"In truth, Lady Furina, your performance today was barely satisfactory…" Richard began, launching straight into an unrelenting critique. His sharp words stabbed into Furina's chest like a thorn, deflating the balloon named pride in an instant.
Furina's previously upright posture wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
"W-Was it really that bad?" she asked unwillingly. She honestly thought she'd done pretty well today, it had been one of her better showings.
She'd even held herself back a little in front of Richard. If she were to privately evaluate her own performance, she would've said: "That Yae Miko was really nothing special."
"Well… I wouldn't say it was bad exactly…" Richard paused, and Furina's face lit up with a hopeful expression.
"It's just that you're not on the same level."
Furina fell silent. She still couldn't accept that kind of sharp judgment. She comforted herself, muttering, "It's true, this great Hydro Archon is indeed on a higher level than that Yae Miko."
"If you mean the VIP box at the Opera Epiclese, then yes—you're right," Richard replied, with his usual diplomatic wit.
But he had to admit: even when it came to finding entertainment, Yae Miko was better than Furina. The difference was like comparing someone who made others the joke to someone who became the joke themselves.
If he had to sum up Furina in one line, Richard thought: 'She's a born comedic actress.'
"I'm good at other things too!" Furina protested, defending herself.
Richard glanced regretfully at a certain part of her anatomy a few inches above her waist. On certain fronts, she had already completely lost.
Still, kind-hearted Richard decided to console his superior. "But I will say this, you and Raiden Ei are on the same level."
Although he didn't know what exactly was happening in Inazuma, the moment the Sakoku Decree was enacted, Richard immediately knew: 'There's another powerhouse there.'
"Really?" Furina blinked, then regained her confident demeanor. "I knew it! I'm definitely not worse than anyone else!"
"In that case, Lady Furina, why didn't you read even the most basic background materials before the negotiation?" Richard bluntly exposed her shortcomings.
"Uhh… umm… Richard, would you like some macarons?" Furina suddenly presented her plate of sweets like a treasure, trying to bribe him with dessert.
"Let's forget about that for now. But please, Lady Furina, do take this as a lesson learned." Richard took the macaroon and popped it into his mouth, the overwhelming sweetness flooding his taste buds. He quickly sipped his bitter tea to balance it out.
"Richard, what if this negotiation fails? Or what if the outcome favors Inazuma too much…" Furina asked. She had a nagging feeling Richard had something up his sleeve.
"Lady Furina, sometimes even if a negotiation concludes, its implementation can run into many complications."
"Such as?"
"Well, take environmental issues for example. To my knowledge, many of Inazuma's industrial facilities don't actually meet Fontaine's environmental standards."
Furina looked puzzled. 'Why should Inazuma's emissions have to follow Fontaine's regulations? Wasn't this like using the laws of a previous dynasty to punish current officials?'
'Has Fontaine's influence really grown that powerful?'
Though rumors abounded that the God of Justice yearned to judge the other gods, Furina knew herself well enough, she didn't have the power to pass judgment on gods from other nations.
"Lady Furina, you don't need a reason to dislike someone. But when it comes to conflict between nations, you do need a reason, no matter how absurd it sounds."
"Besides, our reason is perfectly just: the ocean doesn't belong to any one nation, it belongs to all living things in Teyvat. Inazuma's unregulated waste discharge damages everyone's interests."
"That gives us ample justification to tear up the agreement and restart negotiations until we reach a result that suits us all," Richard explained with calm confidence.
"And what if Inazuma refuses to talk to us?" Furina asked.
"Even better. First, we'll stir public opinion with media headlines like:
{"Inazuma's Tatarigami Discharge Devastates Marine Ecosystems"}
{"The Hidden Dangers of Divine Corpses: Three Things Every Teyvat Citizen Should Know!''}
{"Kamisato Clan Head Suspected to be ill – Experts Say It Might Be Diabetes!"}
"Once the public reaction reaches a boiling point, our government steps in, stating that Inazuma's selfish actions are harming all of Teyvat. It's immoral and unjust. As a nation of justice, we will unilaterally suspend this cooperation and call on other countries to resist such unethical behavior," Richard added, the corner of his mouth curling up like a devil toying with hearts.
"I'm sure the other five nations wouldn't mind taking this opportunity to get a few benefits out of Inazuma either."
After hearing Richard's plan, Furina's face showed a complex expression. Although none of it had happened yet, she had a gut feeling that if the negotiation did go wrong, he'd really go through with it, and things would likely play out just as he described.
The only thing that puzzled Furina was…
'Why did that whole sequence sound so eerily familiar?'
Just like she'd seen it all before, especially that familiar manipulation of public opinion, those uncanny headline formats...
"Richard, why do you seem so good at this?" Furina narrowed her eyes at him, suspicion flickering in her usually intelligent heterochromatic gaze, now sharp as a blade.
"Lady Furina, people grow because they learn from past experiences," Richard said modestly, waving his hand. "I'm simply repeating the wisdom of those before me. I'm not the first to manipulate public opinion, I'm just the one doing it better now."
It wasn't in his nature to be like this. He was just... forced by circumstance.
You started it.jpg
"…Alright," Furina reluctantly accepted Richard's explanation. In truth, she didn't think Richard would ever intentionally harm her.
From her perspective, Richard was undoubtedly her most loyal and iron-willed subordinate, the savior who had repeatedly helped her out of crises. She couldn't even imagine what her career would be like without him.
What she didn't know was: without Richard, her time as the Minister might actually have gone a lot smoother. At the very least, if it were any other Fontaine official acting as her secretary general, they likely wouldn't be digging traps for their own boss.
The hardships in Furina's political career stemmed partly from her personality and abilities, and partly from Richard's tireless "efforts."
The world might have been smooth—until Richard walked through it.
What Richard hadn't expected, however, was just how straightforward Furina could be. If there was a pit, she'd fall right in. No hesitation. No warning. Just splat.
Realizing just how powerful public opinion could be, Furina made a decision.