Yes, Lady Funina!

"Gulp." Fukaros swallowed hard, closed her eyes, and steeled her resolve. Fine, she'd go through it. After all, only Funina was here, and it was all for her to see anyway…

That's what she said, but with Funina staring at her so directly, she really couldn't do anything about it.

"Um, why don't you go out for a bit, Funina? You can come back in after I've changed," Fukaros said.

"Okay." Without hesitation, Funina turned around and walked out of the room.

After seeing Funina leave, Fukaros took a deep breath, removed her divine armor, revealing her alluring body, and then awkwardly began to put on her undergarments.

Although the process was somewhat tortuous, she managed to get dressed. However, Fukaros realized a problem: wouldn't this expose her contract mark?

...Never mind, Funina will find out sooner or later.

Just as Fukaros was comforting herself, she heard the door open, and after Furina came in, she hurriedly closed the door again.

Fukaros was somewhat taken aback by Funina's actions. He subconsciously reached out to cover his lower abdomen, wanting to ask her what was wrong, when Funina spoke up.

"Richard...Richard is here. Hurry up and get dressed."

Chapter 169 The Effects of Protection

"Strange, what are you two doing hiding in the house?" Richard asked, sitting on the sofa and looking at the two beautiful girls in front of him, who were sitting in unison with their heads down and their faces flushed.

"N-nothing, right, right, Fucarus?" Funina nudged Fucarus beside her with her elbow, signaling her to stop burying her head in the sand and come out and help.

"Yes...yes, that's right, we...we're choosing rooms." Reminded by Funina, Fukaros immediately raised his head and answered loudly, like a soldier reporting to a superior.

"Really? Have you chosen a room yet? By the way, why are you only choosing a room now? Where did you stay before?" Richard asked, puzzled.

It's been several days since Fukaros came out, so why is she only choosing a room now? Where did this water god stay before the room was decided?

"The Prophecy Machine needs to be readjusted because it no longer has the Heart of the Water God. After all, the power over water has been returned to Vilette, and the Heart of the God has also been given away. With the current strength of the Prophecy Machine, it simply cannot withstand such a huge amount of energy. The accumulated mixed energy of the Law Compensation also needs to be dealt with." Fukaros honestly reported his itinerary to Richard.

The fact that the Water God reported his whereabouts to the executive secretary-general of his subordinate organization has a hint of rebellion against the Heavenly Gang.

However, neither Fukaros nor Richard seemed to think it was a big deal.

Looking at it from another angle, it's actually quite reasonable for a wife to tell her husband her schedule, even though it might sound a bit like she's a doting husband, isn't it?

"Have you thought about how to handle this?" Richard asked.

“No.” Fukaros shook his head honestly.

Sometimes having too much energy isn't a good thing. At least for Fontaine's current energy needs, it doesn't need all this compensating mixed energy. So the excess compensating mixed energy that can't be stored will probably just be wasted in the end.

While other countries are struggling with energy shortages, Fontaine is currently grappling with an energy surplus.

In other words, the Law Compensation Mixed Energy can only be used in Fontaine. Otherwise, it would be excellent to sell the excess energy to other regions, which happens to be a great deal of money for Fontaine right now.

The reconstruction plan of the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences, which had finally shown some promise, was also interrupted by the flood. It can't be said to be thriving; it can only be said that it was back to square one overnight.

However, compared to the many setbacks at the Fontaine Academy, the post-disaster work in Fontaine is proceeding in an orderly manner. Among them, the servant Arecino seems to be expressing her apology for the previous attack on Frynn, or perhaps considering that Linette still needs to work under Frynn, she donated a lot of supplies free of charge for the post-disaster reconstruction work.

Most of the staff at Fireplace House have been assigned to volunteer for post-disaster reconstruction work.

Lynette's brother, Linnie, has already performed several charity magic shows, leaving Finni exhausted.

"Regarding the issue of the power of the oracle machine, I can also help," Richard said. The power of [Immortality] can affect not only people but also machines, and the effect is even much better than when it is applied to people.

“I’ll contact you if I need anything,” Fukalos nodded.

"Alright, let's leave work-related matters here for now." Richard met Fukaros's gaze, then his eyes moved slightly downwards, finally settling on Fukaros's chest.

"I was really curious about that black line on your chest..."

Fukalos's divine armor has a hollowed-out chest area and is very tight-fitting. Previously, Fukalos did not wear a bra underneath, or rather, the divine armor came with a bra.

However, because Richard's arrival was so sudden today, Fukaros, in her haste, directly manifested her divine armor while trying on the undergarments given to her by Funina.

