A few minutes later.
Cyno and the others' speedboat had already approached the warning line of Erinnyes Harbor.
The inspection team from the security force quickly approached to conduct a check.
This was a mandatory procedure for entering any nation's harbor.
Without this inspection process, it would be far too dangerous if a madman drove a boat loaded with explosives into the port.
Additionally, they needed to slow down as they neared the dock.
"What brings you to Fontaine?"
After inspecting the cabin, the security team member examined Cyno and the others' documents.
Their documents were flawless—official personnel from Sumeru!
One was a General Mahamatra, one a Forest Ranger, and the other... well, according to the ID, a student under the Forest Rangers.
"We're here to pull gacha," Cyno replied.
"Got it."
The security team member nodded, waving his hand. "No issues, proceed!"
Returning their documents, he added, "Once you arrive at the harbor, you'll still need to apply for an entry permit. Thanks for your cooperation. Enjoy your stay in Fontaine."
A few minutes later, the boat finally docked.
Ah, the feeling of solid ground—so reassuring.
Collei let out a long sigh of relief.
Speedboats were called speedboats for a reason—they were fast!
But unlike large merchant ships, they weren't as stable on the sea.
Because they were fast, they tended to bounce around a lot.
The entire journey had left the three of them feeling queasy.
The first stop upon entering Erinnyes Harbor was to apply for an entry permit.
Technically, you didn't have to get one, but without it, you'd be considered an illegal immigrant in the Court of Fontaine.
This rule applied across all nations—better to comply than risk trouble.
As official personnel, of course, they had to apply for the permit. They didn't want any incidents that might lead to diplomatic issues.
Entering the office building, they saw newspapers, Fontaine maps, and Fontaine Travel Guides placed near the entrance.
Tighnari picked up the latest Fontaine Travel Precautions.
Collei, who wasn't very literate, could only rely on Tighnari to explain it to her.
Cyno glanced around.
The place was crowded—some were queuing, some chatting, and others sitting on chairs waiting.
It seemed many were here for entry permits or export permits for goods leaving Fontaine.
In the hall, announcements like "Number XXX, please proceed to Window XX" played intermittently.
Melusines in Fontaine's official uniforms patrolled the area.
One noticed Cyno looking around and approached.
"Hello, do you need help?"
"Hello," Cyno replied. "We'd like to apply for an entry permit."
The Melusine nodded and gestured. "This way, please."
She led them to a machine.
Too short to reach it, the Melusine stood on a stool and explained seriously, "Please tap here."
Cyno eyed the strange machine curiously. "What is this?"
"A ticketing machine," the Melusine answered.
"Is this also a type of card?" Tighnari asked.
The Melusine shook her head.
"Of course not."
"Cards contain magical abilities, but this is just an ordinary ticketing machine. It was ordered by the Palais Mermonia from the Civilization Core—just for queue management."
Aside from Collei, who was still confused, Cyno and Tighnari understood.
In short, this thing looked advanced, and it was advanced.
Following the Melusine's instructions, they got a ticket.
Since the three were traveling together, one ticket sufficed.
"Now you can wait for your turn," the Melusine said.
"Thank you."
Cyno checked the ticket and listened to the announcements. "It might take half an hour before our number is called."
"Not bad." Tighnari shook his head.
There were plenty of empty seats in the hall.
The three sat down.
Tighnari flipped through Fontaine Travel Precautions. "We need to be more mindful of our behavior."
"What do you mean?" Collei tilted her head.
"Sky-Surveillance Mirror?"
Aside from ancient script, Teyvat's common language was universal across nations, so Cyno could read.
After skimming the section on the Sky-Surveillance Mirror and its precautions, Cyno fell silent for a moment before saying, "If Sumeru had a Sky-Surveillance Mirror, the General Mahamatra's office wouldn't exist, would it?"
"It probably still would. The Sky-Surveillance Mirror detects crimes, then the law enforcement arrests them. If crimes can't be hidden, people won't commit them as easily."
Tighnari shook his head and continued, "With the Sky-Surveillance Mirror, Fontaine's crime rate must be very low."
