"Go try somewhere else."
Inside the sweltering forge, the boy was rejected once again.
"B-but…"
"You want to be an adventurer, but our main business is smithing and construction. This isn't the place for you to stay."
The lean, stern-faced god Goibniu spoke firmly. "Rushing things only leads to regret… and your 'just pick any place' attitude shows a lack of respect—for yourself as much as for others."
The Rabbit Boy lowered his head, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."
"You seem to misunderstand. I'm not saying you don't respect me (the god), but that you aren't respecting yourself (as a human)."
Goibniu sighed. "You homeless child… you look utterly lost."
"But remember, never compromise your principles."
The old god patted the boy's shoulder like a gentle yet stern elder, his tone softening. "In the words of us smiths…"
"A blade that does not bend, that is what everyone truly seeks."
Though the boy knew the road ahead would not be smooth, he left the Goibniu familia headquarters feeling a mixture of disappointment and awe.
He bowed deeply, accepting the old god's teachings, though he wasn't sure how much had truly sunk in.
At the same time…
Sigh~ let it be.
Clearly, Bell was not the only one moved by these words.
Renjiro, after a long sigh, withdrew the hawk that had been following the Rabbit Boy.
He rose and left the tavern where he had paused.
At this moment, he officially decided not to interfere with the boy's life or future.
After all…
"Those qualified to interfere with someone's life are parents and mentors."
"Those qualified to interfere with someone's future are partners."
Renjiro reflected. "Bell Cranel… this boy might become a friend worth having, so there's no need to do anything extra right now."
Yes, he had figured it out.
In the future, if they happened to meet, a simple greeting would suffice: "Hey, want to team up and adventure together?"
That would be enough.
"Phew~"
Walking down the street, Renjiro felt a strange sense of ease and relaxation.
He no longer obsessed over trivialities.
He no longer viewed the Rabbit Boy as some "special protagonist" requiring unusual attention.
He gradually understood that what mattered most was everything around him.
Not the other way around.
So…
"It's getting late. Time to head back and teach Lei and the others basic swordsmanship."
The black-haired youth stretched lazily, walking alone.
He was lucky.
He already had a "home."
He would never be alone.
======
That night… or rather, at four in the morning the next day.
"Gacha time!"
[Raiden Shogun (Electro) | ☆☆☆☆☆]
[Otherworldly Story | ☆☆☆]
[Keqing (Electro) | ☆☆☆☆☆]
"Holy crap!"
Renjiro, who had been lying on the bed with his hands behind his head and legs crossed, literally jumped in shock.
"Three pulls, double gold?"
Always the mischievous type, he quickly scanned the room, his face full of heightened alertness.
Instinctively, he glanced at the quiet night sky outside.
As if… he feared a sudden bolt of lightning would strike him into another world.
No wonder he was this "excited."
After all…
"This much luck at once? That makes no sense."
Renjiro frowned. "If this is some tired trope where I suddenly get a huge power boost before a strong enemy appears… when I fought the two big Scorpios, I didn't get luck like this. Just a Mona, that's all."
He muttered to himself.
Perhaps annoyed by his inner rambling…
[Stop giving yourself all these ridiculous backstories, seriously~ You just got lucky this once.]
[What, you scared of your own luck?]
Super cute and ridiculously sassy, th system couldn't resist making her presence known.
Hearing her tease, Renjiro—normally busy tuning the world—was in a "rest" period.
"I have a question."
He seized the opportunity. "Since the Teyvat World Bubble is inside me, why do I have to bother doing gacha? Shouldn't I just summon whoever I want?"
This had troubled him for a long time.
In response…
[I've told you countless times. You only went to Teyvat because you already had a 'system.']
[And before Teyvat, you visited other worlds.]
The system explained patiently.
[Because of your system, and your 'Primordial Human' status, the Teyvat World Bubble can exist independently while remaining stable inside you.]
[In another place, even with me maintaining it, it would've collapsed long ago.]
[In short, your system has absolute priority over the world. It maintains the Teyvat Bubble according to its rules.]
[Understand, you little dummy!]
"Oh~"
Renjiro nodded humbly.
Then…
"Yay~"
After confirming there were no hidden drawbacks like sacrificing lifespan, the rest was pure joy.
After all…
"I can now summon 14 current Genshin characters."
Combined with the 20 extra character slots from the Ten Rings of the Human King skill…
"Our familia reigns supreme, hiahiahiahiahia~"
Seeing him make exaggerated faces again…
He was completely losing it.
Thankfully, with the Mental Link, his antics didn't bother anyone else.
Otherwise, the other orphans, especially Lei, might have worried: "Oh no… has Renjiro gone insane?"
In short…
"Time to inventory my assets, organize Genshin weapons and one-star relics, then tomorrow—if I skip the Twilight Manor—keep grinding dungeons hard."
After all, Raiden Shogun and Keqing were both max-favor, already awakened with their own consciousness.
He had to level up his "wives'" Genshin characters quickly.
"Motivation acquired!"