The sea surged, swallowing the streets of Fontaine.
The faint light of the deep violet barrier shimmered, holding back the floodwaters.
Furina stood at the edge of the barrier, gazing up at the ocean above. Nearly all the citizens now floated on the water’s surface, crying desperately for help.
A massive ship, its origin unknown, had appeared to perform rescue operations.
At first, she feared everyone would be swallowed by the sea and dissolved by the Primordial Waters.
But as time ticked by, to her surprise, she realized the citizens remained unharmed, still afloat and intact on the water.
“This is…”
Furina’s voice was filled with confusion.
Shouldn’t they have dissolved already?
“Your efforts were not in vain.”
Makoto’s voice came softly from beside her as she approached, standing at Furina’s side to look out at the floating citizens.
“Because of you, they’ve survived this disaster and now have a chance for a brighter future.”
“T-thank you…”
Seeing the people safe, Furina managed a rare smile, though her face was streaked with tears. Even her smile looked more like crying.
“There’s no need to thank me,” Makoto replied, her tone gentle.
“These are words Luo Qing wanted me to say on his behalf. If you want to thank someone, thank him when he returns.”
“Mm…”
Furina nodded slightly.
The relief of knowing the people were safe brightened her spirit. Her expression carried a mix of joy and exhaustion, a survivor’s gratitude after a great ordeal.
She glanced toward the house, as if searching for someone, but Luo Qing was nowhere to be seen.
“Makoto…”
Furina hesitated for a moment before choosing a more familiar term.
“Elder Sister Makoto, where is Luo Qing?”
Without so much as turning her head, Makoto replied nonchalantly, “He had some things to take care of. He should be back in a few days.”
“Mm…” Furina lowered her head.
If she had chosen to become part of Luo Qing’s family, then perhaps… she ought to…
Her eyes darted to Makoto. It suddenly dawned on her why Luo Qing, despite being surrounded by so many women, had such harmonious relationships with them all.
So someone’s been managing everything for him all along…
She couldn’t help but wonder where Luo Qing had found such an accommodating wife—not only unjealous of the other women but actively helping him charm more.
As Furina mulled over these thoughts, the surface of the water above began to recede rapidly.
Fontaine, perched at high altitude, couldn’t retain the sudden influx of seawater. The so-called flood was over almost as soon as it began.
The overflowing waters drained into other seas below, and Fontaine reemerged under the sky.
—
Elsewhere.
Luo Qing slowly opened his eyes.
Looking around, he found himself in a vast, unfamiliar expanse. Fragments of trees floated around him, and there was no sense of up or down.
There was no ground, no sky—only a boundless azure space.
“What is this place…”
As he studied his surroundings, Luo Qing turned and saw the white-haired woman who had transported him.
She was a short distance away, surrounded by verdant green branches that gently brushed against her wounds, healing them rapidly.
“So, you’ve brought me to your little healing nest?”
Luo Qing scoffed, and with a thought, his Susano’o armor enveloped him once more as he charged toward her.
The distance between them closed in moments. Just as his blades were about to strike her down, the white-haired woman opened her eyes and locked gazes with him.
In that instant, Luo Qing felt his killing intent waver.
The twin blades stopped mere inches from her skin—just one push away from drawing blood.
“…”
He withdrew his blades, his voice calm but firm.
“Forget it. You’re just doing your job. A fellow worker shouldn’t make things hard for another. Let me go, and we’ll call it even.”
But the woman didn’t respond. She simply stared at him, her expression unreadable—neither fearful nor guarded.
“What are you staring at…”
Luo Qing grew impatient, summoning his blades again.
“You don’t get it, do you? These blades are sharp enough to kill without leaving a trace! If you don’t send me back, I’ll—”
Before he could finish, the woman interrupted him by continuing to remain silent, her gaze unwavering.
“…”
Luo Qing fell silent.
He glanced at the wound on her abdomen.
The deep stab wound from earlier was healing slowly, far slower than the other injuries. It seemed the blade had pierced right through her, leaving her unable to recover as quickly.
In hindsight, perhaps killing her outright wasn’t the wisest course of action.
After all, Makoto had said she was merely a puppet.
And where there’s a puppet, there’s bound to be a puppeteer.
If he were to kill her, who’s to say her master wouldn’t come after him later?
Realizing his impulsiveness, Luo Qing sighed.
“Listen, I’ll say it one more time. Let me go, and I’ll spare your life!”
“You wouldn’t want to miss seeing tomorrow’s sun, would you?”
Then he added, almost sheepishly, “Oh, wait. There’s no sun here.”
No matter how he threatened her, the white-haired woman remained indifferent.
Even when he pressed his blade against her neck, she didn’t flinch, nor did she utter a word.
Time passed, and Luo Qing’s patience wore thin.
Finally, just as he was about to follow through on his threats, the white-haired woman spoke.
“This is a dimension independent of Teyvat…”
“Afraid now?”
Luo Qing’s frustration turned to excitement. “If you know what’s good for you, send me back, or I’ll—”
Before he could finish, she cut him off again.
“No matter where you come from, this place… will be your eternal prison.”
“Huh?!”
It took Luo Qing a moment to process her words.
Eternal prison?
Is she planning to keep me trapped here until I die?
So much for his earlier sympathy about shared struggles as workers.
In a flash of anger, Luo Qing raised his blades again, snarling, “Let me go, or don’t blame me for what happens next!”
“You cannot kill me here.”
“…”
Luo Qing hesitated, then stabbed her without a second thought.
As he withdrew the blade, the verdant branches brushed over the wound, healing it just as quickly as before.
“Oh, so you can heal, huh? Let’s see what happens if I cut those branches too!”
He aimed at the green branches and prepared to strike, but the woman’s calm voice stopped him.
“This is the World Tree… the root system of Teyvat.”
“…”
—
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!
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