Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
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Poisson.
The sign of this town built underground, visible above the surface, was a semi-enclosed ring of steel formed by a massive ship and the wreckage of numerous smaller vessels. From afar, though dilapidated, it was still quite conspicuous.
At the center of that encirclement lay a vast pit whose bottom could almost be seen at a glance. But from such a distance, little of its mystery could be discerned.
Only by personally descending into the pit—following the seawater that surged in from the Fontaine High Sea to the west, and the rust-colored flooring pieced together from former decks, winding all the way down—could one find the entrance to Poisson. Continuing deeper, an unimaginably vast space would then come into view.
Naturally, Poisson's environment could not compare with the Court of Fontaine. The seawater that poured in… though not true seawater and thus lacking that salty tang, still brought an unavoidable dampness.
Compared to the Fleuve Cendre, which was also an underground settlement, Poisson's architecture was distinctly unique. As far as the eye could see, the town's houses could be divided into several types: entire ships converted into homes, single cabins repurposed as dwellings, and structures assembled from fragments of wrecked vessels.
That was only to be expected—Poisson had originally been a shipyard. Perhaps the largest shipyard in southern Fontaine.
North of the Fontaine High Sea lay the Court of Fontaine and Erinnyes Island, while the south was largely open waters. Before Elynas arrived, this vast southern region had contained almost nothing but Mount Esus. To the west of Mount Esus stretched the High Sea's most expansive open waters. In those days, Poisson, as the only shipyard in that region, must have received countless travelers journeying north and south, eventually forming the Poisson with its many permanent residents.
It was unclear whether Poisson's decline was due to Elynas settling west of Mount Esus—turning the most expansive open waters into an island—or due to the earlier blow of the so-called "Siege of Poisson," which had existed even before Elynas' arrival.
However, Elynas had long since settled, and Poisson and the Fleuve Cendre had already, centuries ago, returned to the governance of the Hydro Archon's order along with the Court of Fontaine. Now, they were further protected and managed by the Spina di Rosula.
Walking along the roads of Poisson, one could see that although the environment was poor, the people had long adapted to it. Upon learning of the relocation, they felt a trace of reluctance—but once they heard they could return, their eyes were once again filled with hope.
"Lady Furina? I'm not mistaken, am I?"
"It really is Lady Furina!"
"What brings you here?"
Gradually, the residents of Poisson noticed Furina's arrival and began greeting her.
Furina said, "I've come to see how the relocation efforts are progressing. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to report them promptly."
"With the magic pocket, moving house just means making a few extra trips back and forth. There's nothing difficult about it."
"This magic pocket sure makes moving convenient. Couldn't we make more of them and collect all the rising water when the time comes?"
Some answered honestly, while others seized the chance to voice their imaginative ideas about the prophecy.
Before Furina could think of a response, someone else refuted the previous speaker. "To collect all the rising water? You'd probably need a magic pocket half the size of Fontaine."
Seeing that Furina did not stop the discussion, another person added, "If you ask me, we could drain the water into the sea outside Fontaine. There's a three-hundred-meter drop between the Fontaine High Sea and the outer sea—there's no way it could possibly fill up."
Someone spoke in a mocking tone, "Heh, I think that idea works—as long as our neighboring nations don't mind."
"It's not that exaggerated," the proposer tried to explain. "Water flowing from the Fontaine High Sea into the outer sea would be dispersed across such a vast body of water that the sea level wouldn't rise much at all. And the water that rises would soon flow through tributaries into other nations, spreading it across an even larger area. At that point, for other nations, it would just be like their great rivers flooding once—eventually flowing into the true ocean and calming down."
The mocking person retorted, "And what if the outer sea rises too? The prophecy says Fontaine will be submerged. You're making too many assumptions."
"Huh? Do you even hear yourself? If the outer sea rises enough to submerge Fontaine, then none of the surrounding nations would be spared."
"But you don't even know how the submergence in the prophecy happens, do you?"
"Even if I don't, it can't possibly be like what you're saying! If it submerged us like that, unless the water were somehow confined within Fontaine's borders, the prophecy wouldn't say Fontaine—it would say the entire continent of Teyvat would be flooded. And that's simply impossible!"
"Then you tell me how it'll happen." The mocking man raised his palm, pushing it upward in a crooked motion before sneering, "What, you think the Fontaine High Sea will just gush water outward, rising dozens or even hundreds of meters without flowing elsewhere? Water flows downhill. I'm just curious—Fontaine already sits this high up, so how would water specifically flood the higher ground?"
"Hmph! According to my calculations, the water will rise from the Fontaine High Sea itself—and it will rise extremely fast. So fast that it won't have time to flow into the outer sea. In other words, as long as we endure for a while, the waters submerging Fontaine will naturally recede!"
Seeing the two growing more heated, someone finally intervened. "Who but the Hydro Archon could say for sure? Go take a look at the peak of Mount Esus—Celestia is still floating in the sky. For all we know, the water might really only flood Fontaine and not flow downhill."
"Exactly. Not to mention Celestia—even the Fontaine Research Institute can float. Who says that water must follow natural laws?"
The proposer fell silent.
The mocking man no longer fixated on the prophecy but found a new angle. "That kind of floating? Heh, better keep it to a minimum. If the people at the Institute want to blow up the Institute, that's their business. But they even blew up the Khaenri'ah Line—don't blame me for making a few sarcastic remarks."
"Still making sarcastic remarks? You didn't even notice you've already driven Lady Furina away… Sigh…"
Only then did the man react. He turned and searched carefully, only to find that Furina had already walked far, far into the depths of Poisson.
…
"The relocation is going smoothly. Leave it to me—there's nothing to worry about!" Navia was as radiant as ever.
"Good. If anything comes up, contact me anytime."
"Since Lady Furina is already here, how about having a macaron before you leave?" Navia asked tentatively. "Desserts—you should like them, right?"
In Fontaine, few did not adore the grand star who had accompanied their grandparents growing up, accompanied their parents growing up, and then accompanied themselves growing up. Navia was no exception.
No matter how time passed or the world changed, as long as they saw this Archon moving among the people, unchanged as ever, it felt as though nothing had truly changed at all.
And at the mention of macarons, Furina was indeed tempted.
"But… but I've already had quite a lot of sweets today. I should control my calories…"
"Mademoiselle's baking skills are highly praised within the Spina di Rosula, Lady Furina," Melus added helpfully.
"Th-Then let the wind decide!"
"The wind?"
Navia was puzzled. Melus and Silver were equally confused.
"Because the Anemo Archon represents freedom. I'm considering whether to freely indulge in dessert, so of course I should consult him."
Furina solemnly closed her eyes as if sensing something. After a moment, she opened them in delight. "The wind says I can!"
Though none of them knew what had just happened, Navia made a swift decision. "Then I'll start making them right away!"
Melus promptly took something out of the magic pocket. "Cooking stove."
Not to be outdone, Silver added, "Eggs, sugar, almonds—I brought them all."
"Hey, hey, this is our own home, isn't it? You two…" Navia laughed. "Alright, alright. That saves me the trouble of preparing everything myself."
Rustle…
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