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As the airship slowly ascended into the high sky.
Navia excitedly spread her arms wide, feeling the fresh air high above, tinged with a faint chill.
She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled it, letting out a heartily refreshing shout.
"Wooo—!"
Shao Yun stood off to the side, his gaze drawn to the magnificent scenery unfolding at high altitude, yet at the same time, a question surfaced in his mind.
"I've always had something I couldn't quite figure out! Tell me—since airships are so convenient and fast, why hasn't Fontaine invented airship passenger services? This thing is way more convenient than the aquabus…"
Hearing Shao Yun's question, Navia recalled a certain Fontaine law.
"That's because the Hydro Archon once issued a decree stating that during the first three days of every month, absolutely no one is allowed to release any flying objects within Fontaine City."
Shao Yun found it extremely odd when he heard Navia mention this law—one that Furina had once used to give him trouble at Romaritime Harbor.
"What does that even mean? Just because of a restriction like that, Fontaine didn't develop airship transportation? It's only three days—just take three days off, then."
Clorinde explained Navia's meaning and added her own perspective.
"Aside from possibly avoiding that law, another issue is that airships in Fontaine would require safety inspections. After passing those inspections, someone would still need to invest, establish routes, and handle operations—all of which are no small hassles."
"Not everyone can shoulder massive projects like Mr. Callas did with aquabus routes, let alone something as novel as airships."
"If private individuals can't afford it, then it's even less likely for the Fontaine government to take on such a project. During my time serving as Lady Furina's guard, I heard Neuvillette mention that Fontaine's finances have had a large deficit in recent years."
After listening to Clorinde's thorough explanation, Shao Yun bluntly stated with a straight face, "Oh, so when you get down to it, it's just because you're broke…"
Hearing Shao Yun's painfully direct remark, Navia gave a light cough before replying, "Ahem, Mr. Shao Yun, you really don't leave any room for tact at all, do you?"
When Paimon heard that Fontaine didn't have money, she asked curiously, "Is that really true? How could Fontaine be short on funds?"
Navia nodded, then threw out a question of her own.
"Do you know about the explosion at the Fontaine Research Institute? It was over in that direction." As she spoke, she pointed toward the distance.
Paimon quickly nodded in response. "Yeah, I've heard about that. When we first arrived at Romaritime Harbor, we saw a notice board saying the Fontaine Research Institute was unfortunately blown into ruins due to an experimental accident."
Seeing that Paimon was familiar with the matter, Navia began explaining in detail why Fontaine's finances were so strained.
"I've heard that most of Fontaine's current funds are being poured into maintaining the daily operations of the existing Fontaine Research Institute."
"Not only that, I've also heard that in order to deal with the threat posed by the continuously rising sea level, a large amount of funding has been quietly diverted to countermeasures. As for the actual details, I'm afraid only a handful of people know the truth…"
"Even just keeping the Institute running as it is now costs a great deal."
Shao Yun cut straight to the point with his assessment. "Alright then—if Sumeru is a university disguised as a nation, Fontaine is a laboratory plus a courtroom disguised as one."
Hearing this theory, Navia quickly guided everyone's attention away from the statement.
"Ah, let's not overthink things like that. What really matters right now is enjoying the feeling of looking down at the world from the sky."
With that, she leaned against the airship's railing and began admiring the aerial scenery.
Shao Yun followed suit, turning his gaze outward. As he looked upon the vast expanse of land and sky, a strange sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
"I suddenly thought of Mr. Brad. I kind of regret not taking his boiled eggs… poor guy…" Shao Yun muttered to himself.
"..."
At the same time, outside the Opera Epiclese, there were no trials scheduled for today.
It wasn't that there were no cases to be judged—rather, today was the day Lady Furina was taking the stage.
Furina was not merely Fontaine's Archon; she was also a household name throughout the nation, a wildly adored superstar!
Every month, there were always a few days when Furina would grace the stage at the Opera Epiclese.
Each time tickets for her performances went on sale, they would sell out within five minutes—her popularity was simply beyond imagination.
Outside the opera house, before the formal performance, Furina practiced a segment of the dance she would present on stage.
After finishing the short rehearsal, she looked expectantly toward Eula, who stood nearby, and softly asked, "Miss Eula, what do you think of my dance?"
Eula crossed her arms and thought carefully for a moment before replying, "It's very impressive… though, in my personal opinion, the movement at the ending might benefit from a slight adjustment…"
"If it were me performing, I might handle it like this—" Before she could finish speaking, Eula began demonstrating herself.
She perfectly recreated the movements Furina had just shown, but at the ending, she reduced the amplitude of her motion, making the final pose look more natural and fluid.
When Eula finished her demonstration, Furina suddenly puffed out her cheeks and questioned her with feigned irritation. "Oh? Could it be that Miss Eula thinks she's better at dancing than I am?"
Hearing this, Eula immediately became flustered and hurried to explain. "Ah! That's absolutely not what I meant! I was just offering a small suggestion… after all, you were the one who asked for my opinion."
Though Eula appeared panicked on the surface, inwardly she was already complaining.
"You were the one who asked me for feedback in the first place—how did giving a suggestion end up making you upset? What a wildly unpredictable personality!"
Seeing Eula's face flush red as she stood there at a loss, Furina suddenly clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha, it's fine, Miss Eula. You're actually the first person to step forward and offer performance-related feedback. Seeing how perfectly you replicated my movements just now, I'd say you must have some experience with dance too, right?"
Hearing Furina's words, Eula froze, completely unprepared for such a drastic shift in Furina's attitude.
