monsters appeared.
From that point on, his life had been nothing but endless battles. He hadn't had time to develop any special skills outside of combat.
"If I have to say… I'm good at fighting."
Neuvillette: "…"
That much was obvious. If a demon god couldn't fight, what was the point?
Still, Neuvillette remained composed. He considered suitable positions and landed on one: duel agent.
According to Fontaine's laws, any accused citizen could defend their honor in a sanctioned duel. If they defeated the official duel agent, they would be absolved. If not, the trial would proceed.
Thus, duel agents had to be the best fighters in all Fontaine. Unfortunately, the previous top agent had recently lost eligibility due to… complications.
Fu Ning's arrival was almost too timely.
"Perhaps…" Neuvillette began, but Furina cut in.
"Wait! I've got a better idea. How about Fu Ning becomes my personal bodyguard?"
She beamed. Having such a powerful figure around would make up for her lack of combat ability—and he was so polite, too!
Neuvillette: "…"
"But Lady Furina, Fontaine desperately needs a capable duel agent. Assigning Mr. Fu Ning solely as your bodyguard would be… a waste of his talents."
Furina's face darkened. "Excuse me? Are you saying being my bodyguard is a waste? You'd better explain yourself!"
Neuvillette kept his usual stoic expression, unmoved by her dramatics.
Realizing her threats weren't working, Furina waved dismissively. "Fine! What's the big deal? He can be both. My bodyguard and a duel agent!"
Neuvillette felt like he was being asked to process more nonsense in a day than he usually did in a month.
Still, Fu Ning didn't object. Compared to endless warfare on Blue Star, acting as a bodyguard and part-time duelist seemed like a vacation.
Of course… he had no idea how much trouble came with being Furina's bodyguard.