Yes, Lady Funina!

As for Richard, aside from taking a bottle of 'Less' as a sample, he seemed to have stopped paying attention to the matter.

Of course, he didn't take 'Les' to drink. Knowing it wasn't a good thing, Richard would have to be out of his mind to risk his health to try it.

Even if a half-elf has high HP, this isn't how you play; he always pays great attention to maintaining his health.

The reason he took a bottle of 'Less' was that he wanted to ask his knowledgeable aunt, Ms. Alice, if she could analyze the special ingredients in 'Less'.

After all, as a well-known adventurer in Teyvat and a member of the Witches' Guild, Iris had seen far more strange things than he had. In fact, the members of the Witches' Guild were considered a bunch of weirdos by ordinary people.

It's been a long time since I've been back to Mondstadt. I wonder how Klee is doing now, and whether she's caused any trouble for that Knights Commander.

If possible, Richard would love to bring Claire to live with him and take care of her personally.

Unfortunately, the current situation in Fontaine is far from optimistic. No matter how outrageous Mondstadt may be, it is unlikely that it will face the crisis of national annihilation.

Given that he has now encountered such an absurd situation as 'people turning into water,' it's even more impossible for him to let Klee come to this dangerous city.

Richard is a genuine siscon.

In other words, Yae no Miko and the others went in the wrong direction. If they had taken Klee to Inazuma, Richard would have obediently given in.

"Richard, are you listening?" Fulina asked, somewhat surprised to see Richard's shifty gaze.

I never expected Richard to have a day when he would get distracted.

“Yes, Lady Furina, I think it will be difficult for us to reach a consensus on the matter of refugees.” Although Richard had been lost in thought for a while, he still knew the topics of today’s meeting.

In fact, every few years Fontaine faces the problem of 'refugee resettlement', a problem that also plagues the other six countries.

The continent of Teyvat is never as peaceful as it appears on the surface. If you think about it carefully, you'll understand. There are monsters, abysses, and cracks that appear from time to time. Who knows what strange things might crawl out of them?

This makes it difficult for ordinary people to find a truly safe place, except in a few major national cities and large human settlements.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why refugees would appear on the disaster-prone continent of Teyvat.

At this time of year, the Fontainebleau Palace often finds itself embroiled in heated debates among its various departments over whether and how to accept and resettle refugees.

This was also the most troublesome time for the city hall, because it had to coordinate the relationships between various departments to ensure that the Palace of the Moon would not be shut down due to the constant disputes between them.

Don't think this is absurd. You should know that Fontaine doesn't employ idle people. Every department has its reason for being there...

Just like every seemingly outrageous rule, there is always an even more outrageous story behind it.

Now, the city hall is divided into two distinct factions: the "acceptance faction" and the "rejection faction."

Funina believes that accepting refugees into Fontaine will not only demonstrate Fontaine's inclusiveness but also alleviate Fontaine's current labor shortage. It will also eliminate the need to spend additional funds to build facilities to accommodate these refugees, thus achieving the goal of reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

Most importantly, if she can lead and handle this matter well, her reputation will resound throughout the nations of Teyvat.

Richard, on the other hand, believed that it would be sufficient to find a place to settle them on the outskirts of Fontaine. The influx of a large number of refugees would inevitably lead to a surge in pressure on Fontaine's public facilities, causing various social problems. Furthermore, they also had to consider the opinions of the local citizens of Fontaine.

Instead of expending so much energy dealing with these issues, it would be better to follow the old practice and designate a territory to resettle refugees. As time goes by, people who are suitable for Fontaine and those who are not will naturally be selected.

Although the whole process is time-consuming and slow to yield results, it is economical, stable, safe, and has ample historical precedents to refer to.

In Richard's opinion, there was no better way!

"Excuse my bluntness, Lady Funina, you cannot only see the advantages of accepting refugees into Fontaine while ignoring the disadvantages. Everything has a price; whatever you want to gain, you must also pay the corresponding risk."

Richard rarely used the phrase "Excuse my bluntness, Lady Furina," because in the office, saying it was practically equivalent to saying, "Lady Furina, I've never heard of such a foolish idea."

After all, in Richard's view, this time Funina's suggestion was more harmful than beneficial, and it was a rash move by Funina that she would surely regret afterward.

It's not like she's never had a precedent.

However, Funina was not a seasoned office worker and naturally did not understand the jargon, taking Richard's words as genuine 'speaking frankly'.

“Who says I didn’t see the downside, Secretary Richard? This decision is the result of my careful consideration!” Funina stood up from her office chair, leaned forward to look at Richard sitting opposite her, and tried to overwhelm him with her aura.

