Yes, Lady Funina!

Apart from the truly secret techniques of Sumeru, Nasita used almost every technique she could find.

Which ones should we choose?

"Choose?" Richard asked, somewhat puzzled. "Lady Furina, is it possible for us to have them all?"

After hearing this, Funina's lips twitched. She hesitated and said, "Wouldn't that be a bit greedy? And would Sumeru agree to that?"

“Since you’re willing to share it, you’re already prepared to share everything.” Richard was quite certain about this.

As for whether his move was worth the licensing of these technologies, that's a matter of opinion. Even if it wasn't, Fontaine could just make some more concessions. In any case, these technologies would definitely be acquired.

However, Nasita didn't actually care that Richard used all the technology; it wasn't that she wanted to repay his kindness in saving her.

However, some of the technologies involved are simply too advanced for Sumeru to industrialize in its current state.

On the one hand, almost all the sages of the Academy were wiped out, and the research teams under those sages were also greatly affected as a result.

After all, the leader is quite important in a research team, and even if a new leader is appointed, it will take time for them to get to know each other.

In this way, apart from certain core technologies that cannot be leaked, it is also possible to cooperate with Fontaine to develop advanced technologies accumulated by other educational institutions.

It doesn't matter who uses it, it's still useful.

Moreover, it should be noted that Fontaine is a well-known industrial powerhouse with a far more comprehensive industrial system than Sumeru. Even if Sumeru is really hiding something, many projects will probably still have to be carried out in Fontaine in the end.

After discussing it, Funina quickly reached an agreement with Richard that they would accept the entire list of technologies that Sumeru had sent over.

The specific details were left to be discussed by subordinates, and with that, the matter of Sumeru came to an end.

However, in the foreseeable future, Fontaine's economy will also enter a stage of rapid development, much like Mount Sumeru.

At that time, people's living standards and quality of life will undergo tremendous changes.

And all of this is thanks to those few wise men of the Church who, for some unknown reason, went completely mad.

"Speaking of which, is the reason why the Fatui are cooperating with the Order of the Fathers this time also because they want the Heart of the Grass God?" Funina asked.

“Yes, Lady Funina.” Richard nodded, but then he remembered that in addition to the [Skirmishers], the [Doctor] was also on the mission in Sumeru, so he added another sentence.

"We cannot rule out the possibility that there may be other motives."

"Other purposes?" Funina asked, puzzled. She knew very little about the Fatui, and the only Enforcer she had ever truly encountered was a nightmare she didn't want to recall.

In her mind, the purpose of the Fools should only be the Heart of God.

If the Fools have other motives, then whether Fontaine, who has already handed over the Heart of the Water God, will still become their target is something she, as the Prime Minister of Fontaine, needs to consider.

The fact that Funina could come up with such an idea clearly makes her a qualified Prime Minister of Fontainebleau.

“Organizations are all made up of people, and people are never short of little schemes. So, apart from helping Queen Winter seize the Heart of God, every executive officer has some selfish motives to some extent,” Richard said.

"And the Doctor is one of the best among them, and his behavior is mostly unacceptable to worldly morality."

In short, it's inhuman and very anthropomorphic.

"He sounds like a very dangerous person," Clarind commented.

“He’s a very dangerous person. I wouldn’t want to have too much contact with him unless absolutely necessary,” Richard replied.

You can't kill them by hitting them, and even if you kill one, another one will just appear out of nowhere. So is slicing them up really reasonable?

Richard had a minor conflict with the Doctor a long time ago. The reason was simple: the Doctor was obsessed with research and wanted to study Richard. The result was obvious: Richard, who already disliked the Doctor's usual behavior, finally found a reason to start a fight.

The conflict ended with the Doctor losing dozens of slices and was mediated by Queen Winter.

This incident caused a sensation within the Fatui that was second only to the later killing of the previous [Servant] by the 'King' he had raised. After all, although there had been battles between the two Executors, this was the first time one had been so intense.

Especially after seeing the second-in-command, the Doctor, completely powerless against Richard, like a chick waiting to be slaughtered, the shock was indescribable.

After all, within the Fools at the time, the impression of Richard, this special executive officer, was limited to his outstanding leadership and governance abilities.

Unexpectedly, such a civil official was able to suppress the military officer, the "Doctor," with a crushing force.

