Chapter Fifty: Servant, Divine Phos

The House of Hearth

“Father, Chief Justice Neuvillette has surrounded the House of Hearth with the guards, claiming you’re suspected of attacking the Hydro Archon...” Lyney stood by the bedside, handing over a cup of hot water as he spoke.

“I understand.”

The bedridden Harbinger sat up, her trembling hand accepting the cup. The pain from being crushed to death by water still coursed through her body, mingling with the agony of her first execution. Even as the Fourth of the Fatui Harbingers, enduring such doubled torment, moving normally was nearly impossible.

Still, the damage was not beyond her measure. As the fourth Harbinger, her tolerance for pain was extraordinary. Fighting or acting while suffering was never beyond her reach—it merely made things more difficult.

Moreover, after several hours of rest, the pain had faded somewhat compared to its initial intensity. If her estimation was right, another day of recuperation would see her rid of it entirely.

Her warrior’s instincts told her that the Lu Mingfei from her dreams must have wielded his power from afar—and that it was a force from beyond this world. That explained why the dark power lingering within her had dissipated so quickly. Otherwise, she would never have overcome the pain so easily.

“Father...”

Lyney looked at the Harbinger’s trembling arm, concern evident in his eyes. Though he didn’t know what had happened, it was clear that she had suffered some invisible harm.

He, too, was a Vision holder and could see the lingering darkness swirling inside her with his elemental sight.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Her face was as cold and indifferent as ever, as if the pain could not touch her. Yet the hand gripping the cup still trembled despite her composure.

The speed at which the dream’s assault and the arrival of the Hydro Dragon had occurred left her little time to react. If Neuvillette had chosen to arrest her by force at that moment, escape would have been nearly impossible.

How troublesome...

She slowly sipped the hot water, set the cup down, and stared at her shaking hand, frowning slightly. “Was the letter sent?”

Despite her efforts at control, the pain—seeming to come from her very soul—made her hand tremble instinctively. Willpower alone could not restrain it.

But the letter to the Tsaritsa was more important than any of this.

The possible discovery of Nibelungen was too significant; such critical intelligence had to reach the Tsaritsa without delay or hesitation. Even a moment’s uncertainty might doom the transmission of this vital information.

The Hydro Archon had already found outside help. She had suspected that arrest might come, but not so quickly or so forcefully.

Fortunately, she had prepared in advance. The crucial letter still had a chance to reach its destination. Had she waited until she felt better, it would have been far too late.

“It was sent... but Neuvillette came too quickly. I can’t be sure it wasn’t intercepted,” Lyney replied, clenching his fist.

“I see.”

The Harbinger nodded gently, then, gritting her teeth against the pain, rose from the bed, donned her coat, and moved toward the door. “I’ll go with them. You and the other children should look for an opportunity to escape. If possible, deliver the second letter to the Tsaritsa herself. If not, destroy it at once.”

“Yes, Father.”

...

“Mmm, what a delicious cake. It’s perfectly made up for the regret I felt the other day—this is wonderful,” Furina said, savoring a bite from a limited-edition slice with her fork.

She had always enjoyed cake, but never before had she truly appreciated the experience. She had known she was not the true Hydro Archon, and a part of her mind was always occupied by worry and caution. How could she fully savor the taste of food in such a state?

But things were different now. With Lu Mingfei’s dream-beast as her trump card, Furina finally had some confidence. She no longer needed to be constantly on edge, terrified of revealing any hint of abnormality.

Now, she possessed true power.

In the past, she had to adhere perfectly to logic, revealing nothing to anyone, because she had no strength and no margin for error.

Now, things had changed. She had power. Even if she made a mistake while playing the Hydro Archon, she had room to recover. With Lu Mingfei’s dream-beast, she could reverse any disaster, ensuring the people’s faith in her—and perhaps even strengthening it.

Ding...

A crisp sound rang out suddenly, coming from the teacup. Furina instinctively glanced down at the freshly filled cup, and there, a familiar figure appeared.

“It’s you?”

A trace of delight flashed in Furina’s eyes. This was the one who had first asked her to impersonate the Hydro Archon. If she had come, perhaps there was hope for Fontaine after all.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here to tell you something,” the divine Focalors said solemnly, her brows slightly furrowed.

“What is it?” Furina’s heart sank, sensing something amiss.

“Recently... you’ve come into contact with a power from beyond this world, haven’t you? I can feel it—that black, potent energy. It is not a force of Teyvat.”

As she spoke, Focalors’ expression grew even more serious. “After all these years of investigation, you of all people should know how dangerous such power can be. Promise me you won’t use it lightly. Otherwise, you may awaken the beings above.”

“Ah...”

Furina, who had been happily eating cake, instantly lost her appetite. The fork slipped from her hand, and the precious cake tumbled onto the table.

She bit her lip and lowered her head, a familiar fear rising in her heart. Yet soon she summoned her courage, looking into the water at Focalors. “No, you’re wrong. The danger lies in uncontrolled power from beyond. The force I’ve guided is untainted—power that can be wielded without corruption.”

“Untainted—power that can be wielded?” Focalors was momentarily taken aback. In her understanding, all power from beyond the world was the source of corruption; to wield it without taint was impossible.

She assumed Furina had not changed because of her unique body, resistant to the pollution, and because the power she guided was not particularly strong.

After all, as the Hydro Archon, Furina’s body was unique, and the force she channeled was not enough to kill even a Fatui Harbinger. The lack of side effects was understandable.