Chapter 18. Mischief
Aether's expression darkened the moment the words left Enjou's mouth, a faint black aura seeping out from his body almost instinctively. It was not an intentional release of power, but rather a natural reaction—an instinctive rejection of something he absolutely did not want to hear. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, carrying a subtle sense of oppression.
"Presumptuous!"
The other Abyss Lector immediately sensed the shift and reacted at once, sharply rebuking Enjou before things could spiral further.
"What do you mean?! Does Futsu Mitama fanc—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his mind suddenly racing as the implications of his own words caught up with him. What he had been about to say—was dangerous.
If he continued along that line of thought, he would essentially be comparing His Highness's sister to the women around Futsu Mitama—and worse, implying that she was inferior. That was not merely a careless remark; it was outright disrespect. To question the charm of His Highness's blood relative was no different from questioning His Highness himself.
The Abyss Lector felt a chill run down his spine.
He could already imagine the consequences. If such words were spoken aloud, Enjou would certainly not keep quiet about it. By tomorrow, the entire Abyss Order would know, and by then—the outcome would not be something he wanted to face.
His tone changed instantly.
"Is Futsu Mitama so presumptuous," he corrected himself stiffly, "to see His Highness's blood relative and act so impulsively?"
That explanation only made things worse.
Aether's expression grew even colder. His gaze fixed on the distant figures of Futsu Mitama and Lumine as they walked together toward Liyue Harbor, their silhouettes gradually shrinking in the distance. For a brief moment, a dangerous thought flickered through his mind—sharp, instinctive, and difficult to suppress.
But just as quickly, he forced it down.
Aether exhaled slowly, regaining his composure, though the tension in his eyes did not completely fade.
"Explain," he said calmly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
In truth, even he knew his thoughts were somewhat disordered. According to his expectations, the moment Futsu Mitama recognized Lumine's identity, the situation should have escalated immediately. Even if he did not kill her outright, he should at least have subdued her, forcing control over the situation. And if matters worsened, Aether himself would have intervened without hesitation to extract her.
That had been the plan.
As long as Lumine survived the initial encounter, Zhongli would inevitably step forward, reveal certain truths, and shift the situation. After that, Lumine would no longer be in danger, and the relationship between her and Futsu Mitama could gradually change.
The beginning was always the most dangerous part.
That was precisely why Aether had appeared here.
And yet—
Nothing had gone according to plan.
There had been no conflict. No hostility. No clash of opposing forces. Instead, they had left together, speaking casually, as if none of it mattered.
It made no sense.
The Abyss Lector hesitated, clearly struggling. Combat was his strength, not emotional analysis. Asking him to explain such a situation was no different from asking him to guess blindly. He instinctively felt that Futsu Mitama might be using Lumine as bait, but that logic quickly fell apart. If that were truly the case, the most effective method would have been to strike decisively, forcing Aether to act.
But that had not happened.
Unable to form a coherent explanation, he turned his gaze toward Enjou.
Enjou, on the other hand, did not hesitate. He had already begun analyzing the situation the moment it unfolded. Stepping forward slightly, he spoke in a measured tone, carefully choosing his words.
"Your Highness's blood relative—according to human standards, is indeed a great beauty," he began. "And based on our intelligence, Futsu Mitama does not currently have a romantic attachment."
He continued calmly, as if laying out a logical argument. "The women around him—Aila, who serves as his personal attendant, and Kuki Shinobu—are not romantic interests. One is a servant, the other a trusted companion. Their roles are clearly defined."
Aether raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not interrupt.
This aligned with what he already knew.
"Given this," Enjou went on, "and considering his unusually favorable attitude toward Your Highness's blood relative—excluding other possibilities, the most likely explanation is—"
He paused for just a fraction of a second.
"That he was captivated by her appearance. In other words—love at first sight."
The conclusion hung in the air.
For a moment, even the Abyss Lector fell silent, stunned by the boldness of the claim.
Aether said nothing.
But the silence itself spoke volumes.
Because—whether he liked it or not—this explanation was the only one that seemed to fit.
Futsu Mitama was not someone who acted without reason. His past actions had already proven that. To his allies, he was approachable and even generous. To his enemies, however, he was ruthless. The Abyss Order had more than enough evidence of that.
From the incident with the Primo Geovishap, to the fates of Tartaglia, Scaramouche, La Signora, and Il Dottore—his actions had always been decisive.
Which was precisely why—
His current behavior made no sense.
Unless—
"…Forget it."
Aether finally spoke, his voice low. He looked once more toward the direction Lumine had disappeared, his expression complex.
"I hope our speculation is wrong. But this… cannot be ignored."
His fists tightened slightly, almost unconsciously. Just the thought of Lumine standing close to Futsu Mitama—let alone anything further—caused a faint surge of irritation to rise within him.
It was irrational.
And yet—
He could not ignore it.
In the end, he took a slow breath, suppressing the impulse, and turned away. Without another word, the Abyss Lector and Enjou opened a portal. The three figures stepped into it, disappearing from Liyue as if they had never been there.
—
Not long after they left, another figure appeared.
Xiao stood silently at the same location, his spear in hand, his gaze fixed on the space where Aether had been moments ago. His presence was sharp, vigilant—he had clearly been watching the entire time.
Had Aether made a move—
Xiao would not have hesitated.
After a moment, he lowered his gaze slightly and spoke toward the distance. "Rex Lapis."
"Should I follow them? The Abyss Order seems to be targeting Futsu Mitama. And that outlander…is related to them by blood."
His tone was steady, but there was a hint of concern beneath it.
From his perspective, eliminating the threat here and now was entirely feasible. The spatial fluctuations left behind were still traceable. With the cooperation of the adeptus and the authority of Zhongli, detaining them within Liyue's borders was not impossible.
