Hotel Bouffes
Lyney held a newspaper, respectfully presenting it to Arlecchino.
"Father, the Hydro Archon has split into two."
Arlecchino was stunned.
She initially thought this was some kind of joke, but after glancing at the newspaper, she really saw two images of Furina side by side.
Strange.
Arlecchino found it bizarre.
"Although they look identical at first glance, Father, I believe the one on the left is more like a true deity," Lyney offered his analysis.
With a closer look, the differences between the two Furinas were clear—not just in clothing style but also in subtle expressions.
Through their demeanor, gaze, and overall aura, it was easy to distinguish them.
Lyney had never seen the true bearing of an archon, but his intuition told him: The Furina on the left carries the presence of a real god!
"You've observed well," Arlecchino nodded slightly, agreeing with Lyney's assessment.
Her last encounter with Furina was at Lu Heng's shop.
Furina… didn't feel like one.
Yes, Furina hadn't given Arlecchino the impression of an archon.
At the time, Arlecchino had already harbored doubts, though the seed of suspicion hadn't yet sprouted.
Now, looking at the two Furinas in the newspaper, Arlecchino immediately understood: The one on the right is the Furina I've met before.
And the one on the left—undoubtedly, she is the true Hydro Archon, Focalors!
But…
Why would she do this?
Arlecchino couldn't make sense of it.
Why would an archon willingly split themselves in half?
Had she stripped away her own divinity?
Arlecchino speculated that Furina was preparing for the prophecy's crisis and had taken this step.
But wouldn't doing so weaken her power?
What a baffling move.
Though she didn't understand, the plan had to proceed.
"Continue as planned, but exercise caution. There's no need for major conflict with the Palais Mermonia for now."
The Tsaritsa's orders had to be carried out, but given Fontaine's current situation, it was better to tread lightly.
Arlecchino had never been keen on clashing with the Palais Mermonia in the first place—it was just that obtaining the Gnosis inevitably involved some friction.
If only there were a way to acquire the Gnosis that both sides could accept… but is that even possible?
Arlecchino fell into thought.
Furina and Focalors weren't at the card shop.
After lunch, Focalors had expressed a desire to see more of Fontaine, and Furina—familiar with the city—had volunteered to show her around.
Though Furina wasn't present, Lu Heng knew that unless something unexpected happened, she'd be back by dinnertime.
But there was still some time before then, so Lu Heng lazily watched the crowd outside the shop, his gaze sweeping over the long queue.
Suddenly—
A figure in green made him freeze.
Lu Heng blinked, focusing on a particular face.
It was a youthful-looking boy wearing a wide-brimmed hat, his hair tied into twin braids draped over his shoulders, a green cape fluttering in the wind.
He was almost at the shop's entrance, curiously looking around.
Isn't that Venti?!
Lu Heng didn't know whether to be surprised or not.
As everyone knew, Teyvat had its fair share of wanderers.
The most iconic were Zhongli and Venti.
If Zhongli mostly stayed within Liyue's borders and was rarely seen outside Liyue Harbor…
Then Venti—you could spot him anywhere, and it wouldn't be strange.
You're absolutely right. While the other archons are busy ruling their nations, our free-spirited Anemo Archon Barbatos is already touring all seven nations!
Other archons worry about crossing borders, but Barbatos comes and goes as he pleases!
That's the essence of freedom!
"Hey there~ Hello, shopkeeper~"
Lu Heng chuckled helplessly.
He's been recognized?
Venti cheerfully waved at him.
"Come on in."
Once Venti entered, Lu Heng handed him a cup of tea and asked curiously, "What brings you to Fontaine?"
Venti didn't seem surprised either. He took a sip of tea and grinned.
"Such a big commotion here—the winds carried the news to me. How could I not be curious?"
Lu Heng suddenly remembered—
This guy's got a bit of conceptual power going on.
If the winds of Fontaine carried rumors all the way to Mondstadt, it wasn't strange for Venti to hear them.
"Since you're curious, is there anything you're interested in?"
Venti swirled his teacup, looking troubled.
The thing is… he really didn't have much Mora.
"Not enough Mora? Want me to recommend something?" Lu Heng's smile grew increasingly bright.
The less Mora Venti had, the more Lu Heng wanted to tempt him with things he couldn't resist!
What a wicked grin!
Venti felt his scalp tingle.
Thank the gods for tea—it gave him an excuse to stall for time!
Taking a slow sip, Venti's mind raced.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Shopkeeper Lu!"
"Hm?" Lu Heng smiled, waiting.
"Do you buy Gnoses here?" Venti grinned.
"What did you say?"
Lu Heng wondered if he'd misheard.
"Gnoses. Do you buy them here?" Venti repeated.
Lu Heng's lips twitched.
Truly, this is peak Venti behavior.
If any other archon had suggested selling their Gnosis, it would've been shocking.
But coming from Venti?
Not surprising at all. In fact, it felt exactly like something he'd do.
"...If you're really selling, I'll give you fifty Mora to take it off your hands," Lu Heng said dryly.
"Then I'll keep it for now," Venti sighed regretfully.
Fifty Mora wasn't even enough for a few bottles of apple cider!
"I'll think of another way. Maybe I don't need to sell it?" Venti rubbed his chin, pondering.
Lu Heng didn't comment.
In his opinion, the answer was obvious.
The Fatui's goal was to seize the Gnoses. Before the card shop appeared, Venti might've actually sold his.
But now?
If the price was low enough, sure. But if it was high, the Fatui would really live up to their name—'The Fools.'
Lu Heng estimated Venti's Gnosis wasn't worth much.
Even a few million Mora felt overpriced. With that kind of money, wouldn't it be better to try your luck with a fifth-tier gold card?
Unless the Tsaritsa's goal was to collect all seven Gnoses to summon Shenron or something.
But Lu Heng didn't dwell on it.
Often, even if a better option existed, people might not take it—because sometimes, there were reasons or convictions that compelled them to act a certain way.
"Shopkeeper Lu, do you sell alcohol here?" Venti's voice piped up.
"The vending machine over there has some. Help yourself," Lu Heng pointed.
Venti glanced over. "Quite the selection!"
"Those are beers. Over there, you'll find stronger liquors… though they're nothing special. If you get the chance, try some alcohol-themed skill cards instead," Lu Heng suggested.
"Oho~"
Venti grabbed a few beers.
He'd heard of skill cards before.
But alas, his wallet was far too light!
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T/N:
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