But in any case, the most important thing right now was to preserve the Archon's dignity.
He raised his cane abruptly, and the surrounding Hydro Element paused slightly.
"Buzz—"
A vast, sea-like force of pure Hydro Element instantly spread out, gentle yet irresistible.
The azure currents, like living silk, quickly rose above the audience seats, forming several massive water curtains that blocked the people's view.
Clorinde, who had been watching the confrontation between King and Neuvillette with anxiety, was suddenly cut off by the rising water curtains, his heart burning with worry.
He leaped high, clearing the water curtain, only to see the weeping Furina, leaving him utterly shocked.
The water curtains made the indoor light soft and hazy.
With the people's gaze blocked, Furina could finally cry out loud.
Large, translucent teardrops, like pearls from a broken string, rolled down from Furina's beautiful heterochromatic eyes.
Those were no ordinary tears.
They were tears of a total breakdown after his mental defenses were shattered by the pressure King exerted.
They were the bitterest tears in the world, a mixture of 500 years of sorrow, 500 years of fear, and 500 years of pressure.
He tried to wipe away the tears with the back of his hand, but they only flowed more.
"I... I'm sorry... *sob sob*..."
"I was wrong... please, don't be angry anymore..."
"*Sob sob sob*... *Waaaaah*!!!"
"?!"
King's King Engine was roaring at its peak when he suddenly saw that Furina had actually been scared to tears by him?
Seriously? I'm the one who should be crying, okay?
King tried his best to calm his mind, lest he scare Furina witless.
"Thump... thump... thump... thump..."
The beating of the King Engine slowed down, and its volume decreased.
It changed from a giant beast's roar back into muffled war drums, finally leveling off until it was barely audible.
Clorinde slowly walked to Furina's side. This Champion Duelist, known for his composure, also seemed somewhat at a loss when facing the tearful Archon.
He took out a clean handkerchief and, with somewhat stiff movements, wiped the tear stains from Furina's face.
However, he was clearly not skilled at this.
The clumsy wiping instead mixed the tears with the smudged makeup, making Furina's face look even more disheveled.
Just then, King's [Love Game Master (Rank D)] triggered.
His gaze naturally caught Clorinde's clumsy wiping motions and Furina's slightly furrowed brow because of it.
In his vision, several virtual option boxes appeared:
A. Send Furina flying with one punch. As a gentleman, I cannot bear to see a lady cry before me.
B. Hand over your copy of "sweet girlfriend 5" to offer comfort.
C. In a deep and magnetic voice:'Stop crying, woman. It is a waste, for your tears are pearls.'
D. Wipe away Furina's tears.
"..."
King frantically complained in his heart about these greasy options that had suddenly appeared.
But his otaku instincts made him subconsciously choose Option D, which seemed most likely to increase friendship.
Under Clorinde's slightly surprised and Neuvillette's highly vigilant gazes, King stepped forward.
That sense of oppression made Clorinde subconsciously step aside.
King didn't speak; he just silently took the handkerchief from Clorinde's hand.
His fingers were exceptionally steady due to [Finger Dexterity Enhancement (Rank D)]. He carefully avoided the area around Furina's eyes, wiping the tear stains and smudged makeup with just the right amount of pressure.
Furina was stunned by this sudden action and forgot to cry, simply widening his heterochromatic eyes, still misty with tears, and staring blankly at King who was right in front of him.
This man, clearly so powerful that it felt like he could crush him with a wave of his hand, was acting so gently, focused, and even tender?
For five hundred years, he had played the role of a joyful, flamboyant, and omnipotent Archon, enduring immense pressure and fear that no one knew about.
No one had ever approached him and comforted him in this way when he was at his most pathetic and vulnerable.
As for why he was so pathetic? Don't worry about it.
As Furina sat kneeling on the spot, an indescribable emotion—a mix of relief, grievance, and a strange throbbing—welled up in his heart.
This feeling was a sense of security he hadn't experienced in five hundred years, as if a small boat that had been drifting in a storm had finally found a harbor to temporarily dock.
Looking at King's face so close to his, his heart couldn't help but beat a few times faster.
