"It's fine. After all, it's for that child... Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday. Just think of it as a token of my support." Lora almost let the words "that child" slip out. If she had, there would've been no way to brush it off.
"If it's about money, come to me. Just write it down and leave the rest to me."
Nilou looked at her as if she were staring at a walking treasury. She quickly bowed. "Thank you so much, Miss Lora! You're a benefactor to everyone in the Grand Bazaar!"
"Still," Lora added, "this is as far as I can help. As for the Akademiya stepping in, you'll have to deal with that yourselves." She didn't think much of the Akademiya, but she had no intention of openly tearing relations apart just yet.
Rules still had their place, especially before a goal was achieved.
Those who play politics rarely have clean hands.
Lora had ruled Fontaine for thousands of years. Did anyone really believe she was purely kind and benevolent?
Her heart wasn't exactly dirty, but her intentions weren't spotless either.
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll see this through! This is our birthday gift to Lesser Lord Kusanali. We'll make it happen!" Nilou nodded firmly.
With Lora as their major sponsor, renovations in the Grand Bazaar progressed smoothly. Stages that had once been left in disrepair due to budget constraints were now fully restored.
People throughout the Bazaar began praising Miss Lora for her beauty and kindness.
Before long, they were calling her the "Great Benefactor" behind her back.
Whenever she came by to check on things, children would run around shouting, "The Great Benefactor is here!" leaving her more than a little embarrassed.
Still, over time, she grew genuinely close to the people there.
…
When Lumine arrived, she found Lora standing behind a stall.
Not buying.
Selling.
"Come take a look! Bright and beautiful Padisarah! Grown with pure water! A Padisarah infused with Fontaine's essence! Cheap prices, don't miss out!" she called out enthusiastically.
Lumine: "…"
Paimon blinked, then turned to her. "Did we end up in the wrong Grand Bazaar? Why can't I see Lora?"
"Paimon… accept reality. That is Lora," Lumine said with a sigh.
"But… it's still so weird!" Paimon muttered, staring at the scene in disbelief.
"Huh? Wait, Lumine, look over there!"
Paimon suddenly spotted "Katheryne" walking past them.
"Katheryne? Why is she here?" Lumine's eyes widened. Seeing her away from the Adventurers' Guild felt completely out of place.
"Yeah, I thought she never left that counter!" Paimon nodded.
"Katheryne" approached the stall and quietly looked over the Padisarah on display.
Lora noticed her and smiled. "Would you like one? This is a Padisarah that hasn't bloomed in Sumeru for hundreds, even thousands of years. It was nurtured by Fontaine's pure waters."
"A Padisarah that hasn't bloomed in so long…" Katheryne's gaze lingered on the flowers, her voice tinged with quiet emotion. "Another new creation."
"What's wrong with something new? When the old fades away, what replaces it isn't necessarily worse," Lora said calmly.
"You're right. New things often carry the wonder of creation…" Katheryne agreed softly, then her tone dimmed. "But I can't take them with me."
"I've been out for quite some time. It's about time I return…"
"Do you like this kind of Padisarah?" Lora asked suddenly.
Katheryne paused, then turned back. Her eyes settled on the flowers once more. She nodded.
"Of course. Something fresh, something never seen before… who wouldn't like that?"
"Then next time, I'll bring you one," Lora said.
"For me…?" Katheryne seemed momentarily dazed. Then she smiled faintly. "Thank you. But I don't think… I'd have much use for it."
With that, she left without lingering.
…
Only after she was gone did Lumine and Paimon approach.
After greeting her, Paimon asked, "Lora, why are you running a stall here?"
"To recover my losses, obviously! Do you have any idea how expensive it is to host the Sabzeruz Festival?" Lora sighed. "When I sent the bill back, do you know what Hélie said? She said Neuvillette's face darkened so much he didn't even feel like drinking water anymore. Apparently, he spent three days and nights trying to figure out how I managed to spend that much."
"Uh… we know Hélie, but who's Neuvillette?" Paimon asked, puzzled.
"Huh? You don't know him?" Lora paused, then realized. She cleared her throat. "Oh, just an old acquaintance from Fontaine. We grew up sleeping by the same lake."
"That's… such a strange way to put it…" Paimon blinked, completely lost.
"So, what did you come to see me for?" Lora smoothly changed the subject.
"Well, Dehya gave us an idea yesterday," Paimon said. "She thinks there might be a way for us to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Oh? What kind of idea?"
"We heard the Akademiya recently lost something really important. The Eremites gave us a lead. If we can recover it, we might be able to use it as leverage to meet her!"
"Oh, I see."
Canned Knowledge, most likely.
Nothing serious.
"So we're heading to Port Ormos soon," Lumine continued. "We came to ask if you wanted to join us."
Lora thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I'm busy. Business is pretty good here."
Lumine didn't insist. She nodded. "Alright. Then Paimon and I will head to Port Ormos first and check things out. We'll be back."