“Luo Qing…”
Furina raised her head to look at Luo Qing, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
In her eyes, Luo Qing’s silhouette shone as brightly as the starlit sky above. Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably, and a strange warmth spread through her chest.
She felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to throw herself into his arms.
“Don’t you… don’t you want to ask me…”
Her voice was barely above a whisper as she lowered her head.
“…what secrets I’ve been hiding?
“A god without the power befitting her title, who does nothing in the face of a prophecy threatening her people’s lives…
“Am I not… a terrible god?”
“Who says that?”
Luo Qing’s voice interrupted her self-recrimination. He gently cupped her face and spoke softly.
“I’ve met many gods in my time. Some retreated into the shadows, worn down by the passage of time. Others shut themselves away, too afraid of loss to take action. And some, doubting their own strength, let their hesitation lead to near-catastrophes.
“But you? You’ve always been different. You’ve been with your people every step of the way, working tirelessly for their future.
“You… have always been a worthy god.”
Luo Qing’s words weren’t empty platitudes meant to console her.
They came from his heart.
For countless nights, he had held this seemingly strong yet profoundly fragile girl in his arms, comforting her as she cried silently. He had seen her determination, her struggles, and her efforts.
Though he didn’t know what Furina was hiding, he was certain of one thing:
Whatever secret burdened her, it was for Fontaine’s survival.
This girl, whose exterior radiated strength but whose heart was delicate, was no different from Neuvillette and everyone else striving to save Fontaine.
The only difference was that, for reasons she couldn’t reveal, she had chosen to bear it all alone.
“…”
“Luo Qing…”
His words pierced straight into her tightly guarded heart, like a sword shattering her emotional walls.
She felt a flood of emotions overwhelm her, a tide of grievances and struggles that she had kept buried for centuries.
Her tears began to fall, glistening like dewdrops as they landed on the blue-green grass at her feet.
“Alright, alright…”
Luo Qing pulled Furina into his embrace, gently stroking her back and wiping away her tears as though soothing a child.
“If you cry too much, your face will get all blotchy. Then you won’t look like the dignified Hydro Archon anymore, will you?”
“Luo Qing…”
Furina buried her face in his chest and sobbed uncontrollably.
For centuries, she had longed to share her burdens with someone, anyone. But she had never opened her heart.
She had always wished for someone who could understand her without needing her to explain.
But no one ever had.
Not even Neuvillette, who managed Fontaine with impeccable efficiency, had truly seen past her façade. To him, she was merely eccentric and erratic, no different from other gods.
She had even hoped that Lumine, the traveler from another world, might understand her. But Lumine, like everyone else, only saw her outward flamboyance, never grasping the pain beneath.
But now…
This man had appeared.
This man, who constantly bickered with her, took advantage of her at every turn, and seemed to care nothing for her dignity, was the first person in centuries to truly understand her.
Furina’s crying grew louder, catching the attention of those in the temporary camp on the mountainside.
From a distance, the faint glow of campfires flickered, and a few curious voices carried through the night.
—
“Hey, what’s that noise over there?”
“Looks like a couple… The girl’s crying, and the guy’s comforting her.”
“Ah, probably someone who lost a loved one.”
“Most likely…”
“Yeah…”
—
In the living room, Luo Qing’s wives sat around, each occupied with their own activities.
The news of Luo Qing’s public relationship with Furina had spread like wildfire throughout Fontaine. Naturally, it had reached their ears.
But none of them seemed particularly concerned.
With the number of rooms in their home, adding one more person wasn’t a big deal.
As long as Furina didn’t react too dramatically when she moved in, everything would be fine.
Suddenly, Makoto, who had been knitting, furrowed her brow and set down her yarn.
“I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Huh?”
Ei looked up, puzzled. “Where are you going this late?”
“To meet an old friend.”
Without further explanation, Makoto changed her clothes and left.
Navigating the twisting streets of Fontaine, Makoto finally stopped at a small café.
She ordered two cups of coffee and settled into a quiet corner.
“I didn’t expect…”
Makoto took a small sip of her coffee and spoke softly, her gaze fixed on the empty air in front of her.
“…that you’d be able to find me.”
“For me, that’s hardly a challenge.”
Suddenly, the empty chair across from her shifted, as though someone had sat down. One of the coffee cups lifted into the air, its contents seemingly vanishing into thin air before the cup was set back down.
“No one can play hide and seek with destiny—not even gods.
“And certainly not the dead.”
A mature woman’s voice, disembodied, came from the vacant seat.
“You shouldn’t be here now…”
Makoto’s expression turned grim as she spoke in a low voice.
“It’s not yet time for the Witches’ Circle to act.”
“Is that so?”
The voice chuckled lightly.
“But if your dear… What’s the word you use? Husband? Yes, husband.
“If he keeps acting so recklessly, you know what will happen, don’t you?”
The voice grew colder.
“If that one—the one who slumbers—were to awaken, your little family charade wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“That’s not my concern.”
Makoto shook her head, taking another sip of her coffee.
“I’ve done what I needed to do. The rest, as you said, will be left to fate.”
“You and your sister are both so stubborn…”
The voice sounded exasperated.
“Well, whatever. You seem to see more of the future than we do anyway. But remember—recklessness always comes with a price. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
With that, the voice faded into silence.
The coffee cup was gently placed back on the table, accompanied by a used napkin that hadn’t been there before.
As the mysterious presence vanished, Makoto sat alone in the café for a long time, her thoughts consumed by one name:
The Witches’ Circle.
—
T/N: idk if you checked out the community chat but Unreliable will be going on a slight SLIGHT BREAK I SAID SLIGHT SO DONT KILL ME! it’ll come back on monday with 10 chaps a day trust rust rsutstus
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
Reader discussion
0 Comments
Be the first reader to share a thought about this chapter.