Time returned to the present.
Lynn gave Escoffier a brief explanation of the difference between his abilities and a Vision.
Escoffier clicked her tongue.
"In other words, you now wield an authority equivalent to that of the Pyro Archon-sama, so you've become another Pyro Archon?"
"Uh..."
Lynn froze.
That was not how he had explained it at all. Escoffier's understanding was a bit off.
But after thinking it over more carefully, she was not entirely wrong in a certain sense—
As everyone knew, every generation of Natlan's Pyro Archon came from among humanity. The succession was decided through competition at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, where the strongest inherited the seat of the Archon and obtained the portion of the Pyro Authority belonging to the divine throne.
Lynn was also human, and he likewise held half of the Pyro Authority. Rounding things off a bit, how could that not count as being another Pyro Archon?
So instead, he smiled.
"Then Mualani and the others are going to be very happy."
Escoffier laughed as well.
In any other nation, the idea that the authority of the ruling god was no longer unique would inevitably cause some concern. Natlan alone was different.
The war against the Abyss had lasted for hundreds, even thousands of years. The people of Natlan wished for nothing more than for their side to grow stronger and stronger—better yet, to launch a full counteroffensive and crush the Abyss outright.
What? You're saying that a non-unique divine authority might bring hidden dangers?
That could be dealt with later.
But as he smiled, a trace of regret and frustration appeared in Lynn's eyes as he looked in Natlan's direction.
'It's just a pity that I still can't go back to Natlan.'
He had not forgotten the real reason he had left Natlan in the first place.
Saving up enough Phlogiston had only been an excuse on the surface. No matter how isolated Natlan was, it was still one of the Seven Nations. Over the past year, Lynn had done quite well for himself there. If he wanted to make use of Natlan's channels to obtain some Waters of the Primordial Sea, it would not necessarily have been difficult. It would merely have taken some time.
But it was precisely because he had been doing so well that the Abyss had set its sights on him.
As he recalled the past year, a faint daze appeared on Lynn's face.
Truthfully, he had never wanted to go to Natlan.
Playing it in a game was one thing, but after actually transmigrating, who would want to live in a nation where Abyssal rifts could open practically anytime and anywhere?
But there was no helping it. After a shipwreck at sea, he could hardly blame the people of the Flower-Feather Clan for saving him.
That was simply the kind of person Lynn was. He drew clear lines between gratitude and grudges. He would not treat being rescued as something he was entitled to just because the bad luck brought on by the World Seed's struggle against rejection had put him in that state.
Not to mention that they had sincerely treated him with sincerity, asking for nothing in return while tending his injuries free of charge, saying only that they wished to forge a good bond...
What was he supposed to do?
Had it been Mondstadt or Liyue instead, he would have found some way to reach the higher-ups and tell them his story—meaning all that plot knowledge in his head.
Even in Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, or even Nod-Krai, he could have selectively revealed certain things.
He had no ulterior motive. If someone treated him sincerely, then naturally he hoped things would turn out better for them. As for himself, he had a cheat. His current hardship was only temporary. He did not need to build his future on that information, so there was no reason to clutch it forever.
Natlan alone was different. The Abyss had even infiltrated the Night Kingdom, the resting place of souls. Its ability to gather information was virtually impossible to guard against. If he spoke one moment, then in the worst-case scenario, the Abyss might know it the very next.
And if that triggered the final war against the Abyss ahead of time, then what would Natlan use to fight? At present, it lacked Tumaini, and the Six Heroes were not yet assembled.
That was why knowing the plot in Natlan was useless by itself. You still had to be able to win.
So Lynn could only focus on building things up—easing the shortages brought about by Natlan's long years of war and improving the people's livelihood to a certain extent.
With that little edge of foresight, making money was not especially difficult for him. Coupled with some of the unusual traits he displayed, it did not take long before he drew the attention of Natlan's upper ranks.
Because everything had begun with goodwill, Lynn responded with goodwill. And the goodwill brought by the higher-ups who had been drawn in was likewise genuine.
Back and forth it went, his ventures growing larger and larger. He became more and more valued, and his standing in Natlan rose higher and higher. That was how he came to know girls like Mualani, and how he came to know Escoffier as well.
But all of it had come to an abrupt stop a few days ago.
The Abyss had marked him, then seized an opportunity to deploy a large number of Abyss monsters near him in an attempt to kill him—
Which was hardly strange. After all, war was fought on logistics. On the surface, Lynn only seemed to be building up industry and improving people's lives, but in reality he had provided Natlan with a great deal of strength in its struggle against the Abyss. If the Abyss was going to target anyone, who else would it target but him?
Lynn did not even suspect that his bad-luck constitution had exposed him. He had been building up his ventures for nearly a year. Even if the very early days, when the scale had still been small, did not count, nearly half a year had passed. The Abyss was already moving rather slowly, if anything.
But that incident reminded Lynn that it was time for him to leave.
Not because he feared death.
He believed the people of Natlan could protect him. Because he was so highly valued, Mavuika had long since gifted him a residence of his own. It stood near the Speaker's Chamber, right beside Mavuika's own residence. Its level of security could hardly have been higher—
Liyue Harbor might perhaps have been safer, but what about the road there? Such were the realities of Teyvat.
He simply did not want his friends in Natlan to make any more meaningless sacrifices for his sake. In a way, that too could be called the arrogance of a "prophet."
(End of Chapter)
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