However, Richard remained calm and even seemed to want to laugh. He unusually adopted a tough stance and retorted sharply, "The fact that you came to this conclusion proves that you haven't thought things through long enough. I suggest you think about it some more."

"You're the one who should be thinking carefully, Secretary Richard. Did you thoroughly research the origins of these refugees beforehand?"

"Aren't all refugees like that? They come from the other six countries, a mixed bag, good and bad, and are a top-level destabilizing factor."

"But this time is different! The main group of refugees this time comes from Mondstadt!"

Volume 1: Chapter 35 Funinna's Thousand Layers of Schemes

"Mondstadt? Isn't Mondstadt even worse? As everyone knows, Mondstadt is a free city-state, but many Mondstadt people don't seem to understand what true 'freedom' is. They often do some strange and incomprehensible things to prove that they are truly free."

"Furthermore, many people use the name of freedom to do things that harm the interests of others, resulting in a high crime rate. It can be said that Mondstadt residents are the most troublesome among the refugees."

It's clear that Richard doesn't have a good impression of Mondstadt people, or rather, of the refugees who migrated from Mondstadt. It's not that Richard is some kind of dark-skinned Mondstadt person. He simply dislikes them.

He also lived in Mondstadt, where he left many precious memories, and even now he occasionally returns to visit.

You know, he hasn't been back to Inazuma for many years!

The impression left on him by the refugees from Mondstadt was simply too profound from his several experiences receiving refugees in Fontaine.

Of course, it's not just Mondstadt; refugees from the other six countries also face their own unique problems. These problems naturally involve many factors, such as culture, local customs, and religious beliefs.

In short, Richard disliked everyone who caused him trouble.

After all, there are good people among the refugees; we can't generalize and condemn them all.

However, on the other hand, why is the main group of refugees from Mondstadt this time? (Postscript)

Based on past experience, it shouldn't be that every country sends some people, mixing them together like a hodgepodge.

This is how Funina explained it.

"A dragon scourge has struck Mondstadt, causing immense damage to the city. Many Mondstadt residents, fearing further devastation, have decided to flee for the time being. Most have chosen Liyue, while a smaller number have taken boats from Cider Lake upstream to Fontaine..."

"Don't tell me you didn't know; I've heard about it myself!"

Richard stood there stunned, looking as if he had been struck by lightning.

"What did you just say?"

"Don't tell me you don't know. I've heard about this too!" Fulina was a little scared when she saw Richard like this for the first time, but she still repeated it uncertainly.

Could it be that she said something wrong just now?

"It's not this sentence, it's the previous sentence."

"Most people choose to go to Liyue, while a smaller number take a boat from Cider Lake and travel upstream to Fontaine..."

"The very first sentence!"

"A dragon scourge has broken out in Mondstadt, causing enormous damage to the city."

Richard's pupils dilated in shock once again.

No, he just thought Mondstadt was definitely safer than Fontaine, but then he was told that Mondstadt was plagued by dragons?

Is Klee alright?

No, Klee should be relatively safe with the Knights of Favonius. Although most of Mondstadt's fighting force has been taken away on expeditions, there are still quite a few skilled fighters left behind, so her safety can be guaranteed.

But what if? What if Klee suddenly runs out to blast fish and happens to run into the very dragon that caused the dragon plague...?

The stories always say that dragons love elves, right? What if something really happens to Klee, even just an injury...?

No, just thinking about Richard makes me feel like I can't breathe.

He cherished very few people, but his sister Clare definitely ranked in the top three. You could say that Clare was one of the few soft spots in Richard's heart.

"What did the Knights of Mondstadt say?" Richard forced himself to remain calm and continued to ask.

"The Knights? How would I know what the Knights said? It wasn't reported in the Steambird newspaper." Furina indicated that she only got this information from today's Steambird newspaper.

"Lady Frinina, in the spirit of humanitarianism, the five principles of friendly relations between the seven nations, the Teyvat Disaster Action Guidelines, and the Mondstadt Tourism Regulations, I think we should initiate diplomatic talks with Mondstadt and consider providing appropriate assistance."

What five principles? What action guidelines? What tourism regulations? What is all this about?

Funina was completely confused, but that didn't stop her from extracting the key word 'aid'.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "So you've agreed to accept Mondstadt refugees into Fontaine?"

After all, they said they would provide aid, and accepting refugees must be included in that.

"Oh, that won't work."

Everything should be handled separately. Although it is said that aid is needed, the matter of allowing refugees into Fontaine is definitely non-negotiable. Besides, Fontaine is so big, people can live in places like Baisong Town, Qiufen Mountain, and Lake Yulania. Why does Funina keep trying to get Fontaine to accept these people?

