A small lounge held three figures, all perched at the pinnacle of Fontaine’s power.
Fontaine’s supreme ruler, the Hydro Archon, Furina.
Fontaine’s Grand Inquisitor, the Hydro Hypostasis, Wriothesley.
Fontaine’s diplomat, a mere mortal, Yixuan.
With these three gathered, one might expect a discussion about the future of the nation.
Or perhaps a lively discourse on the affairs of the Seven Nations.
Yet, in reality, Furina, eyes half-closed and face hidden behind a hand, was indulging in a delectable treat from Sumeru.
Meanwhile, Wriothesley was fiddling with his custom-made goblet.
The constant swaying back and forth might fool some into thinking he was savoring fine wine.
But in truth, the goblet held only clear, pristine water.
As for Yixuan, he appeared to have had a rough night.
His hair was disheveled, eyes sunken, and dark circles under his eyes were impossible to miss.
He slumped against the sofa, his head bobbing up and down.
Ten minutes passed in this fashion.
The delicacies on Furina's plate finally vanished.
With evident satisfaction, she put down her knife and fork, gracefully lifting a teacup for a sip.
“Excellent, excellent. This Sumeru cuisine is on par with Fontaine’s finest desserts.”
“Yixuan, you are truly my invaluable aide. Each trip you take brings me a new surprise.”
Yixuan’s head suddenly slumped, only to jerk back up in mid-air.
A brief moment of clarity allowed his eyes to widen slightly.
He looked around in confusion.
Only then did Furina notice that Yixuan wasn't in the best of spirits.
She rose immediately, reaching out to touch his head.
“My invaluable aide, I hear you’ve been quite busy. Even with your duties, rest is essential.
Don’t go to [that place] today. Write a note and have your divine superior, Furina, personally approve your leave.”
Wriothesley, who had been calmly enjoying his water, coughed lightly.
“Ms. Furina, such actions go against protocol. Even Yixuan, if he wishes to request leave, must follow Fontaine’s established procedures, which involve multiple levels of review.”
“Despite holding supreme authority, one cannot simply act on whim.”
The official tone jolted Yixuan back to his senses.
He stared at Wriothesley, speechless.
He feared that the next words out of Wriothesley’s mouth would be:
“I’ve already told you, be professional during work hours.”
That air of formality was truly suffocating.
Furina, however, seemed unconcerned.
“Yixuan is their superior. They have no authority to approve his leave.”
“Yixuan, go rest. I’ll handle the leave request.”
With some lighthearted conversation, the atmosphere in the lounge grew livelier.
Yixuan’s spirits also lifted.
He reached out and gently stroked Furina’s head.
“Alright, I can still manage. I’ll handle everything and then take my leave.”
Furina, however, flashed back like a phantom, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“Yixuan, how many times must I tell you? Touching the Hydro Archon’s head without permission,”
“Will result in a week’s work in the Meropedes Castle.”
Yixuan winked at Furina.
“Really? Is there such a law? I’ll go delete it immediately.”
“That’s not possible. It’s the most perfect law I’ve devised after much contemplation.”
After a good deal of playful banter, the group settled into a more serious tone.
Wriothesley, too, lowered his goblet.
He patiently awaited Yixuan’s next words.
“After a few days of hard work, the modifications to the Void Device are complete.”
“The Fontaine Mark II computer can now be used for civilian purposes. Take your team to [that place] tomorrow and retrieve it.”
“Though it can’t match the Void in computing power, it can handle water railcar allocation and vehicle scheduling. We’ll upgrade it later if we make any breakthroughs.”
As the saying goes, “If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools.”
A powerful computer was essential to achieving his plans.
While Yixuan had created computers using Fontaine’s technological foundation, the limitations of materials and technology meant they couldn’t keep up with Fontaine’s research pace.
Their utility had become negligible.
With the Void now available, the Fontaine Mark II naturally became obsolete.
In Sumeru, Fontaine would have to strip the wearers of the Void Device of their dreams and use their brains for computation to improve efficiency.
