Ren
It was nighttime, and Ren and Furina had just gotten off the Aquabus. Sure enough, there hadn't been anyone waiting for them at the terminals, and with Furina's connections, she got them a private one for good measure.
What was left now was the trek to Poisson.
They didn't speak much on the walk. The night was peaceful, and they were just enjoying the tranquillity.
Ren didn't see anything appear on the horizon, but Furina seemed to recognize the area.
"We're close," she said, shaking her hands inside her now appropriately sized trenchcoat.
'She definitely has interesting disguise taste…'
Furina didn't even bother with the wig or contacts anymore, talking about how it didn't work with him anyway.
He wasn't sure if that was a jab at him or she just didn't know he could sense energy.
Probably the former.
"Sorry I sound a little paranoid, Lady Furina. But how are you going to sneak around exactly?" It was hard to miss the literal god of your nation walking around in your neighborhood.
"Fear not, dear assistant. Through the centuries of my rule, I have perfected many skills. This is merely one of many." Furina boasted.
"Like your disguising skills?"
"Exactly!"
…
'I'm starting to think she might not be playing with me…' Ren frowned, finally realising how unusual her actions had been for an archon. Sure, she had a history of theatrics and splendor, but something just told him that wasn't all. There was something he wasn't seeing.
The amount of negative energy she had was also a big red flag now that he thought about it.
Rex Lapis's energy was so pure, something you could only describe as divine. But he could sense none of that from Furina.
Why would an Archon of all things emit negative energy?
'Something doesn't add up—'
"We're here." Her words snapped Ren out of his thoughts.
He looked up to see—nothing.
"Not up there, down here." She walked forward to an edge, and he could see a cave with lights illuminating from within.
"Fucking caves…" He sighed and turned to Furina, who gave him a nod.
Using Rabbit Escape's extension to muffle their footsteps, they were able to make it through the main entrance without being detected.
For a village inside a cave, it was surprisingly beautiful. The mist around the area gave it a comfy feeling, and the sounds of flowing and dripping water added to the ambiance.
They stopped behind one of the houses to plan their next move. With the giant ship being their target, they needed to find a way inside without alerting the Spina.
Furina understood this as well.
Ren felt a chill go up his spine as Furina slowly turned to him with a guilty smile. The same one she wore before leaving him to the wolves that were reporters and the press.
"I don't like that look on your face, Lady Furina…"
"Now, now." She patted him on the back, as if the action would console him. "I know a surefire way to get me inside without detection."
"Don't you mean we?"
"Ehe…"
He had to stop himself from groaning. Even with his fear of an Archon, Furina's demeanor slowly overpowered it with irritation. Not that he'd ever let his thoughts known, lest she actually take offence at his existence.
"Fine… What do you need me to do?"
/ — /
"If I had known the man who defeated three Rogue Duelists alone would be coming, I would have greeted you personally!" The blonde woman in front of him laughed heartily. "It may be a little late, but I can spare some time for Fontaine's current most popular person."
Behind her, two bodyguards stood at the ready. They looked to be keeping a close eye on him, and their mannerisms further added to their professionalism. While their energy was nothing to worry about, they were decently strong in their own right.
"I am Navia, the renowned president of the Spina di Rosula. Though my people call me Boss." She extended a hand to him, one he took graciously. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Roman."
"Oh? You already know my name?"
"Of course!" She laughed. Looking at him with respect and appreciation. "It may not look like it on the surface, but the Rogue Duelists have created chaos throughout Fontaine. The people have been restless, and you helped alleviate their worries."
The two guards behind her nodded in tandem with Navia's words.
"Indeed." The one with white hair said. "The moment it was revealed that not only one, but three Rogue Duelists were apprehended, people swarmed to find the hero responsible."
Ren already knew about his newfound popularity, but actually hearing it made him uncomfortable.
Being called a "Hero" again… It didn't sit right with him at all.
"Thank you for your kind words, but I fear people may be exaggerating my feats," he said, trying to downplay what he did. Because it wasn't impressive at all.
Sure, the rogues were much stronger than the average Fatui Agent or Treasure Hoarder, but still. They were weak!
The white-haired man only let out a small laugh at his words: "There's no need to be modest, Mr. Roman."
He really wasn't.
"I believe I haven't introduced myself." He said, giving him a short bow. "I am Melus."
The other bodyguard also gave a small bow. "And I am Silver; it is a pleasure to meet you."
With introductions out of the way, the atmosphere was light and cheerful. Navia guided him through Poisson, showing him the village and explaining a little about its history.
Most of the things she said were things he already knew, courtesy of Furina, but it was still interesting to hear it from a person who actually lived here.
After nearly an hour of walking and chatting, they found themselves sitting at one of the few restaurants in Poisson.
