The damp sea breeze rolled in with the waves crashing against the docks.
At Lumidouce Harbor, ships were docking and departing in perfect order under the direction of self-regulating machinery.
After nearly half a month of maintenance, the official Liyue government vessel, which had been moored here, was finally preparing to set sail, marking the official conclusion of the two-week cultural exchange program.
For Richard personally, these two weeks had been quite an experience.
But on a broader scale, the event had undoubtedly been a success.
It not only strengthened diplomatic ties between the two nations but also boosted both Fontaine and Liyue's economies, while opening new doors for technological cooperation.
And this cooperation wasn't just private-sector collaboration; it was nation-to-nation.
For Fontaine, partnering with Liyue helped share risks and brought in abundant financial support.
After all, everyone in Teyvat knew, Liyue was overflowing with gold.
For Liyue, on the other hand, working with Fontaine meant a chance to step out of the lingering shadow of the Geo Archon's departure and put its accumulated capital and resources to more productive use.
For a nation, investing money into research and innovation was far better than letting it sit in banks and slowly depreciate.
A true win–win situation.
Of course, one might ask, if it's so mutually beneficial, why didn't this happen earlier?
Naturally, because the two nations previously lacked a foundation of trust.
Fontaine and Liyue weren't like Liyue and Mondstadt; the latter's friendship had been built entirely on the personal bond between their gods.
But Fontaine?
Beyond trade and minimal political contact, there had been no deeper ties between Fontaine and Liyue.
Without mutual understanding, there could be no trust.
That is, until Richard appeared in Fontaine, and Ningguang took the stage in Liyue.
Without the two of them, the two nations would still be worlds apart.
Richard's role in the cooperation between Fontaine and Liyue was akin to that of the friendship between the Anemo and Geo Archons.
Their divine friendship built trust between the two nations, and Richard… well, used his charm to reach a diplomatic consensus.
As the saying goes, it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat.
And by "selling his face," Richard had managed to forge diplomatic unity.
It could even be called… handsome diplomacy.
"Once we part ways, who knows when we'll meet again… please take care of yourself, my Mister."
After two weeks together, the time for farewell had finally come.
Even Ningguang, usually calm and composed, couldn't hide the deep reluctance in her tone.
Thankfully, there were no outsiders present.
If people saw the great Tianquan of Liyue showing such tenderness toward a man, it would shake the whole nation, perhaps as much as when Furina had suddenly announced to Fontaine that she was in love… and expecting a child.
Furina, feeling the emotional atmosphere, smiled warmly at Ningguang.
"Don't worry, I'll take very good care of Richard."
Clorinde couldn't help but glance sideways.
'Are you sure it's you taking care of Richard, and not the other way around?'
But she kept quiet; she'd already offended Richard recently, and offending Furina too would be career suicide.
Compared to Ningguang's sentimentality, Richard himself wasn't that emotional.
It wasn't that he was heartless; it was simply that travel between Fontaine and Liyue was trivial for him.
If visas weren't a problem, he could reduce a full day's journey to a few hours alone,
and if he went all out, perhaps even an hour.
Once he fully regained his divine authority, traversing a thousand miles in an instant would no longer be a fantasy.
"I'll come visit you in Liyue when I get the chance," Richard promised.
Ningguang's smile bloomed brilliantly.
To her, this was the moment when Richard began to move from "Mr. Richard" to something more personal.
He hadn't confessed or shown overt affection, but the signs were there; he was acknowledging her feelings and responding in kind.
That alone made this entire Fontaine trip worthwhile.
Publicly, she had achieved a diplomatic triumph.
Privately, she had taken the first true step toward love, comparable to a Traveler bridging electric circuits: spark achieved.
Meanwhile, Cloud Retainer watched their reluctant farewell and turned to Shenhe.
"You're not going to say goodbye?"
Shenhe blinked, then, imitating Ningguang, spoke seriously to her master.
"Master, who knows when we'll meet again. Please take care of yourself. I'll visit Liyue when I can."
Cloud Retainer's face darkened instantly.
"Wait- what do you mean, you're not coming back with me?"
Memories of Shenhe's moving-house-level luggage packing came rushing back.
'Don't tell me she's planning to stay in Fontaine?!'
The thought unsettled her.