Don't you know that the main city of Fontaine is already very crowded? Even the Grey River sewers are full of people.

"Why!" Funina exclaimed angrily.

“I don’t understand why Lady Funina is so insistent on letting people into the city. Don’t you realize how much trouble this will cause? Just look at the nobles in the upper city; they certainly wouldn’t want this to happen,” Richard said helplessly. This was the first time he had spoken so clearly.

Previously, Funina had not been involved much in the administration of Fontaine; she had only symbolically ruled Fontaine as a mascot and water goddess.

Therefore, naturally, Funina couldn't understand the office slang he used, nor some of his verbal cues.

Therefore, the best solution is to be as clear as possible when you are interacting with others in private.

However, we can't be too obvious about it. If Funina really understands, then the team will be difficult to lead.

Just like speaking sweet nothings, being too direct seems presumptuous, while being too subtle might not be understood by the other person. Only a hazy, ambiguous feeling is the most captivating.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Funina threw the question back at Richard, wanting to hear his solution.

She also said that if he couldn't come up with a solution that satisfied her, then they should just do it her way originally!

"What do you think of the Opiclay Opera House?" Richard thought for a moment and finally made a concession.

"There's a commercial street under construction near the Opizley Opera House, which belongs to the Moman Palace. The main building is almost finished, but it hasn't been put up for business yet. It can be used as a temporary relief station."

Although the commercial street wasn't large, it was large enough to accommodate the people fleeing Mondstadt. If, as Frynn said, they were only temporarily fleeing Mondstadt and would return to their homeland after the Dragon Plague, then doing so wouldn't be a loss.

As for whether the Knights of Favonius are capable of resolving the Dragon Plague, Richard's answer is: yes.

Solving the dragon scourge is an inevitable outcome; the only point of contention is how long it will take.

After hearing Richard's suggestion, Funina smiled triumphantly, and fearing that Richard might change his mind, she readily agreed.

"A word is settled!"

It was as decisive as if that was the plan from the very beginning.

Richard realized this belatedly.

Had he been tricked by Funina? He thought to himself, somewhat amused and exasperated.

Book 1: Chapter 36: Come back to Mondstadt with me?

From the very beginning, Funina never thought that Richard would actually agree to let the refugees into Fontaine. Even if Richard had really lost his mind and agreed, the officials of other departments in the Moman Palace would never agree.

Even if it was Funina who made the suggestion.

After all, in Fontaine, it is an old tradition for the Water God to rule without governing. In the past four hundred years, apart from serving as the Water God, Funina has basically not interfered in the operation of the Momang Palace.

Generally speaking, aside from the theater, she usually only appears at diplomatic and political social occasions, and even important speeches are delivered by others on her behalf.

She did try to participate in the actual work of the Mo Mang Palace, but most of her attempts were politely declined by people or Meloshen. It wasn't until Richard's sudden emergence and the ensuing public controversy that Fulina got the opportunity to become the Minister of Administration.

If Richard had been less capable or hadn't performed so well, Furness might not have become the Executive Minister.

Because without Richard, there would be no one to protect Funina, and without such protection, the destructive power Funina could unleash would likely worsen Fontaine's already precarious situation...

"Lady Funina, I must say your speed of progress is truly astonishing," Richard exclaimed sincerely.

This time it was indeed his carelessness. He didn't expect Funina to evolve so quickly. After all, Funina had lived for nearly five hundred years.

Previously, there was simply no one to guide her, but now that Richard is her mentor, it would be difficult for her not to learn well.

"It's alright, it's nothing, after all, I'm a god!" Funina raised her head slightly, her face showing a matter-of-fact expression, but from the slight upturn of her lips, it was clear that she was actually quite proud.

It's like a proud little white kitten that seems indifferent on the surface but is secretly delighted inside.

After all, she had always been the one being arranged by Richard in the past, but now she was the one who arranged things for Richard, which made Funina experience the joy of being an administrative minister for the first time.

“Yes, yes, Lady Funina.” Richard chuckled and shook his head.

"Hey! What are you laughing at? Do you have some other opinion?!" Funina crossed her arms in dissatisfaction.

"You should know that the person standing in front of you is Fontaine's most outstanding, dazzling, and popular superstar! Others even have to make an appointment in advance to see me!" Funina said, indicating that Richard should cherish the time he spends with her.

"But, Lady Funina, aren't we friends? Do we even need to make an appointment to see a friend?"

“This…” Fu Ningna was speechless.

At this moment, both offense and defense are in a favorable position!

“Sigh, Funina, you even schemed against your best friend, taking advantage of her trust in you…” Richard sighed.