Genshin Impact: Transmigrated as Furina's Second Personality

Thus, Vigneire, Aishi, and the other emissaries of Oceanid remained in Aaru Village. However, to maintain appearances, they began to operate covertly from that point forward.

During the day, they stayed hidden, emerging only after sunset.

Daytime classes were rescheduled to begin after dusk, ending at 10 PM. Once the lessons concluded, they would venture out under the cover of night to irrigate the fields.

The days passed like this, one after another, until a week had gone by.

On this particular day, Aishi seemed preoccupied. As she taught the children, her voice lacked its usual vitality. Her dejected demeanor was so apparent that even the youngest students noticed something was wrong.

Yet, she confided in no one.

It wasn't until 10 PM, when the children had gone home, that she finally broke down. Closing the doors of the schoolhouse, she burst into tears.

"Why? Why is this happening?!"

She cried to Vigneire.

"We're here to do good things! We're doing this for everyone's benefit!"

"So why can't we gain anyone's recognition?!"

"We're engaged in righteous and kind deeds, not some shameful, despicable acts. Why must we live like rats scurrying in the sewers?!"

"What did we do wrong to deserve this? Why do we have to hide in the shadows?!"

"Sob… I can't take this life of evasion anymore!"

"Sister Vigneire, I'm at my limit. I'm under so much pressure—I want to go back to Fontaine!"

Hearing this, Vigneire gently comforted Aishi.

"I understand your distress, but Aishi, we are Lady Furina's faithful retainers."

"Our mission is a just one. Why do we need the recognition of others to validate it?"

"Think about the people of the desert. Their suffering is immeasurable—can you bear to leave them behind?"

Aishi paused, her expression conflicted. "No… I can't. I care deeply for everyone here."

"Exactly."

Vigneire smiled softly. "As long as the desert's people can lead better lives, as long as we fulfill Lady Furina's wishes, isn't our hardship worthwhile?"

Gradually, under Vigneire's gentle words, Aishi's emotions settled.

However, outside the tightly closed doors of the schoolhouse, more than a dozen parents who had come to pick up their children had heard Aishi's cries and Vigneire's comforting words.

With their children beside them, they fell silent.

Indeed, emissaries of the divine.

How noble were their statuses, yet they lived such humble lives alongside them.

That alone was astonishing enough.

But now, because of pressure from the Akademiya, these divine emissaries had been forced to live like rats in the sewers.

Their esteemed guests had sacrificed so much for the people of the desert.

And now, even these godly retainers—sent here to aid them—had been reduced to tears by the Akademiya's bullying.

The emissaries had come solely to help them, yet they couldn't even protect their benefactors?

The desert people lacked many things. But what they did not lack was a sense of honor and blood-boiling fervor.

Outside the tightly closed schoolhouse doors, the parents stood in mutual silence. They did not want the emissaries to know they had overheard.

But whether child or adult, every hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging, their faces filled with resentment.

Their long-standing hatred and dissatisfaction with the rainforest and the Akademiya swelled to an unprecedented degree.

They silently slowed their steps, retreating without making a sound.

Yes, they chose silence as a way to preserve the dignity of their divine emissaries.

Inside the schoolhouse, after sensing the people outside had left, Aishi dried her tears, and Vigneire stopped her comforting words.

Exchanging glances, they nodded to each other, bringing their meticulously orchestrated performance to a close.

The next day, on the surface, it seemed as though no one in Aaru Village knew what had happened the night before.

But in reality, the parents who had overheard quickly spread the news among the villagers.

The Akademiya repeatedly claimed that the desert was part of Sumeru, yet over the years, the rainforest had treated the desert people with disdain, barely sparing them a glance.

Meanwhile, Lady Furina, a god from beyond the desert, had traveled across nations to aid them, bearing the risks of diplomatic conflict.

They were family in name only—never truly recognized by the rainforest.

Yet an outsider's god had extended a hand of mercy to help them.

It was no wonder the emissaries felt wronged.

They were here to do good, to aid the desert, to build a better future for generations to come—yet they were forced to live like rats in the sewers.

Why should villains get to hold their heads high?

Why must their benefactors be so downtrodden?

The desert people lacked many things, but what they didn't lack was blood-boiling fervor.

The events of the previous night quickly spread, drawing mercenaries from across the desert to Aaru Village.