This has led to the current situation, where a black ribbon can be clearly seen through the cutout on the chest of the snow-white divine armor.

"This...this..." Fukaros lowered her head, clutching her chest, her beautiful face flushed red as she looked at Funina for help.

However, Funina was looking down and playing with her little hands. How could she possibly help her? She couldn't save her at all; she could only hope for the best.

"What is this...?" Richard had already guessed roughly what the black ribbon was, but he wanted to hear Fukaros say it himself.

It has to be said that bullying Fryna and bullying Fucarus are two completely different experiences, but they have one thing in common—they are both very fun.

Funina is the kind of pure and cute girlfriend who is slightly arrogant, but she is also very frank when she needs to be, so when you tease her, you will inadvertently get the upper hand.

Although Fukaros looks no different from Frinna, after a deep spiritual exchange, Richard learned that our water goddess actually has some devilish traits, but overall she is a being with high attack and low defense.

“Just… just normal clothes, right, Funina?”

When she heard Fukaros call her name, Funina knew she couldn't stay out of it, so she forced herself to say, "That's right, it was designed by Miss Chiori, and it's definitely not something improper."

If it's serious, then why emphasize that it's serious?

That's a bit of a cover-up, Miss Funina.

"So it was Ms. Chiori's design. I'm relieved then." Richard nodded and replied. Chiori's designs are always very impressive—no, very beautiful.

"Speaking of which, if Fukaros needs to buy clothes, she can also have them custom-made by Chiori. Whether it's formal wear or everyday loungewear, she has a good selection, and she'll also include some thoughtful little gifts."

Fukalos shifted uncomfortably. Could the little freebie you mentioned be what I'm wearing right now?

Is this free gift really for me? It feels like it was prepared for you.

Chiori: Isn't it reasonable for whoever pays to prepare the free gift?

“I’ll go take a look later, but Richard, what brings you here today?” Fucaros asked.

"Have you forgotten? Today is the day we had our scheduled check-up."

Fukalos: !!!

So it turns out it wasn't a joke back then?

Upon seeing this, Funina stood up and asked, "Should I excuse myself if we're going to have an examination?"

'No, you can't leave.' Fukaros looked at Frinina as if she were a lifeline.

If Funina were here, Richard wouldn't have gone too far, but with Funina gone, things could be different. He might just take advantage of her and bully her to death.

“No need, it’ll be quick.” Richard waved his hand.

Upon hearing Richard's words, Funina, who had just stood up, sat down again. To be honest, she was also quite curious about how this soul examination was conducted.

When Fukaros heard Richard say that Furnessa could stay, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, but soon another question came to her mind.

If Richard is examining her later, and she can't control herself and shows a very comfortable and enjoyable expression, will it cause Funina to misunderstand?

It shouldn't be... right?

Fukalos wasn't sure, because she herself didn't know what her expression was like when she was 'examined'; she only felt a warm and comfortable sensation throughout her body...

Richard reached out, and Fukaros obediently unbuttoned her clothes near her stomach, preparing to expose her lower abdomen for him to touch. Then Richard raised his hand and pressed it on Fukaros's little head.

Fukalos: ?

Then a familiar feeling followed, but at this moment, Fukaros's mind was inexplicably occupied by a thought.

So, checking a soul doesn't necessarily require placing your hand in a specific spot?

Before Richard...

After a thorough examination, Richard withdrew his hand from Fucaros's head. Just as Fucaros was about to lash out at Richard, she heard him say to Furina:

"Do you want to try it?"

"I?"

"Well, you two come from the same source, so there might be some kind of connection between your souls. Just to be on the safe side, it would be best to have it checked."

After listening, Funina felt that Richard's words made sense, and judging from Fukaros's appearance just now, he didn't seem to be in much pain, so she nodded and agreed, "Okay."

Seeing this, Fukaros said with some concern, "Be gentle..."

However, what Fukaros didn't know was that Funina was different from her before; Funina truly trusted Richard wholeheartedly.

Therefore, even a touch to the soul will not provoke violent resistance, and without resistance, there will be no pain.

Moreover, having practiced on Fukaros multiple times, Richard was already quite skilled, and painless examinations were no problem for him.

As expected, when Richard probed into Funina's soul, Funina did not resist Richard's power at all and accepted it very obediently.

Richard quickly examined Funina's soul. In fact, Funina's soul was not healthy; it was even riddled with holes, far worse than that of an average person.

Although Funina is the human aspect of the water god, since the separation of her divinity and personality, her soul has become independent, and in reality, she only has the strength of an ordinary person. The reason she can maintain her youth and vitality is entirely due to Fukaros's 'curse'.

The intense performances that lasted for five hundred years left Funina mentally exhausted and her soul weakened beyond recognition.

Previously, she had been holding on by sheer willpower. Now that the crisis has been predicted to end, the belief in Funina's heart has dissipated, and the side effects of the exhaustion of her soul and spirit may become apparent over time.

However, after Richard's treatment, the possibility of this happening will be greatly reduced. In just some time, Funina's soul will gradually return to normal, and may even surpass the level of ordinary people.

The direct effect of the soul conditioning on Funina was that she could clearly feel her mind becoming clearer, her body experiencing an indescribable sense of ease, and even the air she was breathing felt much fresher.

Comfortable~

Funina opened her eyes, her almond-shaped eyes bright and alert, as if she had discovered a new world.

'So this soul check feels so good! I heard from Fukaros that it hurt quite a bit the first time. Is she lying to me? It feels really good.' Funina thought to herself.

If Fukaros knew what Funina was thinking, he would probably cry out that he was wronged, and that the pain was real.

Fukaros probably would never forget the pain of having her soul torn apart, which is why she was so surprised when she saw Funina looking comfortable despite it being Richard's first time 'inspecting' her.

Her first thought was, "Could Richard have done this on purpose? Did he deliberately hurt her?"

But she quickly rejected the idea for a simple reason: Richard had no reason to do so, and to take the power of water would inevitably mean tearing his soul apart.

“Fukaros, you can lift the ‘curse’ on Fryna now,” Richard said.

"Huh? But if it's lifted, Funina will be just like an ordinary person..." Before Fukaros could finish speaking, she realized that Richard must have already thought of a way to make her do this.

“My power is called [Immortality]. Compared to your 'curse,' my method is probably hundreds of millions of times better than yours.” Richard gestured with the distance of a fingertip universe.

In fact, Fukaros herself has experienced this firsthand. Although she is not yet at the age of 'wear and tear', the continuous collection of Law Compensation Energy over the past five hundred years has caused some wear and tear that is not appropriate for her age.

After receiving Richard's treatment, these damages were repaired, demonstrating the unique nature of Richard's power.

It's no wonder that it's a power that can rival an entire world.

Fukaros readily lifted the 'curse of immortality' placed upon Funina, and Richard promptly and seamlessly bestowed upon Funina the blessing of [Immortality].

As for Fukaros, the blessing of [Immortality] had already taken effect on her when she took the power of water.

If it weren't for this, Fucarus might have perished the moment the throne of the water god cracked open.

The power required for such protection actually only accounts for a small portion of Richard's own power. If he wanted, he could grant everyone around him a lifespan comparable to or even longer than that of immortals.

The concept of lifespan simply doesn't exist for him.

Of course, everything comes at a price. By accepting Richard's blessing, one also means being marked by Richard.

Based on Richard's current observations, this mark itself has no side effects. If one had to say something, it would be that those protected by Richard would naturally have a certain degree of goodwill towards him.

Richard is currently unsure whether this affection will deepen over time, but this is clearly not something that Furina and Fucarus need to worry about.

Because they already had a high degree of goodwill towards Richard before they received his blessing.

Especially Funina, her affection for her was almost overflowing, and the way she looked at Richard was so intense it felt like she was practically drooling.

It feels like as soon as Richard opens his mouth, he can immediately have another wife.

No, it's two.

Buy one get one free is a valid offer.

Chapter 170 Fucarus's Participation in Politics & The Concept of Separation of Powers

After the threat of the doomsday prophecy was resolved, Fontainebleau presented a vibrant scene of life and flourishing organisms.

A month has passed since Fukaros announced her existence to the world. Fontaine is gradually emerging from the disaster, social order has been restored, and the people of Fontaine have quickly accepted the fact that they have two gods.

However, compared to the speed at which the people of Fontaine were able to accept new things, Fucaros encountered some minor problems when taking over the affairs of the Water God.

"Why do I feel like it doesn't matter whether Fontaine has me or not?" Fukalos stared at the water god's schedule, falling into deep self-doubt.

The itinerary is so detailed, it's almost as if the word "mascot" is written on the schedule.

“Fontaine has its own unique circumstances. For the people of Fontaine, the symbolic meaning of the water god far outweighs its practical significance,” Richard replied without looking up. “Of course, I’m not saying the water god is useless; at least the oracle still needs your maintenance.”