From then on, the Fools were in a state of harmony and efficiency. Richard's orders, even those that bypassed his subordinates, were carried out without hesitation.

Perhaps this is what is called strong-arm politics?

Upon hearing Richard's words, both Furnessa and Claurinde wore expressions of disbelief.

Especially Funina, whose face was tense as she asked, "Even you can't do anything about that 'Doctor'?"

“It’s not that there’s no way to deal with it, it’s just very troublesome. To use a specific adjective, it’s like cockroaches. You never know if the one you’re crushing now will be the last one,” Richard said.

Of course, if Richard wanted to, there were solutions. One option was to use his authority to eliminate it from the root, but the power required to do so would likely offend the heavens. Another option was to hunt down the entire Teyvat until not a single fragment remained, but the cost would be obvious and extremely time-consuming.

Therefore, neither option is worthwhile, so Richard wouldn't consider killing the Doctor unless the Doctor provoked him.

At most, we'll meet and casually erase a slice of each other.

It's like encountering a cockroach at home. Even if you can't find the cockroach hiding in your house, you can still step on this one in front of you and kill it.

"I don't really understand, but in any case, they probably won't come to Fontainebleau, right?" Funina asked.

“No, because the servant also dislikes the other party, well… perhaps you could say he’s hostile,” Richard said.

When the word "servant" was mentioned, Fryna's expression became somewhat unnatural. Compared to the seemingly difficult-to-get-along-with "Doctor," Fryna was clearly more afraid of "servants."

After all, the "Doctor" was only a rumor, while the "servant" Funina had indeed suffered quite a bit at his hands.

Although she wasn't injured, the psychological trauma inflicted on Funina by her opponent was immense.

“Hostiles…So there’s discord even within the Fools?” Clarind remarked.

“Where there are people, there will be conflict; that holds true everywhere,” Richard said.

"Which faction were you in when you were with the Fools?" Funina asked curiously, knowing that Richard had previously been with the Fools.

Clarinde also pricked up her ears in curiosity.

"Me? I belong to the neutral faction."

The so-called neutral faction means: if you don't mess with me, we'll live in peace; but if you dare to provoke me... one hit each!

Incidentally, at that time, disobeying orders was also considered provocation. After several attempts to reason with him, the officers finally agreed to listen to him calmly.

"That sounds a bit like Clarinde," Furina remarked, adding that the term "neutral" sounded like something a fence-sitter would say.

"Lady Furina, I'm still here," Clorind said with a hint of resentment. Who would speak ill of someone in front of their face?

Shouldn't they all be said quietly?

Putting aside the facts, wasn't her being a fence-sitter all due to being forced by circumstances?

It is wise to be discerning and adaptable.

"In short, apart from the top three executives, the rest of the Fools are essentially still 'human,' so there's no need to worry too much."

“I heard that recently the servant wanted to arrange a meeting with you through Linney to apologize for your previous ‘rude’ behavior, but you seemed to have refused,” Richard said to Funina, as if he had thought of something.

"Is...is that so?" Funina's face stiffened slightly, but she still put on a magnanimous act and said, "It's okay, I've already stopped thinking about it. As for meeting...I've been too busy with work lately, let's do it another day, another day."

Funina really didn't want to see the "servant" again. Every time she met him, it reminded her of what happened that night, and that feeling of helplessness only subsided when Richard was by her side.

So it's best to skip meeting alone. Even if we do meet, Richard has to be by my side. It wouldn't matter if Claudia is there.

“Actually, there probably won’t be any more meetings like this in the future. The House of Hearths has decided to gradually withdraw its influence from Fontaine,” Richard said.

"Really?" Funina's eyes lit up, but she quickly realized that she had been too obvious, so she coughed to cover it up: "Ahem, forces like the House of Hearths are a kind of destabilizing factor in Fontaine. If they could disappear from Fontaine, it would be a good thing for Fontaine now."

When is she leaving?

"After I've met you once."

Funina:? ? ?

Chapter 219 Making a Settlement

The servant insists on seeing me before he will leave.

When Fu Ningna heard this, she was completely stunned. What grudge could they possibly have?

Is this a targeted attack?

If she could, Funina would like to tell [Servant] that everyone has their own dreams and lives a wonderful life, and that it would be better if [Servant] we never saw each other again.

Unfortunately, it cannot be said.

That makes it sound like she's really afraid of the other person... Well, she really is a little afraid.

Even after so much time has passed, Funina still trembles uncontrollably when she thinks about what happened that night, and wants to find a blanket to hide under.

To put it another way, if the past five hundred years of experience were torture for Funina, then the "servant" was a complete psychological trauma.

"Why does she insist on seeing me before she leaves?" Funina was puzzled. She couldn't understand why the other person would still insist on seeing her after she had already given her the Heart of God.

"Shouldn't we be talking about the House of Hearths?" Richard had more or less guessed what the servant was thinking.

Despite her seemingly indifferent demeanor, she is indeed emotionally detached, though she is surprisingly patient with children.

At least since the servant took over the Hearth House, the living conditions inside have indeed improved significantly.

The fireplace house is what we call a home now; before, it was just a fireplace with firewood and children inside.

“Shouldn’t the House of Hearths have been evacuated with her?” Furnessa frowned.

"You'll have to ask the servant," Richard said, indicating that he didn't know either.

Ultimately, Richard is no longer the executor of the Fools and knows very little about their internal reshuffles.

He was told most of the news by Lynette.

As for Lynette, although she is a member of the House of Hearth, she has now been excluded from the inner circle by the [Servants]. Strictly speaking, Lynette is an unofficial member of the House of Hearth.

The claim reported to the Fools' Headquarters was that it was a spy hidden within the Fontaine government.

You wouldn't believe it, our cat is a double agent.

Now that the House of Hearths plans to leave Fontaine, Lynette will face a choice: stay in Fontaine or go with the House of Hearths to Winter.

"Can't you ask for me? I remember you had a pretty good relationship with the [servant], right?" Funina said with a bitter face.

“Not bad?” Richard’s expression was strange. What made you misunderstand this?

"Isn't that right? When the little whale caused a ruckus in Fontainebleau last time, didn't they come to your aid?"

"It's just a transaction."

“Even if it’s a transaction, if someone really dislikes you, they can refuse, right?” Funina said. Based on her intuition as a woman, she could tell that the servant’s affection for Richard was extraordinary.

Although the woman looked at everyone with the same indifferent gaze as if they were dead, her expression changed when her eyes fell on Richard.

...as if looking at a living person.

Well, that description might not be entirely accurate, but Funina could definitely sense the changes in the other person.

It's also possible that the servant only treated Richard differently because of his abilities.

But no matter what, it's better than her having to deal with the servants herself, right?

Funina didn't want to get entangled with him any further.

"You may have some misunderstandings about 'servants.' When facing a treasure as precious as the Heart of God, all personal feelings can be avoided. And you may not know that when I made Lynette my personal secretary, it was essentially an act of poaching a 'servant.'"

“Due to some personal experiences she had in her early years, the servant is particularly intolerant of betrayal. To be honest, the only reason she let Lynette go was because she couldn’t beat me,” Richard said.

When he proposed taking Lynette away, the servant fought him—a real fight, with every move aimed at his vital points, showing no mercy to his partner of many years.

It's worth noting that when the [Servant] was arrested for murdering the previous [Servant], he even wrote a letter to Queen Winter to plead for leniency.

Although he knew that even if he didn't plead for leniency, the other party would most likely be pardoned, it didn't stop Richard from currying favor.

Keep in mind that Richard had just arrived in Fontainebleau to begin his political career, and the partnership he had agreed to have was taken away, which greatly affected his plans.

Richard, however, pleaded for the current "servant," Arecino, and said that she would be a good "partner."

Even if they are servants, we must acknowledge this kindness.

In fact, Richard prefers this generation of "Servant" to the previous one. One reason is their strength, and another is that Arecino is straightforward, unlike the previous "Servant" Kugavina who had her own ulterior motives. Working with Arecino is much easier than working with Kugavina.

At least there's no need to worry that Richard might one day want to physically switch partners.

If this former executor, who had already left the Fools, were to kill a current executor, it would be quite troublesome to deal with the situation.

It seems we'll need to help the Fools obtain a Heart of God to appease them.

The servant's sudden attack on Funina last time was indeed unexpected by Richard.