Genshin Impact, all those behind-the-scenes big shots are me

Didn't you see the great sage also admiring the beauty from the side?

"Su Chen?"

Ying followed Paimon over.

"What are you doing in Sumeru?" Ying asked, puzzled. "Weren't you in Mondstadt?"

Su Chen turned around, swallowed the snack, and smiled, "Wherever thunder flashes, I am omnipresent."

Paimon whispered, "Traveler, this guy is the Dragon King."

"Oh right." Ying then realized that it was the Dragon King Cardodia, and a Dragon King who liked to travel around.

"Where are you all? What are you doing here?"

Paimon said, "We're making a forest book."

"Forest Book?"

"It's just running around in the forest, searching for Lanaro everywhere, which is tiring and the rewards are meager."

"Oh." Su Chen nodded, raising his hand: "Want some?"

"what is this?"

"The puff pastry is pretty good."

Paimon won't hold back.

The three of them ate while watching hot girls, and then Ying brought up the matter of going to Fontainebleau, where a rich but foolish guy had asked them to pick up a package.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Su Chen was to be sent as an envoy to Fontaine on behalf of Xumi.

"There's no other way. Sumeru has just experienced turmoil and is in dire need of rebuilding. It needs to develop its economy, which requires maintaining good relations with other countries. As a great sage, it's my duty," Su Chen sighed.

Ying, Paimon: →_→

You're always representing this envoy and that envoy, always feeling obligated to do so, right?

But since Su Chen is going, it's only natural for them to hitch a ride. Besides, the envoy group needs security, right? I'll give you an 11% discount because we're old friends!

Su Chen smiled and said yes, but on the condition that they would split up after arriving in Fontainebleau. The reason, of course, was that he represented Sumeru, an official, and his identity was rather sensitive.

The corresponding reward can be doubled.

Anyway, it costs money to hire a guard, so what difference does it make who I pay him? Since he's a friend, of course I should take care of him.

"Waaaaah~ Su Chen, you're so kind." Paimon was so moved he could eat a few more mille-feuille pastries.

Su Chen chuckled: "We're all friends, there's no need to be so formal."

As they spoke, a burst of lively cheers erupted around them, and the girls from the Zubair Theater came out.

...

After making the agreement with Ying, Su Chen set off with the diplomatic mission of Xumi the next day.

To get from Sumeru to Fontaine, you need to cross the desert to reach the dock, then take a boat to Harbour of Halu, and from there you can go directly to Fontaine.

at this time.

It is located at the foot of a sheltered cliff on the north side of the Thousand Ravines Sandy Land.

The delegation stopped here to rest.

"Fontaine is a land of water. As far as I know, it has the world's largest waterway hub. The most famous Clementine Line and Navia Line almost run through the entire Fontaine. It's hard to imagine how such a huge project was built."

"It is said to have been established by the first water god."

"The first generation of water goddess? Let me see... Oh, her name is Egolia, right? It seems that the water goddess's iteration was five hundred years ago, just like our grass goddess."

"Those must be newly born gods. Perhaps the Grass God and that Water God even know each other."

Riding on pack animals across the desert, the scholars traveling with them chatted along the way, because the purpose of this mission was to learn technology. Although Sumeru was a land of wisdom, Fontaine was more advanced in terms of technology.

Watching the scholars flipping through books and discussing, Paimon asked curiously, "None of you have ever been to Fontaine?"

“I didn’t go. I never had the time before; I was too busy with academic research all day.”

"I've never been there either, but it's not that I don't have time, it's that I don't have money. You need a reason to apply for funding, and a trip to Fontainebleau costs a lot."

"I have been there, but at that time I went to study at the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences for half a year."

"Oh? Ramsey, tell us about the specialties of Fontainebleau."

“It’s unique…” The scholar named Ramsey thought for a moment, looking troubled. “I didn’t actually go to many places. I spent most of my time studying at the Academy of Sciences. Back then, the Academy’s assessments were too strict. If you didn’t pass, you would be sent back.”

"Isn't it said that international students get preferential treatment, such as tuition reductions and scholarships? I also heard that there are companionship programs."

“Oh, little lucky grass king, then I may have been studying for nothing.” Ramsey shook his head. “Anyway, I don’t know much about Fontaine, but the people there are very passionate about trials and drama, and they often combine the two. For them, a trial in court is just like a play.”

Paimon scratched his head: "Hmm...that sounds a bit strange. Isn't a trial a very serious matter?"

“That’s what I mean.” Ramsey shrugged. “But it’s perfectly normal in Fontaine. They even call the courthouse the opera house. You guys need to be careful. I’m not saying Fontaine is weird, but the laws there are a bit… well, just don’t do anything out of the ordinary. Behave yourself, especially don’t talk about the water god. Otherwise, you might end up in court.”

