Lisa: "Anyway... Aether is far away for the moment."
Jean nodded.
Jean: "Yes."
"And we all have responsibilities here."
Eula took a deep breath.
Eula: "Revenge... can wait."
Lisa smiled.
Lisa: "This promises to be an interesting reunion."
Jean's office, still imbued with the scent of hot tea, was bathed in a calm atmosphere.
Daylight filtered softly through the large windows, casting golden reflections on the polished floor.
Jean, Lisa, and Eula were still there, the previous tension having dissipated somewhat… at least on the surface.
The door opened abruptly.
Click
Two small figures appeared.
Klee entered first, almost skipping with each step, her bag bouncing against her back.
Diona walked beside her, arms crossed, looking deceptively blasé but attentive.
Klee: "Master Jean!"
"I have news for you!"
Jean immediately looked up and offered a gentle smile.
Jean: "Oh, Klee, what is it?"
Klee puffed out her chest slightly, clearly proud of herself.
Klee: "The honorary knight has left!"
A brief silence fell over the room.
Jean blinked, unsurprised.
Jean: "Gone?"
Lisa tilted her head, curious.
Lisa: "Oh really?"
Klee nodded vigorously.
Klee: "Yes! He's gone to help a friend... in Liyue!"
Jean calmly set down her cup.
Jean: "That doesn't surprise me."
"Aether often travels between nations."
Then, after a short moment:
Jean: "And who did he go to help?"
Klee frowned, searching her memory.
Klee: "Um... I think her name is..."
She looked up at the ceiling, thinking hard.
Klee: "...…"
Then, suddenly:
Klee: "Shenhe!"
At that precise moment, something shattered in the air.
Eula: "SHENHE!"
Her heart skipped a beat.
Lisa, meanwhile, immediately lost her usual smile.
Her face paled slightly, her pupils constricting.
Lisa: "Shenhe…"
She had heard that name.
More than once.
Rumors from Liyue.
A tall, imposing woman with snow-white hair and terrifying strength.
A woman capable of lifting enormous boulders with her bare hands during the reconstruction of the Jade Chamber.
A woman some said could freeze entire waves.
But above all…
Lisa: "A woman close to a certain traveler with blond hair."
Instinctively, Lisa turned back to the chair where Eula had been sitting just seconds before.
It was empty.
The chair was slightly pushed back.
Lisa: "..."
Her gaze swept quickly around the room.
A voice called out from below, near the door.
Eula: "Tell me, Klee… Diona… do you know where the honorary knight is right now?"
Lisa turned sharply.
Eula was crouching in front of Klee and Diona, at their eye level.
Her face was calm, too calm, but her eyes shone with burning determination.
Lisa: "Eula!"
Klee tilted his head.
Klee: "He left a little while ago."
Diona thought for a moment before adding:
Diona: "We were with Barbara just before."
"So… he must have left a while ago." "
"Perhaps already halfway there."
Eula nodded slowly.
Eula: "Good."
She stood up and turned to Jean, her gaze steady.
Eula: "Jean, I'm going to Liyue."
Jean immediately stood up from his chair.
Clap
Jean: "Eula, no."
"You can't just leave Mondstadt like that."
Eula crossed her arms.
Eula: "What if I use my unused vacation days?"
Jean remained silent for a few seconds, thinking.
Jean: "Technically..."
She sighed.
Jean: "...In that case, yes."
"That could work."
Eula didn't reply.
She simply nodded before heading for the door.
Lisa stood up and said, in a deceptively lighthearted tone:
Lisa: "Bring me my cutie, okay~?"
Eula paused for a split second, then replied without turning around:
Eula: "Don't worry."
The door opened and then closed behind her.
Bam
Eula crossed the headquarters corridors without slowing down.
Her coat billowed behind her as she headed toward the armory.
She grabbed her greatsword with both hands, secured it firmly to her back, and stepped out of the building.
Outside, she began to run.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
From the office window, Lisa watched the scene.
She saw Eula speeding away through the streets of Mondstadt, determined, relentless.
Jean approached the window slowly, his hands clasped behind his back.
Jean: "She certainly won't give up."
Lisa smiled slowly, a strange smile, a mixture of amusement and tension.
Lisa: "Aether is very lucky..."
Jean turned his head slightly.
Lisa: "He's definitely going to have a lot of fun these next few nights."
She put a finger to her lips.
Lisa: "Or rather... he's going to have to give a lot."
A heavy silence fell.
Jean turned abruptly towards her, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Jean: "LISA?!"
Lisa burst into a soft, muffled laugh.
Lisa: "Oh, come on~ I'm joking... sort of."
Jean sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Jean: "Sometimes, I really wish you would keep certain thoughts to yourself."
Lisa looked out the window again, her smile becoming more serious.
Lisa: "Shenhe... Eula..."
She gently closed her eyes.
Lisa: "Aether... you really do attract dangerous women."
From Eula side:
Eula didn't waste a second after leaving Mondstadt.
Her coat billowed behind her as she ran at full speed along the dirt path, her boots pounding the ground with almost martial regularity.
