Staring at the soft little girl in his arms, Cael genuinely didn't know what he was supposed to do next.
At that moment, Zhongli walked over and spoke calmly.
"Azhdaha has fully recovered now. She will no longer pose any danger."
Cael looked at him with an expression that clearly said:
Explain. What exactly is going on with Azhdaha?
Zhongli replied evenly,
"Although Azhdaha is considered a familiar to both of us, she has always leaned more toward you. Mm… this matter has nothing to do with me."
Cael lifted Azhdaha up and said,
"So where is she supposed to go now? She can't exactly stay here forever, can she?"
Azhdaha, having just been "picked up," puffed out her cheeks in mild indignation.
"Agarest… you've changed!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Cael replied perfunctorily.
Zhongli stroked his chin.
"Azhdaha's aura hasn't fully stabilized yet. She's not suitable for remaining in Liyue Harbor. For now, she can only be entrusted to the adepti."
Cael thought for a moment.
"Send her to Cloud Retainer. She should be capable enough."
Zhongli glanced at Azhdaha and nodded.
"That was my thought as well."
Azhdaha naturally understood their decision and slowly stood up.
"Agarest, Morax," she said solemnly,
"I nearly committed a grave sin this time. I will choose to go into seclusion for now—and offer you both my deepest apologies."
Cael nodded with a grin.
"Mhm, mhm. Good kid, bad kid~"
Azhdaha: "..."
A moment later, Azhdaha turned to Zhongli.
"Morax… how much time do you have left?"
"Not much," Zhongli replied, shaking his head.
"Erosion is the law of this world. No one can escape it."
"Then how long, exactly?" Cael asked.
Zhongli thought briefly.
"If I don't do anything stupid… probably over a thousand years."
...
"..."
...
...
Mt. Aocang
Atop the mountain, Cloud Retainer stood comfortably in the sunlight.
"Haa… this is nice…"
Beside her, Ganyu looked on helplessly.
"Cloud Retainer, stop slacking off. Aren't you supposed to be researching mechanisms today?"
Cloud Retainer shot her a glance.
"What, I'm not allowed to sunbathe? You come back once every few years and this is how you talk to me—tsk, no love left."
"Ugh…" Ganyu laughed awkwardly.
"Please stop imitating Lord Agarest…"
"Senior Sister?"
Shenhe, emerging from the cave dwelling, froze slightly when she saw Ganyu.
This was only the third time she'd ever met her—
once in childhood, once half a year ago.
Why had she returned this time?
Ganyu immediately recognized her junior sister and smiled.
"Hello, Shenhe."
Shenhe didn't say much, only nodding lightly.
"Mm. I'm going to train."
With that, she left.
Ganyu knew her junior sister possessed a calamity-bearing constitution and had her emotions bound by red ropes, so she didn't dwell on it.
Turning back to Cloud Retainer, Ganyu asked softly,
"Cloud Retainer… was what the Lord Rex Lapis said earlier really true?"
Earlier, Zhongli had passed on word that the issue with the Azhdaha sealed five hundred years ago had been resolved, and that she would be brought here temporarily for care.
Cloud Retainer stared at Ganyu in disbelief.
"You're actually questioning the Lord Rex Lapis now? Ever since Agarest came back, you've been elbowing outward instead of inward."
Ganyu's face flushed instantly.
"P-Please don't say it like that…"
Cloud Retainer continued casually,
"Who knows—maybe Agarest himself will come too. You know how close he is with Rex Lapis."
"Eh—eh?!"
Ganyu panicked instantly, looking around in a fluster.
"What if he really comes? Will he still like me? What if he doesn't feel that way anymore?!"
She covered her face, clearly unprepared.
Cloud Retainer laughed.
"I'm joking. I'd rather he not come—he might accidentally blow up my abode."
A second later, a figure appeared behind her.
"Were you calling me?"
"AAAA—WHAT THE—?!"
Cloud Retainer vanished in a flash, reappearing over ten meters away.
Seeing this, Cael froze, a single thought flashing through his mind:
'You only get to use this once in a lifetime…'
...
"Ag—Agarest?!"
Ganyu's mind completely short-circuited when she saw Cael. Her thoughts went blank.
Cael turned toward her and smiled.
"Yo, little Ganyu."
Ganyu froze on the spot.
"Y-You… you remembered?"
Cael shook his head apologetically.
"Sorry, I didn't. That just… slipped out naturally."
Instead of feeling disappointed, Ganyu's eyes welled with tears as she rushed forward and hugged him.
A faint fragrance filled Cael's senses, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her.
Feeling that long-lost warmth, Ganyu began to sob, her body trembling.
"I… I missed you so much…"
Cael didn't know what to say. He could only hold her gently and comfort her.
"Are you two done hugging yet?"
Azhdaha suddenly appeared beside them, smiling very kindly at Ganyu.
This girl… just like a few hundred years ago.
Ganyu immediately turned red and reluctantly let go of Cael.
At that moment, Zhongli—now dressed in full divine attire—walked out.
"Azhdaha will be left to you," he said calmly, then turned and left.
Cael was stunned.
What is he doing? Just dumping this on me and leaving?!
Azhdaha looked around Cloud Retainer's abode and commented lightly,
"It's… acceptable."
Barely livable.
Cloud Retainer, meanwhile, still couldn't believe that Agarest had actually appeared.
But remembering that he had lost his memories, she immediately straightened up, fluffed her white wings, and puffed out her chest.
"Ahem. So, Agarest—you really did come."
Cael looked at her—and his eyes lit up instantly.
"Whoa. Two pieces of fowl meat!"
The moment those words left his mouth—
Ganyu and Cloud Retainer both froze.
Two pieces of fowl meat…
Was he planning to eat Cloud Retainer?!
"A-Ah… um, Lord Cael, please don't joke like that,"
Ganyu tugged nervously at his sleeve.
Cael scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry, sorry—my bad."
"Hmph… honestly. Still so improper."
But Cloud Retainer's expression had completely darkened—her entire bird face turning purple.
This man… he was seriously thinking about fowl meat!
He really wanted to stew me!!
"Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!"
Cloud Retainer shuddered internally.
"Even without his memories, he's still this dangerous—he's truly my natural enemy!!"