Chapter 17. Love at First Sight?
The moment the two of them chose [Yes], the unfamiliar interface in front of Lumine and Paimon flickered slightly, and then stabilized completely.
Lines of text began to appear rapidly, one after another, as if an entirely new world had opened before them.
[Welcome Lumine to the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group.]
[Welcome Paimon to the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group.]
The moment these two lines appeared, the originally lively group fell into a brief pause, as if everyone's attention had shifted at once.
Then—
[Guizhong: "Ah~ So tell me! When are you all coming over? Cloud Retainer and I have been waiting at your place for ages, why haven't you shown up yet?"]
[Raiden Ei: "Hmm? Newcomers?"]
[Raiden Makoto: "It seems so, Ei."]
[Yae Miko: "Pulling in two newcomers at once? My, my~ This is quite rare."]
[Klee: "Eh?! Is it Honorary Knight Sister and Paimon?! Did you meet Brother Futsu Mitama?!"]
[Albedo: "The Traveler? That Honorary Knight? I heard she thwarted the Abyss Order's conspiracy by herself. It's just that I haven't met her yet; I've only heard about her from Acting Grand Master Jean and Kaeya."]
[Zhongli: "The Traveler? That's a long-forgotten term."]
[Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "Indeed."]
[Venti: "Ehe~ This Traveler and Paimon are still looking for Futsu Mitama. Could it be that information has leaked?"]
[Klee: "No, no, no, it's not like that. According to Klee's eavesdropped intel, they want to find Anemo Archon Barbatos."]
[Venti: "Eh?"]
[Azhdaha: "Looking for the drunkard? Why him?"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Interesting. But Futsu Mitama must have a reason for pulling them into the Chat Group. Why don't we @ them out?"]
[Yae Miko: "@Lumine @Paimon, little ones, come out and let us take a look at you."]
At this point, Paimon's eyes were already spinning.
[Paimon: "This... this... Traveler, what is this?! My head is a bit muddled. Why is little Klee here too? Could it be that our souls really have been pulled into a strange place?!"]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Actually, you don't need to speak. Just think in your mind, and you can input text."]
Lumine blinked slightly, still trying to process everything in front of her, yet she still managed to respond.
[Lumine: "Klee is here too? And Albedo? Is it Sucrose and Timaeus's teacher?"]
[Albedo: "Yes, it's me. Welcome, Traveler."]
[Paimon: "Eh! It really works! How amazing!!!!"]
Seeing their reaction, Futsu Mitama calmly explained.
[Futsu Mitama: "The method of use is similar to Sumeru's Akasha System. You don't need to be surprised. When you reach Sumeru, you'll understand better."]
Lumine's expression gradually steadied.
[Lumine: "When my brother and I traveled to other worlds, we encountered similar 'Chat Group' phenomena."]
This single sentence—immediately caused a shift in the atmosphere.
[Venti: "Oh?"]
[Zhongli: "Traveling between worlds? Interesting."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Not ordinary, this newcomer."]
[Raiden Ei: "Other worlds?"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "An existence from beyond Teyvat—this is quite significant. As far as I know, you are the fourth Descender."]
[Guizhong: "Descender—that term is not a pleasant one."]
[Azhdaha: "Unexpected. I didn't think a Descender would join this group."]
Even Klee couldn't help but jump in.
[Klee: "Eh?! Can Honorary Knight Sister travel to other worlds like Mom?!"]
[Lumine: "I used to be able to, but after encountering that unknown god, I lost a large portion of my power." Right now, I can only use Anemo and Geo elements. My strength has only partially recovered."]
[Venti: "Oh?"]
[Zhongli: "Being able to wield both Anemo and Geo—that is indeed remarkable."]
Paimon, however, had already lost patience.
[Paimon: "More importantly! Where is Anemo Archon Barbatos?! You said we could find him here!"]
[Venti: "Oh, that~"]
Before he could continue, Futsu Mitama interrupted calmly.
[Futsu Mitama: "No need to rush."]
Then his tone shifted slightly.
[Futsu Mitama: "@Maha Rukkhadevata, what exactly is a Descender?"]
The moment this question appeared, the atmosphere subtly changed again.
[Raiden Ei: "That touches upon a taboo."]
[Raiden Makoto: "It can be mentioned, but not explained in detail."]
[Venti: "As the Dendro Archon, she knows more. After all, she resides within the World Tree."]
Lumine and Paimon both froze for a moment.
[Lumine: "Dendro… Archon?"]
[Paimon: "W-what?! What is going on here?!"]
Then—a calm voice appeared.
[Raiden Makoto: "There is no need to be overly surprised. I am the former Electro Archon."]
[Raiden Ei: "I am the current Raiden Shogun."]
[Lumine: "..."]
[Paimon: "...Oh no, I feel like my head is about to explode."]
[Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "@Futsu Mitama, a Descender, in simple terms, is an outsider to Teyvat The Irminsul has an effect where it can erase a person or a god, and in doing so—All memories of that person or god on Teyvat will vanish, but only Descenders will still remember their existence."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "After all, Descenders are not recorded by the Irminsul, nor are they bound by Teyvat's laws of the world. And after I died 500 years ago, I only knew of three Descenders on Teyvat."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "This Traveler named [Lumine] is most likely the fourth Descender. Of course, it's also possible that new Descenders have appeared within these 500 years, but I haven't discovered them."]
[Futsu Mitama: "I see, I understand."]
[Keqing: "I've learned something new."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Taking notes."]
[Shenhe: "Can this matter be discussed outside?"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Theoretically, there's no problem. This is relatively safe information within the taboo."]
[Zhongli: "However, for safety's sake, everyone should still avoid spreading it outside the Chat Group. If an emergency arises, things will get bad."]
[Paimon: "Understood! I definitely won't go around blabbing!"]
[Lumine: "..."]
[Paimon: "Oh! Right! I almost forgot our goal! Where's the Anemo Archon?!"]
[Venti: "I'm here."]
[Paimon: "Huh?"]
[Venti: "Anemo Archon Barbatos, the embodiment of poetry and freedom. That would probably be me~ Traveler and Paimon, is there something you need from me?"]
[Lumine: "This..."]
[Futsu Mitama: "He is the Anemo Archon."]
[Albedo: "Yes."]
[Yae Miko: "Looking for gods? Then do you also want to find the Geo Archon, Raiden Shogun, Dendro Archon, Hydro Archon, Pyro Archon, and Cryo Archon?"]
[Yae Miko: "If that's the case, then what a coincidence Because right now in the Chat Group there are four gods! Two Raiden Shoguns, one Dendro Archon, and one Anemo Archon."]
[Guizhong: "I am the Geo Archon's companion, I can take you to see him."]
[Zhongli: "..."]
[Azhdaha: "Hahahaha~ Morax has opened up? When did this happen? Should I crawl out from under Mt. Hulao?"]
[Guizhong: "It's just a rumor, but Morax has more or less admitted it."]
[Keqing: "The Geo Archon has more or less admitted it? This is indeed a joyous occasion."]
[Venti: "Really? I don't believe it! ~"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Curious, has Morax truly 'more or less' admitted it?"]
[Raiden Ei: "Surprised."]
[Guizhong: "Hmph hmph You'll know once he joins the Chat Group"]
[Zhongli: "..."]
Outside the Chat Group, Paimon was already overwhelmed. She held her head, staring at the flood of messages with a complicated expression. On one hand, she wanted to interrupt and bring the conversation back to the Traveler's goal; on the other hand, the gossip unfolding in front of her was simply too explosive to ignore. A companion of the Geo Archon—didn't that basically mean—
She quickly stopped herself, but her curiosity had already taken root.
After a brief internal struggle, she chose to remain silent for now. Watching first seemed like the better option. Surely the Traveler would understand.
Beside her, Lumine had also fallen into a short silence. The information she had just received was too dense, too direct. Since beginning her journey, she had assumed it would take an extremely long time—perhaps centuries—to find the Seven Archons and uncover the truth. Yet now, in less than half a year, after meeting Futsu Mitama, she had already come into contact with multiple Archons at once.
The gap between expectation and reality was so great that even she needed a moment to adjust.
Futsu Mitama, however, did not rush her. He simply looked at her expression and said calmly,
"No need to be surprised. If you have anything you want to ask, just ask directly in the group."
Then, as if recalling something important, he added, "If you want to get closer to the truth, you can upload the memory of that battle—the one with that god."
As he spoke, he guided her step by step, clearly intending for her to record that moment and place it into the group files. That battle—the confrontation with the unknown god—was not as simple as it appeared. What others had seen was only a brief exchange, but Futsu Mitama understood that something deeper lay beneath it.
For someone like Zhongli or Raiden Ei, seeing that memory would not be a trivial matter.
"Understood,"
Lumine said after a brief pause, nodding slightly. She accepted the suggestion without hesitation. Futsu Mitama had already shown enough goodwill, and more importantly, he had given her something she needed—direction.
"Let's head back to Liyue Harbor first," he continued. "This isn't a suitable place to talk."
This time, Lumine agreed immediately.
Paimon, however, had already shifted topics entirely. "Is there anything to eat?! I've been hungry all day!" she blurted out without restraint.
Futsu Mitama couldn't help but smile slightly. "Of course. I'll have Aila prepare something."
"Yay!" Paimon cheered instantly, her earlier stress disappearing without a trace.
Seeing this, Sangonomiya Kokomi chuckled softly and added, "You'll be in for a feast. Both Shinobu and Aila are excellent cooks."
Kuki Shinobu shook her head lightly. "It's nothing special. We can't compare to someone like Xiangling."
"Xiangling? Who?" Paimon immediately asked, curiosity reignited.
Futsu Mitama explained calmly, "A genius chef from Wanmin Restaurant. Her dishes are especially good."