The wind whistled past her ears, but she paid it no mind.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, determined, almost burning.
Eula: "I have to catch him."
She quickly reached the verdant outskirts of Springvale.
The scent of the forest and the hunt filled the air.
Several hunters were returning, packs laden on their backs, chatting amongst themselves with weary laughter.
Without slowing down, Eula turned toward them and shouted.
Eula: "HAVE YOU SEEN THE HONORARY KNIGHT AND PAIMON?!"
The hunters jumped slightly.
One of them blinked before answering.
Hunter: "Huh? Oh... yes."
"They passed by a few hours ago."
"Heading towards Liyue."
Eula's heart sank... then raced even faster.
Eula: "Thank you."
Without another word, she set off again immediately.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
Her breathing remained steady, but her mind was in turmoil.
Eula: "They're a few hours ahead... but I can still make it."
Then, despite herself, another thought took hold.
Eula: "Shenhe."
Her name echoed in her mind like a silent provocation.
Paimon's words, Ganyu's letter… everything was intertwined.
Eula: "What if this woman really is trying to seduce him?"
She gritted her teeth.
Eula: "Even though I don't know if she loves him…"
Scenarios began to unfold, uncontrollable.
Eula: "Maybe she's pretending to be unwell… just to get his attention."
Her heart raced.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
Eula thought: Or maybe she's been preparing… consciously…
She shook her head slightly as she ran.
Eula: "Or worse… she plans to manipulate him."
"Make him dependent on her."
Her gaze hardened.
Eula: "I won't let that happen."
The vegetation grew denser.
The trees drew closer together, their shadows stretching across the path, and she entered the wolf forest.
A peculiar silence reigned here, almost reverent.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TP TAP TAP TAP
Near a rock, a familiar figure stood straight, accompanied by a few motionless wolves.
Razor: "Hello."
Eula slowed just enough to turn her head.
Eula: "Oh, Razor."
She stopped briefly in front of him.
Eula: "Have you seen Aether and Paimon?"
Razor inclined his head slightly, searching his memory.
Razor: "Passed... this way... two hours ago."
He gestured in the direction of the path.
Eula: "Thank you."
She gave him a brief nod.
Eula: "Goodbye, Razor."
Razor: "Goodbye."
Eula set off again immediately.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
The dirt path stretched out before her, dusty and strewn with small stones that rolled under her feet.
She was in such a hurry that she didn't notice a figure lurking behind a huge rock.
An Abyss Mage held his breath as she sped past.
Abyss Mage: "Phew... I thought I was going to die again."
He looked around nervously.
Abyss Mage: "Why is everyone going this way today..."
Eula, however, was already far away.
The landscape changed again as she reached the bridge leading to the Wangshu Inn.
The hanging lanterns swayed gently, and travelers ate peacefully at wooden tables.
Eula crossed the bridge without slowing down.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
She didn't notice the man sitting at one of the tables, silently observing the scene, his golden eyes following her every move.
Xiao: "...She looks like the woman Aether told me about."
The Yaksha watched her until she disappeared at the end of the bridge.
Meanwhile, Eula continued running, her mind still racing.
Eula: "What if he wants to help Shenhe first before returning to Mondstadt?"
The thought made her chest clench.
Eula thought: If he decides to stay...
She took a deep breath to calm her thoughts.
Eula: "What if... this woman really is sick?"
Her voice was low, almost hesitant.
Eula thought: And in that case... I have no right to blame her.
The path gradually opened up, revealing the outskirts of Liyue.
The mountains rose majestically in the distance.
That's when she saw a man with green hair, a white snake coiled around his neck, holding a little girl with purple hair in his arms.
Baizhu: "Listen, Qiqi, I've already told you to be careful around Hu Tao."
Baizhu: The owner of Bubu Pharmacy, who is rarely seen without the white snake named Changsheng.
His medicinal knowledge is encyclopedic, and his personal intrigues subtle.
Eula slowed down abruptly at the sound of that name.
Eula: "Qiqi..."
Paimon's words came back to her.
Eula: "A man with a snake around his neck... and a little girl with purple hair."
She approached.
Eula: "Excuse me… are you Baizhu and Qiqi?"
The snake around Baizhu's neck immediately reared up.
Changsheng: "Shhh… don't forget me."
Eula's eyes widened slightly.
Eula: "PAIMON WAS RIGHT… IT REALLY IS A TALKING SNAKE!"
Baizhu gave an amused smile.
Baizhu: "Pleased to meet you. What can I do for you?"
Eula quickly regained her composure.
Eula: "Have you seen the Honorary Knight?"
"Aether?"
Baizhu thought for a moment.
Baizhu: "Aether, the hero of Liyue… no, I haven't seen him today."
Qiqi slowly raised her head.
Qiqi: "He came by... earlier."
Eula leaned slightly towards her.
Eula: "Really?"
Qiqi: "..."
Qiqi: "And he patted me on the head and said hello."
Changsheng turned his head towards Qiqi.
