Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ah, when will this damn day end?

Aether's morning began with the extermination of a large hilichurl camp. There were enough explosive barrels to blow up half the city, and he didn't come out of it without wounds and scorched hair.

After he got back to town, Sara called him. She needed him to relay her request to the Acting Grand Master. The hilichurls had taken over the trade routes again. Paimon was loudly indignant that at this rate there might be famine in Mondstadt because of these savages. It was no surprise though, after Grand Master Varka left, there were shortages everywhere. If only they were here...

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ notes that quantity doesn't matter, given the industriousness of most Mondstadtians ]

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" stands up for her people and advises the False God of Beauty to keep his mouth shut ]

[ The constellation "Lawrence Crusade" craves a good fight ]

And if the constellations observing his journey were a little more restrained in their display of emotion, Aether's life would be not just bearable - beautiful! But on top of the endless tasks from the people of the Freedom City and the search for his sister, he had to read endless messages from the local constellations.

Where did they get so much probability from? Periodically, some constellations threw him quests and the rewards for completing them were mostly small. Or did Teyvat not charge for messages?

The reward for the main quest was standard, though. Maybe they just didn't have anything better to do?

The local constellations were a mystery, as was Teyvat itself, which, for some reason, had fragments of the Star Stream system. Yes, in many worlds the stars have their influence on the material world, but the “Messages”, “Quests”, and “Stats” were clearly not created by the locals.

After he had thoroughly dug into the Knights of Favonius library, he was beginning to know roughly who he was dealing with. And he didn't need to be an expert to figure out the true name of the ‘Prisoner’.

But the ‘False God of Beauty’ was a mystery to him. This pseudonym did not fit any of the historical figures of Freedom City, and judging by the reaction of the other constellations to it, he was clearly not from here.

Oh, and his name was odd. There are hardly many constellations that would call themselves false. In a sense, they deny their own existence with such an alias. ‘False God’ could mean a god who was subsequently demonized, but such tend to explicitly call themselves demons or appropriate titles.

“But if you're a demon, you're clearly one of the retinue of the Devil of Lust and Fury…”

Aether remembered how many lewd comments he'd heard from him when he'd stayed up late searching for information about the world, alone in the library with Lisa.

[ The constellation “Barefoot Maiden in the Snowfield” thinks your conclusions are logical ]

[ The constellation "False God of Beauty" has sponsored you with 69 coins ]

As you wish.

Traveler thought that no one would give him a bigger headache than this constellation today. Yeah, right!

Charles's request was fine, he was a man of servitude. Although the idea that the actual head of the whole city, and in fact the country, should be engaged in tax deductions for a private person seems to him, at least, irrational. But that's all right, wine is a key commodity in the economy of Mondstadt, one can understand the need to keep its sale under special control.

But seriously, Margaret! Asking Jean to look for your cat?

“You know, Margaret, that's the kind of thing you ask of a friend or a relative. Jean must have more important things to do…" he was interrupted.

“What's wrong with that? Jean is very kind and helpful.”

“Yeah, and also “obedient” and “convenient”.” the Cat's Tail owner faltered a bit under the honorable knight's judgmental gaze.

The heated situation was saved by Paimon. Grabbing the guy under the elbow, she dragged him to the headquarters of Knights of Favonius, apologizing to the girl for her companion's rudeness.

“Hey, what are you doing?” the fairy asked worriedly.

“I'm sorry, everything is annoying since morning, and this,” Aether sighed heavily, massaging his temples. Paimon patted his shoulder encouragingly in response.

The desk in Jean's office was littered with papers, both the first time they'd been here and all the times they'd been there. There were two distinct dark circles under the Acting Master's eyes.

Still, she found the strength to smile at her two comrades.

“Honorable Knight, Paimon, it's good to see you,” she coughed a little at the end of her sentence, which only added to her unhealthy appearance.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ looks sympathetically at her incarnation ]

“Several people have asked us to seek your help,” Paimon recounted Jean's requests, purposely forgetting to mention the last one.

Aether mentally made a note that they would still have to track down the Prince, or Margaret would still turn to the Acting Grand Master.

After assuring their team that all appeals were recorded and she would "take appropriate action", Jean passed out and collapsed on the table. Quickly making sure the girl's pulse was present, he picked her up in his arms and rushed towards the cathedral.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ has sponsored 2000 coins for you ]

“I'm sorry, I can't put more points into speed, I am limited in level”.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ nods grimly ]

He practically flew into the temple of Barbatos and immediately noticed Barbara there. Without a word, she began to examine him at once. Having carried the Acting Master to the bed in the hospital room, he left her in the care of the pastor, satisfied that his help would not be needed further.

Ten minutes later Barbara came out of the room.

“How is she” Paimon asked worriedly.

“She's fine, she's just overworked. She needs rest now,” the pastor replied with a faint smile. But Traveler could clearly see the girl's trembling hands and the residual glow of the Vision, Barbara must have put a lot of effort into the treatment. And also says it's just overwork! “Poor Jean. Always thinking about others and always forgetting about himself.”

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ raises an eyebrow ironically ]

Aether agreed to take on a small part of the Acting Master's job and headed to the Knights of Favonius headquarters, where Kaeya was already waiting for him.

“Oh, there you are. I have learned that Jean is not well. Thank you on behalf of the Knights of Favonius.”

“So polite and courteous. Not like the Kaeya that Paimon knows.”

“Ha-ha! Circumstances demand it, little Paimon,” the cavalry captain watched as the fairy once again pouted in resentment at being called 'little', “I have something else to say to you besides thank you," Kaeya looked up at Aether.”

“Don't be so long,” the Traveler said, crossing his arms over his chest with a grin because he knew exactly where this was going, “where should we go?”

 “You're a mind reader. Charles's request would be handled by Lisa, and the camp cleanup would be Amber's responsibility. But check in with them later anyway. Kaeya leaned in close to his ear, so that the Traveler could feel his breath on his neck, “Finding Prince is your responsibility.”

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ tsking ]

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ rolls her eyes ]

[ The constellation ‘Barefoot Lady of the Snowfield’ exhales disappointedly ]

Admittedly, that last message almost scared him.

“I've already found Prince, now I just need to find him a horse.,” Paimon snorted behind him, trying in vain to contain her laughter, “I'll see you later, boss.”

Prince was found quickly. Thanks to Venti's special strings and Aether's elemental vision. Mondstadt almost lost its Archon because of his allergy to the object of their search, but in the end everything turned out well.

Charles was helped with the taxes by Lisa, but the duty of escorting the balloon with food for the tavern fell on the Traveler's shoulders. He was doing well on his own, and when Amber joined him, the hilichurls were literally blown away by a couple of fiery hurricanes.

It was the messages from the ‘False God’ that worried him, though. Every time there was a major battle with the hilichurls, this constellation felt a kind of grim celebration, while other constellations didn't comment on it at all, or (very rarely) felt compassion for these creatures.

Aether sensed that there was some dark secret behind it, but the constellations were silent on the matter. Only the ‘False God’ answered him as follows: "They ■■■■■ ". The filter again pointed clearly to the Star Stream, but he had no hints as to the true meaning of his words, so he decided not to bother with the question for the time being.

When he got back to town, he helped Sara with the cooking. He had gotten good at cooking during his travels.

Although...

His sister was always better at it.

Okay, he need a distraction. Hmm, aren't there a lot of emergency orders lately? First the tavern, then Sara's store. There seems to be a small banquet somewhere in Mondstadt, a birthday party or something?

He finished his work, then he and Paimon decided to visit Jean.

She was not in the church, but they found her near the tree of Vennessa, standing on one knee with her sword in the ground, praying to the founder of the order. But for Aether this idyllic picture was broken by another message from the ‘False God’.

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ advises you to take responsibility ]

Traveler raised his head to the sky in mute question.

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ reminds you of how you carried incarnation Jean Gunnhildr in your arms across town to the church, and predicts a great many rumors among the Mondstadtians ]

Son of a ■■■■■.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ warns ‘False God of Beauty’ not to spread unfounded rumors ]

Okay, let Vennessa deal with him, constellations like her stand for the life and honor of their incarnations to the end. Jean turned to their company.

“Jean, are you alright?”

“I'm much better now. I didn't expect to meet you here,” Acting Grand Master answered the fairy's question, then shifted her gaze to the boy. The bags under his eyes had gotten a little smaller and his cough had lessened, but Jean still looked unwell.

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ assures that he only wishes for Mondstadt's prosperity ]

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ lists your many virtues ]

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ ponders ]

Traitor! It was said that you would destroy him, not join him.

“Maybe you should get some rest.”

“You can always rely on us," Aether confirmed his companion's words with a smile,” in response, girl was a little embarrassed and averted her gaze for a second, which further agitated the local constellations.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ likes your attentiveness to her incarnation ]

[ 500 coins have been sponsored ]

<Sub scenario #17 - For the prosperity of the Family>

Difficulty: S

Clear Conditions: Have a child

Time Limit: none

Compensation: 20,000 coins

Failure: none

‘False God’ is in his repertoire as always, how did he get so many coins?

“Thank you. I'm very pleased to hear that. Your support means a lot to me. But I have to handle these little troubles on my own. Otherwise, what kind of protector of Mondstadt am I? Vennessa was a real protector. In her time, there was peace and grace everywhere," Jean said inspiringly, unaware of the passions that were being stirred up among the constellations around them.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ sadly remarked that she was often overly idealized, and that she too had her faults and failings ]

“I am honored to carry the titles of Dandelion Knight and Lionfang following Vennessa. But I feel a great responsibility. The citizens of Mondstadt have faith in me.”

Well, he knows the weight of other people's expectations.

“The title 'Knight of the Lionfang' suits you, but I think the title Dandelion 'Knight' suits you even better," the chat room exploded again with laughs and jokes, but Aether didn't care.

“Ahem... Thank you, I... Who's here? Show yourself!” Acting Grand Master's soft voice became hard as steel in the middle of the sentence and the two warriors prepared to fight. Pyro Abyss Mage appeared from behind a rock, muttering something about “perfect opportunity to get rid of Acting Grand Master if there were no witnesses”, he strode away.

Jean was about to follow him, but Aether stopped her attempt to seriously injure herself in the fight against the mages, knocking her out painlessly.

“Hey, Aether, don't you think this is too much?”

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ doesn't approve of your actions, but it can't call them wrong either ]

“No, I don't think so. She can't go into the lair of the Abyss creatures in such a state, especially after we were told directly that a trap was being set for her," the boy was determined to get the Acting Grand Master away from danger, ”Barbatos!”

A small tornado appeared in front of Aether.

[ The constellation ‘Wandering Minstrel’ is looking at you ]

With a strong gust of wind, Anemo Archon appeared before them in his usual guise as a bard.

“Traveler! You don't have to yell like that, I'm not complaining about my hearing yet," he appeared to shake a bit when he called him by his true name, reinforcing the words with probability.

“Okay, next time I won't,” he gently handed the girl into the bard's arms, “take her to the church, let her sleep some more.”

“And you?” Venti asked, taking Jean in his arms. He was answered by Aether's naked sword, “Understood. Do you need help?”

“No, you better take care of her. I'll do it alone...” At that moment Traveler realized how ironic, even hypocritical, his words were. Venti grinned in a way that made Aether want to make him swallow the lemon whole.

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ brings to mind the proverb about eye and beam ]

“I admit it,” the boy scratched his head awkwardly, “Can you help me?”

“No problem!”

The bard vanished into thin air with Acting Grand Master and returned alone a couple minutes later.

The cleanup of the Abyss Order lair had gone quite smoothly. The thing was that there was really an ambush being prepared for the Acting Grand Master here, Aether had noticed a few spells that canceled the healing effect, there were even a few that reversed it. Plus Jean's abilities were well suited for a team or even a warband, as the healing was applied area wide.

If he had to hold the defense in a narrow place, he would assign Jean to it, along with a few shieldmaidens or tough guys, it would be almost impossible to break through such a "wall", certainly for ordinary soldiers like hilichurls.

So, in this dungeon, these advantages were completely canceled out. It was a fairly open area, with a lot of crossbowmen and a couple of mages on high ground. Jean would be almost useless here. And if Aether had come here alone, he would have only had to run as fast as he could.

But fortunately, the Wind God was with him, and the enemies' arrows didn't even touch him. Thanking Venti and promising the bard to give him a treat sometime Aether returned to the city, at the gates of which Swan called out to him, asking him to come to the Angel's Share.

There almost all of his Mondstadt acquaintances were waiting for him there. Jean and Barbara came only a few minutes after him.

The thanksgiving party in honor of the Acting Grand Master was definitely a success. Whether it was because Jean was really embarrassed by the attention from her friends and the fact that even without her, Mondstadt wouldn't fall apart in a day, or because she had spent all her energy on glaring at him, and even the assurance that the party wouldn't have happened without Aether didn't soften her much.

When Jean went upstairs and out onto the terrace, it was a sign to Aether to follow her, but he had to stop Paimon, who wanted to go with him.

“I was there too, you know, when you were with her....”

“No, you stay here, I'll take care of it. She might even scream.”

They tried to keep their voices down, of course, but the trio of the Archon and the two brothers had too good a hearing. Kaeya choked on his wine and coughed, Diluc hovered with a glass and a rag in his hand, and Venti laughed at their reactions, in no hurry to clear up the misunderstanding.

What was going on at the constellations was scary to say the least.

Sighing, he walked out onto the terrace, Jean standing with her back to him, looking up at the night sky.

“Eh, Jean, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have....”

“No, I'm the one who should apologize,” the girl turned to him with a downcast look, “you only pointed out my weakness. If you had been my enemy then, I would be dead by now and would have put Mondstadt in danger. I am still not strong enough and have no right to be angry with you.”

Aether's sigh was so heavy it was a wonder how it didn't break through the wooden floor beneath him.

Traveler's gaze fell to the chessboard on one of the tables, the game was clearly over, which meant he could use it for a visual demonstration. He pulled one piece from the pile. A queen, which was symbolic. And then began to balance the board, resting one corner of the board on the queen and the other on his finger.

“You're right Jean, you are weak,” the girl twitched as if slapped.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ demands you shut up ]

“Too much depends on you, one step to the left, one step to the right,” Aether began to rock the board, still trying to keep his balance, “and there are many things you can't influence, like Dvalin.”

A small whirlwind snapped from his finger, knocking the board over, and it fell to the floor. Jean shuddered once more, instead of a chessboard she saw Mondstadt.

Saw its inhabitants.

Saw her friends.

Her family.

She realized that Aether was right. The situation with Dvalin had only been resolved safely because of him. No, they could have done it without him, but the loss was simply disproportionate. She would be able to clear dragon, even at the cost of her life, but then what? The Abyss Mages were practically at the gates to the city, they wouldn't last a day without command.

And that's not counting their battle against a long-dead deity.

And that thing.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ promises you all the punishment of heaven ]

“You're weak,” Jean clenched her hands so tightly that if she hadn't been wearing gloves, her nails would have cut through her skin, making her hands bleed, ”but, that's not a bad thing.”

The girl looked up at him in surprise.

“We are all weak, mere specks of dust in a vast universe.”

Aether looked up to the sky, where he could see the countless worlds he had once visited. Some of them were gone, but he would cherish the memory of them for the rest of his days.

“And even the strongest and bravest of creatures had their moments of weakness.”

The memory of losing his sister pierced his memory with pain, but he continued his monologue.

“But you know what makes us truly strong, what will help us overcome any weakness?” the Acting Grand Master threw an interested look at him, ”The ties.”

He picked up the board from the floor and began to arrange the pieces on the table.

“Family ties, friendship ties, love ties. The ones that can unite people even in different lands and worlds. The ones for which even time is not a barrier,” Aether looked up at the sky once more, or rather at one particular constellation.