"It is unnecessary."
Zhongli's voice arrived calmly, carried on the wind.
"With me here, he will not act. There is no need to concern yourself with Futsu Mitama."
Xiao nodded, though he hesitated slightly before speaking again. "Then… the matter of The Chasm…"
There was a brief silence.
Then Zhongli replied, "There is no need to rush. I have my own arrangements."
A faint flicker of surprise—and relief—passed through Xiao's eyes. For a hundred years, he had obeyed this instruction without question. Yet now, for the first time, there seemed to be a shift.
"Understood."
His figure vanished in the next instant.
—
At the entrance of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli sat quietly, basking in the sunlight with a cup of tea in hand.
"Perhaps," he murmured, "this is an opportunity."
"An opportunity?"
Guizhong stood behind him, massaging his shoulders with an exaggerated expression. "You're not worried about being exposed? Letting me do this—anyone would see through you immediately."
Her complaint was cut short as a small stone tapped her lightly on the head.
She immediately fell silent.
Nearby, Cloud Retainer, in her crane form, watched the scene with a quiet smile, saying nothing.
Although Cloud Retainer did not understand why Zhongli—or rather, Rex Lapis—chose to conceal his identity, she knew well that such a decision could not be without reason. There was no need for her to pry. Since he had already instructed that Futsu Mitama, Aila, Shenhe, and the others should not learn the truth, she would naturally comply.
With that thought, she quietly spread her wings and flew off toward Futsu Mitama's residence, deliberately leaving enough space for the two of them to speak in private.
The moment she left, Guizhong's curiosity surged uncontrollably.
"Cloud Retainer is gone for now, so hurry up and tell me—what opportunity are you talking about?" she pressed, her hands still resting on Zhongli's shoulders as she continued massaging, though her attention was clearly elsewhere.
"Don't start speaking halfway and then stop. This is the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Even if Director Hu isn't here right now, she could return at any moment. And Futsu Mitama and the others are already on their way."
Her tone carried a trace of dissatisfaction, as if she had long grown accustomed to his habit of withholding the most important part until the last possible moment.
Over the past six months, her understanding of him had deepened considerably. The Rex Lapis of the present was no longer the one she remembered from the past. Back then, she could trick him easily, but now—after falling for it once—he would immediately adapt, sometimes even retaliating in ways that left her at a disadvantage. It was enough to make her inwardly fume.
He would not even accept her, no matter how she teased him, and instead only asked for trivial things like shoulder massages, tea, or playing the qin. Thinking of it, she could not help but feel annoyed.
Zhongli, however, remained composed. A faint smile appeared on his face, and this time, he did not intend to keep her guessing.
"Bosacius may still be alive beneath The Chasm," he said calmly. "Or he may already be dead."
Guizhong froze for a brief moment, genuine shock flashing across her eyes. "Bosacius? Still alive? But the Yakshas—aside from Alatus…" She stopped herself mid-sentence, her expression gradually turning serious as she fell silent.
Her hands continued their motion, but her mind was already racing.
Fragments of memory surfaced one after another. Her revival had only been half a year ago, and Liyue's history stretched across millennia. It was impossible to absorb everything in such a short time, yet even so, she quickly pieced together the relevant information.
Bosacius had once been one of the Yakshas. After being corroded by the resentment of a god, he had fallen into a demonic state. Unlike the others, however, he had retained a trace of clarity and chose to leave Liyue, disappearing into the wilderness. Whether it was his will to die or the remnants of instinct driving him to flee, no one could say for certain.
By the time Xiao and the other adeptus arrived, he was already gone.
Not long after, the cataclysm of Khaenri'ah broke out. Dark Beasts surged across the land, attacking Liyue from every direction. Even the remnants of sealed gods stirred restlessly under the pressure of that disaster.
It became a full-scale war.
Zhongli, as Rex Lapis, moved across battlefields without rest. The adeptus were no different, with Xiao appearing wherever the fighting was most intense. At The Chasm, however, the situation was far more precarious. Its terrain made it defensible, but the absence of adeptus-level forces meant that mortals alone had to hold the line, buying time at all costs.
Then—
A nameless Yaksha appeared.
He did not give his name, but he wielded the power of Electro. He fought alongside the Millelith, the exorcists, and the sorcerers, pushing back the Abyssal tide with overwhelming force.
And then, just as suddenly—
He vanished.
Along with him, countless soldiers and practitioners disappeared without a trace.
Even when Zhongli and the adeptus investigated afterward, they found nothing. Or rather… Zhongli had seen something, but chose not to speak of it.
"Is it dangerous?" Guizhong asked quietly, her tone no longer playful. "Do you need me to act?"
Despite not being known for combat, she was still a god. If she truly went all out, even the combined efforts of several adeptus would not be enough to stop her.
But Zhongli shook his head.
"No."
He stood up slowly, freeing himself from her hands, and turned his gaze toward the distance. "If you go there, the danger would be great."
"If a human goes, there may be a chance. If Futsu Mitama goes—there may not be any danger at all."
Guizhong frowned deeply. By his own admission, even she would face mortal risk in The Chasm—yet Futsu Mitama would not?
Why?
"That place contains a higher level of power," Zhongli continued calmly. "Even I would not enter it lightly."
After saying this, he fell silent again, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond.
Guizhong, however, did not remain standing. She coughed lightly, then sat down on the lounge chair before casually lying back, crossing her legs as if nothing serious had just been discussed.
A playful smile returned to her face as she looked at him. "Consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—you wouldn't want your identity to be exposed, would you?"
Her tone was light, but the meaning was obvious.
From the distance, the voices of Futsu Mitama and the others were already approaching, their conversation faintly audible. If he truly wished to maintain his current identity—
Then he should know what to do.
"… "
Zhongli said nothing.
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