Chapter 70 Furina: Is It Time to Imagine the Script?

Fukalos—also known as the Divine Fu—was someone Lu Mingfei knew of. He had learned a little about her from Furina before, and could more or less guess her identity.

The water goddess who dwelled behind the scenes.

That was Lu Mingfei’s earlier conjecture, yet upon actually meeting Fukalos, he suddenly sensed that his guess might not be entirely accurate. The reason was simple: Fukalos and Furina looked and sounded so much alike, and Furina would occasionally refer to herself as Fukalos as well.

It was as if they were one and the same!

Given the special relationship between Lu Mingfei and the little devil, he could easily deduce that Fukalos, in comparison to Furina, was akin to the little devil relative to himself; in other words, she was the embodiment of Furina’s divine aspect.

Furina—she might indeed be the water goddess, only stripped of her former power and memories, while Fukalos bore her divinity.

“Your spirit must be hidden within the Cardinal of Revelation and Judgment in the Fontaine Opera House, isn’t it?” Lu Mingfei suddenly said, his tone utterly certain, as if affirming rather than inquiring.

“Hm?”

In a flash, Fukalos’s pupils trembled with shock. The fact that she was concealed within the Cardinal was a secret, something meant to elude even the Heavenly Principle. It was her only hope of saving Fontaine.

The Heavenly Principle must never be opposed.

Only by sacrificing herself could she hope to save Fontaine.

But now, this youth—who, compared to the Heavenly Principle, seemed far less terrifying—could actually deduce her whereabouts across worlds. If that was possible, did it mean her actions were transparent to the Heavenly Principle as well?

At this thought, she couldn’t help but recall the prophecy of the water goddess weeping upon her throne.

Is it possible that I’ll experience a far deeper despair than I’d ever imagined, then sit alone on the divine seat and cry, while the Heavenly Principle knows everything and simply ignores my pitiful struggle because the script of fate was written long ago?

However—

Lu Mingfei hadn’t sensed it; he wasn’t strong enough to perceive across worlds.

Fukalos was delivered through Furina via dream tapirs. She herself had no physical form, and the servant’s location was neither fixed nor predictable during this period. So Lu Mingfei could only make an educated guess.

Is it possible Fukalos herself is hidden somewhere that links all of Fontaine, able to pull in the servant at any moment?

And in Fontaine, such a place did exist—the Cardinal of Revelation and Judgment.

Additionally, the Cardinal possessed a will of its own, suggesting the presence of a mental entity. For the water goddess to control things behind the scenes, she would need such authority. Thus, it was quite logical to deduce that Fukalos resided within the Cardinal.

Furina probably did as well.

“Huh?”

The adorable blue-and-white-haired girl tilted her head in confusion, looking at him as if he were a stranger. She furrowed her brow and asked, “Wait, your perception now covers all of Fontaine? Are you really that powerful now?”

Well, she hadn’t thought of that…

Apparently, when she pondered things for his sake, she was far sharper than when thinking for herself.

Ah, this silly Fu~

Thinking this, Lu Mingfei’s eyes softened with a look of fondness for his foolish treasure. He patted her head and said, “No, I was just guessing.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Meanwhile, Fukalos, who had been plunged into despair moments ago, felt another jolt. She stared at Lu Mingfei in bewilderment, feeling as if she had been toyed with.

With such certainty, it couldn’t just be a casual guess—he must have sensed something or had some information; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so sure.

This matter was of utmost importance—she had to find out.

Fukalos stood up, looking at Lu Mingfei with utmost gravity. “Mr. Lu Mingfei, may I ask, how did you deduce my location?”

“The Cardinal of Revelation and Judgment connects all of Fontaine—there’s no better place for you to exert your will.”

“And the Statues of the Seven?” Fukalos pressed further.

“There’s no trace of will within the Statues of the Seven. The Cardinal of Revelation and Judgment judges autonomously, as if someone dwelled within—maybe that someone is you? The water goddess is the queen of all laws; perhaps she is part of the law itself.” Lu Mingfei smiled.

“All right then.”

Fukalos relaxed a little. At least she hadn’t been detected outright; if her location was merely guessed, she could accept that.

After all, the Heavenly Principle had fallen into slumber five hundred years ago. He was incapable of deducing as Lu Mingfei did.

Yet—

Lu Mingfei’s power came from beyond this world—dark, terrifying, and mighty. Though not as great as the Heavenly Principle, his strength likely ranked among the top of the Seven, and that was only based on her sense of his aura. If he could create dreams across worlds, his full power might not have even arrived, and what she perceived might only be a fragment. He might be hiding even greater strength.

What would a fully realized Lu Mingfei be like?

Could his power rival the Heavenly Principle?

Perhaps it was best not to dwell on that.

“Did you bring me here for a purpose?” Fukalos exhaled lightly, her gaze grave as she looked at Lu Mingfei.

At this, the warm smile faded from Lu Mingfei’s face. He stared at Fukalos and said, “Return the water goddess’s power to her.”

Furina: (._.)?

“As expected of the King in Black, to have even discerned this.” Fukalos sighed, her gaze growing complicated as she looked at Lu Mingfei. She raised her head toward the distant sky and continued, “Our world is bound by predetermined fate. Destiny guides the future toward an inevitable end, but the process leading there can be changed.”

“You’re talking about Fontaine’s prophecy, aren’t you?” Lu Mingfei’s expression shifted slightly. He’d heard Furina speak of the prophecy that the people of Fontaine would dissolve—that was her constant worry and the problem she sought to resolve.

The prophecy of Fontaine’s dissolution arose long ago. To Lu Mingfei, such predictions were as absurd as the 2012 doomsday, but in Furina’s fantastical world, perhaps the prophecy could come true.