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ is tensely silent ]

He set the chessboard on the pawns that had been placed.

“You don't have to be strong always,” he knocked down some pieces to show that the structure was still stable, “use the right ties or create new ones, trust the right people and then...”

The guy slapped the board sharply, making the girl shudder once more. The board was still standing, though only four of the eight pawns remained.

“Even in your moment of weakness, the things and people most precious to you will be in safe hands,” Aether smiled, “I think that's why Vennessa created Knights of Favonius. She is long gone, but it is her memory that binds her to every next Grand Master and Mondstadt. Trust others, Jean, just as Vennessa has trusted the future of Mondstadt to you.”

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’ is touched by your words ]

[ The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles’  reveals her true name ]

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ thanks you for your guidance to her incarnation ]

After his words, Jean turned away and stared at the night sky for a long time.

“Yeah, you're right. I'm Dandelion Knight, not Lionfang Knight . "Lionfang Knight " is a title that symbolizes Vennessa's past. A past in which the freedom of Mondstadt had to be fought for. And "Dandelion Knight " symbolizes her hopes for a peaceful future, for the order kept by Knights of Favonius. Perhaps that's why she named order that way[1], ha-ha,” the nervous tension building up in the girl finally came out with a ringing laugh and it took her a few minutes to calm down.

When Jean had calmed down enough he held out his hand to her, intending to take her back to the tavern and have some fun with their friends.

“May I have your hand, lady?” Aether asked with an aristocratic bow.

“With pleasure, my faithful knight...”

[ The constellation 'False God of Beauty' has given you a special item ]

Aether's heart skipped a beat, very slowly he raised his gaze to Jean.

The originally surprised expression on the girl's face was soon replaced by an incredibly embarrassed one, and it was clear why.

In Aether's hand were two white rings, adorned with golden runes along their entire length.

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ admires the cunning of  ‘False God of Beauty’ ]

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ blesses you and her incarnation ]

Ah, when will this damn day end?

Chapter Text

[ You feel the winds of change passing through you ]

[ You have received the Blessing of Anemo ]

[ The first seal of seven has been broken ]

[ Some of the characteristics have been unlocked ]

Resonating with the Statue of Anemo Archon, he felt some of his long-lost powers again, but despite this, he did not feel relieved, for at the same time he received further confirmation of his fears.

Scenario.

The damn Star Stream had gotten to him here, too.

His name is Aether. He's an interworld traveler. One of many, frankly.

He and his sister have wandered from one world to another, hoping to find a new home to replace the one that was destroyed for the amusement of narcissistic stars. No offense to those who tried to help the twins' homeland.

After much wandering, they finally found Teyvat.

And his next memory was of an Unknown God taking his sister from him and sealing him up.

Waking up on the seashore, he spent months trying to piece together the disjointed picture in his head. If it weren't for the need for food, he would have sat in the nearest cave all day, trying to process the mess of memories of his centuries of life into something digestible. His mental health was clearly not good at the time.

So his routine was diluted by picking fruit from the local trees and fishing, one of which he caught a small fairy. In the future, Paimon would become his most loyal friend and would follow him through his journey in this world, even if their acquaintance did not go smoothly.

To put it mildly.

No, it had gone well at first. After Aether fished and fed his future companion, they introduced themselves to each other. Aether told about his journey between worlds, and Paimon promised to be his guide in this world. The traveler took off his gloves to shake hands in confirmation of their union.

As soon as their fingers made contact, an electronic voice sounded in Aether's head.

[ #PA-0001 channel is open ]

[ The main scenario has arrived ]

<Main scenario #1 Prologue: The Outlander Who Caught the Wind >

Difficulty: A

Clear Condition: ask Anemo the Archon about your missing sibling.

Time Limit: none

Compensation: 2,000 coins + ???

Failure: none.

Before he realized it, a hand clutched at the fairy's neck. Aether was overwhelmed with anger.

Again.

Again… scenario…

And that damn Star Stream!

“Okay dokkaebi, and I fell for it. Well, it's your own fault. What a coincidence, a small flying creature that knows the world I'm in and appeared practically out of thin air. All right, water. How original! So what's the point of this spectacle?” Aether could literally feel his teeth gritting with exorbitant anger.

“I-I'm sorry. P-Paymon lied. I've just been to a few places and Teyvat, and I've read about the rest in books. It seems,” the girl wheezed, her face frozen in an expression of horror, the corners of her eyes wet with tears, “I-I'm not the best guide in Teyvat. B-but I know a lot of things honestly! P-please don't hurt Paimon!”

She is gonna play with him anymore?

“I don't doubt that you know a lot of things. And you're about to find out how much I don't care about the penalty for hurting a streamer. If you return to your true form now and stop this circus, I won't spend a lot of coin to beat your knowledge out of you,” Aether raised his fist, “Turn, dokkaebi, before I change my mind.”

At that moment, Aether wasn't even afraid of becoming an enemy of the Bureau.

That was the last straw for the frightened Paimon.

“What did Paimon do to you?! I lied, yes! I just wanted to be your friend! Yeah, I'm not the best Teyvat guide! I... I just... I just... I just...” the fairy clamped her eyes shut, preparing to strike, “I can't even hear the words you're calling me!”

To Aether, that phrase was like a punch in the face. Can't hear? That the censorship works on her was no surprise, but... She can't hear the word ‘dokkaebi’? Absurd!

His fingers unclenched and the fairy fell to the sand, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Aether still hesitated, but the sight of Paimon, who had regained consciousness and was trying to crawl away from him, convinced him that he was wrong.

Even if rarely, dokkaebi could play, could feign amusement or fear, just to mock the incarnations.

But to deliberately, of their own free will, show terror at the incarnation? Never!

And then it began to dawn on Aether what he had just almost done!

“Paimon”, Traveler tried to sound as soft as possible, but it wasn't working. As he slowly approached, Paimon only tried to crawl away from him more actively. Apparently she had forgotten how to fly out of fear.

As soon as he loomed over her, Paimon covered her head with her hands, trying to shield herself from the expected blow.

Aether brought his hand down on her head with extreme gentleness.

“Paimon, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I... I just thought you were... a very evil creature. One of the ones that destroyed my home world. When we shook hands, I got that feeling that you only get around them. But I guess you're not one of them, so...”

Then the fairy simply buried herself in his chest and burst into tears. Aether pressed the girl against him, letting her sob out her stress. When the sobs subsided, Traveler noticed that Paimon had fallen asleep right in his arms.

Upon waking, she was still afraid of him, though she tried hard not to show it. His story about homeland, dokkaebies, scenario, and Star Stream was quite long, considering that Paimon couldn't hear most of the words, so he replaced them with analogies.

“But Paimon really wasn't one of them! I..." Paimon began, but Aether interrupted her gently.”

“Don't worry, I believe you. I don't understand how it happened either, but we have what we have. You don't see anything unusual? Maybe a text floating in the air?” Aether noted to himself that he would additionally check the fairy with the ‘Lie Detection’ when he regained this skill.

“No, it was the usual”, Paimon spun around, flew around Aether and even looked up into the sky, but she didn't see anything special.

“I see.”

Paimon squirmed again.

“I mean, it's no big deal. At least I have a rough itinerary now, and maybe that's a plus”, Aether shook himself off and stood up from the sandy beach, “but I think I'll still need a guide. You'll do me the honor,” the outstretched hand might awaken unpleasant memories in her, so he simply put his palm to his heart.

The fairy hesitated for a long time, but in truth, Aether already knew the answer beforehand. Throughout their entire conversation, she hadn't mentioned anyone she knew, it seemed she had memory loss too, albeit rather selective.

After much thought, Paimon nodded.

“Alright, Paimon will be your guide to Teyvat and help you find your sister. I will also try to help you with these 'scenarios'”, she hesitated before the last phrase.

And so their adventure began.

From the beach, they reached the first “checkpoint”, the Statue of Anemo Archon.

He decided to put some coins into the “Physique” to overcome the water separating him and the statue in one jump.

As soon as he touched the statue a voice sounded in his head again.

[ You feel the winds of change passing through you ]

[ You have received the Blessing of Anemo ]

[ The first seal of seven has been broken ]

[ Some of the characteristics have been unlocked ]

His power was slowly returning to him. At least something good has happened lately.

“Wow, the statue is talking to you! Looks like you've been chosen by the Anemo Archon!”

“I don't know about Anemo Archon, but it wasn't a statue talking to me. It was a system notification. I'm surprised you heard it too. Has anything changed?”

“I don't think so”, Paimon looked for changes wherever she could, “Wasn't I supposed to hear it?”

“As a rule, these messages are heard only by those to whom they are addressed.”

The unusual nature of his companion intrigued him more and more. She can't hear basic Star Stream terms, but she hears other people's notifications.

Ponderings on the nature of Paimon were interrupted by Pyro slime appeared. Though weakened, he wasn't weakened enough to lose to the slime, so he instantly dispelled it with a simple Wind Blade, one of the element's most basic techniques.

After trying a few more techniques, Aether moved on his way again.

As he entered the forest thicket, he felt the powerful flow of the wind element, almost knocking him off his feet while Paimon deliberately clung to his scarf. A huge turquoise dragon flew over their heads.

It was a pity that the ‘Dragon Slayer’ attribute wasn't unlocked, because the flying giant was clearly going to descend.

The forest doesn't offer much advantage against the wind dragon. Aether hopes that the dragon only controls air element, because if he could breathe fire, he would need the blunt sword he found a month ago to carve his own epitaph into the nearest tree.

Despite his gloomy thoughts, however, the dragon was not descending toward them, but landed about thirty meters away. It was certainly dangerous to approach it, but it was even more dangerous to lose sight of it.

So, telling Paimon to keep quiet and fly as close to the ground as possible, he crawled toward the dragon's landing.

The sight that opened up puzzled even him.

A guy in light green robes was standing in front of the dragon, holding out his hands to the dragon and trying to calm it down.

Suddenly, Anemo's power in his body 'surged'. He suppressed it, but the dragon had already noticed him.

There was a furious roar, and the dragon tried to tear the unknown guy with its claws. The attempt was unsuccessful, the guy dodged the monstrous paw like the wind and turned towards them.

[ The constellation ‘Wandering Minstrel’ looking at you ]

“Who's here?”

In the next moment, the ‘Wandering Minstrel’ dissolved into a stream of wind, and the dragon turned its attention to them.

After investing almost all of the coins in the “Physique” and picking up Paimon under his arm, he rushed away at full speed.

However, the dragon did not pursue them. Caught by the mighty winds, it flew into the sky with a loud roar. Aether stood still for a few minutes, leaning back against the largest and widest tree in the area.

“Phew, I think I'm okay”, Traveler said gravely, letting go of his companion.

“What was that? I thought it was going to eat us. It definitely had something to do with the weirdo who talked to dragons.”

“Yeah... Is everyone here on a first-name basis with dragons?”

“No, of course not... Paimon doesn't know a single person who talks to dragons. Does that happen on other worlds?”

“They do, yes. Often dragons can even take on human form and walk among the common people. I'll tell you more, there was even one donkey...” Aether hesitated, Paimon is hardly allowed to talk about such topics, “generally speaking, sometimes it happens.”

“It's incredible! Other worlds are amazing! I wish I could be there”, Paimon looked dreamily at the sky.

“Yes, but each world has its own problems. There are some that make the Underworld seem like a resort”, she said as they talked about other realities and returned to the place where they had met the unknown boy and the dragon.

In the clearing where the dragon had landed, there was a pulsing scarlet crystal that looked like a tear. The battle with the inner pack rat ended rather quickly and the artifact ended up in his “Inventory” and they continued on their way.

After a few hours, they finally emerged from the forest and the city came into view. Mondstadt stood on an island in the middle of a large lake, additionally the city was surrounded by a powerful stone wall. Numerous mills and a cathedral with a statue in the upper part of the city stood out against the background of the city.

Already on the approaches to the city, a girl in bright red scouting clothes appeared on their way. Aether, of course, had spotted her much earlier

“May the Anemo God protect you, stranger!! I am Amber, Outrider for the Knights of Favonius”, Amber saluted Aether and his companion.

“You don't look like citizens of Mondstadt. Explain yourselves!”

“We're not looking for trouble...”

“That's what all the troublemakers say.”

“Hello, my name is Aether.”

The trademark smile is our everything, but it barely made an impression on Amber.

“That's an odd name. You're not from around here, are you? What's that creature next to you?”

“Paimon is not a creature!” the fairy frowned and crossed her arms across her chest.

“She's my friend,” Aether mirrored her friend's gesture.

“I'm sorry if my words offended you,” Amber bowed in apology, “it's just that a dragon was recently seen near Mondstadt, so knights have to be vigilant for anything unusual. By the way, you'd better go into town, I'll accompany you.”

“Don't you have other things to do?” Aether made a note not to underestimate Paimon, just when she senses weakness, she goes on the offensive.

“Don't worry, it's a knight's duty to ensure the safety of travelers”, Amber hesitated and scratched her head in embarrassment, “besides, I haven't decided yet whether I can trust you.”

It's a familiar situation. Almost every new world or kingdom he and his sister had been told those words. At some point it started to annoy him, but over time he got over it, as those who tell them this are just doing their job and trying to exercise the necessary caution.

“It's okay, we get it.”

Paimon, despite the circumstances, quickly found a common language with Amber and the girls didn't stop talking almost all the way to the city, discussing different places in Mondstadt and stories from the Outrider’s life. Listening to them, Aether noticed two important things.

First, the extent to which Paimon was absorbed in chatting with her new friend. On one hand it makes sense, Amber easily disposes others to her, and Paimon is basically a child, and it's natural for a child to ask tons of questions. But it could also mean that the fairy has spent a lot of time alone, and this thought troubled him. Well, she didn't communicate with him like that, in the beginning because she didn't want to disturb the memories of her lost relative, and then... Then he drew a line between them that will remain for a long time to come.

Secondly, Paimon clearly needs to go into scouting. In the course of the girls' conversation, Aether had emphasized a great deal of information about Mondstadt and Teyvat in general, down to the names of the state's high-ranking officials. Such a thing could hardly be called a state secret, but still! The only information she had about him was that he was a traveler from distant lands, and that he was looking for a twin sister. Though even this information is easily lost in the endless dithyrambs to his bravery and warrior skills, which he soon demonstrated.

The local “goblins”, the hilichurls, did not impress him. Absolutely primitive and incredibly weak creatures by his standards. He even felt sorry for them, just a little. But Amber's reference to their habit of robbing caravans and kidnapping people left no trace of that pity. And judging by the grim shadow on the scout's face as she enlightened him about their habits, they were cannibals at the very least. Nothing new, though.

Amber, though, called his skills incredible. For locals without elemental powers, the hilichurls are a problem. The camps and trade routes nearest to the city used to be cleared by the Knight of Favonius, but after the Grand Master and most of the knights left for the expedition, there was almost no one to do it, and then there was the dragon.

“Welcome to the city of wind, freedom and dandelions!”

Yes, after another hour, they finally entered Mondstadt.

“Finally, they could sleep in a real bed! But your townspeople don't look very happy”, Paimon was right. People, for the most part, tried not to stay outside for long and were always looking up at the sky with apprehension.

“Everyone is worried about that dragon, the Storm Terror. But it's going to be okay, because we have Jean!”

“From the lamp?[1]” That's where Aether got curious.

“What does a lamp have to do with it? No, Jean is the current Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and the main protector of Mondstadt”, Amber puffed up with pride.

Next they went up to the upper part of the city, where the scout solemnly handed him a glider.

“Ah, this feels good”, Aether marveled aloud at the feeling of freedom of flight, even on such primitive gliders.