These mercenaries, often at odds with one another in their fight for resources, now stood unified under a shared cause: gratitude and vengeance.

And the reason was simple.

Like those who lived lives of crime but dreamed of a better future for their children, these desert mercenaries understood the harshness of their way of life.

They, too, wanted something better for their descendants—a life where children could study with books instead of fighting for survival in the harsh sands.

A life where their children could see the lush, vibrant world beyond the desert.

And so, mercenaries from all corners gathered, forming a protective perimeter around Aaru Village.

They became lines of defense, barring anyone from the rainforest from entering the village.

Their motivation was clear.

"For Lady Furina! For the emissaries!"

"For the future of the desert! For generations to come!"

Fierce mercenaries raised their curved blades amid the sandstorms, the flames of rebellion burning ever brighter.

They blocked all rainforest intrusions into Aaru Village, allowing the divine emissaries to live openly once more.

The rainforest's long-standing prejudice against the desert and the Akademiya's denial of water from Fontaine had sparked unprecedented resentment among the desert people.

No longer content to protect Aaru Village alone, the mercenaries expanded their efforts.

They began to blockade the entrance at Caravan Ribat, barring any rainforest individuals from entering the desert.

Such actions naturally fueled discontent among the rainforest people.

This discontent came to a head three days later.

On that day, a senior scholar from the Akademiya planned to lead a team to explore the ruins of King Deshret's civilization.

For scholars, time and funding were always limited—especially for an entire team.

But the mercenaries refused to let anyone pass into the desert.

Frustrated, several hot-headed scholars argued with the mercenaries, their tempers flaring. In a fit of anger, one shoved a mercenary.

That push ignited the desert people's long-simmering fury.

A fierce clash erupted at the entrance to Caravan Ribat between the rainforest scholars and the desert mercenaries.

Fortunately, the narrow terrain prevented large numbers from joining the fray.

While there were many injuries, no lives were lost.

Even so, the incident had far-reaching consequences, sparking outrage in the rainforest.

Many rainforest residents believed the desert people had deliberately instigated the conflict, further deepening their dissatisfaction.

The Akademiya seized the opportunity to release an official statement:

"The desert people, crude and unruly, have maliciously attacked our citizens. The Akademiya strongly condemns such vile acts. To ensure the safety of rainforest citizens and their property, Caravan Ribat's entrance to the desert will be closed effective immediately. All travel through the route is hereby forbidden."

In Fontaine.

Inside her office, Felina set down the latest reports regarding Sumeru.

She was well aware of everything: Aishi's efforts in the desert, the shifting sentiments among the desert people, and the escalating conflict between the desert and the rainforest.

In truth, all of this was part of her larger scheme to divide the desert.

As previously stated, following the Archon War, the Seven Nations' borders had been firmly established by Celestia to prevent further conflicts.

While the idea of annexing the desert into Fontaine was attractive, such an action would never be publicly acceptable.

If word spread that the Hydro Archon had invaded another nation's territory, how would the other Archons perceive it?

If you can seize land from Sumeru, what's to stop you from encroaching on Liyue, Natlan, or Mondstadt?

Alternatively, might others feel justified in invading Fontaine's territory in turn?

At the very least, such actions would damage Fontaine's international reputation across Teyvat.

In future negotiations and diplomatic relations, Fontaine would be viewed with suspicion and hostility, severely limiting its influence.

Moreover, this move lacked moral justification. Snezhnaya, which harbored resentment towards Fontaine and sought the Hydro Archon's Gnosis, could use it as a pretext to launch an invasion under the guise of righteousness.

Thus, the most effective approach was to achieve her goal without shedding a single drop of blood. She would make Sumeru willingly cede the desert, and the desert itself would voluntarily pledge allegiance to Fontaine.

To achieve this, Felina faced two major challenges.

First, how could she compel the Akademiya to relinquish control of the desert?

Second, how could she ensure the desert people's wholehearted willingness to join Fontaine?

To meet these challenges and seamlessly annex the desert into Fontaine's territory, Felina began her meticulous planning.

First, she visited Cagnina Port to meet the desert refugees who had fled to Fontaine, signaling her respect and concern for the desert people while hinting at her willingness to bring rain to the arid lands.

This laid the groundwork in advance.

Next, she dispatched Vigneire and her team to Aaru Village to aid the desert people. Their tasks included spreading faith and waiting for the right moment to support her upcoming strategies.