Changsheng: "Did you run into the blond-haired boy and the little fairy?"
Eula smiled slightly despite herself and gently patted Qiqi on the head.
Tap
Eula: "Thank you, little one."
Qiqi blinked.
Qiqi: "You're welcome."
Without wasting another second, Eula straightened up and left immediately.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
Baizhu and Changsheng watched her walk away.
Changsheng: "..."
Changsheng: "Qiqi, why didn't you tell us sooner that you'd run into the blond guy?"
Qiqi remained silent for a moment.
Qiqi: "..."
Qiqi: "I forgot."
Baizhu sighed softly.
Baizhu: "Of course... even though he was the one who told us where you were."
"But he also told us not to tell anyone if we see him."
Meanwhile, Eula continued running, her gaze now fixed on the horizon.
The cries of the merchants, the sound of the waves, the bustle of Liyue harbor became increasingly distinct.
Her heart was pounding.
Eula: "Aether..."
The rooftops, the docks, the boats.
She had arrived.
TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP
Eula: "Finally..."
A few hours earlier:
Aether and Paimon had just crossed the large stone bridge marking the entrance to Liyue Harbor.
The lanterns hanging from the arches swayed gently in the sea breeze, and the distant sound of waves mingled with the lively voices of the town.
The harbor was as vibrant as Aether remembered.
Aether: "Well... let's go to the Civil Affairs Office to find Ganyu."
Paimon: "Okay! But this time, Paimon, I'm warning you, we're not letting food distract us!"
Aether turned her head toward her with a slight, amused smile.
Aether: "It's you who needs to be careful not to spend all our mora."
Paimon crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks.
Paimon: "Hey!"
"Paimon, spend wisely! It's just... Liyue has way too many interesting stalls!"
They began climbing the stairs leading to the heart of the city, passing through bustling markets.
Vendors called out their wares, customers haggled, and the aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air.
But very quickly, something made Aether uneasy.
He felt eyes on him.
Many eyes.
As he walked on, he noticed several merchants and passersby stopping to watch them.
Some turned their heads slightly, pretending nothing was amiss, while others stood completely still, mouths slightly open, whispering to each other.
Merchant #1: "Look... it's the Traveler with the blond hair."
Liyue Resident: "The one who fought alongside the Adepts to save the port..."
Merchant #2: "I heard he faced the Electro Archon and came back alive."
Passerby: "And that he's close to Ningguang herself..."
The murmurs grew louder as they walked. Aether kept her gaze straight ahead, trying to ignore the attention, but Paimon hovered a little closer to him.
Paimon: "Um... Aether? Why is everyone staring at us like that?"
Aether: "...Because we're in Liyue."
Paimon: "That's not an answer!"
They passed a fruit stand, then a jewelry shop.
The whispered conversations continued, sometimes even accompanied by lingering glances.
Merchant #3: "That's him... the hero of Liyue."
Merchant: "He's even younger than I thought..."
Aether felt a slight unease creeping in.
He had never really liked being the center of attention, even less so when it was mixed with expectations he hadn't asked for.
Then, as they passed a group of shopkeepers, one of them leaned towards her friend and whispered something that immediately caught Paimon's attention.
Shopkeeper: "Do you think he's in a relationship?"
Paimon stopped dead in his tracks.
Paimon: "Huh?!"
Aether, meanwhile, continued taking a step forward before realizing that Paimon was no longer beside him.
Aether: "Paimon?"
Paimon turned slowly towards the group of shopkeepers, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Paimon: "In a relationship...?"
The shopkeeper continued, unaware that she had been overheard.
Merchant: "With a man like him, if he isn't already, he won't stay that way for long. He's strong, famous, and probably rich..."
Another added, laughing softly:
Merchant #2: "Many women would love to get close to such a hero."
Paimon clenched her fists.
She remembered perfectly what Ningguang had explained to her one day, during a discussion at the Jade Chamber.
In Liyue, many people sought to get close to powerful people. Not necessarily out of affection... but out of self-interest.
Paimon quickly went to Aether and stood in front of him, arms crossed.
Paimon: "Aether."
Aether: "What is it?"
Paimon: "Did you hear what they were saying?"
Aether: "...A little."
Paimon: "Paimon doesn't like it."
Aether looked at her, surprised.
Aether: "Don't worry, it's just rumors."
Paimon: "Exactly!"
"Liyue, rumors quickly become plans."
She lowered her voice.
Paimon: "Ningguang said that some people try to get close to heroes for their wealth, influence, or reputation."
Aether frowned slightly.
Aether: "I'm not interested in any of that."
Paimon: "Paimon knows that!"
"But they don't!"
They resumed their walk, this time more silent. Aether was thinking.
He had never really considered how the people of Liyue perceived him.
To him, he had simply done what needed to be done.
But to them… he had become a symbol.
A hero.
Paimon glanced at Aether.
Paimon: "In any case… if anyone tries to use you, Paimon won't let them."
Aether gave a small smile.
Aether: "Thank you, Paimon."
Chapter 7: A talking white snake
The End