After chatting for a while, the Aquabus finally arrived at the Opera Epiclese on Ile Elyese.
After getting off the boat, Furina, guarded by her security detail, went to a bookstore and bought a huge pile of novels.
To avoid getting bored, she got all sorts of genres.
She also bought a bunch of weird little tech gadgets, even a music box, which made Clorinde stare in confusion.
These things didn't seem important, and Lady Furina usually wasn't interested in ordinary trinkets, so why was she buying so much?
What was Lady Furina planning...?
Because she didn't have any powers before, Furina had always had people help her carry things. But now that she had the Kamui Dimension and had already shown her abilities, there was no need for any troublesome hiding. She could just openly suck all the stuff into her space.
In the Kamui Dimension, Momoshiki eagerly flipped through the novels as soon as he got them.
Most of them were mystery novels. Brain-teasing plots were always the favorite thing of the people of Fontaine, so they sold like hotcakes.
The content was decent, and the opening was pretty good. It felt like he was reading Sherlock Holmes.
Momoshiki lay comfortably in the pile of books, crossing his legs and reading with relish.
The little music box next to him was playing classic Fontaine music, giving him a 18th-19th century vibe. It was very relaxing.
The only downside was that the wooden sandals on his feet were uncomfortable. Like Kujou Sara's, they were a completely anti-human design. You couldn't even stand steadily without years of practice.
He didn't know how these people fought while wearing these things.
Looks like he'd have to trouble Furina to buy him some shoes someday.
He usually flew, so he didn't bother walking, but these wooden sandals were just too uncomfortable. Not only did they feel like they were stabbing the soles of his feet, but there was nothing covering the top of his foot, and every movement squeezed his toes.
They felt novel when you first put them on, but after a while, it felt like torture.
"How are the books? Do you like them?"
[Not bad, they're pretty interesting.]
"That's good."
Seeing that Momoshiki was interested, Furina breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the opera house with her guards.
The interior of the opera house was pretty much the same as in the game, just much, much bigger. The outer hall alone was ridiculously large, with all sorts of exquisite decorations.
Arriving at the Hydro Archon's exclusive seating area, Furina estimated the time in her mind.
There was a opera performance coming up, and after the intermission, there would be Lyney's magic show.
Listening to Furina's thoughts, Momoshiki also vaguely recalled the plot.
It seemed like Lyney's magic trick went wrong, he fell out of the water tank from high up and killed someone, and Furina suspected him of being the murderer.
She looked for a bunch of clues and evidence, and eventually proved Lyney was innocent.
If he hadn't been involved before, it might have been interesting, but now it just felt boring.
He'd rather go see how the Divine Tree was growing.
[Are you very interested in that magician's magic show?]
Momoshiki asked while reading his novel.
"Yeah."
Furina nodded, not denying it.
"Lyney is a famous magician in Fontaine. Of course, I don't want to miss his magic show."
[Okay. Oh, I sensed a familiar presence. It should be that Neuvillette guy. He's outside right now.]
"Huh?!"
Hearing this, Furina was incredulous.
Wasn't Neuvillette usually pretty busy? Why was he here so early this time?
[The opera performance is about to start. I'm not interested in that stuff. I'm just going to read my novel. Don't bother me.]
Momoshiki hung up the "Do Not Disturb" sign and immersed himself in the protagonist's deductions.
"Okay."
...
Opera performances were just a bunch of people dressed in fancy costumes acting out various stories, singing a few songs every now and then. It got boring after a few glances.
As for movies, Fontaine's film technology hadn't fully developed yet. There were movie theaters, but the plots were unoriginal, the editing was stiff, and the special effects were pathetic.
They weren't even as good as the opera.
The audience seats were pretty full. This was one of the few large-scale entertainment activities in Fontaine, and many people came to see it in their free time.
After what felt like forever, the opera finally ended. The audience applauded and cheered. Momoshiki had almost finished an entire book.
His Byakugan made him a fast reader. Reading ten lines at a glance was child's play.
During the intermission, Neuvillette, who had been doing who-knows-what outside, finally came in and sat in the front row.
Seeing this, Furina immediately crossed her legs and struck a pose that she thought was elegant and noble, not moving a muscle.
Because she had a feeling the Traveler and her group were about to arrive.
[...]
After closing his book, Momoshiki just felt like he couldn't watch anymore.
[Why are you so concerned about the Traveler?]
Furina thought for a moment. "Because she brings about a major change in every country she goes to. So, I suspect she's related to the prophecy, maybe even the key to averting it."
[Is that so?]
[Haha...]
[Look at me. I don't believe you're seeing nothing.]
"?"
[You have an cheat like me here, and instead of trusting me, you're making me cringe along with you.]
Momoshiki's tone was slightly pained, like he'd been greatly wronged.
"No, no, no! I don't distrust you!"
Furina quickly explained in her mind, looking flustered.
"I just want to have more cards to play against the prophecy. This is a big deal for all of Fontaine, after all."
As she was speaking, Lumine and Paimon walked in, looking around curiously. They also sat in the front row, right next to Neuvillette.
Neuvillette looked serious, staring at Furina without moving, his aura very imposing. It was like he was trying to see something through her.
"Uh..." Paimon scratched her head. It was very quiet, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.
"Lumine," Paimon whispered to Lumine, "Should we say something to the people next to us in this situation? It's so awkward to sit next to each other without talking."
"Usually, that's your job."
Lumine unceremoniously passed the task of starting a conversation to Paimon.
"You... I knew you'd do that!"
Paimon stomped her feet in the air, glaring at Lumine with a look of disappointment.
Just as Paimon was about to step forward and start a conversation, Neuvillette spoke first.
"Excuse me, you two. I didn't realize the atmosphere was a problem. It was my oversight."
"If necessary, we can just chat. It's fine."
Neuvillette's voice was low, steady, and heavy, making it hard to discern his emotions. You could only guess from what he said.
"Huh?! You heard us just now?!"
Paimon was startled and immediately embarrassed. She quickly shook her head.
"No, no, it wasn't right for us to whisper."
"It's alright. I don't mind," Neuvillette said, his expression still calm.
As the Chief Justice, he was used to all sorts of discussions and wasn't affected by them at all.
"By the way, you two, although I'm a little reluctant, I'd like to remind you."
"Lady Furina in the VIP box has been holding that pose for a long time. It's so that she can show you what she thinks is a cool look when you first see her."
Neuvillette paused, clearly a little embarrassed.
"If you could, um... please notice her as soon as possible. Otherwise, she'll be upset."
Paimon: ?
Lumine: ?
Momoshiki: I'm tired. Let's just destroy everything.
He should have taken Furina to see the world where they were planting the Divine Tree.
Another cringe-worthy moment across dimensions.
===
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