"Let's go find Madame Ping tomorrow and ask what she thinks," Paimon said after thinking for a moment, turning to Lumine.
Lumine considered it, then nodded in agreement.
Time passed, and soon it was late into the night. Xianyun's house had plenty of guest rooms, so Lora did not go stay at the Jade Chamber.
To her, the Jade Chamber had already become her fixed residence in Liyue. There was a VIP suite reserved for her all year round.
Zhongli said goodbye and returned to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Just as Venti was about to leave, Scaramouche came looking for him.
Scaramouche stared at Venti for a long while before finally saying, "You're different from what Rosalyne described. You are nowhere near as weak as she made you sound. There is still a terrifying power hidden within you, Anemo Archon Barbatos."
As someone who had once possessed divine power, Scaramouche could naturally tell that although Venti no longer ruled Mondstadt as its god, he was still a powerful god himself.
"Huh?" Venti blinked, then said, "Young man from the Fatui, you've got the wrong person. Barbatos has been missing for over a thousand years. How could I possibly be Barbatos?"
"Your lies are nowhere near as skillful as Lora's." Scaramouche looked at him, somewhat speechless.
You're not the Anemo Archon? If you're not, then why were you chatting so happily with the Geo Archon, the Hydro Archon, and the Dendro Archon? Did he take him for an idiot?
Hearing this, Venti laughed. "Oh, looks like this young man is smarter than most! So, what did you come to me for?"
"You are the God of Freedom. I want to ask you, what is freedom?" Scaramouche looked at Venti and asked slowly.
Venti smiled as well. He slowly shook his head and said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You're the God of Freedom, yet you don't know what freedom is?" Scaramouche's expression shifted slightly in shock. He stared at him, as if he could not believe that answer.
But Venti's smile remained unchanged in the face of his doubt. "Do you think the God of Freedom should know what freedom is?"
"Shouldn't he?" Scaramouche asked back. "If even the God of Freedom doesn't know what freedom is, then does freedom even exist?"
"Of course freedom exists. But it is precisely right that the God of Freedom does not know what freedom is." Venti looked at him and spoke slowly. "If there were a version of freedom defined by a god, would that still count as freedom?"
After hearing this, Scaramouche fell silent. Venti, still smiling, walked around him and headed outside.
"Freedom cannot be defined. Everyone has their own freedom. Raiden Boy, you'll have to find yours yourself~"
"Don't call me that!" Scaramouche turned and shouted, but there was no one in front of him anymore. Venti had already left, so quickly that even Scaramouche had failed to react.
Lora pushed open the window and shouted at him, "What are you yelling about in the middle of the night? Go to sleep! Do you know what time it is?"
Scaramouche: "..."
Early the next morning, after Lumine and Paimon went out to find Madame Ping, Ganyu came to visit.
"Hm? Is something the matter, little Ganyu?" Seeing Ganyu arrive, Lora looked at her in confusion.
"It's about the harbor. We've already received word that the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma is about to dock, so I came to inform you..." Ganyu explained why she had come.
"Makoto and Ei got here that quickly?" Lora was a little surprised.
Scaramouche lowered his head and tried to slip away from the side, but Nahida stopped him.
Nahida looked at him and said, "No matter what, this is something you have to face! Kunikuzushi, they're your family, and you're no longer part of the Fatui. Go meet them."
"My name isn't Kunikuzushi!" Scaramouche answered. Even so, he still failed to escape from Lora and Nahida, and went with them to the harbor.
Lora saw Zhongli choosing jade in a shop by the harbor, and she also saw Venti performing in another shop.
Ah... Every old geezer had his own business. Good. Very good.
At the harbor, a large ship slowly pulled in to dock.
Makoto and Ei came down from the ship with Yae Miko. Zhongli and Venti also put down what they were doing and came over to Lora's side. Venti smiled and greeted Scaramouche, asking, "Young man, have you figured out your freedom yet?"
Scaramouche stayed silent and did not answer.
Seeing that he did not respond, Venti was not upset. He smiled and said, "It's all right. Take your time. There's plenty of time."
While Scaramouche remained silent, Makoto brought Ei and Yae Miko over to them and waved with a smile. "Haha, long time no see!"
"Didn't we just meet during the Moonchase Festival?" Venti said with a smile. He looked around, then asked, "Your stiff little sister didn't come?"
Ei replied, "She stayed in Inazuma."
Makoto explained to everyone, "Someone has to handle Inazuma's affairs. Originally, we planned to leave it to Miko and the Kamisato siblings, but Miko strongly protested. We had no choice, so the Shogun stayed in Inazuma."
"Of course I protested! You already dumped it on me once before! I'm not that dragon from Fontaine, standing there all foolish and dazed." Yae Miko stood to the side with her arms folded, looking as if she were saying, Look how smart I am.
Lora said to Yae Miko, "I think our Chief Justice is extremely responsible! Fontaine needs talent like him!"
"..."
Makoto laughed. She noticed Nahida and Scaramouche standing behind Lora, then smiled and said, "Long time no see, Buer..."
"Just call me Nahida!" Nahida told Makoto her current name.
"So this is Sumeru's Dendro Archon? It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Guuji Yae Miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine." Yae Miko greeted Nahida with a smile.
"Hello, Miko!" Nahida nodded in response.
Makoto's gaze then fell on Scaramouche behind Nahida, and her smile faded slightly. When Scaramouche saw her looking at him, he did not know how to react. He lowered his head, keeping his expression hidden.
After a long while, Makoto finally said, "You are Kunikuzushi, aren't you? I apologize to you on my sister's behalf. She truly did not think things through. But you are far too worrying as well. To think you joined the Fatui. Those people all have rotten hearts. Fortunately, it still isn't too late..."
Ei remained silent. She looked at Scaramouche, and only after thinking for a long while did she say, "Although abandoning you was indeed something I failed to consider properly, I do not believe I was at fault in this matter. If you wish to take revenge on me, I accept your challenge."