A new god registering a familia is hardly a rare occurrence in the Pantheon.
The two of them simply signed the papers, received a curt "registration complete" in return, and walked away. The complete lack of fanfare left Sushang feeling a bit dazed.
She'd had the thought before, but this Guild... did it always feel so casual? Or perhaps, in this world, Familia and gods don't really require such a formal touch?
Unable to wrap her head around it, Sushang decided to stop overthinking. The familia was registered, and that meant she and Furina were officially part of the fold.
However...
"Um... Lady Focalors? Will the Falna be alright?"
Walking down the corridor, Sushang couldn't help but ask.
"No need for the 'Lady' title—just Focalors is fine." The other party wasn't her subject, or even from Teyvat, so the honorific felt entirely unnecessary.
Besides, it was she who was currently receiving the grace of their sect; she certainly didn't feel entitled to such deference.
"As for the Falna, you needn't worry. Your master's martial sister gifted me an artifact. Once I used it, I was no longer ignorant of how this world functions. Everything I need to know, including how to bestow a Falna, is already in my head."
She explained.
So that was it. She'd been overthinking things—to think a simple identity card could solve it all. Though, it probably wasn't the most basic entry-level card, but that hardly mattered now.
At the moment, they really didn't lack for that kind of validation.
"Oh, I see! That's a relief! Hehe, adventuring in another world! It's not every day we get an opportunity like this! It'd be great if little Gui were here; if she were streaming this, she'd definitely rack up a ton of fans!"
Little Gui? Streaming?
Focalors blinked. That was the friend she'd mentioned to Furina earlier, right?
Though the girl seemed blunt and spoke without a filter, she didn't seem to be hiding anything unspeakable, but Focalors felt it was best not to pry too deeply into that topic.
"When it comes to gaining followers, Furina might be able to offer some decent advice. In return, I hope you can provide some hands-on guidance for Furina regarding how to get stronger."
"Hehe, even if you give me advice, I doubt I'd remember it for long! But when it comes to getting stronger, I can definitely help with that!"
Focalors smiled. "I can write it down for you, but since our worlds are different, it's best if Furina applies your advice in a way that suits her reality. Regarding growing stronger, I want to thank you on her behalf, Sushang."
"It's nothing!"
Whether it was something or nothing, wasn't that for her to decide?
Focalors didn't dwell on it; to her, it seemed like a polite pleasantry. She had no idea, however, just what kind of grand gift Sushang would eventually bestow upon Furina.
Upon returning to the first floor, they saw Furina sitting back on the sofa, standing up the moment she caught sight of them.
The three of them gathered together and headed toward the door.
"Is our familia registered?" Furina naturally grouped the three of them together as one unit.
"Yes, the Focalors Familia."
The gentle and dignified god nodded.
"We're registered, but it doesn't look like we were assigned any... uh... base of operations?" Sushang scratched the back of her head. Were they going to be stuck sleeping in an inn from here on out?
"If it were just me, I could reside in Babel temporarily," Focalors noted.
Babel, located in the very heart of Orario, was the city's most iconic landmark.
The first underground floor was the entrance to the Dungeon, the ground floor served as the lobby, the second floor housed medical facilities and a casual eatery, the third was the exchange bureau, and floors four through eight housed the Hephaestus Familia branches.
Everything above the 20th floor was closed to the public—the residence of the gods—though only the most prominent of deities could reside there.
This "prominence," of course, referred not to their standing in the Heavens, but to their status within Orario.
Focalors could indeed stay there for a time, but long-term residence required the familia to have established a reputation.
Ironically, once a familia achieved a brilliant track record, the god had no need to reside in Babel anyway.
"Naturally, I have no intention of going there yet." If she were to go, she would do so with her head held high; she had no desire to be a god living off of charity.
She offered a faint smile. "That said, I don't actually have any of this world's currency. Did either of you bring any money?"
Sushang: ...Classic Hydro, classic god.
"I have some savings," Furina said. "Enough for us to stay here for a short while. Once we receive our Falna, we should be able to earn Valis in the Dungeon."
After saying this, she looked toward Focalors. She wasn't entirely sure if Focalors possessed the means of the gods in this world to bestow a 'Falna.'
While Furina felt it unlikely that Focalors would fail to deliver, it was better to confirm it now.
Seeing Focalors' face... how to put it? It was like looking into a mirror. Though she wasn't identical to the reflection, the matching features made Furina feel a bit uncomfortable for a moment.
"Constrained by the rules of this world, I cannot help you in that regard, but while you are away in the Dungeon, I will find ways to do my part."
Focalors' smile never wavered, which set Furina at ease.
The three of them finished dinner on the first floor of the inn and booked a room large enough for the three of them.
Their presence drew many eyes—gazes that lingered on the door even after they had entered their room.
Focalors could only imagine the stir it would cause if others discovered that someone with the same face as Furina was a god.
Fortunately, no one yet knew she was the god of a Familia.
Furthermore, they had learned that the process of bestowing a Falna and the revelation of one's ability stats were best kept hidden. The current environment wasn't exactly secure, which only strengthened the three of them in their resolve to purchase a proper residence of their own.
Even though Sushang assured them that she had already set up some measures around the room to prevent prying eyes, that resolve remained unshakable.
"Are you ready?"
Watching the two of them lying on the bed with their backs exposed, Focalors asked with a smile.
"We're ready when you are!"
Furina took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she was more anxious or excited.
Strength surpassing that of an ordinary person—this was a dream she had long coveted.
Yet, she worried about her own potential. Based on the intelligence they had gathered throughout the afternoon, the vast majority of adventurers in this city couldn't even reach Level 2.
What if she was the same...
Focalors, unaware of Furina's internal struggle, knelt on the bed. She drew a small incision on her fingertip, and a few beads of blood began to well up.
Even if she was an artificial construct, it seemed that, just like her own intuition had suggested, she possessed real blood after all.
She had been prepared to try another method if that hadn't worked.
Furina shared a supernatural connection with her, so using Furina's blood wasn't out of the question—thankfully, there had been no complications.
As the blood dripped onto their backs, a scale-like pattern appeared upon Furina's skin, and her status began to manifest.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL