King, by the time you read this letter, you must have already taught those Inazumans who don't know their place a lesson in Fontaine's 'reasoning', right?
Hehe, well done!
Although that guy Neuvillette always nags about 'diplomatic etiquette' and 'long-term consequences'... I know that sometimes, the most direct approach is needed to get through to certain blockheads!
But seriously, are you hurt?
That Raiden Shogun from Inazuma, I hear she's quite the fighter?
Although I have absolute confidence in you (you are my 'Strongest Shield'!), but... anyway, be careful.
I don't want to suddenly receive a report one day saying our majestic Guardian has been injured!
As for me, everything in Fontaine is as usual, just a bit too boring.
Although the performances at the Opera Epiclese are still brilliant, the sound of the Fountain of Lucine is as pleasant as ever, and the corner café always smells fragrant.
But for some reason, I feel like something is missing.
Probably the absence of a certain reassuring presence.
Ahem... don't stay in Inazuma too long, their tea snacks definitely aren't as sweet as Fontaine's.
From:
Your loyal (crossed out),
Your best (crossed out),
Your forever (crossed out)... From: Furina, waiting for your return.
After reading the letter, King rubbed his fingertips, his fierce face unconsciously softening.
A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Lumine and Paimon, who had been secretly observing him, took in this scene.
Paimon floated in mid-air, her small hands unconsciously clutching the corner of her cloak.
A strange, sour and astringent feeling, like accidentally swallowing an unripe naku weed, suddenly bubbled up from the depths of her heart.
Watching King's rare gentleness as he put away the letter, a flash of confusion and an unnoticed sense of loss appeared in her starry, large eyes.
King actually showed such an expression... was it because of Furina's letter?
Paimon suddenly felt a sour taste in her mouth.
[Ding! Detected Paimon's naive sourness and faint sense of loss, Emotion Points +800,000!]
Lumine stood to the side, her amber eyes quietly watching King.
The sea breeze lifted her golden hair, also stirring a shallow ripple of melancholy in her heart.
She felt happy for Furina, but also a faint, fleeting sense of melancholy for her own vague, unspoken feelings that had barely formed before becoming unnecessary to express.
Some scenery is destined to be admired only from afar.
The journey may still need to continue.
[Ding! Detected Lumine's complex melancholy and faint sense of release, Emotion Points +30,000!]
As soon as King put away the letter, these two system notifications popped up.
King: "..."
Looking at the two lines of notifications, especially Paimon's exaggerated 800,000 points and the description "naive sourness," he felt his molars ache slightly.
What is all this?
What is this little glutton Paimon sour about?
And Lumine, melancholy? Release?
King felt his brain struggling to process these complex emotional signals.
Paimon's Emotion Points were absurdly high; this silly little thing seemed to have genuine feelings, though she might not fully understand them herself.
King sighed inwardly.
What could he do?
Should he walk over now, pat Paimon's head, and say, "Don't be sour, you're also my important emergency food"?
Or tell Lumine, "Don't be melancholy, you're both my wings"?
Too cheesy; just thinking about it gave him goosebumps.
King decided to temporarily ignore these headache-inducing emotional issues.
The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge; deal with troubles when they come knocking.
He turned to Aeval: "Is Furina doing well in Fontaine? Has she encountered any trouble?"
Seeing King's concern for Lady Furina, Aeval immediately straightened her small frame, her sapphire-like eyes full of seriousness: "Lady Furina is doing well! She just sometimes stares out the window of the Opera Epiclese, occasionally sighs, and then... ah!"
Mid-sentence, she suddenly covered her mouth, her large eyes blinking, cheeks slightly flushed: "I, did I say too much? Lady Furina told me to keep it secret."
At that moment, Paimon finally couldn't hold back, flying over from behind Lumine with a "whoosh," her small face trying to look nonchalant, but her eyes couldn't help glancing at the pocket where King had just put the letter.
"Su, King! What did Furina say in the letter? Did she mention me? Did she bring me any food?" Paimon tried to mask her discomfort with her usual gluttonous topics.
Lumine also walked over, a faint smile on her face, her amber eyes clear, showing little sign of anything unusual: "Why are you smiling so happily? Did something good happen?"
King: "..."
Just as King was starting to sweat.
Miss Aeval, standing nearby, blinked her watery large eyes, glanced at Lumine, and suddenly remembered another important matter.
She let out a soft "ah," speaking in a gentle voice: "Miss Traveler, I almost forgot to say. There's a strange person looking for you."
Lumine snapped back to attention, temporarily suppressing her complex emotions, somewhat puzzled: "Looking for me? Who is it?"
"A strange person?" King also looked at Aeval.
"Mhm, a very strange person!"
Aeval nodded vigorously, trying to recall:
"It's a golden-haired man, who looks very melancholic, very mysterious..."
"In human terms, it's like 'really good at acting cool'?"
"Pfft haha—ugh." Paimon almost choked on her own saliva.
Lumine's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat!
Golden hair, melancholic, acting cool (crossed out) mysterious... these keywords connected in her mind.
An almost impossible guess made her breath catch.
Could it be...?!
A huge wave of anticipation flooded her.
That subtle sense of melancholy was washed away without a trace.
Her amber eyes shone brightly; she didn't even have time to say another word to King, turning and sprinting toward the direction Aeval pointed—the "Silver Star" docked a bit farther away.
Paimon also reacted, hurriedly following: "Wait for me, Lumine!"
King watched Lumine's rapidly retreating figure and gently shook his head.
Lumine was letting concern cloud her judgment; based on the keywords Aeval gave, King could roughly guess who the visitor was.
He nodded to Aeval: "Let's go take a look too."
...In the officer's lounge of the "Silver Star," the light was bright.
A mysterious person stood with his back to the door, at the window, gazing at the bustling scene of Inazuma's port.
Dark clothing, a cloak hanging down, a tall and straight posture, golden short hair shimmering faintly in the sunlight filtering in, exuding a unique aura of "I'm mysterious, I'm weathered, I'm pondering important matters."
"Bang!"
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