For Furina firmly believed it, and had devoted herself to solving it, uncovering more and more clues over the past five centuries. The time of the prophecy’s fulfillment might be nearing.

“Yes. The sea will rise, the Fontainians will dissolve into the waters, and only the water goddess will remain, weeping upon her throne. Thus, the sins of Fontaine will be cleansed.” Fukalos turned away, walking barefoot through the city, murmuring the prophecy.

As she spoke, her eyes held neither sorrow nor confusion—no passion or drive, only the numbness of one who, over endless years, clung to existence by instinct alone.

Furina had a miserable life, forced to act as the water goddess upon the public throne, but how much better off was Fukalos? At least Furina lived and could interact with others, while Fukalos was trapped within the Cardinal, delivering endless judgments. She had no holidays, no friends, only infinite waiting—for the day the prophecy came to pass.

“It’s just a prophecy; there must be a solution,” Lu Mingfei said.

“Teyvat is a special world—prophecies are more than mere words. Never mind; your world is different, it’s normal if you can’t understand.” Fukalos sighed helplessly. “My and Furina’s circumstances are necessary means of resisting prophecy. I can’t go into details. I know you care deeply for Furina, but if you truly wish the best for her, you must realize that behind every power lies a responsibility. If she truly becomes the water goddess, then what she must face…”

“…”

Lu Mingfei’s expression changed, but he did not answer.

He wanted Furina to live better, but he didn’t want her to bear excessive burdens.

The water goddess’s power was tempting, but from the fact that this being hid within the Cardinal, he could guess there were deeper truths. The water goddess’s strength came with heavy responsibilities; gaining that power might not actually improve Furina’s life.

“The prophecy’s end is nigh. Until then, please do not disrupt the balance or reveal my identity, or all our efforts over five centuries will be in vain.” Fukalos turned slowly, revealing a helpless look. “So long as you agree, I am willing to make any concession.”

“Any concession?”

“Any.”

“Hmm.”

Lu Mingfei pondered for a moment, then looked seriously at Fukalos. “You can transfer the dream tapir—non-targeted mental Word Spirit, right? Then if I use a different type of mental Word Spirit on Furina, you should be able to transfer that too? That way, Furina would at least have some means of self-defense.”

He’s actually thinking about this?

Fukalos’s gaze flickered; after a brief hesitation, she answered seriously, “In theory, yes, but it’s best not to.”

“Why?”

“Because your power is a black force foreign to this world. Except by special means of concealment, any direct use will be detected by those with Visions via elemental sight. If used openly, it could harm Furina’s reputation.”

“Then I mustn’t use it lightly.”

At the words “Furina’s reputation,” Lu Mingfei’s demeanor turned solemn. He coughed softly and sighed, “Then let’s keep it as a last resort for emergencies. It’s good to have, just in case.”

Furina: No worries, sounds good.

Even if it couldn’t be used openly, there was a world of difference between having a life-saving ability and having none at all—at least in terms of peace of mind.

“Helping Furina isn’t really a condition for me. Is there anything else you need my help with?” Fukalos asked.

After a brief conversation, she had gradually discerned Lu Mingfei’s feelings for Furina. In this scenario, showing some goodwill toward Furina might better stabilize him and win more favorable terms.

“From now on, I’ll be using the dream tapir every day to watch the stars with Furina—I don’t want anyone interrupting us, understand?”

“I understand.”

“I’ll set the tapir to three modes: if it pulls you in very quickly, that means we want to chat with you; if it’s a bit slow, it means bring the servant in; if it’s normal, then don’t disturb us—got it?” Lu Mingfei smiled.

“Got it,” Fukalos nodded.

“Tomorrow night—the final night before the servant’s judgment—I’ll use the dream tapir to pull you and the servant into the dream separately, so we can discuss how to conduct the trial in the opera house. Be ready.”

“All right.”

Furina watched with amusement from the side. The thought that in the trial of the servant, all the main participants—the accused Arlecchino, the victim Furina, the judge Neuvillette, the Cardinal Fukalos—were all on her side, made her want to laugh.

It really was a play in the opera house!

They were all her actors!

The main issue was no longer safety or negotiation, but how to craft the script—how to put on a show that would have the citizens of Fontaine talking for years.

How should it be written?

“I Am Not the Water Goddess”

“Collapse—The Father of the Hearth House”

“On Why You Shouldn’t Pull for Big Hu Tao”

After discussing the main points, Lu Mingfei began to chat idly with Fukalos.

“By the way, Arlecchino is pretty strong, right? Even Neuvillette has to be careful,” Fukalos remarked with a smile.

Of course, the reason Neuvillette had to be careful was mainly to avoid harming the citizens of Fontaine. Though he hadn’t yet mastered the full power of the ancient dragon, his strength was certainly at the level of the Seven—stronger than the servant.

“Is she? I didn’t notice.”

“Of course! Her mastery of the Pyro element is exceptional; she wields a polearm that transforms into a scythe and is incredibly powerful. Haven’t you seen her in action?” Fukalos asked in confusion.

She could sense that Lu Mingfei was strong, but surely not overwhelmingly so compared to the servant, right?

“Never seen it,” Lu Mingfei shook his head.

“That can’t be—Arlecchino isn’t the type to hold back in a fight. What’s going on?” Fukalos muttered, perplexed.

“Oh, that’s simple. Lu Mingfei has mastered the full elemental authority of the ancient dragon, even the authority over the mental element. In front of him, the servant can’t use any elemental power at all, not even her mind—her strength is completely suppressed,” Furina explained from the side.

“What?”

Fukalos stared at him in shock. Full elemental ancient dragon authority, plus mental authority, plus powers from beyond the world, and the black force—all those buffs stacked together…

Nibelungen?

(End of chapter)