[ The constellation ‘Wandering Minstrel’ joins channel #PA-0001 ]

[ The constellation ‘Wandering Minstrel’ warns you of an upcoming Storm ]

Well…

Chapter Text

The battle with the dragon didn't turn out to be particularly difficult.

Though it could hardly be called a battle. To drive the dragon away from the city, he used the power of the constellation he was watching, the Wandering Minstrel, and because of his elemental focus, his attacks didn't do much damage to the dragon, but he was able to drive it away.

The storms inside the city had subsided after the dragon's escape and Aether landed carefully on the square in front of the cathedral, where Amber and Paimon were already waiting for him. The girls worriedly began to look him over.

“Are you alright?”

“Aether, are you alright?”

Their questioning, however, was interrupted by the appearance of a new character.

“A power capable of standing up to a dragon... A new ally... or a new storm?” everyone in the square turned to look at the speaker.

A tall young man with dark skin and blue hair, one eye hidden by a blindfold, was walking towards them with a leisurely gait and clapping his hands as he spoke.

“Kaeya, Traveler, you've shown up just in time. We must…" Kaeya interrupted the outrider’s speech with a nod of his head toward Aether.

“Wait, Amber. I think you forgot to introduce us", Kaeya's smile made Aether tense up a little. Next to this man he felt... It wasn't dislike, more like some unease. Kaeya felt like the complete opposite of Amber, it was even expressed by the colors of their clothes and elemental powers. There was a coldness about Keya.

“Yeah... That's right. This is Kaeya, our cavalry captain”, Kaeya nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

“And this is Aether and Paimon. Travelers from very far away places”, Aether mirrored the cavalry captain's gesture. It was clear from Kaeya’s face that he was not happy with such a vague description of the travelers. Definitely responsible for intelligence. Everything is fine, Aether and his sister have plucked even more impressive peacocks.

Amber's story, from their meeting with Aether to the Storm Terror's attack, took a couple minutes.

“So that's it. Well, welcome to Mondstadt, travelers. Unfortunately, this is not a good time for tourists. I understand how hard it can be to be away from your family. I'm not sure why you want the Anemo Archon. But everyone has their secrets, don't they?”

“Indeed, everyone has their own skeletons in the closet”, Aether stared into Kaeya's eyes without looking away, “some even literally”.

Kaeya took a slight step back. Barely noticeable, of course, but apparently his opponent has something to hide, and apparently that "something" is quite significant.

Sensing trouble, Amber hurried to defuse the situation.

“Hey, I think Kaeya wasn't going to interrogate you and just wanted to thank you on behalf of the Knights of Favonius,” he underestimated Amber, she managed to avoid the growing conflict and left him to blame for his harsh response. Even though it didn't seem like she had done so intentionally.

“Indeed, many Mondstadtians saw you chase the dragon away from the walls of the city. You could be a symbol of a new hope,” so he's not a "new storm" after all, “Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius would like to speak with you. Please report to the headquarters building immediately.”

On the one hand, Aether was calculating the options of tactical retreat, because he was obviously going to be involved in the side quest to tame the dragon, and he needed it?

On the other hand... That constellation, the Wandering Minstrel, has suspiciously many similarities with the statues of Anemo Archon and is obviously strongly tied to that dragon, so... And reputation in the new world must be earned. And if he escapes now, Kaeya will have a good reason to hunt him down. Even if there's no one to hunt him because of the shortage of manpower.

“I'd be honored,” Aether said, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible.

The fortress of Knights of Favonius was not far from the cathedral and was a powerful stone building with several watchtowers, so they went straight to the office of the acting master.

“I led them in.”

The two girls, who had been discussing something, turned to them.

“Mondstadt is grateful to the winds for bringing you here. My name is Jean. I am Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. And this is Lisa, our librarian.”

“Sweethearts, have you come to save us? You're so sweet! It's a shame you have to show up at a time like this,” now, woman, slow down or you'll wake up another "dragon", “the Storm Terror has awakened and has been plaguing us ever since. The dragon disrupted the flow of the elements in Mondstadt. The once orderly elements and arteries of the land became like a ball of thread that a kitten played with. For mages, this is the worst thing that can happen. Just a little more and I'll be torn into millions of little particles,” Aether gave the purple witch a C for this manipulation, minus two points for being too direct. Although... such a woman would be really hard to refuse.

But her words about the ley lines interested him. A dragon could distort them that much? Hmm, he didn't feel anything like that, but maybe the users of the Vision draw power in some other way?

“Right now, all of our energies are spent fighting the dragon. Please stay in Mondstadt for a while. We will definitely help you find your sister,” he said, a quest to fight the dragon. But Aether rightly thought that for such a backhanded way just help in finding his sister (not very active, let's not forget that the Knights of Favonius is short of staff) is unfairly little and started to think what else to ask for.

He was already thinking about which part of the city to ask for a mansion and which noble family to choose a wife from, when suddenly a familiar voice sounded in his head.

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" joins channel #PA-0001 ]

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" awaits your reply ]

Paimon suddenly shrieked and began to look around while Aether mentally reached for the lip-roller in his inventory.

“Bless you,” Paimon, a little startled by the sudden "voice from above," stared at him with a confused look, but quickly got the hang of it.

“Oh... Thank you. Sorry, the wind raised so much dust in the air,” the fairy began to rub her nose diligently.

"Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles, right? Who is her incarnation is immediately clear, but who is she herself? It doesn't matter, the main thing is that he will be paid for his heroics in coins, which he could use right now.

“I can't leave you alone with the Storm Terror. I need a place to stay, though, the battle with the dragon is pretty exhausting, you know,” more drama and fatigue in his words and even Kaeya seemed to get a kick out of it.

[ You've been sponsored for 200 coins ]

Aether definitely needed to become an actor.

“I understand, the Knights of Favonius will take care of you, but we need to act quickly now,” Jean exhaled in relief, apparently they were really afraid he wouldn't agree. And if the unbound man who can drive the dragon away is not on their side, it will be a bigger headache than the dragon itself, “Lisa found out that the dragon draws its power from the temples of the Four Winds, so we need to deal with them.”

Jean looked around at everyone present.

“I can't go with you, even in this turmoil the Fatui delegation remains vigilant, they will use my absence at the moment of disaster against us. Captains Eula and Albedo are unavailable at the moment, so Aether will go with Amber to the Falcon Temple, Kaeya to the Wolf Temple, and Lisa to the Lion Temple. Any questions?”

“Paimon something interesting,” surprisingly, but this time the fairy took the floor, “you talked about of the four winds, but you mentioned only three temples, shouldn't there also be four?”

The audience fell silent. Lisa took the floor.

“The Lion of the South, the Wolf of the North, the Falcon of the West, and... the Dragon of the East. These are the Four Winds of Mondstadt, and they report to Anemo Archon Barbatos. The Storm Terror's real name is Dvalin. He was the Dragon of the East long before he was called the Storm Terror. Therefore, he can only rely on the three temples; his own powers have long since been exhausted.”

“But why is he doing this?”

“I'm a child of Mondstadt, so it's hard for me to talk about it. And it would take us a long time to explain. You can read about it here,” Lisa handed Aetheru a book with a light beige cover.”

“Breeze Amidst the Forest?”, the Traveler read, “is it a collection of poems?”

“Yes, but they tell about real historical events of Mondstadt,” Lisa smiled, “be sure to read it, there's a lot more interesting stuff in there.”

For example, information about the local constellations. "Wandering Minstrel" was quite useful in the battle

“Understood,” Aether put the book away in his inventory in one motion. He had already seen Amber do this sort of thing with her bow, so this ability shouldn't surprise anyone, “The last question was. Who are the Fatui?”

“An organization from Snezhnaya, the state of Cryo Archon, it consists of millitary and diplomatic branches. They have eyes and ears everywhere in Teyvat,” Kaeya took the floor, “I advise you not to mess with them, they're not strangers to any methods.”

Is he afraid of competition?

“I'll take note. Let's get moving, shall we?”

***

The door slammed shut behind Amber and Aether, and the rest of the staff decided to have a quick discussion about what had happened.

“What do you think of him?” Jean asked.

“It is possible that in trying to escape from the wolf, we have wandered into the tiger's fangs. The power to resist a dragon is not the only thing about him. It feels like he has more life experience than any of us. Our attempts to intimidate or,” Kaeya looked at Lisa, “to pity him failed, he recognized them immediately. And there's no need to look at appearances, any of the Mondstadtians know at least one thousand-year-old creature with the face of a teenager.”

“Did we fail? He agreed to help us, didn't he,” Lisa asked, a little offended by Keya's phrase about "pity".

“Yes, but Kaeya's point was a little different,” Jean thought for a moment, “After I asked him to help us, he was thinking about the reward for himself. Did you see the look in his eyes at that moment? I think his price list might have created a bit of a hole in the city budget. It's hard to blame him for that, of course; after all, we're not sending him to clean up hillichurl camps, it's normal for an outsider to ask for guarantees like that.”

“And at that moment, Paimon "sneezes", Kaeya’s put quotation marks on her fingers, “and for some reason starts looking around as if someone had called out to her, while Aether agrees to help for a roof over her head and "because she can't leave us alone with the Storm Terror". I think they both heard something we didn't. But I didn't see any headphones on them, so I don't know.”

“Do you think they're spies?” Jeanne asked bluntly.

“I don't know what to think about them yet,” Kaeya answered bluntly, “maybe they are spies, maybe they are travelers, or maybe they are Barbatos having fun, having changed his appearance beforehand.”

Both girls thought for a moment.

As a librarian, Lisa knew that there were many stories of gods walking among mere mortals in various guises, and we've all seen that powerful Anemo flow. There are many ways to control the element without the Vision, but to wield such power...

“Should we ask him directly?”

“There's no way he'll answer. Besides, he'll start hiding even more.”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Acting Grand Master, the delegation of Fatui requests a private meeting.

Jean sighed heavily.”

“I understand, I'll be right there,” when the knight left, Jean continued, “Let's leave it for later, now our task is the temples. Go, may the Wind protect you!”

***

After the effects of his skill for bugging had passed, Aether wanted to laugh at the knights' assumptions about him. Wow, he's an Anemo Archon!

The sweep of the temple, however, went off without any problems and Aether raised his skills against the locals considerably. While post-sweep Amber did some additional inspection of the shrine, the Traveler could get down to an important conversation with Paimon.

“Are the messages scaring you?”

“Not exactly scary, just that it's... uncomfortable? Hearing voices at times you don't expect. When you touched the Statue of the Seven the first time Paimon wasn't surprised by the voice because she was more impressed by the power coming from you, when she met the guy in green Paimon was scared of the dragon, and in the city itself someone started screaming during the message so Paimon didn't really notice it. And it was so quiet in Jean's office at that moment... Because of Paimon, we are even more suspected now,” the fairy said.

“One suspicion more, one suspicion less. It doesn't make much difference. I'm more worried about you,” the fairy was still afraid of him, so Aether had to choose his words well, “I know it's not pleasant to be watched like that. You see, through the constellation channel can bring us a lot of benefits, but at the same time it's so easy for the constellation to watch us. And all the while the channel is open. I will teach you how to block unnecessary messages, and in time you will get used to it. But you'll have to learn how to close the channel yourself. I can only give you a rough guide.”

“What do I have to do?” the fairy noticed that Amber was already heading towards them, so she had little time for "instruction".

“Try to remember how you opened the channel when you touched me. It might be like you sticking something on me or smearing paint on me, I don't know the details. And then try to evoke the same sensation, but in reverse: peeling it off or washing it off.”

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" asks that you not end the show ]

“Shh! Come on, Paimon, I believe in you.”

Paimon smiled embarrassedly and began to follow Aether's instructions. When they got back to the city and Amber went to report on the mission, she was able to close the channel and a notification appeared.

[ The channel #PA-0001 closed ]

“Wow, well done!” Aether was really pleased with Paimon. She was able to master a completely new skill in such a short time, relying only on extremely vague commands.

Paimon assumed a smug pose with her arms at her sides.

“Yes, Paimon is like that!” the fairy's gaze slid behind Aether’s back, "And isn't that Jean?”

Indeed, Jean was standing outside the Goth Grand Hotel talking to a girl in a black suit and mask, and judging by their tone, the conversation was quite tense. Something about the elimination of Dvalin, whom the Fatui delegation was calling a "monster," which greatly angered the Acting Grand Master.

“Uh, Paimon.”

“What?”

Damn, this is embarrassing.

“Can you open the channel back up?”

Chapter Text

After giving the self-important representative of Fatui a piece of his mind, Aether felt great, and the several hundred coins from the “Prisoner” improved his mood even more. It seemed that even Jean felt a little sorry for the woman in the mask, but Aether was sure that he hadn't crossed any lines.

Seriously, this woman wasn't even an official diplomat; that duty was assigned to a certain Signora. Why was a meeting at which a foreign organization proposed to destroy one of the guardian gods of another state taking place on the street? Nastenka, have you ever heard of such a thing as “conscience”?!

Jean is no better. No official diplomat – say “goodbye”. On the one hand, you can understand her; Fatui's proposal needs to be at least heard. But at the cost of such humiliation... Is Jean their lapdog?

The Acting Grand Master, however, was not very pleased.

“Aether, you shouldn't have done that.”

“I understand, next time you'll do it,” Jean sighed heavily, “I'm serious! You can put up with their disrespect once, twice, but the third time they won't ask for your opinion at all. Although these guys don't look like the type to listen to anyone but themselves. Then you definitely shouldn't dance to their tune.”

“They might pay attention to you,” Jean was clearly worried.

“That's the fate of the main character, to attract the attention of all kinds of villainous organizations,” he said, as if his "Chuunibyou" attribute had awakened. “Anyway, I'll attract attention either way. And that way, they'll realize I'm crazy and won't mess with me.”

The ease with which he said the last sentence reminded Jean of Kaeya's phrase about the wolf and the tiger. And perhaps made her realize that their tiger was inadequate.

“By the way, I have something to show the knights.”

They returned to the Acting Grand Master’s office, where Lisa was already waiting for them.

“Jean, sweethearts, you're back."

“Yes,” Jean looked around the office, “is Kaeya here yet?"

“He's here, he should be with us soon.”

“Okay, Traveler, what did you want to show us?”

Aether took a red crystallized tear from his inventory, and the two girls began to examine it.

“Interesting. The power of this tear is incompatible with the energy of the elements; it causes harm to the bearers of the Visions. Although, it seems that this does not apply to you. Where did you get it?”

“We found it after the dragon flew over us in this, what's it called...”

“In the Whispering Woods,” Paimon came to his aid, “the dragon flew so low. It was very scary.”

And they didn't lie about a single thing. They just kept quiet about a lot of things.

“I think it's better if I keep this thing.”

“I don't mind, it will only hurt us,” Lisa agreed with him.

Aether put the tear away in his inventory.

“Traveler... The Knights of Favonius has one more request for you,” Jean swallowed nervously, even though she tried to hide it. “Please accept the gratitude of the Acting Grand Master and the title of Honorary Knight."

Honorary Knight. After a brief inquiry, Aether realized that this title was meaningless and would likely impose additional responsibilities on him. Although Lisa, using her entire vocabulary, described it in such a way that it seemed as if only heaven and God were above an Honorary Knight. Paimon was also initially taken in, but seeing the indifference on Aether's face, she tempered her enthusiasm.

Why are they trying to "sell" him the title? It seems to be because of Fatui. After all, any villainous organization gathers strong guys for its plans, and these are directly connected to one of the strongest and most developed countries. So, they have something to offer him, and the title of the Knights of Favonius is a way of "claiming rights" to him.

[ 200 coins have been sponsored. ]

– You know, I feel like this title doesn't give me anything, so I...

