This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [452]

Inside the opera house.

When Luo Qing and the puppet vanished from the skies, the women below were left in stunned silence. Worry clouded their faces as they turned to Makoto at the center.

“Makoto
”

Ei’s voice trembled with concern. “Where is Luo Qing? Why can’t I sense his presence anymore?”

Makoto stood wordlessly, her gaze fixed on the spot in the sky where the two had disappeared.

After a long pause, she shook her head slightly and said in a quiet voice, “Luo Qing won’t be coming back... at least not for now.”

Her words left the women around her reeling.

“What?!”

“Makoto Auntie, where did Father go?”

Nahida’s voice was desperate, tears threatening to spill. “I can’t even find him through the World Tree...”

Bu'er spoke softly, “Makoto
 it might be better if you explained things to us clearly.”

“He
”

Makoto sighed softly, her gaze sweeping over the anxious faces around her. She spoke gently, “He’s no longer in our time or space. Don’t worry, though—he’ll be back in a few days.”

She smiled reassuringly, as though her words carried certainty.

But deep down, Makoto herself wasn’t sure if Luo Qing would return.

They stood at a crossroads of fate: one path leading to a future where Luo Qing still existed, and the other leading to a future where he was no more—leaving behind only traces of his past.

Makoto knew what it was like to have Luo Qing in her life, but she had also endured the pain of losing him.

At this juncture of destiny, the choice was his alone.

Even as someone who had been reborn, Makoto couldn’t see where the future would lead. All she could do was silently pray.

Until Luo Qing returned, she would do her best to hold the family together.

After all, the bond among the sisters was tied to Luo Qing’s presence. Without him, it was only a matter of time before they drifted apart and returned to their individual lives.

As the matriarch, it was her duty to preserve the unity he had forged.

As long as she lived, she would remain Luo Qing’s empress.

And as the empress, she would shoulder the responsibilities that came with the title!

“All right
 it’s getting late. We should head back. If the rain continues, the furniture at home will be soaked through,” Makoto said, shaking her head lightly. She glanced at Furina, who still sat despondent, and added, “Take her with us. I doubt she’d want to stay where she used to live. Rosalyne, make sure Mondstadt has a Fontaine-style room ready for her.”

Her words drew complicated looks from the other women.

They all understood what it meant to prepare a room for Furina in Mondstadt—it signified welcoming another sister into their family.

“Yes, Madam,” Rosalyne replied with a respectful nod.

She walked over to Furina and gently helped her to her feet.

Though Furina appeared utterly despondent, lost in her own thoughts, she wasn’t oblivious to what was happening around her.

Hearing Makoto’s decision to take her in, Furina couldn’t help but recall how Luo Qing had defended her in recent days. Memories of her people in Fontaine flashed through her mind.

Becoming part of Luo Qing’s family
 perhaps it was the better choice.

As Rosalyne supported Furina and the group prepared to leave, a streak of blue light descended from the sky.

It was Neuvillette.

“Where are you taking Furina?”

“Ah, Neuvillette,” Makoto replied calmly, offering him a soft smile. “The crisis that required our help has been resolved. Don’t you think it’s time we returned home?”

“And Furina
?”

Neuvillette began to question further, but Makoto interrupted him.

“Furina is now part of our family. Taking her home shouldn’t be an issue, should it?”

“
”

“If you’re unsure, feel free to ask Furina yourself.”

Neuvillette hesitated, his gaze shifting to Furina.

At that moment, Furina raised her head and met his eyes.

In that instant, Neuvillette understood.

She no longer wished to remain tied to the Palais Mermonia.

“Very well. I’ll leave her in your care, Makoto. If anything arises, you can always contact me.”

“No rush,” Makoto replied with a slight shake of her head, smiling faintly. “Why don’t we wait until you’ve dealt with your own troubles first?”

Exchanging a glance with Ei, Makoto nodded.

Suddenly, a peal of thunder echoed through the darkened sky.

As everyone turned their eyes to the heavens, Makoto and her companions vanished without a trace.

"Troubles..."

Neuvillette murmured, recalling Makoto’s cryptic words.

As he pondered what “troubles” she had been referring to, the opera house, now in ruins, emitted a deep, resonant whale cry.

Above the audience seats, space itself shattered, and a massive deep-blue whale emerged, gliding majestically through the rift.

---

Back at Luo Qing’s home.

As the thunder dissipated, Makoto and her companions reappeared in their home.

The moment they arrived, Makoto began organizing the women, directing them to construct a defensive barrier around the house. It would block anything—or anyone—from entering.

In the living room, Furina, left to rest, finally began to regain some of her composure.

Watching the women bustling around outside, she couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing
?”

Makoto smiled gently and replied, “We’re preparing for the prophecy, Furina.”

“The prophecy
”

The mention of that word caused Furina’s expression to darken once more. Tears welled in her eyes and fell freely down her cheeks.

“It’s too late
 Everything is already too late,” she murmured, her voice breaking. “I couldn’t stop it
”

For five hundred years, she had borne the weight of the truth alone.

She had deceived Celestia, hoping to shield Fontaine from the prophecy’s calamity.

Each day, she awaited the grand trial to come.

But in the end, the one judged
 was herself.

Now that her identity had been exposed, the prophecy was sure to unfold.

“It’s not too late.”

Makoto’s voice remained soft, her hand gently clasping Furina’s.

“Luo Qing isn’t here right now, so let me speak for him
”

“For him
?”

“These five hundred years
 You’ve worked so hard.”

With that, Makoto pulled Furina into a warm embrace, gently stroking her back.

“Your sacrifices won’t be in vain.”

Holding Furina’s hand, Makoto led her outside onto the street.

Before Furina could question why, the ground trembled beneath their feet.

The next moment, a surge of seawater rose to the sky, engulfing Fontaine’s walls and flooding the city entirely.

Only the very tip of the Palais Mermonia remained visible above the waves.

---

This is a fan translation of ćŽŸç„žïŒšèż™äžȘ见äč æ‰§èĄŒćź˜ć€Ș汑äș† by 䜕䞀äč. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!