"Northwest of the Desert of Hadramaveth... deep in the desert, near The Sands of Three Canals?"
Lumine leaned closer to the map, her brow furrowing into a tight knot. Her voice was heavy with doubt and concern. "A place almost no one ventures into, where Elemental Energy is pitifully scarce? Our trump card... could be hidden in such a place?"
This was nothing like the secret ruins or ancient library she had imagined.
Barren and deathly silent, it seemed utterly incapable of concealing crucial clues.
"The key often lies in the contradiction itself," Rukkhadevata said, her voice unusually calm. Yet Lumine keenly sensed the suppressed bewilderment and a faint hint of worry deep within the Dendro Archon's eyes.
With another delicate tap of her finger, the floating map abruptly shrank into a condensed stream of green light, vanishing into a small Akasha Terminal she carried.
"The mark's guidance will not fail. Prepare to depart, Traveler. The answer lies beneath those golden sands."
Furina and the others hadn't yet left Sumeru. With Lumine, they could return to Fontaine in a single breath. Without her, the journey might take an eternity.
Lumine found the group browsing the market.
After her physical form was reconstructed, Focalors was no longer a God. To save Fontaine, she had relinquished her Authority to Neuvillette. Now, Focalors was just an ordinary person, like Furina.
Having lost her divine power, the energy that had enveloped her feet had vanished.
This left Focalors deeply uncomfortable walking barefoot. Fidelle offered to carry her, but Focalors refused.
So, they bought a pair of small cloth shoes from a Sumeru stall. Once back in Fontaine, Focalors could change into Furina's shoes and clothes.
Lumine jogged up to the group.
"Lumine, you're finally back!" Paimon exclaimed, flying excitedly around her. "What happened? What did Rukkhadevata tell you?"
Furina, Focalors, Fidelle, and Chu Xi all turned to Lumine, awaiting her answer.
"Nothing much," Lumine replied. "Just like Venti, Rukkhadevata gave me a keepsake. If I use it in a critical moment, she'll arrive instantly. Are you all ready to head back?"
Lumine's explanation raised no suspicions. When she suggested returning to Fontaine, everyone readily agreed.
The process was simple: exit the city, find a Teleport Waypoint, enter the Serenitea Pot, wait a few breaths, and then exit...
-
Fontaine.
The weather in Fontaine today was gloomy, accompanied by a light drizzle.
Lumine only released everyone after they returned to Furina's residence.
As soon as they got home, Furina dragged Focalors into her room, eager to begin experimenting with the makeover ideas she had been pondering throughout their journey.
Getting to dress up another version of myself while watching from the sidelines...
How could it get any more entertaining?!
Fidelle sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for the two adults in the room. Unnoticed even by herself, the corners of her mouth had curved into a subtle smile.
Lumine, Chu Xi, and Paimon stood together. Paimon, hands on her hips, demanded:
"Lumine, what exactly did Rukkhadevata tell you about the Tree King?"
Lumine looked puzzled. "Didn't I already tell you everything?"
Paimon pouted. "You're definitely hiding something! If it was about the letter, why wouldn't you let me come with you?"
Lumine: "..."
Chu Xi, seemingly awakened by Paimon's words, also turned to Lumine with a questioning look.
Lumine pinched Paimon's chubby cheeks. This little one... she seems to have gotten smarter lately.
Fidelle, sitting on the sofa, also turned her gaze toward them. Lumine sighed and rubbed her forehead in resignation before walking over to sit beside her.
Their appointment with Rukkhadevata was for tomorrow morning. If she didn't tell Paimon by then, the little one would definitely get angry. Besides, Chu Xi and Fidelle already knew she was keeping something from them.
Continuing to withhold the truth would only strain their relationships.
Lumine pondered the potential consequences of revealing the truth, but ultimately realized... there seemed to be no real drawbacks.
Previously, she had worried that bringing Paimon to Rukkhadevata's office would interfere with the Archon's search for Silaya's hidden trump card. But now that the trump card had been found, only the truth remained to be uncovered.
Lumine knew how deeply Chu Xi cared for Silaya and saw no reason to keep her in the dark.
Fidelle, being a Pure Soul, also had the right to know.
And Rukkhadevata hadn't explicitly forbidden her from sharing this information...
With this in mind, Lumine turned to the impatient Paimon and said, "Let's wait for Furina and the others to come out, then we'll discuss it together."
-
A little over ten minutes later, the room's door creaked open. Even before she could see anyone, Fidelle heard Furina's voice.
"Fidelle~!"
Furina's clear, lively voice, tinged with a barely perceptible mischief, shattered the silence.
Fidelle had been staring intently at the door. Her lips had just curved into her familiar smile when she froze, her eyes widening at the sight of the two figures standing side by side in the doorway.
Her pupils dilated, vividly reflecting the unbelievable scene:
Two "Lady Furinas" stood before her.
Identical long, silvery-white hair, meticulously styled into Furina's signature elaborate updo.
Identical deep blue formal gowns, the neckline and sleeves adorned with delicate wave-like embellishments, the layered skirt cascading like the blooming petals of a deep-sea flower.
Even the dainty, elegant hat and the playful curls framing their cheeks were indistinguishable.
Their figures, posture, and even the subtle curve of their lips, were like meticulously calibrated mirror images.
Fidelle's breath caught in her throat. She glanced left, then right, her mind blank, utterly unable to discern which was the Lady Furina she knew so well, and which was Lady Focalors.
Furina's acting was superb, and so was Focalors's. The current situation was that Focalors was...
Playing Furina?
The visual impact of their astonishing resemblance left Fidelle speechless. The confusion in her eyes slowly transformed into delight—two Lady Furinas, both so beautiful...
Pfft...
The one on the left finally couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter. That mischievous, slightly smug tone, so distinctly Furina's own, shattered the strange silence.
"What do you think, Fidelle? Stunned, aren't you?"
She winked playfully, nudging the one on the right with her elbow.
The one on the right immediately dropped the pretense of being Furina. In an instant, her entire demeanor shifted, and Fidelle finally recognized her.
Focalors slowly smiled—a gentle, tender smile.
"Come, guess."
Furina eagerly pulled Focalors forward a couple of steps, their skirts swaying in perfect unison like twin blue lotuses.
"Which one is the real me?"