[ 500 coins have been sponsored. ]

– ...I mean, I think I'll be quite happy with the respect of the locals and the hospitality of your wonderful city.

Both girls breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" proposes renaming your title to "Honorary Merchant." ]

Well, he already had one like that somewhere.

“Then I'll go and register with the Adventurers' Guild. Find me if you need me,” Aether waved goodbye and left knights headquarters.

Registering with the guild didn't take long, nor did the introductory briefing. Lost in thought about the current situation, he didn't notice how he had arrived at the Favonius Cathedral. A crowd had gathered around the statue of the Anemo Archon, surrounding the familiar bard in green, which Paimon was quick to point out.

“Hey, that's...”

“Quiet, listen.”

The bard sang about the dragon of the heavens and the Archon who taught him to sing. About a lonely dragon whose existence was a threat to all living things. About the dragon battle and the dream of the dragon of the heavens. About how the defender of the city awoke and discovered that in this century, only hatred was felt towards him, and how he hated in return.

As soon as the bard finished, the crowd dispersed, and Aether and Paimon approached him.

“Oh, it's you! The ones who scared Dvalin!”

“Yes, Paimon, how could you! Scaring Dvalin!” Aether decided to joke. The fairy froze in confusion.

“Who... me? Scared him? What Dvalin? Oh, wait,” Paimon finally understood, “the dragon? He scared us! He roared so loud that Paimon was almost blown away. Why do you even call him that? For most Mondstadtians, he's the Stormterror.”

“What do you think?”

“Hey, Traveler! This guy is weird.”

“Shall we discuss this?”

Aether nodded toward the nearest bench, and a moment later, the bard and the fairy followed him.

“I don't think we've introduced ourselves. I'm Aether, a traveler. She's Paimon, my companion and guide.”

“My name is Venti. I'm a bard.”

Aether r sighed heavily.

“It's not fair, I gave you my real name.”

“Eh, Aether, I don't understand...”

Oh, you'll understand in a moment.

“Wind meets wind,

A wild storm swirls,

Creating a furious storm,

In the center of which there is calm.”

[ You used the skill "Way Of The Wind: Eye of the Storm" ]

After activating the skill, all three felt a ringing in their ears, and then all sounds ceased. Venti looked... frightened. The bard stretched his arms forward as if trying to grab something, and in the next moment he put his palms to his ears, trying to hear something. However, if Aether's assumption was correct, then this was perfectly logical, because his interlocutor was the living embodiment of the wind.

“Don't try. My ability creates a field of absolute calm; no wind elemental skill will work here. Not even yours.”

Aether looked Venti straight in the eyes.

“So, since no one can hear us here, you owe me a couple of answers. What's all this about, Barbatos?”

***

In her office, Jean listened to reports from Kaeya, Lisa, and Amber. She was particularly interested in Amber's report, which shed light on the abilities of their new Honorary Knight. And, according to Amber, he was pretty good. Aether’s techniques attacked enemies with equal force at both close and long range, and his swordsmanship skills rivaled those of the captains of the Knights of Favonius.

“Wow, we'll definitely have to test that out in practice,” Kaeya admitted, feeling a little impatient. Even a training battle can reveal an opponent's soul far better than the most heartfelt conversations.

“Slow down, cavalry captain. At least until the situation is resolved,” Lisa understood Kaeya's desire to test Aether, but before the situation with Storm... no, Dvalin, was resolved, they couldn't waste their energy.

“Lisa is right, we have another important problem right now,” everyone looked at the Acting Grand Master, “I mean, we're at an impasse. Clearing the temples weakened Dvalin, but what's the point? He will most likely continue his attacks, and we cannot fight him in the city. According to reports from captain Eula's group, the dragon has settled in Old Mondstadt, but it is closed off by an impenetrable wind barrier. What should we...”

There was a knock at the door.

“It's Paimon, may I come in?"

“Yes, come in.”

The fairy flew into the room, closing the door tightly behind her, then sat down on the nearest sofa.

“Do you need something?” Amber decided to speak up. “Why are you alone? Is something wrong with Aether?”

“No, they just told me to take the best seats,” she said, and as soon as she said it, the windows in the office flew open and a fierce wind rushed into the room.

Everyone except the fairy prepared for battle. When the window slammed shut, a miniature storm was still raging in the center of the room, and a few seconds later, a human figure emerged from it.

It was Aether. But he had changed. His eyes had turned green, and several strands of hair had also turned the same color. Previously, there had been the same feeling around him as around the bearers of the Anemo Vision; the knights felt the winds caressing him, as if trying to lift him up and make him one with them. But now everything was different. He was the Wind. A storm of insane power, separated from them by an ultra-thin line that they could not even see. Everyone in the room instantly understood that this was not a human being standing before them.

Now a god stood before them.

“Well, I suppose I should introduce myself...”

“Please, there's no need,” Jean sheathed her sword and performed the traditional knightly salute. “One of the Four Winds, the Lion of the South, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, and heir to the Gunnhildr clan, Jean Gunnhildr greets Anemo Archon Barbatos.”

Chapter Text

“So, this is your plan?

“If by plan, Mr. Diluc, you mean searching all over Mondstadt for Dvalin's tears, obtaining the Holy Lyre by illegal means, and summoning the Dragon of the East to heal him by playing this lyre, then yes, you understand correctly, that is our plan.”

“And what guarantees are there that the plan will work?”

“None, but I sincerely hope so.”

The red-haired man sitting in front of Aether sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. The members of the Knight of Favonius who were sitting with him in the same room understood him well. To be honest, Diluc had hoped until the very last moment that this was a joke, but Jean, sitting next to him with a serious expression, shattered that hope. So, the traveler who distinguished himself during the Stormterror's attack turned out to be their Archon. Although there was logic in this. At least the aura of the creature in front of him clearly could not belong to a human.

“As I understand it, we already have the lyre?” Diluc turned to the Acting Grand Master, who was carefully holding the ancient instrument close to her.

“Yes, we didn't have permission from the Seneschal or Community Representative, but we were already running late and barely managed to intercept the lyre from the Electro Cicin Mage,” Diluc frowned at the mention of Fatui.

“So, there are tears left. Why don't you yourself...”

“Diluc, you...” Jean tried to interrupt his indignation.

“No need, Jean,” Aether nodded to the magister, “I understand what you mean, Mr. Ragnvindr. Why don't I collect the tears myself? If I take my usual form, I can find all the tears pretty quickly, but there's a problem,” the guy nodded toward the librarian, who was confused for a second but quickly understood what they wanted from her.

“Our Archon means that defiled tears react negatively to those who possess elemental powers,” Diluc raised an eyebrow ironically, as he quickly found a flaw in this argument.

“On the other hand, as long as I'm in this 'vessel',” Aether pointed to himself, “the tears have no effect on me. Moreover, I can purify them,” a crystal tear glowed with a soft blue light on his outstretched palm, instantly capturing the attention of everyone in the room, “and use them to repair the Holy Lyre. But I can only indicate the approximate location of the tears. This is where I need mondstadtians help. More precisely, yours. My source informed me that you have a certain "network" covering almost every corner of our region.”

Diluc stared at Jean again, clearly guessing who the "source" was. The Archon's words sounded convincing enough; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any flaws in them.

“All right, I'll help you. But know this: if I have even the slightest doubt about your sincerity, or if I believe that you pose a threat to the city, or that you value your dragon above the citizens of Mondstadt”, Diluc looked straight into the Archon's green eyes, “I swear by my name and the honor of my family that I will drag your soul to the Abyss, and I will leave not even ashes of your body behind.”

The tension in the room was palpable, and Diluc's gaze was so sharp and threatening that it was frightening to even look at him.

“Reasonable, Lord Ragnvindr. I am asking you to risk your life for my friend, so it would be logical for me to risk my life as well,” the archon interrupted Jean, who was objecting. “No, Jean, you are not obliged to risk yourself. The people of Mondstadt owe me no debts. I can only ask that we resolve the issue in the least bloody way possible, that's all.”

At that moment, even the skeptical Diluc was amazed. "They have no debts to him." To the inhabitants of the City of Freedom, who had grown up on tales of the overthrow of the king of storms and the cruel aristocracy, these words seemed almost blasphemous, even if they were uttered by God himself. Their freedom was, for the most part, thanks to Barbatos; without him, they would probably still be chained or locked behind the storm barrier forever. But their Archon did not consider this something worthy of gratitude. They were free, and their god respected that freedom, even if it was granted to them by themselves. And that... was touching. It seemed that some even shed tears.

“Ahem, well, the tears are located roughly here,” Barbatos placed a map on the table with three places marked with crosses, “the Temple of the Falcon, the Thousand Winds Temple, and the Eclipse tribe in the Dadaupa Gorge. That's where the tears with the strongest aura lie, more than enough to repair the lyre. Mr. Diluc, how long will it take to collect them?”

“If we start right now, no more than half a day. However, things could get complicated if there are no Vision users in the search teams.”

“That restriction would be excessive,” Lisa said, “since the tears only have a negative effect when in close contact. It is enough to have just one person on the team without elemental powers.”

“Okay, that simplifies things,” said Jean, taking her turn to speak. “So, the plan for collecting the tears is as follows: two teams will head towards the Dadaupa Gorge and Cape Oath, and the third will leave a little later. Its members will pacify the dragon and collect the last tear. The first team will be led by Kaeya, the second by Amber. The third will consist of me, Mr. Barbatos, Mr. Diluc, and... Here, the woman’s gaze fell on the librarian.”

“You know, Jean, I'm not a fighter. Plus, I just got back from a mission at the temple. I'll only be a burden to you.”

“Okay, so it's just the three of us. Any questions?”

Unexpectedly, Amber spoke up.

“This isn't exactly related to the mission, but I'm just curious,” the girl looked at the fairy sitting neatly on the sofa throughout the meeting, “Paimon, how are you connected to Mr. Barbatos?”

Honestly, after the questions related to the safety of Mondstadt, this was the most interesting one. If the fairy traveled alone, she would attract a lot of attention. But she was the companion of Anemo Archon, which meant she had to stand out not only for her appearance.

“Paimon? Well, she...” The guy's gaze darted between the fairy and the mondstadtians. “Heh heh, I'm a little embarrassed to talk about this, but...” Barbatos pulled Paimon closer to him, holding her face to the left of his. “She's my daughter! Look, she has the same face, and she can fly!”

The faces of the inhabitants of the city of freedom were something to behold. Even Diluc looked incredibly surprised.

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles " is struck ]

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles " wishes to know the name of the mother ]

“Daughter? Incredible, so you...”

“Jean, why are you listening to him?!” Paimon broke free from Barbatos' grip, pointing an accusing finger at him. “He lies as easily as he breathes! And Paimon doesn't look anything like him! Not even like the other him,” Paimon hesitated, “I mean, before he became Aether.”

Most of the mondstadtians understood what she meant about the appearance of their archon's statue. Although... there was still a distant resemblance between their faces.

“Heh heh, okay, just kidding,” Diluc's eye seemed to twitch at his words, “I really did catch this fairy from the sea and wanted to eat her.”

“Hmph, Tone-Deaf Bard," Paimon pouted indignantly.

Their little argument broke the tension that had been hanging in the room before. Barbatos was pleased to see his companions' faces soften. At least they were in the right frame of mind, which was half the battle.

“The winds are on our side, friends! Forward—to save the Dragon of the East!”

As he was leaving the room, the Archon turned to the Acting Grand Master and librarian.

“Oh, before I forget... We'll need one more artifact.”

***

Their plan went smoothly. Kaeya and Amber, along with their teams, returned safe and sound, even a little earlier than planned. After strictly instructing Keya to keep a close watch on the city and Fatui in particular, Jean and her team set off for Starsnatch Cliff. In order to maintain a positive attitude, even Diluc hardly objected to Keya being appointed as leader. He only asked once that Mondstadt not be left in ruins by the time they returned.

But Kaeya's assurance that he understood everything perfectly well, and that not even ruins would remain by the time they returned from the city, was clearly unnecessary.

The Ruin Guard, who was protecting the object of their search, was destroyed almost instantly in the Thousand Winds Temple, and they shed their last tear. Aether cleaned it a few minutes before they reached their destination. By the way, his hair and eyes returned to normal. And as they approached the very edge of the cape, the lyre had already been restored.

“Is everyone ready?”

The rest of the team nodded. Jean and Diluc grouped together, preparing for battle, though they did not draw their weapons yet. Paimon hid behind his back, keeping in mind the instructions her companion had given her before the battle.

His hair and eyes turned green again, and the space around them filled with the beautiful sounds of the ancient lyre. Everyone presents at Starsnatch Cliff at that moment appreciated the musician's skill. Truly, there was no equal to him among mortals.

The melody was beautiful, but full of longing and regret.

The wind grew stronger, turning into a storm. From behind the threatening clouds, the figure of a dragon appeared, gliding toward those standing on the cliff. Dvalin's muzzle was right in front of the rescue team.

“And you... So, everything is decided...”

The dragon's gaze was clouded, he spoke each word slowly, and on his back, in two places, purple crystals were clearly visible, radiating negative energy, further confirming the information that he had been poisoned.

“No, I see your sadness. I see it in your eyes. You must remember this song.”

The melody of the song changed. Now it was full of hope. Hope for change. The soft music was truly healing, even those standing behind the archon could feel it. However, just as the gloom was almost lifted from Dvalin's gaze, an icy projectile flew into the lyre, breaking it and knocking the instrument away. From behind the dragon appeared the Cryo Abyss Mage.

“Don't let him fool you, dragon... He has already abandoned you... He is lying to you again...” the creature's vile voice dripped with mockery at the Archon and the Guardian's suffering.

“Barbatos...” Dvalin said, as if begging his friend for help one last time, but the creature from the Abyss heard something else.

“Yes... Don't hold back... All of Mondstadt hates you. There's no turning back.” With a wave of his staff toward one of the crystals, anger and resentment filled the dragon's mind. A monstrous roar rang out.

“All these people... You arranged all this... You came to kill me!”

“No, that's not true!” Barbatos' attempts to reason with Dvalin were to no avail.

The mage stands near the spike and begins his pompous speech.

“This dragon will now serve its true master...”

“Stop, you'll only make him angrier,” the Archon tried to stop the people who had drawn their swords. But Jean and Diluc didn't care anymore; they were preparing for the inevitable battle.

“Venti, we need...” Paimon tried to bring him to his senses.

“No, wait... I can...”

“It's too late!” remembering her partner's instructions, Paimon struck him in the stomach with all her might. "Aether" doubled over, coughing. Jean and Diluc rushed towards the kneeling man.

“Already so divided... Now all you can do is drown in your own tears... And... What is this? You've hidden your aura? What's the point?" The mage seemed genuinely puzzled.

“Barbatos... Where..." The dragon was interrupted by the storm surrounding him.

“Four winds meet and form a defence.

Then another four winds are added, making it the Eight Trigrams.

Therefore, wind is everywhere yet exists nowhere.”

[ You used the skill "Way of the Wind: Vacuum Cage" ]

“Here. He's still here,” the golden-haired guy stretched his arms toward the Guardian, maintaining his technique, “Hit the crystals!”

The dragon was pinned against the cliff and almost immobilized, and Jean and Diluc climbed onto its back. Using their weapons and elemental techniques, they attacked the source of the corruption with all their might. And when there was only one blow left before its destruction, something strange happened.

Everyone on the cliff felt someone's gaze on them. Something seemed to be watching them from the southeast. Because of this feeling, Diluc and Jean hesitated and did not deliver the final blow to the crystal.

After that, the evil inside the dragon litterally boiled over, forcing the two knights to retreat. As soon as their feet touched the ground, they fell to their knees, unable even to hold their swords.

