"Shouldn't we be heading to Fontaine? Why are we here?" A mature, yet irritable female voice spoke up beside them. It belonged to the woman with long green hair and a stunning figure—Apep, the Dendro Dragon, who looked somewhat puzzled.
The reason she was in human form was naturally due to Jiang Qiao's request. Apep had been very reluctant; after all, she had always been proud of her draconic form and looked down upon humans, creations of the Heavenly Principles.
But she couldn't resist Jiang someone's... 'persuasion'—well, simply because traveling across Teyvat in this form wouldn't cause too much trouble.
...What a disgrace!
Apep was deeply dissatisfied—The great Dendro Dragon Sovereign, having to consider the trouble caused by those usurper's creations!
Fortunately, with Neuvillette setting a precedent, she reluctantly accepted after a few complaints.
After all, if one of her own kind was doing it, what reason did she have to refuse?
"Yes, I plan to take care of some 'lingering historical issues' along the way," the blue-and-white-haired girl said, her tone somewhat subtle as she stepped into the Nostoi Region, gazing at the town of Petrichor perched overseas. "And there's an acquaintance of yours here too."
"An acquaintance? Who? Pretty much all my acquaintances are dead."
"It's a secret~"
"Tch."
Apep pursed her lips.
Noticing a white cat on a nearby rock staring at them, [Furina] excitedly went over to pet it:
"What an adorable little cat."
To Jiang Qiao, it was just a cat. But since Focalors was essentially the same person as Furina, she had inherited Furina's fondness for small animals.
Jiang Qiao, however, regarded it with scrutiny. Knowing the plot, he was well aware of the identity hidden beneath this seemingly cute white fur—Cassiodor, the "Harmost" of the Remurian Empire, the original "Golden Hunter" and prototype for the Marechaussee Hunters.
'Speaking of which, he's from your era, Egeria.'
'Yes, I've met him before,' Egeria replied apologetically within Jiang Qiao's mind. 'But I knew very little about him, having only met him a few times.'
Egeria felt rather apologetic about this, as she wasn't an Archon skilled in governance. The era of old nobility that followed the overthrow of the Remurian Empire in Fontaine was largely due to her laissez-faire approach.
It wasn't until Focalors succeeded her and Neuvillette became the Iudex that the chaos in Fontaine was brought under control.
"Alright, the original 'Marechaussee Hunter,' it's time to wake up. We need to bring a close to history." [Furina]'s slender, scallion-like finger gently tapped the white cat's forehead. After a faint ripple of energy, its agate-like eyes gradually cleared.
Gazing at the blue-and-white-haired girl before him, he seemed confused for a moment, but then instantly understood.
"...Lady Hydro Archon?"
Although Focalors wasn't the Hydro Archon of his time, Cassiodor's sharp intuition allowed him to instantly identify the person before him.
"No need for words. Lead the way," [Furina] said calmly, her expression serene. "Your old acquaintance still hasn't given up on his ambitions. That's why I'm here."
Compared to the mess René cooked up, the situation here in Remuria was actually somewhat tamer, Jiang Qiao thought.
After all, if René's plan succeeded, all of Teyvat would dissolve into water, whereas Boethius's plan would, at most, cause the Primordial Sea to rise.
Once the curse borne by the people of Fontaine is dealt with, this would merely be a natural disaster.
But, since he knew about it, there was no need to let this man-made disaster occur.
Moreover, Boethius had abducted many Fontainian souls for his plan.
Since he was 'filling in,' Mr. Jiang Qiao, who believed in doing a job properly, obviously couldn't just stand by.
Of course, waiting for the 'hapless duo' (Traveler and Paimon) to come help was also an option.
But since it was conveniently on the way, might as well handle it together. It was just a small detour, anyway.
"Boethius..." Cassiodor, still in his white cat form, nodded. "I understand."
He then led the way.
Apep, following behind, curled her lip. "Never thought mere humans could achieve something like this."
She understood the cat's situation now—preserving his will solely to fulfill an unfinished wish someday in the future.
It was one thing for an Archon to achieve this level, but for a frail human...
"Technically, he should be considered a Oceanid," [Furina] corrected. "And as the Harmost personally chosen by Remus, it's not strange for him to have some special qualities."
"In this regard, the people of Liyue are more impressive." Though Fontaine had superhumans like René, thinking of those lingering wills in the Chasm filled [Furina] with respect.
"For mortals to achieve such a feat collectively, it seems only the steadfast Millelith, immovable as mountains, have done so."
"Liyue? The Geo Dragon Sovereign's territory... Hmph, now I'm curious," Apep mused. "Speaking of which, do you know how he's doing lately?"
"You mean Azhdaha, the Dragon King? He's still suppressed under the seal."
"...Outrageous!" Apep instantly bristled with anger upon hearing this.
"Ah, don't misunderstand. Azhdaha and the God of Geo actually have a pretty good relationship," [Furina] quickly added. "It's just that he's old, suffering from severe Erosion, and his mind isn't quite clear anymore."
"Speaking of which," Jiang Qiao wondered internally, directing the thought outwards, "you're clearly older than Azhdaha. Why don't you show any signs of Erosion?"
"Hmph, don't compare me to those youngsters," Apep snorted.
"Mere Erosion thinks it can shake my fury towards that Usurper?"
Hearing this, the blue-and-white-haired girl instantly showed a look of understanding. Got it—Azhdaha's muddled mind made him turn against the old man [Morax]. But Apep is simpler—she's completely fixated on the Heavenly Principles. Doesn't matter if there's Erosion or not, her resolve to rebel against the Heavenly Principles is rock solid!
'Actually, it's determined by the nature of the Dendro element,' Greater Lord Rukkhadevata explained internally.
'Just as I can undergo 'Samsara,' the Dendro element, with its extremely strong life force, possesses the ability for self-renewal.' Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, while metaphorically 'hugging' and taking a 'sip' of 'Jiang Qiao's essence' within his consciousness, explained quite seriously.
'The Dendro Archon can do it, so there's no reason the Dendro Dragon Sovereign, also a ruler of the Dendro element, cannot.'
Mmm~ No wonder Egeria's successor enjoys this sort of thing. This feeling of mingling 'spiritual essences' and savoring it is truly wonderful~ Feeling the strange pleasure of that 'interaction,' Miss Rukkhadevata felt somewhat intoxicated. Two words: So comfy!
And unlike Focalors (whom Jiang Qiao merely inhabits externally), since Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was 'eaten' (absorbed internally), it was more convenient for her inside Jiang Qiao. She could even peel off [Furina]'s 'outer packaging'—don't ask what's underneath, sipping directly from the source was just bliss!
As for psychological burdens? Who cares about that when you're already inside the 'belly'? Gotta take another sip while I haven't been kicked out!
——
Normally, entering the ruins of Remuria required following procedures and steps.
But Jiang Qiao was clearly not the type to play by the rules. Or rather—Relics of an old era expect me to follow rules?
See this body? This face? As Fontaine's Hydro Archon, I AM the rules!
Especially with Egeria present, Jiang Qiao thought—Even your master Remus would have to bow his head twice if he saw me!
"What a huge whale~"
Fairy Ely, following beside him, witnessed the massive whale bound by chains after [Furina] forcefully bypassed the entrance barriers. She couldn't help but exclaim: "It feels even bigger than Eden!"
"But not as pretty as Eden," she added with her usual cheer.
Clang—
With a casual flick of his index finger, [Furina] snapped the chains binding the whale.
"Oh, so it's Scylla, the vishap royalty," Apep remarked after observing the whale for a moment, a look of recognition and nostalgia crossing her face.
She took the initiative to greet her: "Scylla, long time no see. You don't seem to be doing too well."
"Hmm... You are... Oh, it's Lady Apep, the Dragon Sovereign of the pure Dendro Dragons!" Scylla recognized her.
As a relative of the original Hydro Dragon Sovereign and esteemed royalty herself, Scylla naturally recognized Apep, the original Dendro Dragon Sovereign.
"Well, it seems like an ancient reunion. You two must have a lot to talk about," [Furina] observed.
"Go ahead and chat amongst yourselves. I'll go deal with the remnants of Remuria first."
Jiang Qiao, ever perceptive of the mood, said this and then proceeded towards the capital city with Fairy Ely.
No guide was needed, and nothing could obstruct them, for the ocean was the Hydro Archon's domain—especially after obtaining Egeria's 'heart' (her Authority).
Along the way, although many stone statues within the sealed city tried to block their path, [Furina] merely glanced at them, and her divine, teardrop-pupiled eyes freed the souls bound within the golems.
"Trapping people's souls inside heavy stone... I really don't understand why," the Fairy Ely commented, looking at the statues. Knowing Remuria's history, she couldn't help but complain. "No matter how exquisitely carved the stone is, how can something so lifeless bear living souls?"
"Indeed, it is a heavy burden," [Furina] nodded. Just as René once complained after learning about the Remurian Empire: Trying to use stone as a vessel? Idiots! The most suitable vessel is obviously water!
'This was also determined by Remus's nature,' Greater Lord Rukkhadevata sighed internally. She was no stranger to this old acquaintance from Sumeru.
'The god named Remus held the Authority of 'Melody.' Because of the connection between melody and art, he was extremely fond of art. Rather than seeking meaning, Remus preferred to bestow it.'
'Placing the humans he loved within meticulously carved golems, thinking the hard stone would provide good protection—that's definitely how someone with his personality would think.'
'A person's character is their destiny.' As the God of Wisdom, having experienced the cycle of life and death and 'sipped' much 'Jiang Qiao essence,' Rukkhadevata's perspective on the world had become higher and more comprehensive than before.
'The best way to treat humans is to let go and entrust the future to them. If you try to constrain their boundaries, you will eventually end up like Mondstadt's King of the Tower [Decarabian] or King Remus.'
——
Of course—within the capital city at this moment, Boethius clearly did not share [Furina]'s leisurely mood.
Connected to the capital and having usurped Remus's power, he had long since detected [Furina]'s arrival and was furious.
"Damn it, why did the Hydro Archon come straight here?!"
If it were the little blondie [Traveler], Boethius wouldn't have worried in the slightest—Laughable! Just a blondie with a flying pet dares to challenge my Remurian Empire? In the past, barbarians like that would have been mercilessly hanged!
But a god—even one from the Fontainian court he despised, a god of those barbarian descendants—was definitely not someone he could oppose.
Unless... he fully usurped the power of that traitor, Remus.
In reality, Boethius had been doing just that. As long as he absorbed that fellow Cassiodor, he could claim King Remus's power entirely for himself. Then, he would become a true god, capable of rebuilding the glorious ancient Remurian Empire.
But now... snatching someone right under the Hydro Archon's nose... even as arrogant as Boethius was, he felt such a thing was utterly unrealistic.
This hesitant mood caused a certain interference to waver. At this moment, Phobos, the automaton lyre, felt a headache.
Controlling this puppet for thousands of years, and now he starts hesitating.
And that Hydro Archon of Fontaine too... Phobos actually wanted to surrender, having developed a survival instinct over the millennia. But seeing her aggressive approach, Phobos knew surrendering was nothing but a pipe dream.
...No choice then. You forced my hand!
The shimmering Phobos finally made a decision. It would use its own power to help Boethius accelerate the usurpation of Remus's power, and then... bestow the power of 'Phobos' upon him.
This was a desperate measure, as doing so would cause immense damage to Phobos itself. Afterwards, Boethius might even completely slip from its control—unacceptable and potentially fatal for Phobos, which mimicked fate.
But choosing the lesser of two evils, compared to being dismantled by Fontaine's Hydro Archon, Phobos decided it was better to gamble.
As for whether they could win... As a 'counterfeit' created by Remus to imitate 'Fate,' Phobos, having absorbed the power of the subjects of the ancient Remurian Empire, possessed power at least equivalent to the Indemnitium (faith) Focalors had accumulated over centuries.
With the boost from this power, Boethius, having usurped Remus's power, could attain Remus's full strength—perhaps even surpass it.
Confident in this, Phobos felt quite resentful. After going through all this trouble, it would be a huge loss not to harvest the souls of all those barbarians afterwards!
Focusing intently on [Furina]'s movements, pouring all its power into Boethius to turn him into 'Remus Plus,' Phobos launched its attack.
Remus was the God of Melody. Although this Authority sounds weak, Remus was actually extremely proficient in the mental domain; many gods suffered setbacks when encountering this power. The only two exceptions were likely Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and King Deshret [Al-Ahmar].
The former, due to her connection with the Irminsul, was unshakable; no matter how strong the mental proficiency, it couldn't sway the will of the Irminsul. As for the latter, it was due to the suppressive nature of his Authority—Al-Ahmar not only possessed the Authority over Sand, but hidden within it was another 'fragmented divine Authority' that propelled him to godhood: 'Sun.'
In most mythologies, the Sun holds an incomparably high status, and Teyvat is no exception. The owner of this Authority when it was complete was named Phanes. The sublime Sun cannot be interfered with. Even a fragmented 'Sun' Authority was like using a cannon against a wooden stick for other gods.
As Remus's creation, an extension of his Authority, Phobos knew this.
But... the Hydro Archon of Fontaine? The Authority of Justice offers absolutely no help in resisting the Authority of Melody!
As for the power of Water, its source is essentially the nature of Oceanids. However, Oceanids have a fatal weakness: their minds are extremely fragile. Even the slightest bit of malice can cause the core consciousness of a Oceanid to collapse.
Although becoming a god somewhat mitigates this weakness, as long as their fundamental nature remains unchanged, this fatal flaw persists.
Conveniently, Phobos had no shortage of negative emotions like 'malice,' 'greed,' and 'arrogance' collected from the ancient Remurian Empire.
It poured all these negative emotions into the melody played with all its might.
Watching the seemingly defenseless [Furina] listen to the resounding melody, Phobos let out an excited laugh of triumph.
Victory!