Chapter 534

Furcalos is indeed intelligent and decisive, but after being isolated from the outside world for five hundred years, her interpersonal skills are far inferior to those of Furina.

Seeing that Furcalos was unable to cope, Furina had no choice but to take over.

"Your Majesty, the Grass God, please speak frankly. We have indeed come with many questions. For the future of the people of Fontaine, we need to know the full picture... Only then can we make the right decision. Or rather, you wouldn't expect us to join you all without knowing the full story, would you?"

Furina mustered her courage and became more and more composed as she spoke.

She could tell the situation was dire. But at the same time, she also saw an opportunity that Furcalos hadn't noticed.

There's still Celestia to keep things in check, and unless absolutely necessary, nobody wants a war of gods. If all else fails, they could try bringing up Nacizenkruz's influence; there's still room for negotiation, and they just need to try and win him over.

Furina was no longer burdened by the label of "false Hydro Archon," and she could openly display the divine composure she had cultivated for five hundred years. Her proud and composed demeanor, though that of a human, made her seem more like the Hydro Archon goddess than Furcalos, who was a god.

Nahida smiled slightly in response to the Hydro Archon's question.

"What you say makes a lot of sense. But the reason I'm being so blunt is because you've already had no other choice."

What do you mean?

"It was the High Heavens who pronounced the original sin of Egeria and the Fontaine, and it was the High Heavens who engraved the flood prophecy into destiny. If the Hydro Archon follows the High Heavens, it means obeying the prophecy and watching Fontaine be submerged by the tide. Therefore, you have only one path left: resistance. In other words, Liyue, Mondstadt, and Inazuma may waver, but Fontaine are the only ones who do not. You are destined to be that great one's most steadfast followers, second only to us, Sumeru."

"..."

Both Furina and Furcalos remained silent.

Because it cannot be refuted.

On the issue of Celestia, the other three nations could continue to follow suit by merely relinquishing some possessions. But for Fontaine, it meant sacrificing all Fontaine people—a price that was absolutely unacceptable.

They truly had no other choice.

"Hmph~~"

In the spacious and breezy meeting room, some people were drinking wine, some were sipping tea, and some were enjoying the delicacies.

The gathered gazes have dispersed, leaving the two Hydro Archon with space to ponder.

Just as Furina had judged, no one wanted to go to extremes. They were all colleagues, all thinking of the people, and even if their positions ultimately differed, as long as it didn't come to a full-blown showdown, they wouldn't resort to such extreme measures.

As the atmosphere gradually eased, Furcalos slowly recovered from her heart-pounding tension. Her eyes flickered for a moment, then she slowly said:

"Your Majesty the Grass God, does the person you speak of... truly exist?"

"He is great and vast, the home of all living beings on earth, and sustains everything we see. Of course, He exists. Among those present are the First Electro Archon and the Salt King of Liyue, who also had the opportunity to meet Him."

Nahida smiled and answered.

Kaguya and Maria nodded slowly, indicating their approval, under the watchful eyes of Furcalos and Furina.

Furcalos's thoughts were in disarray again. The grass god's answer contradicted her initial assumptions, leaving her perplexed.

Nahida blinked, a hint of realization in her eyes, and smiled:

"It seems you've misunderstood something. Me too... me too, we're just insignificant branches on a tree, not comparable to the tree itself. Please understand that."

Starting with the second "I'm fine too," Nahida's eyes and demeanor underwent subtle changes, becoming more mature.

The second-generation gods showed little reaction—the same goes for the Raiden Ei. Despite attending numerous banquets of the first-generation gods, she simply sat at the end of the table, drinking and eating snacks. Aside from occasionally having to deal with the overly familiar Barbatos, she didn't know much about the other first-generation gods.

The true first gods, Morax, Barbatos, and Baal, were all taken aback.

Barbatos suddenly raised his glass, facing Nahida, and said with a bright smile:

"Want a drink?"

"Please!"

The King Deshret raised his hand and drank with the three first-generation gods who raised their cups at the same time.

'First Baal, then the Salt King's family, and even the Tree King survived... It seems I was right, the World Tree truly possesses the ability to reverse the life and death of Demon God. And the Descendant's ability to sever the Erosion with a single sword strike, coupled with the Heavenly Principles that suppresses the world—all three are powers surpassing even those of gods.'

After downing a glass of wine, Barbatos felt increasingly at ease.

He couldn't judge which of the three was more capable, or rather, from a god's perspective, it was impossible for him to see through the depths of these three.

But this undoubtedly proves that the ship he boarded was not some small, cohesive force of gods, but a powerful vessel under the leadership of a supreme authority, capable of becoming a dominant force.

Therefore, his choice was correct.

Wendy's words were right: no matter what, the old man wouldn't force us into a trap. Morax's choice naturally had its reasons.

Barbatos quickly poured another glass of wine and turned it to Morax:

"Grandpa, let me toast you!"

"You should be more restrained, at least to avoid causing Beiana trouble."

Morax said this, but still gave Barbatos face and clinked glasses. Seeing two old friends whom he thought he would never see again, this was the perfect occasion to raise a toast.

Led by activists such as Barbatos, Guizhong, and Raiden Makoto, the banquet gradually became lively.

Only on Fontaine's side did Eris remain motionless from beginning to end, like a delicate floating doll. Meanwhile, Furcalos and Furina were still anxiously contemplating, so all was silent.