Afterward, she embarked on a state visit to Sumeru, leveraging the resolution of the Irminsul crisis and the creation of a new deity for Sumeru as bargaining chips to persuade the Akademiya to surrender the desert.

Once the Akademiya agreed, her focus shifted to the desert people.

Winning over the desert populace required two conditions.

First, Fontaine needed to earn their trust, making them believe in Fontaine and in Furina.

Second, while the desert people harbored deep-seated grievances against the rainforest, many still held onto hope for reconciliation.

This hope had to be extinguished. Only by breaking their illusions about the rainforest could they fully embrace Fontaine.

To this end, Felina requested cooperation from the Akademiya while instructing Vigneire, Aishi, and the others to escalate tensions between the desert and the rainforest.

Under Felina's direction, the Akademiya publicly rejected her proposal to bring rain to the desert.

This was the first step in stoking conflict between the rainforest and the desert.

Then, while Aishi's team diligently aided the desert people, the Akademiya escalated matters by lodging diplomatic protests against Fontaine.

Vigneire and the others used this as an excuse to claim they could no longer withstand the Akademiya's pressure and would have to leave the desert.

This was the second step in deepening the rift.

Subsequently, Aishi's nighttime breakdown, coupled with Vigneire's theatrical reassurance, further inflamed tensions.

With the growing discord, the desert people's resentment toward the Akademiya and the rainforest intensified. They eventually blocked the sole passage between the rainforest and the desert.

Yesterday, the shove from an Akademiya scholar further escalated the conflict, triggering a skirmish at Caravan Ribat.

Seizing the opportunity, the Akademiya, still under Felina's influence, released a statement officially sealing the border and banning all passage between the rainforest and the desert.

Inside her office, Felina gazed at the report on her desk, a faint, enigmatic smile gracing her lips.

"The desert is barren and impoverished. Almost all its supplies come through that single passage to Caravan Ribat for purchase and replenishment."

"Desert merchants frequently venture to the rainforest to procure goods for resale back home."

"Now, with the Akademiya's blockade, they've essentially cut off nearly all of the desert's lifelines."

"People cannot live without food. With the Akademiya severing the desert's last means of survival, it won't be two weeks before a larger conflict erupts!"

Of course, Felina didn't truly wish for war between the desert and the rainforest. However, the desert made up half of Sumeru's territory.

If nothing significant happened before handing over such a vast portion of the nation, the Akademiya would face intense criticism from the rainforest populace.

Thus, to divide the desert effectively, it wasn't enough for the desert people to resent the rainforest; the rainforest people had to despise the desert in turn, viewing it as a barbaric land better off excised.

Only under such conditions could the Akademiya justify ceding the desert to Fontaine in a legitimate and orderly manner.

In Neuvillette's office.

Neuvillette, too, had learned about the escalating conflict between the rainforest and the desert in Sumeru.

Normally, he wouldn't concern himself with another nation's affairs. But now, he had no choice but to pay attention.

When Felina first shared her plan to divide the desert, Neuvillette had expressed reservations.

He believed this could potentially ignite wars across nations.

Moreover, the desert, with its relentless sands, would require immense resources to rehabilitate. For any nation, it was a costly and unprofitable burden.

He insisted that Felina's gamble—annexing the desert at such great expense and risk—would only strain Fontaine's finances, yielding little return.

However, Felina argued that she needed more faith to address Fontaine's foretold crisis, and securing the desert was a key step toward this goal.

As for managing the desert's harsh environment?

Felina confidently assured him that if she acquired the desert, she wouldn't need a single Mora from Fontaine's treasury to restore its landscape.

Furina was the highest authority, and Neuvillette, in name, her subordinate.

He had questioned her plan out of concern for recklessness—his lingering impression of Furina as impulsive hadn't entirely faded.

Moreover, it was his duty as a subordinate to highlight potential risks to his ruler.

Yet, seeing her meticulous arrangements and seamless execution, Neuvillette realized that Furina's strategy was nearly flawless.

"Remarkable."

Furina's boldness and vision, her deft maneuvering in the complex game of international politics, left Neuvillette genuinely impressed.

He reflected inwardly—if he were in her position, he would never have had the audacity to conceive such a plan, let alone execute it so elegantly.

He couldn't even fathom orchestrating a strategy that seized half of another nation's territory without spilling a drop of blood.

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