Neuvillette's fingers, which had been gripping his cane tightly, loosened slightly as he keenly noticed that the suffocating pressure emanating from King was rapidly dissipating.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed this powerhouse wasn't entirely unreasonable, and Furina's tears had unexpectedly worked.
I must make amends and appease this powerhouse's dissatisfaction!
Neuvillette made up his mind, even if the cost was great.
"This... sir,"
Neuvillette stepped forward, his tone returning to its usual steadiness but with an unprecedented gravity:
"This misunderstanding was entirely due to our incorrect intelligence and hasty actions, which caused you great distress and damage to your reputation."
"Fontaine and the Opera Epiclese deeply apologize for this. As a gesture of apology and compensation, we are willing to provide you with one billion Mora for mental damages!"
"Furthermore, Fontaine will grant you the title of Honorary Duke of Fontaine, with the highest level of diplomatic immunity."
At the mention of "one billion Mora," even Clorinde beside them raised an eyebrow slightly.
Such a large sum would likely drain most of the Opera Epiclese's budget for the next few years, leaving the civil servants to live on air for a while.
King had just finished wiping away the last of Furina's tears; he handed the handkerchief back to Clorinde, then turned to face Neuvillette.
One billion?! Holy crap! That's enough for a lifetime... no, ten lifetimes' worth of Eroge and Figurines!
But, I refuse!
King took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his wavering thoughts, and said to himself:
King, oh King...
In the future, you'll be able to stand at the top of the world on your own (with the system's help). What does a mere billion Mora matter?
I might as well decline the Mora and see if I can shock them to earn some Emotion Points.
His expression was indifferent, his eyes appearing exceptionally deep and calm due to his heartache. He spoke slowly, his voice low and concise:
"I have no need."
Just four words, yet they carried a sense of transcendence that treated money like dirt, causing Neuvillette's estimation of him to rise another level.
As expected, how could such a powerhouse be moved by worldly wealth?
Neuvillette felt a surge of respect: "I was presumptuous. In that case, sir, should you have any needs in the future, Fontaine will do its utmost to assist you."
King nodded slightly and said no more, turning to walk out of the courtroom. In everyone's eyes, his retreating figure appeared so aloof and mysterious.
Inner thoughts: Waaaaah... why aren't there any Emotion Points?
Wasn't my refusal just now cool?
My billion Mora!
System, can you exchange the trash skills I pulled for Mora?
Just as King was about to step out of the courtroom doors, Furina suddenly spoke. His voice still held a hint of softness from crying, but more so a certain urgency of determination:
"Wait... wait! Where... where are you going?"
King paused in his tracks. Without looking back, he simply replied with eight words, his tone carrying the weariness of one who had seen through the world:
"Wander the world, at home wherever I go."
Hearing this, Furina blurted out without thinking: "Then... then why don't you come to Fontaine and be the Fontaine Divine Guard!"
Neuvillette was stunned by these words.
Clorinde was even more confused and couldn't help but speak up:
"Lord Furina... are you... firing me?"
His tone carried a hint of imperceptible grievance and bewilderment.
Only then did Furina realize what he had said, and two patches of blush instantly appeared on his face.
But he immediately feigned composure, striking the pose of an Archon:
"Ahem! Clorinde, you are of course still my most trusted Champion Duelist!"
"B-but this gentleman is highly skilled..."
"Of course, I'm not saying your strength is weak!"
"That, uh, I mean, we need even greater power to ensure Fontaine's safety!"
"Yes, that's it! More power means more security!"
The more he spoke, the more he felt he had found a perfect reason, and he looked at King's back with hopeful eyes.
King fell silent.
The Archon's personal bodyguard?
Now this is the kind of treatment one should have after transmigrating to another world!
I have nowhere to stay if I leave now, and Teyvat's wilderness seems quite dangerous. I might as well freeload for a while... King slowly turned around, his face still wearing that cold expression.
His gaze swept over Furina's expectant face, then at the bewildered Clorinde and the pensive Neuvillette.
After a full ten seconds, just as Furina was about to go weak in the knees from nervousness again, King finally squeezed out a sentence:
"I can give it a try."
Concise and full of style.
Furina immediately beamed with joy, as if the one who had been crying uncontrollably just now wasn't him.
And so, a ridiculous trial ended in an even more ridiculous manner.