Yixuan was reluctant to do so.
True, if human brains could be fully developed, their computing power would surpass any computer.
But the Void’s function was to utilize already developed brain regions for computation.
This would add insult to injury for those who were already not the sharpest tools in the shed.
It wouldn’t only be detrimental to the human body, but the efficiency wouldn’t be high either.
Using Liyue’s Elemental Resonance technology and the technology of the Crimson King, combined with Sumeru’s years of Void research and Fontaine’s inherent skills,
Yixuan, drawing from his knowledge of computers from his previous life, used runes as circuits.
The Geo veins served as energy sources, and Fontaine’s technology provided the underlying logical program.
Combining technologies from several nations provided the Void with a new computing method.
This method successfully tripled the Void’s computing power.
When the new version of the Void began operating, Yixuan couldn't help but exclaim:
“It’s so boring to just stay cooped up at home, working in isolation.”
“Technological exchange is much more enjoyable. Without the support of other nations’ technology, the Void wouldn’t have reached this level.”
After hearing Yixuan’s account, Wriothesley and Furina understood why he looked so sleep-deprived.
He hadn’t gotten much sleep since returning.
Just saying the words “modifying divine creations” gave one a sense of the hardships involved.
“You’ve worked hard, Yixuan. Take a proper rest. Your leave is approved by me, the Hydro Archon, Furina.”
The prospect of vacation would normally be a joyful one.
Yixuan planned to return to his quarters and sleep until his eyes popped out.
But at this moment, Wriothesley suddenly spoke up.
“After a week of rest, you’ll likely have to make another trip to Sumeru.”
“The contract you signed with the Dendro Archon was rather hasty and needs to be amended.
Besides, the Dendro Archon has just taken office. As a diplomat, you’ll also need to represent Ms. Furina on a diplomatic visit to Sumeru.
After that, you’ll need to go to Liyue for the Sea Lantern Festival. Then there’s the Windblume Festival in Mondstadt, the Akademiya Celebration in Sumeru... and you’ll also need to go to Mondstadt to spend the summer with your daughter...”
“You have a very tight schedule.”
Yixuan’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the expressionless Wriothesley.
Was he... treating him like a beast of burden?
Why had he been assigned so much work out of the blue?
The Sea Lantern Festival was fine, the Windblume Festival was optional, but the Akademiya Celebration? He was genuinely afraid of being torn apart by those scholars.
But... the Akademiya Celebration was part of the 3.6 story. He couldn’t possibly skip it.
After all, he needed to check in on Apep, for his regular checkups. Plus, it was a great opportunity to boost his popularity.
Thinking about this packed itinerary, Yixuan sighed.
He was truly cursed to live a life of drudgery, but at least he could use Teleport Waypoints.
He wasn’t completely devoid of time for rest.
“Understood. I’ll go to the Opera House first.”
He’d been so busy cooped up in [that place] lately that he’d almost forgotten the most important task.
“To the Opera House? The trial has concluded. What are you going to the Opera House for?”
Yixuan waved his hand.
“To find inspiration from the Oracle of the Verdict. I’m off.”
Leaving the Court of Fontaine, Yixuan rubbed his temples, forcing his sluggish brain to wake up.
Then he boarded a water railcar, heading towards the Opheliac Opera House.
He could have teleported directly, but Yixuan’s current mental state was fragile.
The discomfort of using a Teleport Waypoint could easily cause him to faint on the spot.
Upon reaching the Opheliac Opera House, Yixuan strode straight through the entrance.
His position within the organization meant no one dared to stop him.
Yixuan descended, reaching the Opera House’s lower level.
This was the heart of the Oracle of the Verdict.
Yixuan gently stroked the verdict machine, sensing its familiar power.
He let out a soft sigh.
“Furina, you truly had me fooled.”
A gentle force emanated from the Oracle of the Verdict, soothing Yixuan.
Yixuan shook his head vigorously, then took out the crystal sphere containing the sap of the Great Sage Tree.