For a moment, Eula didn't know how to respond and could only stammer, "Uh… well… I suppose I'm passable… I only know a little, really…"
Yet inside her mind, Eula was already ranting uncontrollably.
"By the Anemo Archon—why is this Hydro Archon even stranger than Fischl?"
Furina narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing a sly smile.
"Since you say you know a little, how about showing me your dance right here? Let me broaden my horizons!"
At those words, Eula's eyes flew wide open, her mouth forming a perfect "O."
"What? You want me to dance here?! Th-this…"
Countless reasons for refusal flashed through Eula's mind, but when she saw Furina standing with her arms crossed, wearing an unquestionable expression, all the words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down.
"Y-you really want to see me dance? I'm really bad at it!" Eula made one last attempt to resist, hoping Furina might change her mind.
But Furina was clearly unmoved. She straightened up, assuming the dignified posture of a Hydro Archon, and said solemnly, "Of course. You've already piqued my curiosity—are you not going to take responsibility?"
"Come on, stop dawdling and start already! Just a short piece will do!"
Faced with Furina's relentless pressure, Eula found herself caught between advance and retreat.
In the end, she clenched her teeth and resolved to go all in.
"Alright… since you insist, I'll embarrass myself then…"
After saying this, Eula took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes.
A moment later, she opened them again, having adjusted her posture.
"I hope all this time without practice hasn't gone to waste…"
At that moment, regret crept into her heart—why had she impulsively offered her personal opinion about Furina's dance in the first place?
But with things having reached this point, there was no choice but to brace herself and go through with it.
Thus, Eula began to perform a short ceremonial dance for Furina.
Her figure moved lightly as she danced, every motion smooth and graceful.
However, perhaps due to her long lack of practice, or perhaps because of her nervousness, the dance came to an abrupt end after barely a minute.
Despite its brevity, Eula's solid foundation in dance was unmistakably on display, successfully capturing Furina's full attention.
"Wow! Miss Eula, your movements are absolutely perfect—where did you learn to dance like that?"
Faced with Furina's praise and inquiry, Eula hesitated briefly before casually fabricating a lie.
"There's really nothing special about it… I just happened to see someone performing on the street a long time ago, watched for a bit, and picked up a few basics, that's all…"
Though Eula was lying, Furina believed her without the slightest doubt.
"To reach this level just by watching others perform—if you received professional training, you'd be absolutely stunning!"
At this very moment, in Furina's eyes, Eula was no longer just an ordinary guard, but a precious unpolished gem. With only a little refinement, she would surely shine with dazzling brilliance.
"Miss Eula, would you be interested in receiving my professional guidance and performing plays with me at the Opera Epiclese?"
Hearing Furina suggest she become an actress, Eula's mind short-circuited slightly as she asked, "Huh? Me… acting in plays?"
Furina nodded repeatedly in confirmation. "That's right—not just plays, but operas too! Stage plays, musicals! You'd look amazing on camera. Once Clorinde comes back to resume being my guard, why don't you stop guarding altogether and perform with me instead?"
Seeing Furina extend an olive branch toward an acting career, Eula quickly declined. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Furina, but I think I'm better suited to being an ordinary officer."
Seeing Eula refuse, Furina didn't force the issue. "Alright then, I won't insist… but if you ever change your mind, Miss Eula, be sure to come find me!"
Eula nodded politely and replied, "Of course. Thank you, Miss Furina."
At that moment, Furina suddenly grew curious about Eula's background and asked casually, "By the way, where are you from, Miss Eula? I looked into your file—you didn't even write down a surname, did you…?"
Hearing Furina inquire about her past, Eula's heart tightened.
After leaving the Knights of Favonius, she had resolved to bury her past deep in her heart.
Coming to Fontaine, she was determined to begin an entirely new chapter of her life.
"Well… that is…" Eula began, looking troubled.
She even wondered if she should fabricate a false surname for herself…
Just then, Furina's attention was suddenly caught by an airship appearing in the sky. She pointed upward and said, "Eh? What's that thing in the sky?"
Eula instinctively followed the direction of her finger.
In the distant horizon, an airship drifted slowly by, moving steadily northward.
Eula narrowed her eyes slightly and muttered to herself, "That thing… looks like the kind of airship I once glimpsed by chance out in the wilderness."
Furina stroked her chin and asked casually, "What day of the month is it today?"
Eula was momentarily stunned by the sudden and inexplicable question. Is she talking to me?
"Huh? Miss Furina, what did you just say? Were you talking to me?"
Furina didn't answer Eula directly, instead reciting a Fontaine law to herself.
"According to Fontaine law, during the first three days of each month, no one is allowed to release flying objects within Fontaine City!"
Eula recalled hearing Yanfei mention this while studying the law, so she replied, "Oh, but today isn't within the first three days of the month, so we don't really have a reason to stop that flying object, do we?"
Hearing that the airship hadn't violated the law, Furina relented. "Fine then—guess the people on that airship got lucky…"
Eula glanced at the sun in the sky and reminded her, "Miss Furina, it's almost time for the performance to begin."
Furina snapped back to her senses and said, "Alright, let's go."
"..."
The airship in the sky was being piloted by Shao Yun and his group.
Paimon leaned over the railing, looking down at the Opera Epiclese, and exclaimed in surprise, "Did we drift over near the opera house? What's going on?!"
Clorinde looked down at the opera house and then reassured her. "Don't worry. Today isn't within the first three days of the month, so it's fine. Miss Furina won't give us trouble."
Paimon let out a sigh of relief. "I see… that's good. I really don't want Furina causing trouble for us while we're on vacation again…"
Lumine examined the opera house below and exclaimed in awe, "That said, seeing the opera house from this angle gives it a completely different charm!"
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