In line with the village's history, it served only seafood. He wasn't the biggest fan, but who would refuse free food?
Though it did make Ren feel a little bad that he was getting free food, distracting people while Furina broke into their house like a raccoon in a trash can.
"I hope you don't mind me asking," Navia started, putting down her spoon. "But why did you come to Poisson? At this hour, no less."
'There's the question. Didn't think she'd take so long to ask it, though." Furina just told him to stall her and her bodyguards as long as possible. She said these three were the people she was most worried about, and that hiding from everyone else in the Spina was light work.
The Archon did tell him not to mention anything about the Rogue Duelists to her. Not wanting to take the risk if she really was working with them.
But Ren preferred a more direct approach, and he could handle himself if things went awry.
"Truth be told, I'm actually here because of the Rogue Duelists incident."
That immediately got their attention, and Navia's expression turned worried.
At the same time, Ren prepared Divine Dog inside his shadow just in case things got bad.
"Would you mind elaborating further?" Silver said, already looking uneasy.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." He slowed down, making sure he had their full attention. "What I meant was that my run-in with the rogues made me a little uneasy. I'm here on vacation, you see, and I really don't want a group of criminals to constantly try and kill me."
Melus and Silver shared a glance as if considering something, but Navia stayed silent and waited for him to continue.
"So I took it upon myself to investigate further. Let's just say that I was able to track some traces of their activity here with my abilities. I think the Rogue Duelists base of operations may be inside or nearby Poisson."
Navia's eyes narrowed. "I hope you don't think the Spina is working with the rogues, do you?"
"It was one of my guesses." Crossing his arms, he met her gaze unwaveringly. "So, President of the Spina di Rosula, are you in cahoots with the Rogue Duelists?"
"Watch your mouth." Instead, it was Melus who spoke. He looked clearly offended at the accusation, now openly glaring at Ren. "The Spina—no. Mademoiselle would never work with the likes of—!"
"That's alright, Melus." Navia put her hand up, stopping the guard's rant before it could get out of hand. He seemed reluctant, but eventually backed down.
"You are a really direct person, Mr. Roman." She finally said, her eyes now possessing a glint he couldn't make out. "Firstly, let me make it clear that the Spina has and would never work with the Rogue Duelists… But given your brazen approach, you must have already suspected as much, am I correct?"
'Damn, she's sharp.'
"Something like that. I had my suspicions when I first got here, but after meeting you, I felt that you weren't the type to do such things. But you surely understand the possibility of someone within your organisation—"
"Let me stop you right there." She cut him off. If she was irritated, then she hid it well, because her expression was as pleasant as when he first met her. "I understand your concerns, and while I would usually take any accusations with a grain of truth, you don't get that luxury, given that your accomplice was found breaking into my headquarters."
'Wait, what?'
Navia smiled at the shocked expression on his face, then at the slow realisation of what must have happened.
Footsteps slowly approached them, and Ren didn't even need to turn to know who it was.
"Care to explain, Lady Furina?"
Sure enough, Furina walked toward them, with a few Spina agents a few steps behind, trying to put on a brave front as they escorted their literal deity.
She wore a guilty smile as she looked at Ren and waved to him.
"Ehe…"
'God dammit.'
/ — /
Furina stared nervously at Navia as her agent reported to her what happened moments prior, while Ren looked like he was about to pop a nerve.
She seemed to notice the Archon's gaze and smiled wryly. "You probably wonder how I knew you were here. Isn't that right, Lady Furina?"
The woman in question laughed nervously at the question. "We were sure we hid our tracks well. What gave it away?"
"Being honest, we had no idea you were in Poisson for any lack of caution on your end," Navia smiled wider, her expression changing into an amused one. "But it was actually because one of my agents saw you two walking on the road. It was hard not to notice the Hydro Archon's signature hairstyle. So we just put one and two together."
'Someone was watching us walk? Their energy must have been too weak for me to pinpoint, I doubt any of these guys have the skill to suppress energy.'
"My… Hair?" Furina grimaced. "I knew I should have put on another wig."
The table they sat at was surrounded by dozens of Spina members. They put on a brave front, that's for sure, but Ren's eyes caught how they purposefully avoided Furina's gaze, fear obvious from their body language.
It was understandable, of course. They did just arrest their god.
If he weren't directly involved in the situation, he would have laughed about the sheer panic the agents would feel after being told to apprehend their god, and have their god actually play along.
Unfortunately, he was directly involved. And said god had once again used him as bait.
Ren turned to the squirming archon, sending her a flat gaze that she tried her best to ignore.
"Let's just get to the point. Lady Furina—" Navia's expression turned serious, placing her hands on the table. "Would you care to explain why you felt the need to break into my headquarters?"
Furina stiffened in her seat.