[ Something from the Abyss is watching you ]

Paimon cringed from the overwhelming fear. She didn't even understand the nature of this feeling, but it completely paralyzed her. A deafening dragon roar rang out, which would have knocked her down if it weren't for her companion, who held the fairy close to him.

The dragon itself had been affected by the unknown phenomenon, and this roar was more painful than furious, unlike before. Dvalin, creating powerful gusts of wind with his enormous wings, rushed away from the group, taking the mage with him.

When the wind died down, everyone gradually began to recover.

“Paimon, how are you?”

“I'm fine..." The fairy looked unwell. "No, really, I... I... Sniff... Who am I kidding... Paimon is scared... Very scared... Paimon... sniff... was so afraid that she would be eaten. And then there was that feeling... when the notification appeared.”

The guy pulled the fairy close to him so she could calm down a little. So he wasn't the only one who felt it? Jean and Diluc had already recovered and approached him.

“Are you okay?"

“Yes, Paimon is scared, but she doesn't seem to be injured. How are you?”

“I've been better,” the Acting Grand Master nodded to her friend, feeling just as awful herself. It wasn't pain, more like something nasty that touched her body and soul when the filth boiled inside the dragon. She couldn't describe it more precisely, “What was it anyway?”

“Let me say right away, it's not because of my technique,” which was the absolute truth; this skill really didn't have such effects. “Rather, something interfered with the course of our battle. You felt it too, didn't you?”

“Yes, as if something was watching us. From there,” Diluc fixed his gaze on the ocean. More precisely, on one small island, barely visible from here. He knew it well.

“There...” The master also quickly realized where her companion was looking.

“Yes. The Abyss.”

This made everyone tense up. If there was something in the Abyss whose mere gaze had such consequences, then they weren't just in danger – they already had one foot in the grave.

On the other hand, it could just be a large-scale illusion. After all, the Abyss Mages were known not only for their elemental shields. They also knew how to control hilichurls, enslaving their primitive minds. To be honest, they believed this option more, but it still required careful investigation, which they would undertake as soon as they dealt with the dragon.

“So, we need to discuss...”

[ The constellation “False God of Beauty” joins channel #PA-0001 ]

[ The constellation “False God of Beauty” grins eagerly ]

Yep, even some of the constellations were drawn to this battle.

“We need to discuss the next plan.”

Chapter Text

After an unsuccessful attempt to heal the dragon, their team decided to discuss further plans, and the Dawn Winery seemed like a suitable place for this. Since the involvement of the Abyss Order in this story had been officially confirmed, Diluc had another reason to stir up his network of informants. And luckily, the activity of the mages had recently been detected near the winery.

The battle with the Abyss Mage was quick. Diluc, with the help of his Vision, almost instantly destroyed his shield and pinned him to the ground with his boot, clearly intending to conduct a thorough interrogation. But that would take a long time, so Barbatos took the floor.

“Let's not waste each other's time. Answer all questions with only yes or no, okay?”

“Go to oblivion, arrogant god. And you along with him, lackeys of the Seven’s!” If the creature in front of him had a proper mouth, it would undoubtedly have spat at him. And given the amount of venom in his words, that spit could have poisoned even an Archon. Although, he was used to it.

“Um... Mr. Diluc...”

Ragnvindr’s foot came down hard on the mage's small body once more, causing him to groan in pain. Paimon chose to hide behind Jean's back so she wouldn't have to see it.

[ The constellation "False God of Beauty" rejoices at the violence taking place ]

“Just yes or no. I don't care if you're lying or not,” the god concentrated, then, like the fairy, he heard a mechanical voice.

[You used the skill "Sense of Truth"]

“Are you in control of Dvalina?”

“Go to...” The boot came down hard again. “No.”

[You have been sponsored for 300 coins]

Diluc was already reaching for more effective interrogation tools on his belt, but was stopped by Barbatos. Especially since the skill was working, and he clearly sensed the lie.

“No need, the answers aren't that important. So it is you after all. Are the spells concentrated in the spikes?”

“No, we control all the cursed blood in his body.”

“Are there many of you?”

“Yes, enough to get rid of you, anyway.”

“Do you control the barrier around the Old Mondstadt?”

“Yes, the barrier is maintained by mages inside.”

“Do you cooperate with Fatui?”

“Yes, it's nice when pathetic people help us exterminate themselves.”

The cunning bastard backs up his lies with relative truth. Now for the most important question.

“Do you know about ■■■[Star Stream]?”

Almost everyone present stared at the interrogator in surprise. His last words seemed to be spoken in a different language, but at the same time, it felt like they simply hadn't heard him.

“I don't even understand what you're talking about.”

“Fine.”

With one swift motion, the guy cut off the mage's head. Diluc grunted approvingly, removing his foot from the body that was disintegrating into dark dust. Jean and Paimon moved a little closer, waiting for Anemo Archon to speak.

“Well, he didn't lie about the last part.”

“Where does your confidence come from, Lord Barbatos?”

“Divine intuition, Acting Grand Master," the Archon said, tilting his head slightly upward.

Paimon really wanted to make a snide remark about how his intuition was practically a “skill”, but she held back. After all, it wasn't important right now.

“A strange energy emanated from the abyss mage. Apparently, it was this energy that severed my connection with Dvalin. Do you know about his Lair?”

The heirs of the ancient clans nodded, while Paimon looked at them in confusion.

“After awakening, Dvalin settled in the ancient ruins of Old Mondstadt. A special magic blocks the entrance to the ruins. According to our prisoner, the mages were unable to subdue the barrier, but they can control it to some extent. However, this will not greatly hinder us from breaking through the wind barriers and reaching Dvalin. We won't even need the lyre.”

“Does that mean we're going into battle again? What are our chances? Now Dvalin will definitely be expecting an attack,” Diluc expressed the general doubt about the new “plan”.

“The crystals are almost destroyed. We just need to break them, and I'll be able to cleanse Dvalin.”

“Won't that be dangerous?” Jean asked anxiously.

“As they say, 'To live is dangerous, people die from it.' Cleansing Dvalin is just very risky, but in our own way... In short, we have enough strength to do it and return to the city victorious.”

Diluc let out a long sigh.

“Jean... your eye is twitching," Paimon wasn't entirely sure she had seen it, but the general atmosphere was conducive to such a reaction from the AGM.

“Listen, I understand that this all sounds a bit dicey. Going alone into the dragon's lair is clearly not the most sensible idea. But the wind is at our backs! Our mission is almost complete, we just have one last push left. The final act of our heroic epic is about to begin!”

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" prays for your safe return ]

Encouraged, they headed for the dragon's lair. Jean and Diluc had to clear the way, as Barbatos tried to gather strength for the subsequent cleansing, only occasionally "removing" the most inconvenient or dangerous opponents. There were many hillichurls on the approaches to the ruins of the ancient city, although these creatures usually settle far from concentrations of elemental power. Diluc suggested that the Abyss Mages were controlling the minds of the hillichurls and that they already knew that their team was heading for the dragon. Because of this pressure from hostile creatures, they had to make many stops to rest. They reached their destination closer to evening.

“A storm barrier. It looks ominous,” Paimon was right. In addition to powerful gusts of wind, they felt a kind of negative energy, which made being near the barrier doubly unpleasant.

Without saying a word, the bard took out his second lyre and began to play. The melody was simple, but with each note, they felt the darkness and fierce winds recede, eventually disappearing altogether.

“I advise you not to delay, as the barrier will eventually be restored,” he said, and with that, they entered the territory of Old Mondstadt, and after only a few minutes, the barrier was back in place.

The Stormterror’ Lair was impressive. Endless hurricanes raged among the ancient ruins, sucking in everything in their path. It was quite frightening, even though their team was guarded by Anemo Archon himself.

[ The constellation "Barefoot Maiden in the Snowfield" joins channel #PA-0001 ]

Barbatos looked up at the sky and smiled at an old acquaintance, the one whose sacrifice had ushered in a new era in the kingdom of wind. Although... if the Lord of the Tower had understood human hearts better, this sacrifice would not have been necessary. A satisfied nod sounded in the thoughts of the true master of the body.

“So, let me explain the tactics. Look at the tower,” Barbatos pointed to the tallest structure in these ruins, encircled by three blue rings,” the entrance to the lair is sealed with a 'ceremony of light'. First, we need to activate the three pedestals around the tower. Then we...” Before he could finish his sentence, the three creatures assumed combat stances, and the fairy hid behind the golden-haired boy.

A creature nearly three meters tall approached them slowly, although it would be more accurate to say it glided, and in flight it could have been as tall as four meters. Its robes vaguely resembled the clothing of church ministers, with a cloak that looked like wings from a distance. The turquoise streams of wind surrounding it, matching the color of its robes, were distorted by evil, which could be felt even from a distance. An artifact hovered near its right hand, consisting of three concentric rings rotating chaotically in space.

The Abyss Lector: Fierce Whirlwind appeared before them in all its monstrous grandeur. Unfortunately, it would be better for a god or a creature similar in strength to fight such a creature, but Barbatos needed to conserve his strength. Jean and Diluc might be able to defeat it, but after that they would either die from their wounds or be incapacitated for a long time. Worst of all, this creature possessed the same element as two of the three warriors in their squad. Damn it!

“Ha-ha, what a wonderful meeting... descendants of traitors. And you, of course, Barbatos...” Interestingly, Lector spoke in understandable human language, but his words were filled with incredible power, something similar to the feeling on Starsnatch Cliff. And even the fact that his speech was interrupted did not prevent him from sounding truly terrifying. “And I thought I would never see this day. Especially... in this... body.”

“I'm afraid we don't know each other,” replied the bard, drawing his bow. The creature's words seemed strange to him. The Abyss hates the gods as a community, but this one clearly considers him his personal enemy. How did he manage to annoy him?

“Kha-kha, apparently... erosion has already eaten away at your mind enough... if you don't remember me,” the creature's small eyes, hidden by a mask, narrowed contemptuously, “Although, maybe you really don't remember... When her arrow pierced my heart... You were still weak... insignificant... not even worthy of my gaze... an elemental. And even now... you did not come alone.”

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" asks the master of the Tower to stop the senseless struggle ]

Barbatos' eyes widened in sudden realization, while the others looked at each other in confusion.

“It can't be... Decarabian!”

This time, even the usually imperturbable Diluc felt a chill run down his spine. Decarabian, the previous Anemo Archon. But he's dead, pierced by Amos's arrow thousands of years ago!

“True... In the flesh... Almost in the flesh... And with the powers of ■■■, I will regain my flesh and everything that is rightfully mine. My people will be with me again... No one will take them away from me again... Even if... I have to defile myself with a pact with the Abyss.”

[ Stage Transformation ]

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" prepares for battle ]

The space around them began to change, and the team felt human figures forming behind them, but the warriors did not feel threatened by them. On the contrary, they felt a strange connection with the new arrivals. The silhouettes that appeared even seemed vaguely familiar to them. Meanwhile, the ruins around them began to look much better, now resembling Old Mondstadt in the prime of its glory.

But they had no time to admire the city. For before them stood a god risen from the dead, in the body of the Abyss Lecturer, and above them rang out a deafening dragon's roar. The fallen god spread his arms wide, as if wishing to embrace the whole world.

“Let's begin, revenge for the Divine Throne of Wind!”

<Additional Scenario #1 – Revenge>

Difficulty: A

Clear Condition: Defeat the incarnation of the constellation "Lord of the Tower"

Time limit: None

Compensation: Variable

Failure: death

Chapter Text

The situation couldn't be worse. They would have had problems with Dvalin alone, but now they not only had the Abyss Lector, who is a walking disaster in himself, but also the previous Anemo Archon, who was possessed.

The only thing that could help them was the shadows of the peoples of Old Mondstadt that appeared thanks to the Stage Transformation. Jean and Diluc, who did not fully understand what was happening, quickly realized that the people behind them were their allies, not enemies. Although for now, they could only stand behind Barbatos.

“Decarabian, enough! You won't change anything!” It was a last desperate attempt to resolve everything peacefully. To be honest, Barbatos didn't even hope that it would work. "Your story is over!”

“That's not for you to decide!” with the help of a sword made of wind, Decarabian sent several powerful slashes at the team. Barbatos barely had time to play a defensive song on his lyre; had he hesitated even for a moment, all four would have been dead. “You took everything from me! You bewitched my people with your songs! I... I am the true Archon! What have you achieved? Your people are on the brink of destruction, and you are unable to protect them! My winds forced any danger to the people of Mondstadt to bend!”

“Your winds bent not only danger, but also the backs of those you protected! You were not revered, it was ordinary fear!” Under the double pressure of the former Archon and the dragon, it became increasingly difficult for Barbatos to create songs.

“Liar!”

Decarabian's final attack was delivered simultaneously with Dvalin's, causing the defense to collapse and scattering the team in different directions. The shadows rose almost immediately, but for the living, it was quite difficult. Jean and Diluc rose on shaky legs, still intent on fighting, while Barbatos lay covering the white fairy with his body. Lector and the dragon slowly approached them from both sides.

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" closes its eyes ]

[ The constellation "One Who Turning His Back On The God Of Freedom" joins channel #PA-0001 ]

Oh, another old friend. It seems their team has gathered again.

[ The constellation "One Who Turning His Back On The God Of Freedom" is surprised by such an ending ]

“This is the end, Barbatos. Fate is on my side,” the Master of the Tower said slowly, savoring every word.

“Ha-ha, I'm afraid you're wrong. Fate has no favorites. I know that very well,” replied the golden-haired man, without getting up from the ground.

“You? Ha... How do you even know...” Suddenly disappearing in a gust of wind, the Traveler appeared behind the Lecturer, grabbing him from behind and preventing him from moving his arms.

“PAIMON, HIT HIM!”

Swinging her arm, Paimon struck the Abyss Lector’s chest with all her might. The blow caused intense pain in the fairy's arm, and it seemed that she had broken it. But they had achieved their goal. Just like back then, on Starsnatch Cliff, the fairy's blow severed the connection between the constellation and its incarnation, and the creature of the Abyss fell to its knees, gasping for breath.

But almost immediately, Lector recovered and swung his arm, trying to finish off the fairy who had ruined the Abyss's plan. The moment he was about to strike, Aether sent his opponent flying with a powerful kick.

“Barbatos, hold him back!” After these words, a turquoise whirlwind emerged from the Traveler's body and headed towards Lector. Grabbing Paimon under his arm, Aether rushed towards the dragon, catching the surprised glances of his companions along the way. It was understandable, because according to their legend, he was Barbatos.

“I'll explain later, hold back Lector, he can't handle it alone. Dvalin is on me!” Despite their suspicions, Jean and Diluc obeyed "their archon" and, together with the crowd of shadows and the turquoise whirlwind, began to restrain the raging creature.

Aether ran up to Dvalin, who didn't understand what was happening, and launched a powerful wind slash at the spikes on his back. The rear spike gave way and fell apart, while several large pieces broke off the front spike, but it still remained intact. The dragon roared in pain and quickly soared into the sky, clearing the way to the stone structure behind him. Aether was not interested in its purpose now; all that mattered was that it looked sturdy.

“Hide and don't come out until I say so!” Paimon nodded and, supporting her throbbing limb, rushed to the shelter at full speed. Good, one less problem.

Dvalin circled around them, clearly not intending to descend. Apparently, something told him that the best strategy now was to wait until Decarabian returned to his incarnation and then attack. After all, as long as Barbatos was holding back this incarnation, the dragon would be out of reach of Aether's attacks. Or so Dvalin thought.

Aether took an artifact out of his inventory. More precisely, it was an ancient astrolabe. According to Lisa, this instrument was thousands of years old and was one of the earliest surviving astronomical instruments. It was artifact that he had asked the librarian and master for back then, in the Angel's Share tavern. This artifact, like many others of its kind, helped the incarnation communicate with the constellations almost directly and ask them for help. Judging by the information from his skills, the instrument's charge would be enough for three uses. And only constellations of historical grade could be summoned. But that was all they needed.

Dvalin was wrong when he thought he was unreachable. After all, there is another extremely famous archer here now.

“I call upon the constellation,” the sunset sky above their heads instantly turned black, and thousands of stars appeared on it. It was a truly mesmerizing sight, even if no one could enjoy it because of the battle. “I call upon... the Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield, Amos.”

[ The stars began to move ]

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" is looking at you ]

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" does not want to interfere ]

What? But why?

“Lady Amos, please! I know your battle is over, and this is no longer your concern. But the future of Mondstadt is at stake, and we cannot win without your help. After our defeat, everything you have achieved since the uprising will be meaningless.”

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" understands this ]

“But then... why?” Aether pondered the reasons for her refusal as his gaze slid over the Abyss Lector and the people, shadows, and wind surrounding him. Judging by the sparks of probability around the mage, Decarabian would soon take possession of his incarnation again. Why didn't she want to help them? Hmm... Or maybe it's the opposite... She just doesn't want to fight him? Could it be... that simple? Indeed, there is no curse more terrible than love.

“Amos. He cannot be fixed or saved. I know... damn it, I know what it's like when the people you love fall into darkness and you can't do anything about it. Perhaps there really was light in him once. Perhaps he really did want to make all his people happy once. Now there is nothing left of that in him. And if there is, the Abyss will devour it. His path will lead only to destruction and death. The time has come to end his story. And only you can do it. I beg you.”

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" responds to your request ]

Aether's hair turned white, and an icy bow appeared in his hands. Amos' power may be much less than Barbatos', but in the place where her legend was born, they can be almost comparable. And if you add his power of purification to the attack... There was very little time left, Decarabian had already begun to materialize, and Jean and Diluc had to retreat, and Barbatos was beginning to give up.

Aether's fingers slowly pulled back the bowstring, watching as the tip of the arrow followed the crystal on the dragon's neck. She exhaled before shooting and...

Whizz!

Right on target.

A deafening dragon roar rang out. Shards of purple crystal rained down from Dvalin's neck, and he himself landed with a crash not far from the battle with Lector.

The next arrow pierced the chest of the creature of the Abyss and stopped its fusion with the constellation. Though not completely.

“Kha... it all ended... just the same... What a monstrous irony... Yes, Amos?” Each word came with difficulty to the constellation.

“That guy and Barbatos were right, Decarabian. Our stories are over. We no longer have a place in the sublunary world," theirs enemy incarnation closed his eyes. Acting Grand Master and the former knight moved closer to Aether, just in case.

[ The constellation "False God of Beauty" portends global ■■■ ]

“Probably so... But..." Decarabian's voice lost all emotion at some point, and sparks began to fly around his incarnation. “No... No... Not like that... I... I'M NOT DEFEATED YET!”

The giant wound on the chest of the Abyss Lector began to close. Sparks from a probability storm began to fly in all directions from him. Considering that the wound was inflicted in the same way and by the same creature as in his legend, he was spending an immeasurable amount of probability on it. Even more than immeasurable. Still, he needed to overcome a certain "fate."

“Madman! You will destroy us all!” A crack began to appear above the incarnation’s head in the sky. It was only a matter of time before something came out of it. “People, attack! We can't let him continue.”

Aether continued to shower Lector with arrows while Barbatos cut him with wind currents, and Jean and Diluc, together with the shadows, chopped at him with their swords with their last ounce of strength. Regeneration gradually slowed down, and the incarnation’s body had already lost its right arm and head.

But Decarabian clearly had no intention of giving up. Spending even more probability, he began to manifest his true body, which appeared as a humanoid figure above the body of his incarnation.

“Insignificant rebels! Begone!” The constellation's roar knocked even Aether, who was keeping his distance, off his feet and, as if that weren't enough, severed his connection with Amos. Damn it, now he doesn't even have time for a second call.

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" looks at you apologetically ]

The shadow of the constellation began to form a powerful attack above itself, while the celestial rift continued to grow from the probability used. No matter where Aether ran, the attack would catch up with him. The only solution he could see now was to get close and put all his strength into a single blow.

True, his chances of survival were... not the greatest. But then, when had they ever been?

“There is a gale in the right hand

And a storm in the left hand.

The Way of the Wind will be opened

When the straight lines and the curves meet,” Aether said, as if reciting a tongue twister.

[ You used the skill "Way of the Wind" ]

However, before the "final push", unexpected reinforcements arrived. Cleansed of the curse, Dvalin brought his huge paw down on the shadow of the constellation, interrupting the use of the skill, and simply blew the remaining sphere of energy aside with his wings. And considering the monstrous shockwave from the explosion of this sphere even a hundred meters away from them, Aether would surely have died even if he had tried to carry out his plan. Aether this blow was really that strong, or Decarabian, despite his bravado, was on his last breath, but the shadow of the constellation practically melted away, lying next to its incarnation.

“Dvalin, you're healed!” The small turquoise storm became a bard again, dressed in clothes of the same color. Even though he fought in a disembodied form, his body was covered in scrapes and cuts, and his clothes were torn in several places. Nevertheless, Barbatos beamed with happiness, seeing that his old friend was back with them.

“Yes, the last arrow completely broke the Abyss spell,” this time the dragon did not feel as threatening as before. He still possessed incredible power, but now that power was on their side, and each of them felt protected by this mighty creature. “Thank you, I had given up hope of salvation. Darkness... completely clouded my vision.”

“You're welcome! So, is it over?” Barbatos looked at Ither, Jean, and Diluc, and his gaze also swept over the place where Paimon was hiding.

“Let's see..." Aether approached the remains of the incarnation, next to which lay the shadow of the constellation. Just in case, he held his sword in front of him. “You said something about a power that would return your body to you, even though you already had an incarnation. You meant your original body, right? Does such a power really exist in this world?”

Aether was genuinely interested in the constellation's words. If something like that existed in this world, it was at least worth knowing about. The shadow of the constellation continued to evaporate, lying face down on the ground.

“I have nothing to say to you... Leave me alone...” Decarabian sounded broken, clearly unwilling to fight, but just in case, he decided to pick up the weapon lying next to him. However, when he bent down to grab it, Aether realized he had made a mistake.

The concentric rings were not a weapon. It was an artifact.

An armillary sphere!

And, judging by all appearances, it would be much better suited for communicating with the constellations. Perhaps with its help, it would even be possible to summon narrative-grade constellations. The artifact had almost moved into his inventory when it suddenly began to spin at a wild speed. Messages began pouring into the chat again.

[ The "Sphere of the Reverse Sky" calls out to its creator ]

[ The constellation "False God of Beauty" reminds you of its previous words ]

[ The constellation "One Who Turning His Back On The God Of Freedom" draws its blade, shaking its head in search of a threat ]

[ The constellation "Barefoot Lady in the Snowfield" can barely hold its bow due to the sweat on its hands ]

[ The constellation "Prisoner of the Dandelion Shackles" growls with tension ]

What is happening to the constellations?

[ Inevitable fate approaches ]

From above!

Something burst out of the crack in the sky, crashing with a monstrous roar right where the body of Decarabian's incarnation lay, nearly crushing Aether. If after Dvalin's blow the earth was simply covered with cracks, now it simply broke into several massive stone slabs.

Looking closely, the Traveler noticed that the body of this "something" was very long, resembling a snake or a tentacle. The color of the "snake" was completely black, so much so that it seemed as if there were no shadows on it at all. The creature's "face", which had emerged from the ground, was nothing more than a toothy mouth, in which the shadow of the constellation and its incarnation were clamped.

[ Your mind trembles ]

Aether fell to one knee, his soul feeling as if it were being turned inside out. Even though this creature had no eyes, he could clearly feel its gaze. Jean and Diluc lost consciousness immediately, while Dvalin and Barbatos clutched their heads, trying to overcome the overwhelming pain. At some point, the levitating armillary sphere simply broke due to the incredible speed of the rings' rotation.

Is this... an Outer God?

Where did it come from? Even if Decarabian had spent a mountain of probability, it was clearly not enough for such a being to descend to their reality. Think, Aether, think!

What is there to think about?! They barely defeated a historical-grade constellation! With his current powers, it's surprising that Aether didn't die just from the presence of this monster.

[ You feel someone's malicious smile ]

The creature was even mocking him. The shadow moved slightly toward him, looming over him. Apparently, his journey would end here. His gaze involuntarily fell on the place where he had told Paimon to hide. Aether had a glimmer of hope that the fairy would survive and perhaps tell his sister the story about him.

His eyes slowly closed.

One second.

Another.

And another. But death still did not come.

[ Inevitable fate retreats ]

Retreats?

With his last ounce of strength, he opened one eye. The creature's body quickly disappeared into the same crack from which it had appeared. As soon as the "snake's" head disappeared, the crack in the sky also ceased to exist, and with it, the monstrous pressure of its presence.

Aether sat down on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

[ Most of the constellations breathe a sigh of relief ]

[ The existence of the constellation "Lord of the Tower" has been erased from this world ]

[ Additional scenario #1 completed ]

[ You have encountered an enemy that greatly surpasses you in strength ]

[ Rewards are being calculated ]

***

“So, does that mean we were actually traveling with Lord Barbatos and the Honorable Knight Aether?" asked Jean. Their team was currently flying against the backdrop of the night sky on Dvalin toward Mondstadt. They looked pretty battered from the previous battle, even though their wounds had been healed by Jean. Paimon, for example, had her arm bandaged.

“Yeah, it was kind of like a possession, but voluntary.”

“But why?”

“That question is not for me to answer.”

Jean and Diluc turned to Barbatos.

“Well, I think you both know the reason,” the bard scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Fatui,” it was funny that they said it at the same time.

“Exactly, they're looking for it,” a turquoise chess piece appeared in the archon's palm, emanating the power of wind.

“Gnosis. This artifact allows the Archons to resonate directly with Celestia and is a symbol of our power in Teyvat. However, it also has other properties. As you know, the Fatui have ears and eyes everywhere. Gnosis gave me enough power to save Dvalin, and in order to keep them from taking it away from me, I was forced to hide. Most likely, they already know that Aether introduced himself as the Anemo Archon, so they will be hunting him down. Keep an eye on him! Barbatos' smile was already beginning to unnerve them.”

“You silly wandering bard!” Paimon began to hit the Archon with her healthy hand. “At least look guilty! We were risking our lives, you know!”

“I'm just kidding, little Paimon. It's impossible to hide any longer. I think I can convince Fatui to leave Mondstadt.”

“Are you going to give it to them?” Diluc instantly understood Barbatos' plan.

“Not only that, Mr. Diluc, but that's just a detail.”

“I remember someone telling me not to tolerate disrespect from Fatui,” Jean glared at Aether, “and taking away our Archon's symbol of power is not just a slap in the face. It's like wiping their feet on our city.”

“If you're going to beat up the Fatui, I'm out. When we made the agreement with Barbatos, I made a couple of vows. Until he 'negotiates' with them, I can't fight them,” apparently, the legends about the friendship between the Archons of Freedom and Contracts are true. The wording in their agreement was very precise and elegant.

“This... Mr. Barbatos...” The Acting Grand Master’s voice sounded guilty.

“Jean...” Barbatos gently squeezed her hand in his. “Don't blame yourself. Don't blame anyone. What must happen will happen, and there is no escaping it. Believe me.”

“Oh...” AGM sighed heavily. “All right, do as you see fit. But remember that we are always ready to help our Archon.”

Barbatos looked rather embarrassed by these words.

“Ah, children grow up so quickly,” the Archon brushed away imaginary tears.

“Hmm. Speaking of children,” Diluc looked at the fairy, “I'm curious, what role does Paimon play in this story?”

“Hey, Paimon is not a child!” Paimon puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest.

“We accidentally discovered that she can interrupt possession with blows,” Aether began, when we met Barbatos and had already agreed on everything, he having already possessed me began to tease Paimon. Well, she punched him. Well... me, actually,” the Traveler rubbed his cheek while Paimon quietly burned with shame.

“I see, that's why she hit Lector when that deity was inside him.”

“Yeah, Decarabian couldn't resist Paimon's skill either.”

“Decarabian? You mean the Master of the Tower? I don't remember that name being mentioned in the historical chronicles of Mondstadt.” Hmm, that's interesting. It seems that Jean has forgotten about him. Diluc also looks interested. So, this name has really disappeared from the world. Paimon looked puzzled at the magister, which means she remembered. So that's how it is.

“Well, this god did have a name. To be honest, I don't remember it either,” Barbatos had forgotten too, interesting.

“Don't worry about it, I just called him by the name of a similar god from my world,” a lie, but who could prove it?

“All right...”

The silence that had begun ended the moment they noticed an army of hillichurls not far from Mondstadt. Yes, they had left the city under Kaeya's supervision for a day or two.

“Dvalin, I have an idea how to rehabilitate you in the eyes of the mondstadtians...”

“Not another word, Barbatos.”

***

The sight of the dragon literally sweeping away the army advancing on Mondstadt amazed everyone. And after their current magistrate descended from the dragon's back and announced that they had managed to save their guardian from the influence of the Abyss, and that now nothing threatened them, the people began to celebrate without even leaving the fortress walls. All that remained was to return the lyre to the cathedral.

Aether prudently let Jean enter the cathedral alone. He couldn't even imagine how much fuss there would be over the fact that they had damaged an ancient relic. Although... there were other reasons. Two of them now lay cut down by his "Way of the Wind", and three more were on their way.

Aether, let's switch.

Don't be silly. I want to participate in the local negotiations too.

You can't fight them.

I'm not going to.

A tall, white-haired woman wearing a mask that covered half her face approached him almost closely, unlike her assistants in purple cloaks, who kept their distance. Maybe she really hoped for the ice floes that "bound" him?

She?

Yes. Signora, the eighth of Eleven Fatui Harbingers.

“Who do we have here? The ruler of Mondstadt or a small rodent? Wandering the streets in search of scraps... The locals must feel awkward calling you a deity...”

“Rodents feed on small parasites, in case you didn't know.”

“Don't you dare talk back to me, you insolent little god,” she tried to slap him, but failed, and he simply knocked her hand away. “Archon who abandoned Mondstadt to its fate. You have no power left.”

Oh, is that why you bit your lip? I set the block so normal.

Aether, maybe...

Wait.

“What? Are you laughing at me? Are you seriously comparing my strength to that which your mistress has given you?” Oh, now she was angry, look how she furrowed her brow.

“Don't talk to me like that,” Signora covered the distance between them in one leap, and her hand penetrated his chest without encountering any obstacles, thanks to one of his skills.

“Kha...” he added more drama to his voice. “You should... You should've…”

“What are you muttering about?” Her mockery slowly gave way to disbelief. Apparently, she couldn't feel the Gnosis inside him. Which made sense, because Aether didn't have one.

“You should've gone...” Aether pulled Signora by her hair, allowing her hand to sink even deeper into him, “You should've gone for the head!”

A click for added drama, and that was it! Archon in the middle of the cathedral square, the Fatui and Jean scattered around him by the wind, watching it all. Oh well, scandal was inevitable. Serves her right! And he flew in the form of the wind to the Good Hunter, to Paimon and Amber, to celebrate their victory.

Chapter Text

Permanence.

