Neuvillette: "..."
(Rushing over in a panic.)
(Oh no, what on earth was past me thinking three months ago?)
The day before going to Snezhnaya.
"Furina... Furina?"
"Is something wrong with me in the mirror again?"
"Nothing's wrong. Do you remember the Second Fatui Harbinger, Dottore?"
Focalors paused, then continued.
"I made a deal with him. He'll help us upgrade the device that seals the primordial sea."
"As for me, I need to go talk to his Archon about the price we'll have to pay this time."
"But I can't leave this place right now, so I can only ask you to go." Focalors wore an apologetic smile.
"You mean I need to negotiate face-to-face with an Archon? Can I really do that?"
"I don't have the power of an Archon. If I go to meet a real Archon, won't I be exposed?"
"Don't worry. Even if there's a risk of exposure, I'll go. For Fontaine and its people, even if it means sacrifice, let it be just me. So don't worry." With that, Furina smiled.
"Furina..." Focalors said no more and smiled back.
…………
Time returns to the present.
Furina followed Columbina and Sandrone toward Snezhnaya Palace, and soon reached the entrance.
[Furina, take a deep breath. You can definitely do this!]
Furina prepared to push the door open, but it swung open by itself, and her expression suddenly changed.
Huh?
Inside Snezhnaya Palace, squads of impeccably gentlemanly personnel were walking out.
The team leader among them bowed and said, "Lord Hydro Archon of Fontaine, Her Majesty has been waiting for a long time."
Furina didn't speak, and the leader assumed he hadn't shown enough respect. Flushing red, he blurted out, "The great Hydro Archon of Fontaine—Focalors-Furina, Queen of Waters, of Lands, of Peoples, and of Laws, the Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya is waiting for you inside."
Furina, currently wondering how to handle this: Eh?
"Alright, I know. This Hydro Archon will go right in." After speaking in an exaggerated tone, she walked inside.
The welcoming personnel didn't move. Once Furina vanished from their sight, they all looked at the team leader.
"Ahem... Don't stare at me. Didn't Lord Dottore say we should show more respect to the Hydro Archon?"
Other welcoming personnel: ...
…………
Furina had now caught sight of the Cryo Archon—Barnabas—sitting on the throne (if it could be called a throne).
"You've come, the new-generation Hydro Archon," Barnabas looked at Furina.
"Yes, Cryo Archon. I made a deal with the Fatui Harbinger under your command, so I've come to talk with you." Furina began the conversation in the tone of the Hydro Archon.
…………Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Greetings, Chief Justice of Fontaine. I am the Fifth Fatui Harbinger: Pulcinella. I've come to discuss some business with you." Pulcinella slightly adjusted his hat with his hand.
"Priceless apologies, but this time I am only here to protect Furina, so I am not prepared to discuss any business."
"No need to rush. I heard you enjoy tasting different waters, so I've invited you to try some here." With that, he clapped his hands, and several servants brought three gorgeously packaged water bottles to Neuvillette.
"You may have a taste. After all, the two Archons are still discussing matters." Pulcinella smiled.
Neuvillette took an elegant sip from the glass. "This water is exceptionally crisp; it must be water from Mondstadt."
"This should be from Liyue, with a lingering aftertaste."
He then evaluated the water from Sumeru. But Neuvillette failed to notice Pulcinella's mouth curving further and further upward.
"How do you find it, Chief Justice of Fontaine?"
"Thank you for your hospitality. I imagine Lady Furina is almost done with her discussion, so I should go check on her." With that, he prepared to stand up.
"Wait."
Hmm?
"Those three waters you just drank were brought back from three different nations at great expense of our manpower and resources."
"So... that will be 300,000 Mora in total."
Neuvillette's eyes widened. "This..."
In the end, unable to outtalk Pulcinella, he paid the 300,000 Mora with a heavy heart.
…………
As Barnabas and Furina chatted on and on, she felt something was very strange.
The new-generation Hydro Archon, why is she so... flamboyant?
"Alright, Focalors, let's be honest. I want your Gnosis."
"Very well, but Snezhnaya must help Fontaine fight the curse. Once the curse is lifted, the Gnosis will be handed over to you."
…………
"Furina, you can hand over anything the Cryo Archon asks for."
"But if she asks for a condition that you cannot fulfill, just tell her: 'It will be handed over to you after the disaster in Fontaine is resolved.'"
…………
The human and the Archon conversed quite happily.
…………
At the very end, Furina spent a long time strolling through Snezhnaya City with Columbina, and near their parting, she witnessed a scene that left her completely speechless.
"Teleportation device—3,000,000 Mora each."
In the end, she tearfully forked over 3,000,000 Mora to buy it and returned to Fontaine. (Furina: If I didn't buy it, did you expect me to fly back to Fontaine?)
…………
Pierro: "So how did you all figure out that he didn't come to Snezhnaya?"
"Dottore said so."
"Oh. Huh? Huh?!"
…………
Meanwhile, Master Dottore was busy manufacturing things in the morning. What's going on? The teleportation device given to Furina seems to have activated. Where is it set to send her? Oh, Snezhnaya City?
Wait? What on earth, Snezhnaya City?
He quickly opened a transparent panel and typed in a runtime command—delay the one-time teleportation device's transmission by half an hour.
At that moment, Furina was holding the teleportation device.
What is going on? Is it not ready yet?
Then she saw a 30-minute countdown pop up, leaving her with no choice but to wait it out with Neuvillette. Furina ate snacks while Neuvillette processed documents.
Dottore then swiftly used a teleportation device to return to Snezhnaya.
He instantly arrived at Pulcinella's door and kicked his office door open.
Pulcinella was leisurely processing documents when he jumped in fright.
"Who is it? Before entering, do you not know—"
"Stop, don't say another word. Listen to me now."
"Oh, it's Dottore."
"Wait... weren't you just locked up in a cell?"
Dottore: My fists are itching.
With a large bump on his head, Pulcinella began making arrangements as Dottore instructed, all while eyeing the three bottles of water left on his desk by the Harbinger.
His gaze turned rather dangerous.
Pulcinella: Since you guys made me take a punch, then...
…………
Aren't you going to notify Pierro?
Dottore: Why notify him?
…………
At this moment, Pierro: Dottore, I... (sweet talk)