As someone who arrived in this world early and managed to gather some intelligence, Furina started by giving Sushang a rough rundown of what she had discovered: the gods, the Familias, the Falna, the retainers, and the Dungeon.
This world, which felt like a massive online game, piqued Sushang's interest.
Viewed through the lens of a Western fantasy setting, the mechanics were incredibly easy to grasp and adapt to.
Forming parties, joining guilds, leveling up, and fighting monsters—it was all almost too straightforward.
Following this, Furina began to voice her own theories about why she had ended up here.
Of course, she didn't just blurt it out. Instead, she asked tentatively, "When that client sent you here, did they say anything about why I was brought to this place?"
"...?"
Although it sounded like a casual question, Sushang sensed that there was more to Furina's words than met the eye.
It couldn't just be her imagination. Furina's acceptance of her current situation was suspiciously high. Was it acting? Sure, she was here to protect her, which might provide a sense of security, but not to this extent, right?
The composure didn't look like acting, so why? Where did this feeling come from, as if she already knew what she was supposed to do?
Sushang's momentary daze was interpreted by Furina as a trip down memory lane, so she didn't interrupt.
In reality, after a brief moment of thought, Sushang uploaded her memory to Herta.
[Herta: ?]
[Herta: You really need to bug me for something like this?]
[Herta: She assumes Focalors is the one who sent you here, and she's convinced her own arrival is also Focalors' doing.]
Thank you, Lady Pointy-Hat.
With the help of her external brain, Sushang finally understood the root of Furina's peculiar mindset.
After mulling it over, she decided against bursting the little cake's bubble.
While Furina thought she had reached her conclusion through rational deduction, the logic wasn't exactly airtight. It was clear that she hadn't been in a completely calm state of mind while thinking it through.
Or rather, she was trying to construct a narrative that would make her feel more at ease, and her guesses were based on that.
"I haven't heard anything about that..."
Once she had the situation figured out, Sushang put on a look of regret and gave a gentle shake of her head.
This left Furina feeling a bit disheartened, though it was within her expectations. Even if this place was outside Teyvat, she and Focalors could never truly lower their guard.
"Still, she must have had her reasons for doing this."
Sushang scratched the back of her head, opting to stop thinking about it altogether.
That's true...
Furina found herself agreeing with Sushang's remark. Since that was settled, she moved on to the next topic: "I've been thinking... I should join a Familia."
"Join a Familia?"
The little cake wants to improve her strength, huh? This world was perfect for that.
Ever since she heard Furina talk about the Falna, Sushang had thought as much—grinding levels by fighting monsters was the ultimate beginner's zone.
"Yeah... but because I didn't have enough information before, I turned down quite a few invitations," Furina frowned slightly.
She didn't want to think the worst of people, but from a practical standpoint, if she went crawling back to the gods she had just rejected, she wouldn't just be shifting from the one being sought to the seeker—she might even invite some bad blood.
Stuff like suppression, suppression, and... more suppression.
Thinking about it gave her a headache.
Furina had originally wanted to consult someone like Neuvillette, but looking around, her only companion was a brown-haired girl who knew even less about this world than she did and clearly wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
Relying on her advice? Might be better to just think it through myself.
That said...
Furina glanced at Sushang, who was burying her face in her food.
Remembering the girl's uncanny good luck, she recalled that in dramas and novels, these types of characters often had flashes of brilliance at the most critical moments.
"What do you think about me joining a Familia?"
"Hmm, it's probably best to find one that's quite powerful," Sushang said, responding to the inquiry. "Of course, a newly established one wouldn't be bad either."
So, either pick one near the top or one at the very bottom?
Well, a top-tier Familia would certainly involve more competition, but the resources would be top-notch. It's like how even the gear of a standard soldier is better than what most Treasure Hoarders have.
Scale dictates that junk in the hands of the powerful is often more valuable than the best gear in the hands of the weak.
And as for the bottom-tier?
Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. There was some wisdom in that Liyue saying.
Although the resources weren't comparable to a large Familia, the resources of a small one would be concentrated on a single leader.
Furthermore, whether it was a top-tier group or a startup, neither sounded like they would overlap with the gods she had previously turned down.
But there was still one problem...
How was she supposed to find a Familia that actually suited her preferences?
As she pondered this, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Sushang! Sorry, I was just at the warehouse."
Syr's voice rang out from the kitchen area. The brown-haired girl eating her meal looked up and swallowed her food: "What's there to be sorry about? When you put it like that, Syr, now I feel bad."
"Haha." Syr chuckled, then looked at Furina sitting across from Sushang, her eyes widening slightly: "Is this the person you were looking for? She's just as pretty as the rumors say."
"That's right, this is Furina. My protectee," Sushang said, gesturing toward her. "And this is Syr, the kind soul who's treating us to this meal! By the way, the food here is super tasty!"
"Hello, I am Furina de Fontaine." Even at the dinner table, Furina offered a greeting with an elegant posture: "Your establishment's cuisine is a style I haven't encountered before, but the quality surpasses many of the master chefs I've known."
"And it is my honor to receive such praise from a lovely young lady like yourself."
"Wow..."
Syr wore a dazed expression.
"Wow! As expected of a big star. Was that acting? No, it doesn't feel like it!" Sushang offered an awestruck reaction in perfect coordination.
"...It was just a standard greeting." And even that was quite restrained.
Furina smiled.
"Right! It's perfect that Syr is here!" Sushang looked at the gray-haired girl, who still looked a bit dazed. "So... if we wanted to join a Familia, is there a specific process or way to go about it?"
"You two want to join a Familia!?"
The gray-haired girl, previously in a daze, immediately perked up. She quickly hid the pleasant surprise that flickered in her eyes.
She had thought Sushang would leave once she found her target, but she hadn't expected them to stay... it seemed it was because of this Furina person.
Having these two stay behind was the best-case scenario. She had just been trying to think of a way to make them stay.
"What kind of Familia are you two looking for?"
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL