Lucien clutched the straps of his backpack tightly, his eyes wandering across his surroundings. Birds sang overhead, hidden animals rustled through the brush, and slimes drifted lazily across the path.
Ahead of him, Clorinde walked steadily, staying close to Petronilla's side.
He couldn't believe it—he was finally leaving the forest. A wide smile spread across his face.
The world of Genshin, huh? He grinned. Well, here I come.
With a rush of excitement, he jogged forward to catch up with the others.
The forest soon opened up a quaint village that came into view—Plaisir, known for its golden wheat fields.
This was his first time seeing it—fields stretching endlessly in every direction. So this is where most of Fontaine's flour comes from, he thought.
And at the heart of it all stood the large town of Plaisir, with towering windmills. Men and women worked hard in the fields, harvesting for the season.
Wow, why the hell didn't I ever see this in the game? It feels way more alive—so many different kinds of people everywhere.
They continued making their way toward the entrance, but came to a halt as a group of uniformed men stepped in front of them, large robots standing by their side.
"Oh my god, it looks so cool!" Lucien exclaimed, his eyes wide as he admired the Gardemeks.
"Hold there. your identification," one of the officers said.
"Is this really necessary, Joseph?" Petronilla asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's procedure," he replied with a serious look.
"Fine," she sighed, handing over her identification.
He nodded and returned it. "And what about these little ones?" he asked, glancing at Lucien and Clorinde.
Petronilla hesitated for a moment before answering,
"They… don't have any. They were abandoned," she said.
"Oh, I see," Joseph said, his expression softening. "And I'm guessing you took them in?"
"Yes, I haven't gotten around to getting them the proper paperwork. Could you help me with that?"
He sighed. "Petronilla, you know I'd help, but you'll have to go through the proper channels for that. I'm assuming you're heading to the Court of Fontaine? They're at the Palais Mermonia— they should be able to sort the two of them out."
"Figures," Petronilla murmured.
'That's easy?'Lucien thought to himself. Well, it's better to have proper paperwork than not.
"So, what's your names?" Joseph asked.
"I'm Lucien!"
"I'm Clorinde!"
They both called out.
He nodded his head. "Make sure you behave, alright?" Joseph patted their heads.
"Yes, sir," they both responded.
"Now you guys are free to enter," Joseph said, stepping aside to allow them through.
"See you around," Petronilla waved, her back already turned as she walked away.
'Man, this is weird, getting patted on the head.' Lucien glared at the guy before turning his attention back to the Gardemeks. I want one.
Soon The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, making his mouth water.
Lucien glanced around, wide-eyed, taking it all in as people—young and old—strolled by. Children ran through the streets, laughing and playing without a care.
Lucien noticed Clorinde watching the children play, a quiet look in her eyes. It was to be expected—neither of them had a proper childhood. Most of their time had been spent in dangerous situations under their master's strict guidance. Just thinking back to the time she threw them into a river as infants gave him goosebumps.
What did Master have planned for them in the future?
He shiver at that thought.
"You two stay here. I'll go get the tickets for the voyage," Petronilla said before walking off.
Left behind, Clorinde and Lucien sat by a nearby fountain, their legs swinging back and forth as they waited.
He took a deep breath. This is life. No more coming home to beer bottles flying or living in fear of getting beaten.
But then the real question hit him as he watched a group of children run past.
"Come on, let's go play!"
MONEY.
He rubbed his hands together. "Well, here it's called Mora," he muttered to himself, already beginning to plan. But for now, he'd continue with Master's training. Eventually, he figured, joining Fontaine's law enforcement might be his best shot. It seemed like the most solid path forward.
But there was another part he'd been avoiding—who, or what, had put him here? There had to be another force at play. Not that he was complaining, but still… why him? Why would someone like him get pulled into a world like this? There had to be a reason.
And was he the only one? Probably not.
Then it hit him—his eyes widened in shock. If Genshin was real… then there was a chance other video game worlds, or even anime worlds, could exist too!
Holy shit.
But soon, he calmed himself down.
It wouldn't matter anyway. He sighed. It's not like he had the power to reach those worlds—even if they did exist. And what would be the point? He had a human lifespan.
Might as well just enjoy the time he had here.
Clorinde looked at him, tilting her head.
"What's wrong, brother?"
"Nothing much," he replied with a sigh. "Just wondering what kind of torment Master's going to put us through next."
"Maybe she'll toss you into the middle of the forest all by yourself."
"She wouldn't do that! And by 'you,' you mean us, right?"
Lucien looked her dead in the eye—she was serious. Now that he thought about it… yeah, that did sound like something Master would do. The thought of being alone in a forest with no direction sent a chill down his spine.
Then, out of nowhere, a ball flew straight at him, smacking him in the head and knocking him backward into the fountain with a splash.
Laughter echoed around as Lucien remained in the water
Why does this always happen to him? The sting from the impact was bad enough, but his pride hurt even more, especially with all the kids laughing at him.
Clorinde stepped into the water, looking down at him. She didn't laugh but instead reached out her hand.
He took it, and she helped him out of the fountain.
Then, with a cold, intense glare, Clorinde stared at the kids, making them spook and run off.
"Thank you," Lucien whispered.
He rubbed the back of his head, wincing from the pain of hitting the hard surface of the fountain.
"No one laughs at my brother but me," Clorinde said with a serious face.
'At least she somewhat cares for me, but now I'm soaking wet!'
"I see you guys are having fun Petronilla said
"Do I look like I'm having fun? I'm soaking wet!" Lucien grumbled. "Those little runts hit me with the ball. Where are they?" He looked around. "Let me teach them a lesson—cowards probably got scared off."
Petronilla chuckled. "Ah, Lucien, lucky it's hot todayYou'll be dry in no time. And besides, this is the nation of Hydro—get used to it."
Got damn it I hate behind soak wet make feel walk weird with all these clothes
"Now we should get something to eat," Petronilla suggested.
Lucien's eyes lit up at the mention of food—he was starving.
They sat outside the restaurant, Lucien still dripping wet and drawing odd looks from passing adults, as if he were some wild child.
As they waited for their food, Clorinde spoke up.
"Master, when can we continue our training?"
'What the hell! I'm trying to enjoy a day off.' Lucien cried.
Petronilla tapped the table slowly, her voice calm and deliberate. "As soon as we're settled, I'll have you both Start learn how to track your prey." She smiles "so be patient"
"Yes my sweet sister please be patient he glare at her"
As soon as the food arrived, Lucien devoured every bite, not leaving a single crumb behind. My god, the food here is amazing.
"So, Master, what time does the boat even leave?" Lucien asked as he wiped his face with a napkin.
"In a few hours," Petronilla replied. "But it's best we get there early so we can settle into our rooms."
"Rooms?"
"Yes, rooms. The boat we're taking is a standard passenger vessel—it's carrying hundreds of people to the Court of Fontaine. And of course, it takes three days to get there by boat."
"Right… I forgot it was three days. My god, this better not be a terrible experience," Lucien muttered.
"What was that, Lucien?" Petronilla asked, not quite catching his words.
"Nothing!" he quickly replied.
Clorinde then let out a loud burp. "I'm finished!" she said, rubbing her belly with satisfaction.
"It seems we're finished. Let's head out, young ones." Petronilla dropped a Mora on the table, and they made their way through the lively streets. As they reached the edge of the town, the bustling docks came into view.
A large ship stood waiting—painted in rich blue and gold, its size impressive, easily capable of carrying large amount of people
People were already boarding, some chatting excitedly, others dragging their bags behind them.
"Wow, it's beautiful!" Lucien shouted in awe.
Clorinde nodded in agreement, both of them staring at the vessels in admiration.
"It was crafted by the engineers of Fontaine," Petronilla said, walking behind them.
So they're not just regular machines, huh. Lucien thought. I wonder what powers these ships? They don't look anything like the ones from my home. "Wait, what the hell is that?" Lucien squinted, spotting something soaring through the sky.
"That's an aircraft," Petronilla said.
Yeah, no kidding, it's an aircraft.
'Why am I even surprised at this point?' Lucien thought as they slowly made their way up the ramp to board the boat. Petronilla handed over the tickets, and they entered.
Clorinde and Lucien immediately dashed toward the front, eagerly pressing against the railing, their eyes wide as they stared out at the open waters ahead.
In the distance, Lucien could make out the silhouette of mountains, and beyond them, lay the Court of Fontaine. How the hell would it take three days to get there? Sure, it looked far, but wait—how slow is this boat?