Barbeloth had no particular attachment to this word. Every day since she learned her main art, hydromancy, she had witnessed the unchanging movement of the stars and human destinies. Barbeloth always understood that movement is the basis of all life. If someone does not move and does not change, then they are most likely dead. And her element said a lot about the witch: she received Hydro, not Electro Vision, although she had every chance of receiving the latter. At least, if some observations about the conditions for receiving this divine gift are correct. And she certainly did not approve of Raiden Shogun's policies.

But right now, the woman wanted permanence. Even more than that.

She craved it.

For it is quite normal when new stars light up in the sky, symbolizing the birth of new legends.

But for unchanging stars to disappear... She had heard of such things, but now she could see it. Although "see" is an exaggeration, because this change seems so insignificant on the surface that it is as if it does not exist at all.

It began when, in the evening of a perfectly ordinary day, she felt another "change of fate." This often happened to her; powerful stars often intervened in the fates of their incarnations to help them in some way. Hence the stories of "second wind" and "spiritual uplift" in difficult situations.

The constellations spent what Alice calls "probability" on these changes, and it was precisely these "bursts" that Barbeloth felt. She herself compares it to how circles form on water when you throw a stone into it. Large stones create large waves, small stones create small waves. Sometimes these waves came from several objects at once, causing them to overlap, suppressing or amplifying each other. Sometimes they bounced off the imaginary "shores" and returned.

But what she felt that day... It wasn't just a "splash."

It was a real tsunami.

Barbeloth's ears rang naturally the moment the wave reached her. For a few more seconds, she desperately gasped for air, trying to recover, when her student appeared beside her. Mona sat the woman down on the nearest sofa and asked how she was feeling. Barbeloth gulped down the glass of water she was offered, listlessly fending off other attempts to help her, as her sharp mind was now analyzing what had happened with all its might.

“So, the wave came from Mondstadt. Hmm, could it be that the Stormterror that had been terrorizing Mondstadt for the past few months had been killed? Or did Barbatos wake up from his slumber and fall in battle? No, in that case, the waves would have gradually grown stronger as the battle progressed, then there would have been a moment of calm, and at the moment of death, there would have been a peak.” She had indeed felt the storm growing before the main "blow," but compared to the main wave, it was very insignificant. It was as if a battle had indeed taken place, but then one of the combatants... disappeared? At least, that was her impression.

Meanwhile, it had already grown dark. Through the huge glass ceiling, the women sitting nearby could see thousands of stars, each of which they knew by name. Here, "Mother of Jinns" was dancing next to "Lord of the Golden Sands", and there, "Avenger of the Vortex" was entwined with "Petrified Serpent of Five Heads". "Mistress of the Fallen Assembly" was spinning among the glazed lilies, and the Three Heroes of Freedom were pointing their weapons at the tyrant whose name was... Name... Wait, what does the name matter, this star isn't even in the sky!

Barbeloth jumped up as if stung and ran to her desk, trying to find something in the pile of books and scrolls that could answer the question that had arisen in her mind. Mona just shook her head.

“That crazy old woman, first she faints, then she dives headfirst into her waste paper,” the girl said as quietly as possible, but her master still heard her. Of course, she was already used to this form of communication with her student, but it still annoyed her from time to time. Of course, she was much older than Mona and even most of the people alive today. But what right did this child have to call her old? Even in appearance, she was more of a "very mature woman" than an old woman! The tentacle created by hydromancy slapped loudly against Mona's prominent rear end, causing her to cry out loudly.

“Kyah!" The girl, her face reddened, covered the injured part of her body with her hands. "Did you hit your head when you fell, you old hag?"

“Shut up! If you're so good at yelling, yell at your man," Barbeloth said, easily putting her student in her place when she wanted to. "Go to bed. Tomorrow morning, you'll be leaving for a mission in Mondstadt."

Mona was surprised. Mondstadt? Isn't the Storm Horror raging there right now? Oh well, it's useless to argue with the old woman anyway, it'll just get on your nerves. Rubbing the bruised spot, she headed to her room, silently, just in case — the Archons know that her master can still hear her.

Making sure her student had left, Barbeloth opened one of her old friend's books. Among the many poems, allegories, and metaphors that protected the knowledge contained in the book from outside interference, she finally found the lines she was looking for:

“Bingo. 'Tyrant,' 'tormented and surrounded,' 'by Owl, Lion, and Falcon,' 'in the terrifying Tower amid the storms.'”

So this star really did disappear. More precisely, it was absorbed, if Alice's words about this creature are to be believed. Could it be that it has begun...

Yes, and she still resisted the decision to transfer the star atlas to the book. Despite everything Barbeloth knew, the stars still seemed to her to be something unshakable. Something that no one could change at all.

“Andersdotter," echoed lonely from the walls of the house, "you seem to be sitting next to me again, pointing out what most people cannot see. You are still remembered... 'A legend that never ends', right? And me... will I be remembered?

Barbeloth missed her. It was easy to talk about the insignificance and transience of human lives, which nevertheless together form history, the past and the present. But when you see not an endless stream of faceless people, but one specific Personality... At such moments, she began to hate her gift, because for hydromancy, no such distinction existed.

A black and purple sphere appeared in the middle of the room, gradually expanding in space. When it had grown large enough, a woman emerged from its blackness.

Her face was so beautiful and refined that many who saw it thought it looked fake. But in a way, they were right. Her light blue eyes looked at the world around her with a slight hint of boredom, and her light hair was braided into a long plait. The woman was dressed in dark blue clothes, the design of which also featured gold eight-pointed stars woven into it here and there.

If anyone from Mondstadt saw this woman, they would most likely mistake her for one of the captains of the Knights. Although, this is not surprising, as her child turned out to be the most similar to her.

Rhinedottir. "Gold". One of the Five Sinners.

“Hmm... It seems we are not alone. Your student..."

“Good evening, Rhinedottir," Archons, how annoying Barbeloth finds this woman's manner of speech! She herself is not a fan of idle chatter, but Rhinedottir’s manner of starting to discuss business instead of offering a simple greeting infuriates her. "Mona is in her bedroom right now, she's been given a small dose of a powerful sedative. Even Alice's experiments wouldn't wake her up now.

Barbeloth sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the table in the middle of the room and pointed to the seat opposite her.

“So, these old ladies can gossip a little."

“Hmm," ‘R’ grunted, sitting down opposite her, "will our elder be coming too?"

“I believe," the attempt to see the fate of the one they were talking about was quite successful, "that she is already here."

Barbeloth gestured to open one of the windows that made up the glass ceiling in this room, and a red something flew into the passageway at full speed, which was caught at the table itself with the help of Rhinedottir's magic. The latter, with a heavy sigh, sat the captured elf on a chair between her and Barbeloth.

“Hehe, thanks for the soft landing, Reini," smiled the fair-haired elf in a bright red outfit with a wide-brimmed hat. Alice, the elder of the Hexenzirkel, had arrived. She arrived riding a broomstick, although she could have traveled without it, but that way she didn't "look like a canonical witch."

“Are we waiting for anyone else?” asked Rhinedottir.

“Nope, I'll personally notify everyone else about the results of the meeting,” Alice leaned the broom she was holding between her legs against a chair and put her hands on the table. Rhinedottir nodded with satisfaction.

“So, has that creature finally made itself known?"

“Whether it is or not, I can tell you for sure that one of the great stars in the sky of Teyvat has simply disappeared without a trace," Barbeloth pointed to the sky, where, according to Andersdotter's book, the star had previously been located. The ‘Tyrant of the Tower’, who was defeated by Barbatos." His name is no longer in the history of Teyvat.

“I'll tell you more, Barbie," Barbeloth always wondered where Alice got such strange nicknames, "the 'history' of this star no longer exists in Teyvat. It's not the same as erasing Irminsul, here it's not just memories that are destroyed. Just because this story is connected to the current rightful owner of the Divine Throne, Teyvat compensated for the logical discrepancies by creating a certain "tyrant" who once enslaved the Mondstadters. Now there is no even accurate information whether he was a god or just a powerful mortal. That's how it is. And if it had been someone less significant to the history of the Heavenly Principals...

“Then the temporary changes would have affected the present. The world itself would have undergone significant changes,” Rhinedottir propped her head up with her hand, thinking, “a power similar to the Thousand Winds. But... much stronger. So it must be that.”

“Yeah. Actually, the constellation we're discussing was absorbed after his battle with the Knights of Favonius. More precisely, the Acting Grand Master, the Honorary Knight, his companion, and the wine magnate, a former knight. By the way, I'm sure that this blond Honorary Knight is the brother of Princess of the Abyss Order, they really do look alike. Oh, and Anemo Archon was there too.

Rhinedottir was silent, pondering Alice's words about the second twin, but the astrologer was interested in something else.

“Isn't that creature connected to the divine thrones? Has Barbatos completely lost his mind? " Barbeloth wondered. "Did he summon that with the power of gnosis to defeat the dead god?”

“Come on, Barbie, you think too badly of him,” Alice laughed. “He didn't summon it. But, to be honest, that doesn't make it any easier. The summoning was done with the help of an artifact. But the most surprising thing is that that constellation... chose the Abyss Lector as its incarnation.”

The women exchanged surprised glances.

“You know, there aren't that many artifacts capable of causing that.”

“Since when are the gods and the Abyss on the same side?”

“Rein, what makes you think that?” smiled the scarlet witch.

An awkward pause.

“Rhinedottir, stop looking at Alice like she's an idiot. As I understand it, she meant that these two were simply using each other, even though their cooperation was extremely unpleasant for them. But apparently, it promised them great benefits.”

“There can hardly be any benefit that would make a man cursed by the gods trust one of them again. The very idea of such cooperation is absurd, especially since the princess will not allow it,” Gold's whole being rejected such an idea. It was simply unrealistic; there were too many grievances between them.

“You're right about that,” Alice nodded at Rhinedottir’s words, “but here's the thing... The Abyss Order no longer obeys the princess. More precisely, Her Highness no longer commands the entire Order; some rebels have appeared. They call themselves 'The Swarm'. They haven't staged any rebellions yet, but they're already disobeying orders, apparently because they have a new leader. And judging by the fact that the ‘Sphere of the Reverse Sky’," Alice laid out the broken pieces of the armillary sphere, “was in the possession of that Lector, I have no doubt about who they now serve.”

Barbeloth and Rhinedottir began to carefully study what Alice had shown them.

“But that makes even less sense. The Abyss has always wanted revenge and the destruction of the Heavenly Principles," Rhinedottir, usually unshakable and indifferent, now looked shaken, "they wanted to build a new world on the ruins of the old one, just for themselves. Don't they understand that if such a creature fully enters our world, there will be no winners? It will devour everything that exists and everything that ever existed.”

“Rex Nihilo..." Barbeloth deciphered the inscription on the debris. Although there was only one inscription, all the letters except the ones at the ends were duplicated, creating two phrases in one and forming an interesting pun. She pointed to the inscription to Alice and Reindottir. “Apparently, that's its name. Quite accurate, I think. So, what are we going to do?”

“As usual, girls, let's keep our eyes open. Any direct confrontation is contraindicated for us right now. In a battle between two sides, a third always wins. We'll wear ourselves out fighting the Abyss or Celestia, and… Let's call it, ‘Black Foe of the World’ devour everything.

“Do you suggest using a pseudonym? Well who knows how it perceives the world. If it is capable of absorbing other people's legends, then perhaps it is also capable of appropriating names for itself?" No one argued with Rhinedottir’s opinion. Indeed, it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Okay, okay. So, Rhine, if you can, try to find out about this ‘Swarm’. Barbeloth, don't miss a single sound. Any significant spikes in probability – write to me immediately! You too, Rhinedottir," Alice handed the women two red notebooks, "everything written in these notebooks is duplicated in the others. These Protean Charm are a handy thing.

The elf sat on her broomstick and rose into the air.

“Well, I'm off. Don't be bored!” Flying out the window, her figure began to quickly recede against the night sky as both women watched her go.

“How does she manage to stay so calm?" Rhinedottir said this with a completely indifferent expression on her face, but Barbeloth understood perfectly well that behind this mask lay serious excitement, for she had already encountered that creature. Some say that the arrogance of its inhabitants and rulers, as well as their experiments with the forbidden, were to blame for the destruction of Khaenri'ah, while others say that Celestia brought about their demise. But those who witnessed the catastrophe firsthand agree on one thing: a dark entity from beyond the boundaries of this world played a key role in the tragedy, and that is an indisputable fact.

“Who knows, maybe that's just her nature, or maybe it's just another mask. At least, my hydromancy has never been able to accurately gauge her emotions and destiny,” Barbeloth rose from the table and approached the tea table, “but I even like her for that. Tea?”

Rhinedottir shook her head.

“I'll pass, it's not the right time for that," the woman stood up and headed toward the newly appeared black hole. "See you soon, Barbeloth."

As soon as Rhinedottir disappeared, Barbeloth took a small sip of the fragrant drink and thought for a few minutes.

“True, it's not the right time. But for the last few centuries, we've only gotten together when some misfortune has happened,” the astrologer stared at the still surface of the liquid inside the cup. “Sometimes I wish so much... To get together like in the old days, without having to solve anyone's problems. To just be a group of friends united by a common idea again.”

Barbeloth would give a lot to keep that past unchanged.

Yes...

Truly a lot.

Chapter Text

[ You feel your body becoming as strong as stone ]

[ You have received the Blessing of Geo ]

[ The second seal of seven has been removed ]

[ Some characteristics have been unlocked ]

Ah, what a pleasant feeling it is.

Immediately after awakening, Aether felt depressed. Mentally and physically. He has relatively dealt with the first problem, but the second… The first way to regain his strength was through coins, and the second was through the statues of the Archons.

After resonating with the statue of Anemo Archon, he literally felt it become easier to breathe. His reflexes intensified and his perception accelerated, his body became light and agile. Not as much as at his peak, but still significant.

Geo experienced a similar situation. His body became noticeably stronger, and his stance became much more stable. In addition, he began to feel the arteries of the earth, which would allow him to use his abilities much better. Moreover, by the pulsation of the earth's arteries, he could foresee the use of elemental forces by his opponents.

Should he take up cultivation? Especially since this region was clearly conducive to it, judging by what he had heard about it.

There was another reason to resonate with the statue. Aether looked at the purple blood crystal in his inventory, obtained for completing the first main scenario.

<Item Information>

Name: Tainted Blood

Type: Damaged, Memory

Rating: ???

Description: Substance acquired from defeating Dvalin. Contains the memories of a powerful being from another world about defeating a strong enemy.

Warning: Due to damage to the item caused by external circumstances, the memories it contains may be distorted.

Before he touched the statue, the item name also included the word "sealed." It seems that the statue in each subsequent region will unlock a memory from the previous scenario. What will happen with the last one? Probably not the time to think about that now, let alone use the item right here.

After resting properly after the battle with Stormterror and Decarabian, as well as completing XX additional quests, the team of Aether and Paimon, along with chef Xiangling and her familiar Guoba, whom they met at a cooking competition in Springvale, set off for Liyue. Their journey was quite safe, as Millelith’s patrols walked along the entire route.

They had already passed through the Stone Gate and were heading through the Dihua Marsh to the Wangshu Inn, when they found a statue of Geo Archon, with which Aether did not fail to resonate, and the two girls sighed in amazement as they watched the power of Geo flow into his body.

“Wow, what was that?” Xiangling circled around him, examining him from all sides. “I heard that you can use the power of Anemo without the Vision, but that was Geo energy, wasn't it? Is that some kind of Adeptus Art? Did you really study with them?”

“No, it's my... let's say, special ability to absorb elemental powers from outside and use them for my own benefit. In fact, possessing several elements is not something extraordinary. At least...” Here, Aether faltered, “in my homeland, it was like that.”

Traveler sharply raised and lowered his right leg, causing a Geo-construction to form half a meter away from him, pulsing in time with the movement of energy in the arteries of the earth.