It was an interesting reaction from the Archon. He was pretty sure that a normal god would strike down anyone who dared to speak to them like that.
Was Navia just not a fan of Furina?
'No, that's not it.' He focused on Furina's expression and noted a hint of guilt. Remembering her mannerisms when she talked about the Spina, it was clear that she had a history with them.
One she felt guilty about.
But in the blink of an eye, gone was Furina's nervous expression, and in its place was one of confident bravado. She rested her head on one of her hands and stared straight at Navia.
"I needed to know whether the Spina di Rosula was working with the Rogue Duelists."
Navia didn't hide her offended look. "You thought we were—You thought that I would—!" She stopped herself, taking a deep breath to calm down. "You, of all people, should understand what the Spina has already sacrificed for this nation. What I have sacrificed. What I have lost."
The Archon's gaze softened. "I am aware."
"Then how could you possibly—"
"Because my investigation into the Rogue Duelists narrowed their likely base of operations to Poisson and its surrounding area." Furina held her gaze. "Not out of suspicion of you, but out of necessity. I could not rule out the possibility without checking, and it would speak poorly of me as an Archon if I'd ignored it and been wrong."
Navia clenched her jaw, unable to argue with her logic.
Ren watched as her expressions betrayed her thoughts. It was evident that she didn't just accept Furina's words at face value, but she was also trying to find an angle she could use.
"...I understand your reasoning. But it doesn't mean I like it." Navia finally said tiredly. "And were you satisfied with your investigation?"
Furina nodded.
The room's collective tension lightened almost instantly. The agents around them were glad, even though they knew they were innocent. Because even if they were confident, no one could ever be completely sure.
"Good." Navia sighed. "Then I suppose I should be thanking you, in some strange way, for taking us seriously enough to check yourself rather than making a big spectacle."
Furina beamed. "Of course! I would never—"
"Don't mistake my words for forgiveness." An edge crept back into Navia's voice. "You owe me for this."
Furina winced.
"...Duly noted."
/ — /
Navia snapped her fingers, signaling one of the Spina to bring forward a map, unrolling it across the table and pointing to a shoreline.
"If you're set on the underwater cave theory, these are your best bets."
Seeing her being cooperative, Furina and Ren leaned in to look at where she was pointing.
"My people noticed some unusual activity around the area." She circled a part that was decently far from the main roads and didn't have much of anything interesting. "People we didn't recognize were constantly walking through the area, but they always disappeared before we could get close."
"That's probably a Rogue Duelist then. So there's a good chance that somewhere near there is their hideout." Ren added, his voice sounding a little eager. His tone wasn't lost on Navia, who looked at him for a second before continuing.
"My thoughts exactly. Given that you are unfamiliar with the area, I propose that I accompany you two with Melus and Silver."
Furina shook her head. "I appreciate the gesture, but I will have to decline."
"Why?"
"Because we don't know if there are actual rogues there. This is a mission just to confirm a location, not a raid." She glanced at Ren with a smile. "Too many people would spook the rogues, and we'd lose our chance. Besides, my assistant is more than capable enough on his own."
Ren didn't expect those kinds of words to leave Furina's mouth, and couldn't help but find himself a little embarrassed. It was one thing to be praised for his strength, but to do so in front of so many people was a little embarrassing.
But Furina's words had another effect. The Spina members around them suddenly focused entirely on Ren, looking at him like he was an anomaly.
"I know he's the one who captured three rogues, but this is their hideout we're talking about," Navia said while staring at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Can you really handle it yourself?"
'Lady, you have no idea.' He had to stop a smirk from appearing.
"Sure I can."
"I see…" Behind her, Melus and Silver shared a glance before turning back to Ren.
It was a look he had gotten familiar with over the past few months. The look when people wanted something from him or wanted to know something about him.
He did not like it one bit.
'Please don't be another Rose.'
"Very well, I agree that you two going alone would be the best choice," Navia said. "But I'm putting people on standby regardless. This is my territory, and that makes it my problem too."
Furina and Ren shared a glance, and he just shrugged. It wasn't like anything she was doing would conflict with their mission.
"Alright then. Is that everything settled?" Furina asked, only for Ren to raise a hand.
"Hold on a minute. Since you are going to be on standby, I have a way to let you know if something went wrong."
With a quick hand sign that caught Navia's eye, a single Rabbit Escape jumped from his shadow and onto the table, knocking down a teacup in its way.
"If this guy disappears suddenly, then that means something went wrong," he said, patting the rabbit's head. "But don't jump in the water for us, just be on the lookout for any rogues that escape."
Navia tilted her head. "But wouldn't you need help?"
Ren smiled and shook his head.
"Nah, I got it."
She still seemed unsure, staring at him for a few seconds to see if he was sure, before finally nodding.