"Recently, the Akademiya's internal affairs have been... off."
Cyno crossed his arms. "If we had the Sky-Surveillance Mirror, we'd know exactly what they're up to."
But that would invade people's privacy.
So Cyno only entertained the thought—he wouldn't actually push for it.
After all, as the head of the General Mahamatra, if he didn't follow the Akademiya's rules, how could he expect others to?
Cyno led by example.
"Look at this."
Tighnari turned a page and pointed at a picture of an autonomous construct.
"Fontaine is so advanced it's almost unbelievable."
Autonomous constructs, equipped with AI, could patrol and handle emergencies.
If someone suddenly fell ill or encountered an emergency, they could seek help from these constructs.
"And here."
Tighnari pointed at a bolded line.
The Palais Mermonia is recruiting! This year's openings have more than doubled compared to last year!
Pass the assessment, and upon joining the Palais Mermonia, you'll receive a first-tier genetic enhancement serum!
"Genetic serum? Body optimization?"
After Tighnari explained the information, Collei's eyes lit up.
Could this genetic serum help with Eleazar?
"Collei, don't get your hopes up too much." Tighnari shook his head.
Eleazar was a disease unique to Sumeru—extremely stubborn.
None of the current medical technologies could cure it, only alleviate the symptoms.
The genetic serum was impressive, but low-tier serums likely wouldn't have much effect on Eleazar.
As for high-tier serums, Tighnari didn't even bother considering—how could they afford something like that?
"Let's pin our hopes on the cards instead," Tighnari said.
At least cards were something they could obtain now, and the cost was just Mora.
"I understand," Collei said, nodding.
Now, her heart was filled with hope.
Miraculous cards could grant power comparable to that of gods.
If ordinary medicine couldn't cure Eleazar, perhaps divine power could?
Collei silently prayed.
She truly didn't want to suffer from Eleazar anymore.
"Watch your emotions."
Tighnari reminded her, "Don't let them fluctuate too much."
"Ah... got it!"
Just then, the hall's announcement called their number.
"Let's go."
The three approached the counter.
"Please hand over your documents."
Cyno passed them to the clerk.
The clerk input the information into a computer, then said, "Please look at this camera."
Cyno complied.
In just three minutes, all three had their entry permits processed.
"That thing just now..." Cyno mused as they walked away.
Tighnari picked up, "It's called a computer. Seems incredibly efficient."
"The speed is impressive," Cyno admitted.
Leaving the office building, they headed deeper into Erinnyes Harbor.
Fontaine's terrain was about a hundred meters higher than the outer sea, so they had to take an elevator to reach the inner harbor.
When the elevator doors slowly opened, the three felt as if they'd stepped from a primitive tribe into a civilized world.
Huge screens hung on the walls, broadcasting news from all over Fontaine.
Pedestrians carried devices called "phones."
Tighnari even saw someone wearing a strange backpack leap into the air—the backpack emitted gas, and they flew away.
What the—?
Had technology advanced this much already?
Whoosh—
Cyno looked up at a giant, dragonfly-like aircraft.
Its metal blades fluttered like a real dragonfly's wings.
Wouldn't they break at such high frequencies?
If the Akademiya's material science scholars saw this, wouldn't they lose their minds?
Cyno wasn't as obsessed with science as other scholars, but he knew this thing was advanced—so advanced that the Akademiya might not replicate it even in a hundred years.
Collei stared curiously at a child nearby.
The kid had a mechanical dragonfly on his head.
As it spun, it lifted the child into the air.
Huh?!
Collei felt like she'd stumbled into another world, utterly disoriented.
She stuck close to Tighnari and Cyno, afraid she'd get lost in this surreal place.
Cyno and Tighnari had stronger nerves.
Fontaine was still Fontaine—it was just the arrival of the card shop that had brought such drastic changes.
Once they adjusted, this was just another era of rapid technological advancement.
Besides...
Sumeru needed those cards!
"Aside from the cards, we must bring some things back to show Azar!" Cyno said firmly.
Tighnari didn't comment.
The Akademiya's strange behavior made them suspect something was wrong internally.