Though she often claimed she didn't mind solitude, imagining the mountain without her disciple, without Shenhe quietly working beside her after her studies, Cloud Retainer suddenly felt an emptiness, as if a piece of her world were missing.
She realized that over twenty years, Shenhe had quietly become an inseparable part of her life, just like when Ganyu had left to serve as secretary to the Liyue Qixing.
Children grow up eventually, she knew that.
She just hadn't expected it to happen so soon… and so suddenly.
As she pondered how to encourage Shenhe to pursue her own happiness, Shenhe suddenly asked.
"If I said that, would you feel sad, Master?"
Cloud Retainer hesitated, then nodded with a small, awkward smile.
"…A little."
That "little" was all that was left of her pride.
"Then forget I said it," Shenhe replied with a genuine smile, a real one this time, not just her usual faint pixelated expression.
Cloud Retainer blinked, then burst out laughing.
"Shenhe! You dare tease your master now?"
And yet, her laughter carried warmth.
In truth, Richard had been a miracle cure for Shenhe.
In just two weeks, the girl had changed, more expressive, more human.
That little joke just now?
The old Shenhe could never have said it.
And what's more, she'd said she couldn't bear to leave her master.
'She cares about me!'
Cloud Retainer was overjoyed, genuinely, ridiculously happy.
Even more than the time she invented a new kind of mechanism.
Just that one sentence made all those twenty years of raising Shenhe feel worth it.
That's how easily this proud old bird could be moved.
"Shenhe," Cloud Retainer suddenly remembered,
"You brought quite a lot of luggage when you came, didn't you? Since you're not staying here permanently, why bring so much?"
"Because I bought a new house," Shenhe replied calmly.
"I wasn't sure if I could buy the tools I needed for cultivation here in Fontaine, so I brought everything from Liyue."
Cloud Retainer froze.
"...New house? You bought property? In Fontaine?!"
"Yes," Shenhe nodded.
"Right after you told me we'd be coming here, I asked Ningguang to help me purchase a house near the Court of Fontaine."
With her exorcism earnings, she couldn't afford a luxury home, but a modest residence on the outskirts was doable.
Ningguang had even offered to lend her money, saying there was no rush to repay, just friendship between allies.
But Shenhe declined.
She preferred peace and quiet over the bustle of the city.
The house Ningguang found was perfect, fully equipped, near a ship rail station, ten minutes from the Court, just not very lively.
She had been staying with Ningguang only because her new home was still under renovation.
So, by coincidence, Shenhe, a pure Liyue native, had bought her first-ever house… in Fontaine.
"Ningguang is truly thoughtful," Cloud Retainer sighed.
"Be sure to thank her properly."
"I will," Shenhe said, then added, "But she told me, 'There's no need for thanks. We're family now.'"
"Family…?" Cloud Retainer blinked.
'Wait. Family?!'
She could understand "friends," but "family"? That sounded… off.
As she tried to make sense of it, Shenhe had already walked off, joining Richard and the other girls, laughing together like a big happy household.
Cloud Retainer rubbed her eyes, then looked again, yes, there they were: one man, five women, smiling for the camera as Shenhe handed it to her.
"Master, could you take a photo for us?"
Cloud Retainer wordlessly pressed the shutter.
The image developed slowly, freezing the moment in time,
She stared at the picture.
'Ah… so that's what she meant by "family."'
'Richard, that lucky brat…'
The Liyue delegation eventually departed, but their influence lingered
Liyue goods now fill Fontaine's markets; people discussed not only opera, but Liyue theater and adeptus legends.
Even Fontaine's famous troupes planned tours in Liyue.
All of it proof of the exchange's success.
Furina, meanwhile, looked forward to collaborating with Cloud Retainer on anti-gravity research, the adeptus had, after all, promised to share some insights.
She had been true to her word.
While not a full commitment, Cloud Retainer had indeed begun studying the problem.
Perhaps it wouldn't yield results soon, but it was progress, and with that, the realization of anti-gravity technology was no longer a distant dream.
Furina's anxiety eased.
For now.
Life returned to normal, except for Clorinde.
After her last blunder, she hadn't been fired, but her workload had tripled, nearly matching her busiest days as Duelist Agent.
She barely had time to eat, while Furina seemed more relaxed than ever.
It was as if their roles had switched.
Still, Richard didn't pity her much.
He had his own troubles to deal with.
"What? You're going on another business trip?"
"To Inazuma this time?!"