The cups were exchanged, and a banquet with only wine but no food came slowly to an end.
In the distance, the moon had climbed high into the night sky.
The attendants who had hosted the evening feast had already left.
At the foot of the mountain, the faint firelight was gradually extinguished.
Hic~
Venti burped, his cheeks flushed.
"Hehe, Taro, how does it feel to say goodbye to your past self?"
"No particular feeling."
Taro shook his head. "At first, I thought I'd feel something."
"But apparently, I'm just… a bit weaker now."
"No complicated emotions at all. Not even a ripple."
He wasn't sure why.
Maybe because he already had a home now?
Venti figured Alia and the others must be waiting for him to come back, right?
"Seems you've found where your heart belongs," Zhongli said.
"That, I believe, is a good thing."
He clasped his hands behind his back, standing at the mountain's edge, gazing down at Liyue Harbor.
To have attachment is to understand what it means to love and to protect.
"Old man," Venti said, turning to him with a grin,
"You actually used the beauty trap on Taro?"
He sighed in mock regret.
Why didn't Taro settle down in Mondstadt first?
There were plenty of beauties there too!
Zhongli gave him a sidelong glance.
What beauty trap?
It was mutual affection at first sight—pure and simple.
A life-saving debt repaid only by giving oneself in return.
A golden, fated match.
How could that be called scheming? That was slander.
"Taro, you still want a lover or not?"
"I can introduce someone for you, you know."
Venti's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Spare me."
Taro waved his hand. "Instead of thinking about that, better decide what to eat tomorrow morning."
Matchmaking? You think you're the Moon Elder now?
Being "introduced" was just another word for blind dates—and he hated those.
"Tch, shame."
Venti pouted, clearly not giving up.
If the old man could use that trick, why couldn't he?
Mondstadt's beauties weren't bad either… right?
Though thinking about Liyue's overwhelming lineup, his confidence wavered.
Still, it was their choice—the children of Liyue's people.
As the ever-careless Anemo Archon, he wouldn't meddle.
If the strings of fate connected successfully, everyone would be happy.
If not, both sides would only end up awkward.
Better not.
"Oh, right~"
Venti suddenly raised his hand. A swirl of teal light appeared in his palm.
"I knew you'd want this, so I mentioned it to Teyvat."
"Here. The One told me to give this to you as thanks."
"It's a gift."
"Oh?"
Taro blinked, then took it without hesitation.
"Hmm, not bad."
"This much will be enough for one full use."
That amount of material was enough for him to forge two books—
one on races, and another on professions.
He hadn't even asked yet, and Venti had brought it to him.
This little brother really wanted to get promoted.
Good.
"Of course! Gotta think of my buddy Taro first."
"If you run out, just come find me."
Venti winked with a grin.
It might trouble Dvalin a bit, but as long as he could make up for it later, no problem.
"If Taro's happy," he thought, "then Dvalin can soar as high as he wants."
"Alright."
Taro nodded. "Dvalin's still young. Ask him what he's lacking."
"When I've got time, I'll give him something to help him grow."
He carefully stored away the materials from Fischl and the Dragon King.
"Grow fast, Fischl," he muttered. "Only when you grow can the harvest continue."
Sustainable production was key.
Dvalin had been born much later than Ronova, and his growth was slower.
But his nature as a dragon meant his strength was not an issue.
Rank and essence—those things weren't fixed.
Take Zhongli, for example.
Even if his combat strength matched Ronova's,
even if his body was nearly equal to that of the Dragon King—
he was still a god, not a dragon.
That was the fundamental difference brought by rank.
Likewise, take a certain Traveler.
Their "rank" was that of a Descender.
But that didn't mean being powerful by default.
It simply meant they weren't bound by this world's fate.
Power alone didn't define a Descender.
Dvalin was the new Wind Dragon King born after the death of the previous one.
Even if he shared the same elemental nature as slimes,
his rank remained that of a Dragon of the Elements.
While Ronova still held dominion over the other half of the ancient dragon's authority.
"That's good news," Venti said, his eyes lighting up.
"I'll tell Dvalin the moment I'm back."
"Mm."
Mentioning Dvalin made Taro think of Ronova.
"By the way, Zhongli—how's Ronova doing?"
"He's fine."
Zhongli's eyelid twitched, but he nodded anyway.
"The external influences affecting him are well-contained."
"I'd say he won't relapse for at least a millennium."
"Taro's methods are still quite reliable."
"I see…" Taro sighed softly. "A pity, though. If only there were more—"
Zhongli stayed silent, only nodding again.
Ronova had escaped disaster today.
But Taro clearly hadn't given up on "harvesting" from him yet.
Maybe it'd be better if he himself tried to talk to Ronova.
Better than letting Taro do it personally.
Because if Taro acted in person—
Zhongli felt pain just imagining it.
Yes, better let Dvalin be the role model here.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
Taro rose to his feet, glancing at the sky.
"I still need to meet with Guizhong and the Qixing tonight to discuss incense and divine rites."
"Zhongli, you want to show up in person?"
"You are the former Geo Archon, after all."
"Things tied to Liyue's fate and your former subordinates—you should at least keep an eye on it."
He couldn't let this man completely retire into leisure.
He needed something to keep him busy.
"No need. I already know about it."
Zhongli smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Liyue's future belongs to its people."
"There's no need for me to appear."
"Guizhong won't speak much either."
"The Qixing will decide."
He and Guizhong represented the divine and the adepti.
The Qixing represented humanity.
If Liyue was to move toward an age of divine-human governance,
then he wouldn't interfere in this step.
Letting Guizhong succeed him as Geo Archon
was to give Liyue a buffer of transition.
After all, the death of a god and the abdication of one
were two very different things.
"Alright then, I'll be off."
Seeing that Zhongli had his plans, Taro didn't ask further.
He teleported away.
"..."
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read more!]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]