"Alright." She extended her hand. "Here's to a successful mission."
He took her hand and shook it. "Same here."
Ren turned to Furina, ready to head out of Poisson, only to see her smothering her face in Rabbit Escape's fluffy stomach.
"Oh, aren't you just the cutest little thing!" She laughed, lifting the shikigami into the air. The rabbit didn't see anything wrong with this and relished in the attention.
"Ehem."
Furina froze and turned to several pairs of eyes staring at her.
"Oops, sorry." She put Rabbit Escape back on the table with a sheepish smile, and the shikigami jumped towards Navia, landing on her lap.
Ren sighed, "Right, let's get going then."
With that, the two left Poisson with Navia and a few of her men before splitting up just a bit before the shoreline.
Finally, they stood before the line separating the land and water. The sound of waves hitting the shore filled up the empty night, and the two of them were left just staring down for a few seconds.
"I forgot to ask, but how do we actually get down there?" Ren asked.
"Oh, we just swim down," Furina answered, pulling out a diving helmet she pulled from a bag he didn't notice her bringing.
He gave her an odd look before realizing that she was being serious.
"And how do you plan to ensure I don't drown down there? I don't even have gear."
Now it was her turn to look at him oddly. "You don't know about Fontaine's waters?"
"What about them?"
She puffed up her chest, excited to explain. "Fontaine's waters are unique in that they possess a property that allows for Vision Wielders to breathe underwater—wait." She froze and looked at him up and down. "You… don't have… a Vision…"
"Yeah…"
Usually his abilities and constitution would push aside the need for a Vision entirely; sometimes his powers were just better. But he supposed it was only a matter of time before his lack of a Vision hindered his progress.
Not that he'd ever want one. It wasn't for any apparent reason, he just didn't like it.
Not one bit.
"Ren?" Furina's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry about that. I was lost in thought." He realised something odd. "Wait, why do you have to wear a diving helmet? Can't you breathe underwater? And why didn't you bring two?"
Furina froze in place. "Ahaha, well, you see… This is no ordinary helmet, but one specially created by me! It helps me… extend my awareness through the water? For your second question… I forgot?"
"Why does that sound like a question?"
"Y-You must be hearing things." She waved him off before patting him on the back. "Let's get back to the point. Maybe your body allows you to breathe underwater as Vision Wielders do? You can already wield elements without one, so it isn't impossible."
Considering her words, Ren decided that it wouldn't hurt to try.
He rolled up his pants and knelt next to the water and plunged his head inside.
'I don't feel any different. Maybe I should try to breathe—ghh!' Immediately, he lifted his head out of the water and coughed up some more.
"A-Are you alright?!" Furina ran to his side to check on him.
It took him a few seconds to clear his throat. "Yeah, I'm good. But it looks like I unfortunately can't breathe underwater."
"Indeed," Furina hummed, caressing her chin as she was deep in thought. "This is quite the oversight on my part. Maybe we could—"
"Hold on, I got an idea."
"Oh?"
Ren thought about it for a moment longer before concentrating. He channeled Max Elephant extension through his hand to create a large Hydro bubble that enveloped him entirely.
Furina watched with curiosity as he floated the bubble with him inside into the deeper end of the water. Sure enough, it held, and he was able to breathe and move around just fine.
He emerged on the surface and opened a small section of the bubble.
"It works."
"Oh, that's clever." Furina clapped delightfully. "Very resourceful of you, assistant!"
"I try." He glanced back at her. "You coming?"
"Of course."
She threw her helmet aside and waded in without hesitation, stepping into the bubble beside him.
Despite the fact that she very obviously didn't need to, given she'd just told him Vision Wielders could breathe underwater fine on their own, an Archon whose authority was that of Hydro shouldn't have any issues as well.
He looked at her with a blank stare.
She stared back entirely unbothered, sending him a small smile.
'Maybe I should just stop questioning things. A god's mind is no doubt incomprehensible to a mortal.' If he kept thinking too hard, he might make assumptions he shouldn't, and then Furina would get mad.
It wasn't lost to him that despite the aloof demeanor she put on display, she was a very competent individual. Even after getting caught by the Spina, she was able to get their help to ensure no Rogue Duelists would escape.
He knew there was history between her and Navia from their short interaction. So it wasn't lost on him that she could have let herself get caught so Navia, and by proxy, the Spina, would get involved in cracking down on the Rogue Duelists, which would increase their reputation with Fontaine.
'Was this also part of her plan?' He didn't know. Which only further proved it was better to stop questioning things.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah. Let's go."
The shoreline vanished above them as he willed the bubble down, moonlight scattering into broken patterns through the water.
Furina hummed quietly beside him, watching the world outside their little sphere drift by with fascination, while Ren kept his eyes forward for the task ahead.