“Your homeland? Where is it...?” The fairy covered Xiangling's mouth with her hand, indicating that this topic was not welcome in their team. Aether, however, simply waved it off.

“It's okay, Paimon,” Aether turned to them, “I would be happy if you could visit it, it was a really beautiful place. Not without its flaws, but where are there none? But I'm afraid... Even the valleys, mountains, and rivers where that kingdom once stood have been erased. Not to mention the living beings that inhabited it. Probably the only thing left of that place is the memories of a handful of surviving refugees, like my sister and me.”

Xiangling was shocked by this answer. Not even the mountains remained? What had they encountered? The only thing that came to mind was the Guyun Stone Forest, which appeared because of the battle between Geo Archon and the sea god. Guoba, sensing the tense atmosphere, slowly approached the Traveler and hugged his leg.

[ The constellation ‘Spark of the First Fire’ expresses its condolences to you ]

Yes, it's a funny constellation. It seems to be Xiangling's sponsor, but at the same time, his "true" body also exists. Or is it just a stigma?

“No need, it's in the past,” Aether patted the bear on the head, “Civilizations are created and destroyed almost every day. There aren't enough tears to mourn each one.”

“But you... You... You defeated the dragon! The one that threatened the entire kingdom! And if there were many like you in your homeland, is there really anything that could completely destroy you? I... um... I am studying with Adeptus, and I'm not even sure that the Adepti and the Rex Lapis could do such a thing”, for a resident of the Harbor of Contracts, who had been invisibly protected since birth by a powerful deity and his followers, the destruction of an entire nation, which had many people comparable in strength to the ancient ruler of the wind, was something abnormal. Of course, she knew the story of the Guili Assembly, destroyed during the Archon War, but even so, it was... terrifying.

“I think someone is twisting my words. First of all, I didn't defeat Dvalin alone, I had a team, even Paimon contributed to that battle.”

The fairy raised her nose smugly and put her hands on her hips.

“Second, not 'people like me',” they continued on their way while Ither explained his thoughts to them, “possessing multiple elements is no guarantee of great power, quite the contrary: most people preferred to either spend their entire lives learning to master one element or choose one or two main ones and, if necessary, add more to them. My sister and I were... not "geniuses" or "gifted", but unique in our own way, and we even managed to earn a certain reputation for ourselves. We were strong, but there were many who were stronger. And thirdly, Dvalin is not my most powerful opponent, far from it. Mortals are not equal among themselves: there are rich and poor, strong and weak, wise and foolish, and the same is true of immortals. Some gods are not far removed from ordinary people...”

[ The constellation ‘Mistress of the Fallen Assembly’ is embarrassed ]

[ The constellation ‘Salt Chalice’ sighs sadly ]

Hmm, it seems he read something about the second one, but the first one... Wasn't that assembly founded by Geo Archon? Interesting...

“And there are those who can be called "Gods of Gods." Some consider this title formidable, but to me it seems silly. Often, when people talk about such beings, they first think of the Outer Gods. They are the pinnacle of power, and there is hardly anyone above them. A mortal mind would instantly break down from their mere presence. They are not so much beings as concepts, incapable of acting outside their "ideal." The "Ruin Author" will forever destroy everything that catches their eye; the "Sanctus Medicus" desires the endless growth of all life in the world, even if that life crushes itself; the "Greater Will" and the "Frenzied Flame" are eternal antagonists, one wishing to create and maintain peace and order in the world, the other wishing to return existence to its original state; and I don't even want to mention monsters like the "Master of R’lyeh" or the "Crawling Chaos"”.

“I see...” Xiangling shivered, and it had nothing to do with the chill after sunset. Aether could clearly see how close to heart she took his words. Oh, should he have gone so far in his explanations? Paimon also felt somewhat uncomfortable. He was already accustomed to the fact that there were myriad creatures on a level of existence unattainable to others, that even attempting to imagine the monstrous gulf that stretched between them would cause a severe headache and, possibly, a chronic feeling of one's own insignificance. For them, who considered elemental gods to be the pinnacle of the world, the realization that somewhere out there existed an ancient and insurmountable cosmic horror... could be somewhat traumatic.

“Hey,” Aether put his arms around the two girls' shoulders, “don't think about it too much. Even if something like that targets Teyvat, in order to get in here, it would have to overcome the 'world barrier'”, and that's true, it was because of this barrier that he and his sister didn't manage to leave Teyvat quickly enough, “which not everyone is capable of, and in general: the chance of dying, for example, because you were knocked down by a horse, is not a million times greater than being harmed by one of the Outer Gods, but a billion times greater.”

At that moment, the air around them was shaken by Paimon's slightly nervous laughter.

“Thanks a lot, now Paimon is afraid of horses,” the chef laughed after the fairy, and even Guoba began to make sounds similar to laughter.

“Don't worry, if we catch up with Grand Master Varka's expedition, I'll cover your eyes and lead you by the hand. Now let's speed up, ladies, otherwise we won't reach Wanshu until dawn.”

Letting go of the girls, Aether put Guoba on his shoulders, and their team broke into a light jog, gradually approaching their resting place. Additionally, the Traveler was "delighted" at that moment by messages from the constellation.

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ likes your sensitivity, but it warns you to observe propriety ]

“I don't understand...” The constellations could hear even a whisper, and he didn't particularly need the reputation of being crazy.

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ reminds you that you are an engaged man and should not have such close contact with other women besides your fiancée. ]

“What... When did I do that??”

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ waves at you. ]

“Hey, let's start with the fact that Jean didn't say yes to me!”

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ reminds you that her incarnation responded "with pleasure" to your request for her hand. ]

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ confirms that you even had rings in your hand ]

“You're twisting everything! That wasn't the context at all!” okay, he should keep his voice down, or Xiangling will start looking around at him, apparently having heard something. Paimon, flying next to him, was embarrassed by such conversations. “Venessa, Jean... She's my good friend and comrade, someone I can trust with my life. I also recognize her beauty and strength, but as a woman, I'm not attracted to her,” well, he said, “I mean... I've got my hands full right now, I don't have time to build relationships.”

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ is shocked by such frivolity. ]

[The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ ponders your words about "woman" and "not attracted"]

Oh, no...

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ informs you that it has a fairly open-minded view and will not judge you for your choice ]

[ At the request of the constellation that issued the quest, the condition of additional scenario #17 has been changed from "have a child" to "have a child OR adopt a child while legally married to someone" ]

[ The constellation ‘Falcon of the West’ adheres to the ideals of freedom, so it cannot judge you, and only asks that you not mess with the heads of unfortunate women ]

[ Some constellations nod in support ]

“Can your hear me?! I like women! End of story!” here we go again...

[ The female constellations cheer joyfully. ]

[ The constellations, whose incarnations are women, open champagne. ]

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ demands proof. ]

And how is he supposed to prove it? Ah, never mind... Hmm, he raised his head to the sky for just a couple of seconds, and Xiangling has already covered half the distance to Wangshu... Truly, a disciple of the adeptus. And why is Guoba hitting him on the head? Ah... so she heard his exclamation... Awkward...

[ The constellation ‘Demonic Conqueror’ is looking at you ]

Here comes the Yaksha, so the rumors were true, he really settled in this inn. If we're lucky, we can arrange a meeting with Geo Archon through him even outside the Rite of Descension, the main thing is to find the nearest global catastrophe and solve it. That's all!

***

Despite his persistent attempts to establish a dialogue with the Adeptus, Aether never spoke to him. He asked the innkeeper, Verr Goldet, how to get in touch with the ‘Conqueror’, but received no intelligible answer. Apparently, Verr was familiar with him, but simply believed that Aether, like many before him, had come to annoy the Adeptus with his requests, and he did not want to capture the Adeptus by force. And it was not certain that he could. Well, something told him that they would meet the Demonic Conqueror again.

Early in the morning, they set off again. Xiangling no longer risked turning her back on him, so he had to walk slightly ahead. By noon, they had reached the ruins of the Guili Assembly, the predecessor state of Liyue. Hmm, during his story yesterday about the levels of power among the gods, he noticed a constellation associated with this place. Apparently, she was the second founder of this city, the first being Geo Archon. But why couldn't he find anything about her?

This question was answered by a scholar from Sumeru named Soraya, who was searching for information here for her scientific work. As it turned out, Guizhong was indeed one of the founders of the Guili Assembly, as can be seen even from the name of this place. The problem is that no other historical data about her activities has been found so far. That is, nothing at all, even the "Four Commandments" found on tablets in these ruins here and there were formed by the Rex Lapis. It is unknown whether Guizhong was a goddess or a mortal. Logically, the former is more likely, but even a very weak deity should have left some information about her activities. Or she was a mortal representative of the Rex Lapis. Among the students of Darshan Vahumana, this debate was even more popular than in the homeland of the personalities under discussion, Liyue.

Along with Soraya, there was a whole team here that was supposed to return to the harbor, but due to the expedition's lack of success, they decided to stay a little longer. And since they were on their way, the team decided to help them: Xiangling and Guoba will help in the kitchen, as the local archaeologists look too exhausted and haggard; while Aether and Paimon would search the hard-to-reach areas of the ruins. True, the hard-to-reach areas were most often those where treasure hoarders, hilichurls, or other riffraff were active, but that was a minor detail. Especially since they had gained new allies in their battles with them. Right in the middle of another battle, two teenagers fell out of the sky like snow.

The first was a young man with amber eyes and asymmetrically cut blue hair, wearing a dark blue frock coat with gold lining and trim, armed with a one-handed sword and the Hydro Vision. Despite his attire, which was more suitable for a formal meeting, and his youthful appearance, he successfully, and even elegantly, defeated all his enemies.

The second was dressed in traditional white clothing with gold and blue elements. His hair, eyebrows, and even his eyes, with their vertical "cat-like" pupils, were blue. In battle, he used a two-handed sword and the Cryo Vision. Aether sensed him as soon as he entered the ruins, for he radiated such Yang energy that the vast majority of dark spirits instantly scattered from his presence. Although... he hardly ever uses this power in battle, preferring his sword and elemental powers. Why? Especially since, judging by all appearances, this power is innate and not a temporary effect of some elixir or ritual.

“Xingqiu at your service!” Having finished with his opponents, the owner of Hydro bowed to Aether and Paimon. “My companion's name is Chongyun. May I know your names, noble travelers?”

“I am Paimon, a guide,” the fairy introduced herself first.

“Aether, traveler, adventurer, and, more recently, Honorary Knight of the Knights Favonius,” the last clarification did not seem superfluous to Aether. After all, he had been traveling for as long as he could remember, and he had become an adventurer even before the great-great-grandmothers of these young people were born.

“The Honorary Knight?” Chongyun pondered.

“Wait, Paimon and... Honorary Knight Aether?! The one who defeated the Stormterror?! I imagined you... ahem...” Xingqiu was embarrassed, “a little different.”

Yeah, probably two meters tall, in shining armor and on a mighty steed. A familiar situation. The residents he saved on his first day in Mondstadt even attributed magnificent wings to him. Is that why Xingqiu glanced behind him for a moment?

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ congratulates you on your first fangirl in this world ]

[ The constellation ‘Fabulae Textile’ notes that their incarnation is a man ]

[ The constellation ‘False God of Beauty’ asks who gives a ■■■■ ]

Well, if you think about it that way, there really isn't much difference.

“Well, you're not the first, and you won't be the last. And it would be more correct to call him the Dragon of the East, so I will not take credit for the joint efforts to save him. And let's be informal, otherwise I feel awkward.” Despite the centuries he had lived, Aether still felt young and therefore disliked being addressed respectfully by those who looked his age.

“Hmm... okay. So what brings us and this ancient city to your visit?”

“Nothing in particular. We were heading to Liyue for the Rite of Descension when we met the archaeologists and decided to help them in exchange for a ride to the harbor. We also have a chef and her... um... pet, familiar... I still don't understand it myself. They're in the field kitchen right now.”

“Wait, are you talking about Xiangling and Guoba?” Chongyun joined the conversation.

“It seems that right after the news about the pacification of the Dragon of the East, they headed to Mondstadt,” Xingqiu supported his friend's guess.

“Yes, that's where we met, so we decided to go to Liyue together.”

“What brought you here?” Paimon began her interrogation. “You don't seem to be lost, and you're not collecting hilichurl masks, so you're not adventurers. And you're not dressed like archaeologists.”

“Lady Paimon's observations are accurate and elegant,” Xingqiu bowed jokingly. “We received information that an evil spirit is hiding somewhere in these ruins. My friend is from a clan of famous exorcists, so we came here to punish evil and cleanse this world of darkness.”

“Well, I guess you've already done your job. How about we go back to the harbor together?”

“But we haven't seen the evil spirit yet...” began the young exorcist.

“Chongyun, you won't see him,” Aether looked closely at the expression on the young man's face, “and you know that very well. With the amount of Yang energy in your body, I'd be surprised if there was even one creature of negative energy left in the entire harbor. Many people have fallen in these ruins, but it's still not enough for the combined negative emanations to spawn a monster resistant to the storm of positive energy that forms around you.”

“But...”

“As expected of a renowned hero, you only need one glance to determine the strength of others,” Xingqiu nodded respectfully. “Chongyun’s clan has been exterminating evil for centuries, but due to its peculiarity, it cannot use traditional methods. But because of his excess power, he cannot even see evil spirits. That is why he and I are exploring various places in Liyue to find a spirit strong enough.”

Funny. His power is so great that he doesn't even have the opportunity to see what it was created to fight. Unlike most of his relatives, Chongyun has no confirmation of the reality of his astral enemies. He can only believe in his "exceptionality." It's not far from "impostor syndrome." Although, of course, there is one solution to this particular problem.

“Ahem, what about the 'other half'?

The two guys and the fairy looked at each other in confusion.

[ Most of the constellations are puzzled by your words ]

[ Some of the constellations giggle ]

“Um, sir... I mean, Aether,” Xingqiu's cheeks reddened slightly, “I don't think Chongyun needs that kind of activity to get rid of excess energy in his body.”

The owner of the Cryo Vision blushed deeply and began to stutter, trying to respond to the Traveler. Then he took an ice cream out of his suit and began to eat it eagerly.

Yeah, elevated temperature due to mental anxiety. Just like in the textbook.

“Well, I'll let you in on a secret, this method works too,” Aether winked at the guys, making them blush even more, “but actually, I meant 'Yin half'.”

Aether waited until Chongyun calmed down and focused on him, then continued his explanation.

“Among all possible types of connections or bonds, few surpass the strength of family ties. And when we talk about magical clans, this is even more so. The birth of a child with an energy imbalance in such a clan will soon lead to the birth of its antagonist in order to restore the balance of power. Even if you don't have an older relative with strong Yin energy, given your age, someone with similar power should have already been born into your family. If you are the bane of spirits, then he or she is a natural magnet. You would work well together.”

“It's amazing that you... I mean, you even know that,” Chongyun looked at Aether in surprise. “The clan elders told me about it as a prophecy, saying that after the birth of great darkness, great light will appear, and vice versa. But... I haven't heard of any new additions to the clan soon, and as for the elders... I don't remember anyone in the clan with such power. Although...”

Chongyun thought deeply and "went into himself," after which a certain realization appeared on his face. It was more unpleasant than the opposite.

“Thank you for your guidance!” The exorcist performed a traditional gesture of respect, placing his fist against his open palm. “I will ask my masters about this.”

Ah, so it's some kind of dark family secret. Is it worth getting involved? Ah, where's ours? We should find out about that.

“I'm glad we understand each other. Let me sketch the last sign for Soraya, and we'll head to the harbor. Otherwise, I'm starting to get itchy from all the local treasure hoarders around here.”

Aether's suggestion was met with approving laughter.