Honkai Star Rail: I Became the World Tree — Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Three Gods Encounter Lady Furina

“March 7th is charging! March 7th goes for the grapple! Oh, and March 7th is down!”

Stelle lunged across the room like a feral raccoon, slamming directly into March 7th. The two girls tumbled over the armrest and crashed into the plush cushions of the sofa in a tangle of limbs, effectively disqualifying March from whatever imaginary wrestling match had just taken place.

Before March could plot her revenge, Samuel walked into the room, prompting Welt to adjust his glasses and step in as the voice of reason.

“Stelle, Little March, everyone is here,” Welt called out, his tone carrying that familiar, tired-dad weight. “Wash up and get ready for dinner.”

Hearing the magic word, Stelle instantly abandoned her wrestling career. She scrambled off the sofa, scurried over to the long dining table, and planted herself in a chair, eyes sparkling as she waited to dig in.

A short while later, the table was bustling. Furina, delicately cutting into her meal, leaned over to Stelle.

“Stelle, March,” the Hydro Archon whispered, her eyes gleaming with mischievous intent. “Do you want to come over to my place later and play with the Flying Skateboards? The streets of the Court of Fontaine are wonderfully wide, and there are hardly any people out at night. We can race as much as we want without anyone getting in our way.”

Stelle, naturally, had absolutely zero objections. If someone invited her to cause a little high-speed chaos, she was already out the door.

“Sure,” Stelle replied, pointing her fork at Furina. “Just be prepared to watch me leave you in the dust.”

Furina gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in theatrical offense. “Oh? So arrogant! I am the Hydro Archon, Focalors! It is fundamentally impossible for me to lose at anything, let alone a simple race!”

Welt, standing nearby with a cup of coffee, sighed and offered a gentle reminder. “Stelle, Little March, don’t stay out too late. Don’t forget you have to deal with the Stellaron tomorrow. You need your rest.”

Stelle thumped her chest confidently. “No problem, Mr. Yang! Anyone who knows me knows I’m the most responsible person around!”

Welt wisely chose not to comment on that. He knew exactly who frequently hid under her covers at night, phone screen glowing in the dark as she played games until the early hours of the morning.

Once the hearty dinner concluded, the group split up. Bronya, Natasha, and Seele waved goodbye, returning to the snowy city of Belobog to rest. Meanwhile, Stelle, March 7th, and Furina grabbed their sleek Flying Skateboards and bolted off toward the hydro-powered nation of Fontaine.

Later that evening, by the grand fountain in Fontaine’s lower plaza.

The night air was cool and crisp. Zhongli, Nahida, and Venti sat together on a wrought-iron bench, resting their legs. The streets were indeed empty; the citizens of Fontaine were punctual people, and basically every household had retired indoors quite early.

Venti leaned back, taking a loud, refreshing sip of the ‘Fontaine Dew’ he had ordered for takeout.

“Old man, Fontaine is awfully quiet at night, isn’t it?” Venti mused, swinging his legs slightly. “Almost too quiet.”

Zhongli nodded slightly, his golden eyes scanning the pristine, empty streets. “Fontaine is the nation of justice. It operates on order and law, unlike your Mondstadt—a land of freedom and a notorious gathering place for drunkards.”

He paused, shifting his gaze to the Anemo Archon. “However, I would like to ask you… where are these extraterrestrial visitors you spoke of? I have not seen a single one after wandering around this city all day.”

Venti spread his hands defensively. “Old man, I’m really not lying to you! I’d never joke about something this interesting. Just watch for a couple more days. I have indeed seen many products from beyond the heavens right here in this city.”

Zhongli didn’t press the issue further, essentially agreeing to give Venti’s claim a little more time. He looked up at the pale moonlight reflecting off the fountain’s waters and slowly stood up, smoothing out his coat.

“It is getting late,” Zhongli rumbled. “We should go back and rest.”

Just as the words left his mouth, Zhongli suddenly frowned. His geo-enhanced perception rippled. Several figures were rapidly approaching their position, moving at a speed far exceeding normal human limits.

Zhongli narrowed his eyes, peering down the long, illuminated avenue. Three girls were riding what looked like strange, flat Catalysts, hovering just above the cobblestones and speeding directly toward the plaza.

Venti and Nahida quickly noticed them as well.

In truth, it was completely impossible not to notice them. Stelle was crouched low on her board, shouting at the absolute top of her lungs as she carved a sharp turn around a streetlamp.

“Yahoo! Drift!”

Venti’s eyes lit up. He hurriedly tugged at Zhongli’s sleeve, nearly spilling his drink. “Old man! Look! That’s it! That’s the thing! That is a product of another world!”

Zhongli nodded, his sharp gaze tracking the glowing thrusters of the Flying Skateboards. “Hmm. Let us stop them and inquire.”

Nahida looked up, a bit puzzled by the blunt approach. “Eh? Just ask them directly? Wouldn’t stepping out in front of them be a little too abrupt?”

Zhongli shook his head slightly, his expression perfectly calm. “No. We are simply a few ordinary tourists who are interested in this unique flying Catalyst.”

Nahida blinked, deciding that Zhongli’s reasoning made enough sense, and chose not to argue.