Fontaine's laws are notoriously 'comprehensive'; even a famous lawyer in Liyue once complained that just looking at the thick legal code would make most people dizzy.

However, if you are honest, there shouldn't be any major problems.

"Has Su Chen been to Fontainebleau?" Ying suddenly asked.

The scholars all turned to look.

"Yes, Lord Hein, you must have been there before, right?"

Great sages represent the pinnacle of human wisdom, and the scholars of the Academy of Teachings hold Su Chen in not only awe but also strong admiration.

Su Chen put down the Teyvat travel guide in his hand and smiled, "I have been there, but that was a long time ago."

Paimon said, "You're not some kind of high-ranking official in Fontainebleau, are you? The kind who makes Fontainebleau tremble with a stomp of his foot."

"Do you think that's possible?" Su Chen said irritably. "If I were that kind of important person, once the diplomatic document was issued, the red carpet of Fontainebleau would have already stretched all the way to the desert."

Paimon thought to himself, "When haven't you ever said that?"

"Alright, we've rested enough, let's set off."

The convoy set off again.

After traversing the Thousand Ravines and Sandy Land and entering the Floating Garden, Su Chen suddenly remembered that the previous generation of Water God of Fontaine had fallen in the Sea of ​​Dew Flowers. When the Calamity of Kanria descended, the dark monsters rushed out of the abyss, and Ergolia also died in that war.

The place where she fell transformed into a pure sea of ​​nectar. The divine bird Seymourne drank the living water of the nectar and merged its own power with it to suppress the dark calamity.

The power of spiritual light... Su Chen's liver ached just thinking about it. Back in the game, Sumeru was not only a godforsaken place with a terrible map, but its quests were also incredibly long and tedious.

I don't want to think about it anymore, my liver hurts.

into the night.

The convoy rested at a roadside post station in Pulau Tikus.

There are no boats crossing the sea at night, so they have to wait here all night.

The inn was built in a small village where the people made their living by fishing all year round. Su Chen had dinner and walked around the village.

Not far away, Ying and Paimon were chatting with a fisherman.

"Beyond this sea lies the harbor of Fontainebleau," the fisherman said as he pulled on his net. "But actually, this sea is Fontainebleau waters. Every now and then, patrol boats appear. Some are Fontainebleau's navy, and some, I don't know what they are, are measuring things around."

Paimon asked curiously, "Are there many fish in the sea around Fontainebleau?"

The fisherman laughed: "You little rascal, that's a strange question. Aren't all seas the same? Do you think the seawater in Fontainebleau is sweet?"

"Uh... I was just curious."

“There aren’t many fish, and not only that, but for some reason, the sea level has been rising drastically in recent years… Look, you see.” The fisherman pointed to a hill that protruded from the sea outside the village, about one or two hundred meters from the shore.

“There used to be a mountain there. A long time ago, the sea didn’t even reach that side. Now it’s all the way up here. The sea level rises a little every year, so our village has to move uphill.”

Ying and Paimon exchanged a glance.

At this rate of rise, won't it flood the desert?

"Is it because of that prophecy?" Su Chen walked over and asked.

Upon seeing him, the fisherman shook his head: "How would I know? But this prophecy has been circulating quite widely lately. A few days ago, some people from Fontainebleau came from Harbor, saying they were going to settle elsewhere and that Fontainebleau would soon be flooded. I think this is unreliable. Their god is the water god. Would the water god flood his own home?"

Su Chen pondered for a moment.

An ancient prophecy—for some reason, it felt very familiar to him when he heard it.

"You guys chat."

After exchanging a few words, Su Chen left the village and walked to the seaside.

The wind was very strong at night. This place is on the edge of the desert, and the temperature drops sharply at night, which is even more noticeable when the wind blows.

However, compared to the harsh environment inside the desert, this place is much better, and there's no need to worry about food.

Several barefoot children ran across the beach.

A child began to hum a lullaby.

Su Chen recognized the name and stopped to call out to him.

What were you singing just now?

The snotty-nosed child blinked: "I don't know either. I learned it from the people across the sea. They said it's a song that the Water God often sings."

"The song sung by the Water God?" Su Chen asked softly. "Do you remember the specific lyrics?"

The child shook his head: "I don't remember."

This snotty-nosed kid didn't learn the essence either; he just babbled something unintelligible.

Even so, the melody still touched a certain emotion deep within Su Chen's heart.

“So familiar… Strange.” He walked onto the beach, and the moment his feet touched the seawater, a transformation of the world suddenly appeared before his eyes… Mountains, rivers, forests, at this moment he could feel that in every corner of Fontainebleau, there seemed to be his scattered 'memories'.

Just as Su Chen was surprised, a sound rang out from the water.

It was a song, a ballad that Su Chen was familiar with.

"Ah, if only I could return to the water."

"Can the world ever return to its original beauty?"

"Please forgive our mistakes, Mother."