The moment she heard that, Paimon's eyes lit up again. She grabbed Lumine's arm and shook it excitedly.
"Traveler! Next time, let's go there!"
Lumine sighed, then nodded.
"Yay!!!"
Paimon spun happily around Lumine, her earlier confusion and tension completely swept away by the mere thought of good food.
Watching her, Lumine could only let out a quiet sigh, yet the helplessness on her face gradually softened into a relaxed smile. No matter how exaggerated the title of "Teyvat's First Guide" might be, having someone like Paimon by her side truly made a difference.
Her lively personality, her ability to shift the atmosphere without effort, always managed to ease the weight in Lumine's heart, even when it came to something as heavy as her brother.
With that lightened mood, the group no longer lingered and began heading toward Futsu Mitama's residence in Liyue Harbor. Their figures gradually disappeared into the bustling streets, blending into the rhythm of the harbor as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Only after they were gone did a faint fluctuation ripple across the distant mountain peak.
The air distorted slightly, and three figures emerged from that subtle distortion, standing silently as if they had always been there. Among them was Aether.
His gaze remained fixed on Lumine's departing figure, the emotions in his eyes layered and difficult to unravel. There was nostalgia, there was relief, and there was something deeper—something that could not easily be put into words. For a moment, he said nothing.
His sister had awakened.
That much had always been within his expectations. He knew that one day, she would step onto her own path and begin her own journey, just as he once had. As her brother, he could not help but feel relieved. Relieved that she would finally see the world of Teyvat with her own eyes, that she would come to understand everything in her own way.
And yet—there was also a faint sense of distance.
Because he himself had already walked that path.
He had reached the end, seen what lay beyond, and now stood in a place where all he could do was wait. Wait for the inevitable moment when everything would be decided.
"Your Highness, Prince."
The voice of an Abyss Lector broke the silence. Standing beside Aether, it spoke in a low and cautious tone, its posture respectful yet tense.
"Should we withdraw? The gaze of Morax may fall upon us at any moment."
It paused briefly before continuing, clearly uneasy. "And there has been a change within The Chasm. Should we proceed with our plans—?"
The concern in its voice was not without reason. The situation in The Chasm was of great importance to the Abyss Order, no less significant than their previous attempts to manipulate beings such as Dvalin or the Primo Geovishap. Any instability there could disrupt their broader objectives.
"You're right," Aether replied at last.
However, his tone made it clear that his attention was elsewhere.
His gaze did not leave the direction in which Lumine had disappeared. Instead, a faint trace of doubt surfaced in his eyes, something that did not align with his usual composure.
"Why would he let her go so easily?"
His voice was low, almost as if he were speaking to himself.
"Futsu Mitama should be fully aware of her connection to me. The Abyss Order has already clashed with him multiple times. At one point, we nearly succeeded in killing him. And yet—"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why is he still willing to help her?"
A brief silence followed before he voiced the thought that had begun to take shape.
"Is he trying to use her—to draw me out?"
Back in Mondstadt, when Lumine had disrupted the Abyss Order's plans, her presence had not gone unnoticed. The Abyss Mage stationed there had immediately reported the situation, and the information had been delivered without delay.
Aether had received it.
And the moment he did—
He came. Not as the Prince of the Abyss. But as a brother.
Later, after learning that Lumine had come to Liyue—and that Futsu Mitama had also arrived there—Aether had not hesitated. The moment the news reached him, he personally left the Abyss and came to Liyue. The reason was simple—he was afraid. Afraid that Futsu Mitama, given his position and his connection to multiple Archons, would choose to eliminate Lumine on the spot.
That was a risk he could not accept. And so he came, despite the danger. Yet what he saw now—
Was completely different from what he had imagined.
There was no confrontation. No hostility. No clash between opposing sides. Instead, the two of them had left together, talking as if they were nothing more than ordinary acquaintances, their figures gradually disappearing into the streets of Liyue Harbor.
The scene felt almost unreal.
Because of Futsu Mitama's presence, Aether did not dare to approach any closer. The distance between them was not accidental—it was deliberate. If he moved even slightly closer, the chances of being discovered would rise sharply.
And that was a risk he could not take.
Futsu Mitama was no longer the same as before. Having gained the recognition of multiple Archons—Raiden Ei, Venti, and even Zhongli—his perception and combat awareness had reached a level that made any careless approach extremely dangerous.
Aether understood this clearly. Which was why he remained where he was, watching from afar.
"Your Highness."
At this moment, the Abyss Lector beside him, Enjou, spoke in a tone that was far too casual for the situation. There was even a hint of amusement in his voice as he looked in the direction Lumine had disappeared.
"Is there a possibility—that this is love at first sight?"
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then, Aether's expression darkened instantly.
A faint, oppressive aura began to leak from his body, subtle at first, but enough to distort the air around him. The temperature seemed to drop, and even the surrounding space felt heavier, as if something dangerous had been stirred.
"...?"
The Abyss Lector paused.
Because he could clearly feel it—
That he had just said something he absolutely should not have.
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