Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
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"Welcome aboard the Clémentine Line Aquabus! This cruise is about to head for Romaritime Station, also known as Romaritime Harbor—the very end of the great waterfall!"
"And I'm Aeval, your guide for this voyage! I may not be as dependable as my senior, Elphane from the Navia Line, but I'll do my best with the commentary! If there's anything lacking, please feel free to point it out!"
After delivering the routine opening lines, Aeval scratched her head with her doll-like palm.
"That said… this passenger here listened to my explanations not long ago, and this other—ahem—should be even more familiar with Fontaine than I am. So for the two of you, there doesn't seem to be much left for me to explain… The guidebook doesn't say what to do in situations like this either. I wonder what Elphane-senpai would do?"
Once Aeval fell into thought, the only sound left on the aquabus was the gentle rush of water as it moved along. Slightly uncomfortable with the silence, Furina spoke up:
"The Navia Line is almost always packed. Besides the free aquabuses, there are plenty of private, for-profit boats running as well. I imagine situations like this don't really happen over there."
"Oh, you're right! Explaining things to so many different passengers every day—no wonder Elphane-senpai is so reliable. I have to work harder too! But… when you put it that way, isn't this something even Elphane-senpai has never encountered? Can I really handle it…?"
Victor Wang suggested, "There's no need to be so nervous. How about we just chat?"
"Chat?"
"For example, we could talk about the Melusines."
"Hm… now that you mention it, I haven't been back to Merusea Village in ages. Before coming to the Court of Fontaine, all of us Melusines lived there, and everyone was doing so well! Like Serene—she was like an older sister to everyone! And Lutine, her cooking was amazing! And Canotila, Topyas… I wonder how they're doing now? I'm a little worried about Mamere… Ah, I really should write a letter back!"
Victor Wang asked, "Lady Furina mentioned earlier that Melusines possess extraordinary vision. I'm curious—how exactly does Melusine vision differ from that of humans?"
"Actually, most Melusines see things much like humans do. It's just that we can perceive the manifestation of… intense emotions, or special auras? But Canotila is amazing—she can easily see hidden things that the rest of us can only barely sense if we focus really hard!"
Canotila—Victor Wang knew that Melusine well. In her eyes, the Traveler was a monster capable of swallowing the heavens and the earth, while Paimon was a rainbow-colored balloon floating in midair, tethered not to the ground, but to the sky itself…
Furina, listening nearby, grew interested. "When you say 'hidden things,' what exactly do you mean?"
Aeval shook her head. "That really depends on the person. I can't say for sure…"
"But if you look carefully, you can see those hidden things too, right? Could you take a look at me?" Furina asked.
"I'll give it a try."
Meeting Furina's expectant gaze, Aeval studied her for a while before answering, "Your traits aren't especially obvious, but… I do see something. How should I put it… You're like a person made of water!"
"Heh heh," Furina laughed smugly. "Looks like that's my uniqueness as the Hydro Archon!"
However, Aeval immediately poured cold water on her enthusiasm. "No—compared to other Fontainians, you're actually not that different. It's just that you have an additional, unusual aura. I think that is what gives you your divine nobility."
"I-Is that so? Well, as Fontaine's queen, of course I should be close to my people… Gods who are this close to their people aren't common, you know. The Anemo Archon of Mondstadt vanished long ago, the Geo Archon of Liyue only appeared once a year in the past, the Electro Archon of Inazuma stayed withdrawn for five hundred years, and the Dendro Archon of Sumeru was even imprisoned by her own people at one point. Only I, in the name of justice, have always walked alongside my people! Still, no matter what, I am the Hydro Archon—so you're right, that aura is what sets me apart!"
"Mhm! As expected of Lady Furina—so amazing!" Aeval replied earnestly.
Having thoroughly dazzled the innocent Melusine, Furina crossed one leg over the other and folded her arms, enjoying the praise while pretending to rest her eyes. In truth, she was already quietly breaking into a cold sweat.
"What about me?" Victor Wang asked out of curiosity. "What do I look like in your eyes?"
Aeval turned to him and examined him carefully. "You seem like a mass of multicolored chaos, with a base hue that makes me feel very close to you. It's really beautiful!"
"Multicolored chaos…"
"Sorry for describing it that way, but besides 'chaos,' I can't really find another word…"
Furina couldn't help but open her eyes. "Is that supposed to be a good evaluation? Don't tell me he's even more special than I am?"
Aeval explained, "At least, I've never seen anything like it before. Not even Lord Neuvillette has such beautiful colors."
"Oh, right—what does Neuvillette look like?" Furina asked again.
"Lord Neuvillette is also made of water—the purest, most radiant water!"
"Why does that sound even more impressive than me?"
"That's just due to the uniqueness of our perspective. It may not be related to strength at all. Besides, Lord Neuvillette and this passenger are both Lady Furina's subordinates—so naturally, Lady Furina is the most impressive of all."
"Heh heh, of course! I was only being modest just now!" Meeting such a flattering Melusine, Furina's upturned smile could no longer be restrained. "You have quite a sharp eye to see through all that!"
"Heehee!"
…
"Ding ding ding! We've arrived at Romaritime Station! This concludes our voyage. Thank you for riding with us! If you have any feedback or suggestions, feel free to write to the aquabus operator! If I get enough positive reviews, I might even earn a bonus and treat Elphane-senpai to a nice meal… Then, when you ride the Navia Line, you'll meet an even happier Elphane-senpai!"
"Five stars—absolutely five stars!"
Reluctantly ending their pleasant chat with Aeval, Furina disembarked and bypassed the elevator, heading to the outer platform of Romaritime Harbor. From there, an extraordinary giant tree came into view.
"The Amrita Sea underwent a change, and the long-vanished Harvisptokhm has grown lush once more. It seems that really is true—what you said is coming to pass."
"Of course it's true."
"The Harvisptokhm symbolizes the passing of the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria. I never met her, but the members of the Oratrice Tribunal from five hundred years ago said that my ascension to the position of Hydro Archon was apparently her wish. Do you think this sudden change in the Harvisptokhm might also be related to the prophecy?"
Victor Wang rejected the idea without mercy. "No. That's overthinking it."
The Harvisptokhm vanished because the Vourukasha scholars neglected to cleanse corruption, allowing it to accumulate and eventually give rise to the Apep-related calamity. Once the Traveler resolved it, the "long-vanished Harvisptokhm" naturally returned to normal. This phenomenon only indicated that the Traveler's footsteps were drawing closer.
Furina was left speechless, having been thoroughly shut down. Victor Wang then asked, "So did you come here just to see this tree?"
"There's also hydrological observation. I've long known that Fontaine's water level has been rising over the years, but I had no way to deal with it before. Now… I want to see just how much it has risen."
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