"No, I believe you." Lora shook her head, indicating that she believed what Apep had said.
She knew Apep hated gods, but compared to all those other gods, if she was going to hate someone anyway, why not choose a few more tolerable people to hate?
For example, them.
Lora felt she should count as fairly tolerable in Apep's eyes.
Anyone disagreed?
Drag them out.
"Everyone, I believe that no matter what the future brings, we will save this world." Lora put away her smile, and her expression became more serious than ever before. "If victory determines who stands at the end, then we will be the ones standing there."
"We will forever follow Lady Egeria!" Focalors said in a low voice.
"I hope we can still gather here in the future to drink and laugh together!" Venti smiled as he looked at everyone. "I buried plenty of fine wine in Windrise, all ready to be opened a hundred years from now. We can't break that promise, all right?"
"We definitely won't!"
Lora, Zhongli, Makoto, and Ei, the gods who had made that promise with Venti during the previous Lantern Rite, all nodded to show that they would keep it.
After the meeting ended, Beleth walked out of Xianyun's home and saw Tartaglia waiting at the door.
"Your Majesty." Tartaglia nodded to her and said, "When are we returning to Snezhnaya?"
Beleth looked at him, then remembered how he had been during the kite competition the night before. After a moment of silence, she said, "You seem to like Liyue quite a bit. Do you still need to go back? Why not stay here?"
"Huh?"
Tartaglia froze, looking at her in confusion.
Beleth continued, "For the next while, Snezhnaya will need to maintain close contact with the other nations. You will remain in Liyue as my representative and be responsible for liaising with the Liyue Qixing and Mr. Zhongli."
"Oh, so that's what you meant..." After hearing her explanation, Tartaglia finally breathed a sigh of relief and said that he would absolutely live up to Her Majesty's expectations.
Beleth set out alone on the journey back to Snezhnaya.
As she walked across the land of Liyue, she seemed to feel the undercurrents already surging beneath the earth, and the flames of gods soon to awaken.
They were like embers buried deep underground, only waiting for the right moment to devour everything on the surface.
After returning to Fontaine, Lora went to find Neuvillette.
"Ms. Lora, did you enjoy Lantern Rite in Liyue?" Neuvillette looked at Lora standing before him, carrying bag after bag of gifts from Liyue, and asked the question with a smile.
Lora looked at him, blinked a little awkwardly, and said, "Well, I know you're asking purely out of kindness and don't mean anything else by it, but somehow I still feel a little embarrassed."
"Hmm... The fact that you can recognize that already puts you ahead of Ms. Furina. Fortunately, whether it is you or Ms. Furina, I am already sufficiently prepared."
Neuvillette looked at Lora and nodded approvingly.
"Uh..."
After hearing that, Lora fell silent, then said, "Um, Furina is probably, maybe, possibly, more or less... my daughter, right? Saying that in front of me... isn't very appropriate, is it?"
Neuvillette looked at her, paused for a moment, and said, "My apologies."
"Hey! That apology had no sincerity at all!" Lora was extremely helpless.
She set everything in her hands onto the table beside her and said to Neuvillette, "Forget it! Let's not talk about that. Come look at what your big sister brought back for you."
"What is all this?" After hearing Lora's words, Neuvillette walked to her side and looked over the bundles on the table with her.
Lora opened the packages one by one and introduced them to him. "This... this is tea Focalors bought for you from Chenyu Vale. You're always drinking water, so try something different! And this is a Liyue-style snack. I had Beleth help preserve it, and it tastes pretty good."
She introduced the things she had brought back one by one.
There was food, and there were also little trinkets and toys.
"Who is Beleth?" Neuvillette was rather puzzled by the unfamiliar name that had suddenly come out of Lora's mouth.
"The Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya," Lora said to him. "Having the Cryo Archon herself keep your snacks fresh isn't something just anyone gets to enjoy!"
"The Empress of Snezhnaya?" Neuvillette looked at Lora strangely and asked, "You went to Liyue for Lantern Rite. Why would the Empress of Snezhnaya be there? Has she not always avoided leaving Zapolyarny Palace, let alone taking part in gatherings between you gods?"
"That is exactly what I was about to tell you."
Lora walked over and sat down, then gestured for Neuvillette to sit across from her.
After he sat down as well, the two began talking across an entire table covered with Liyue specialties.
Lora told Neuvillette about the abnormalities in the Ley Lines, the gods' awakening, and how it would set off a new Archon War.
After listening to her explanation, his expression became extremely grave.
"Well, Neuvillette, are you confident you can protect Fontaine together with us?" Lora waved a hand at the silent Neuvillette and asked.
"With you in Fontaine, my role may not be very great," Neuvillette said, looking at her. "You possess authority close to that of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. You stand above the other gods."
When Lora heard this, she knew Neuvillette was saying she was powerful, but she still shook her head and said, "This is a disaster for the entire world. It isn't something I can withstand alone."
"In that case, I have no other choice, Ms. Lora."
Neuvillette looked at Lora and said seriously, "I have lived in the Court of Fontaine for more than five hundred years and have long since come to understand humanity. I am willing to maintain Fontaine's stability together with you."
After Neuvillette finished speaking, Lora smiled. She stood and extended her hand toward him.
"Then here's to a pleasant collaboration, Neuvillette."
Neuvillette stood, took her hand, and said, "A pleasant collaboration, Ms. Egeria."
Lora added, "I've already sent Focalors and Rhodeia to sort through the intelligence network. It's time for the old Lochfolk spies who once spread across Teyvat to reappear in this world!"
"No wonder I didn't see Focalors and the others. Where is Furina?"
Only then did Neuvillette understand why Lora had come here to see him alone while carrying so many things.
In his memory, under normal circumstances, as long as someone was following beside her, Lora would never carry things herself.