Seeing the trio getting closer, Venti cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward the trailing girl. “Furina! Furina! Stop for a moment!”

Furina, who was currently entirely focused on figuring out how to overtake the trash-raccoon ahead of her, heard her name echo across the plaza. She tapped the brake on her board, coming to a smooth, hovering halt, and looked around in confusion.

“Who’s calling me?”

Venti jogged over, waving his hand cheerfully. “Me, Furina! Over here, it’s me!”

Furina squinted toward the voice and immediately recognized the bard’s green attire.

‘The Anemo Archon, Barbatos?’Furina thought, her eye twitching slightly.’Why is this guy in Fontaine again? Doesn’t he have his own country to look after? He acts like a complete street loafer!’

Up ahead, Stelle and March 7th realized Furina had dropped behind. They banked their boards around and flew back to the fountain.

March 7th hopped off her board, looking at the bard curiously. “Furina, who is that? Is he your friend?”

Furina crossed her arms, lifting her chin. “In a way. He’s a deity of Teyvat, just like me. He is the Anemo Archon, Barbatos.”

Upon hearing this, Stelle’s eyes widened, her chaotic curiosity instantly piqued. “Oh? Another god?”

“Come on,” Furina sighed, gesturing for them to follow. “Let’s go over and see what he wants.”

The three girls glided over to the bench. Furina stepped off her board and gave Venti a highly skeptical look.

“Why have you come to Fontaine again?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t you care about your vast Mondstadt?”

Venti just gave a cheeky, unapologetic smile. “Ehe. Mondstadt is a nation of freedom; it doesn’t need a king to hover over it. By the way, let me introduce two people to you.”

He gestured to the tall man in the brown coat. “This is Liyue’s Geo Archon, Morax, whom you should have met before.” He then pointed to the small, white-haired girl. “And this one is Nahida, the current Dendro Archon of Sumeru, Lesser Lord Kusanali.”

Furina stared at Zhongli and Nahida, her mind temporarily short-circuiting.

‘Ah? Two more gods?!’Furina screamed internally.’And this Geo Archon of Liyue has met me before? Why do I have absolutely zero impression of him?!’

Swallowing her panic, Furina immediately slipped into her grand, theatrical persona. She struck a dramatic pose, her voice ringing out with haughty elegance.

“Ahem! Welcome to Fontaine, you two. However, as guests, please ensure you abide by the laws of my nation. Otherwise, you two will have to take a mandatory trip to the Opera Epiclese!”

Zhongli stood there, utterly speechless. Did this drunken bard really just casually reveal all of their divine identities in the middle of the street to complete strangers?

Recovering his composure, Zhongli offered a polite, measured nod. “Hello, Lady Furina. It has been a long time.”

Nahida smiled warmly, stepping forward. “Hello, Furina. My name is Nahida. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Furina nodded quickly, trying to maintain her regal aura. “Yes, yes~ Hello to you both. Speaking of which, I am quite curious. Why have you come to my Fontaine in a group? Of the Seven Archons of Teyvat, counting myself, there are four of us gathered right here on this very street.”

Zhongli smoothly bypassed her question, his eyes drifting down to the hovering boards at their feet. “Lady Furina, I am actually very curious about the flying Catalyst you are riding. This object… it shouldn’t be a product of Teyvat, correct?”

Furina’s heart skipped a terrifying beat.

‘Oh no! How did Morax see through it so easily?!’

She was naturally willing to share the wonders of the guild with the people of Fontaine, but she absolutely did not want to leak this information to the gods of rival nations. She needed to come up with a flawless, impenetrable lie.

Before Furina could even open her mouth, March 7th giggled and proudly patted her board.

“Of course not! This is a gift we gave to Furina. It’s high-end stuff bought straight from Herta Space Station!”

March put her hands on her hips, beaming brightly at Zhongli, completely oblivious to the diplomatic crisis she had just caused.

Zhongli’s eyes glinted with deep interest. He pressed on immediately. “Oh? Beautiful lady, you gave this item to Lady Furina? Also… what kind of place is this ‘Herta Space Station’? I confess, I have never heard of it.”

March 7th spoke bluntly, her cheerful voice echoing in the quiet night. “Herta Space Station is a place in our world! The people there are all incredibly smart, and their scientific research level is super high!”

Furina stood frozen, her soul practically leaving her body.

‘March! Why is your mouth so fast?!’ Furina wailed in her mind, her dramatic facade crumbling into absolute despair.

At that exact moment, Stelle suddenly sidled up to Furina. She tugged on the Hydro Archon’s extravagant coat and leaned in, whispering directly into her ear.

“Hey, Furina,” Stelle muttered, a sly, chaotic grin spreading across her face. “This is actually a great opportunity. Wouldn’t it be amazing to pull these three into your justice Adventurers Guild to act as your personal muscle?”

Upon hearing this, Furina’s eyes widened. Her despair vanished, instantly replaced by a brilliant epiphany.

‘Wait… she’s right!’Furina thought, her confidence surging back.’How incredible would it be to recruit three actual gods into my Adventurers Guild to do my heavy lifting?!’