But what could be so important that the Akademiya would delay matters involving the cards?
Whether Cyno could convince Azar... Tighnari wasn't optimistic.
As Sumeru's leader, Azar had access to far more information than they did.
If he knew but still refused to act, that was worth pondering.
"Over here!"
Lost in thought, Tighnari snapped back to attention at Cyno's call.
"Three people, right?"
A young man holding a sign grinned.
"Yes," Cyno confirmed.
"Air taxi!"
The young man gestured proudly.
Only then did Tighnari realize Cyno had gone to inquire about this giant mechanical dragonfly.
It was a prop card this young man from Fontaine had pulled.
As an ordinary person, he didn't have much Mora—this was the only card he'd gotten.
Named the Dragonfly, this flying machine required an energy source that didn't exist in Teyvat.
What to do?
Ask the Civilization Core!
For anything tech-related, the Civilization Core always had a solution!
But buying energy cost Mora too!
So, after enjoying a day of flying, he decided to start an air taxi service!
Ferrying time-sensitive passengers at a premium price—now he had Mora for gacha and energy refills!
"How much?" Tighnari asked.
"10,000 Mora per person," Cyno answered.
Tighnari's lips twitched.
Cyno was too impatient, but since the Mora was already spent, he didn't argue.
Boarding the Dragonfly, with no other passengers in a hurry, the young man took the pilot's seat.
"Everyone, buckle up!"
The Dragonfly's wings began vibrating rapidly.
Despite its size, it wasn't as heavy as it looked—it was as agile as a real dragonfly.
In just a few seconds, they were 5,000 meters in the air.
"Welcome aboard the Dragonfly, one of the top ten fastest aircraft in Fontaine!"
"How fast is the fastest?" Cyno asked curiously.
"The fastest?"
The young man sighed. "Rumor says it's Mach 12."
"Mach?"
"One Mach is roughly 1,225 kilometers per hour."
They did the math.
Mach 12—nearly 15,000 kilometers per hour!
"Can humans even withstand that speed?" Cyno was stunned.
"They can."
"High-tech stuff. The only downside is, I heard it's a personal vehicle from another world—not part of a mass transit system. Just like how we used to think of horses and carriages."
Damn!
The other world was so advanced that a Mach 12 vehicle was just an everyday ride?
What about their military weapons?
Could they shatter Teyvat in one hit?
Tighnari wiped his sweat.
"What's our speed?" Collei asked.
"Heh!"
The young man grinned proudly. "Just shy of Mach 1. Might not seem fast, but it's more than enough! One hour, and I'll get you to the Court of Fontaine!"
"Was it worth the Mora?" Cyno glanced at Tighnari.
Earlier, Tighnari had looked like he thought Cyno overspent.
Now?
No complaints!
"Worth it!"
Tighnari approved.
He'd underestimated things earlier.
10,000 Mora to go from the border to the capital in an hour? A steal!
If they'd had this back in Sumeru, they could've reached Fontaine from Sumeru City in half a day!
As they chatted, the three admired Fontaine's scenery through the windows.
Collei suddenly pointed outside. "What's that? A giant stingray?"
To let them enjoy the view, the Dragonfly wasn't flying too high.
Through the window, they could see a massive, white stingray gliding slowly through the distant clouds.
"Ah!"
The young man laughed. "That's a summoned creature! A fourth-tier lifeform, I hear, but not combat-oriented. It's docile, so people use it as a sightseeing shuttle. You know, like a tour bus?"
They observed it.
The stingray moved leisurely, and when it turned, they could see small buildings constructed on its back.
Wow.
"Feels like we've really entered another world," Tighnari sighed, rubbing his forehead.
There were too many new things!
And they hadn't even reached the Court of Fontaine yet—just the sights along the way were overwhelming!
But beyond the shock, the three grew even more excited for their destination.
What did the mysterious "Boss Lu," who'd brought such changes to the world, look like?
What other wonders awaited in the card shop?
Already brimming with curiosity, they now grew even more impatient.
If only the Dragonfly could go faster!
If it were Mach 12, they'd already be in the Court of Fontaine!
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T/N:
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