CHAPTER 24:

MORE DISCUSSIONS

Dehya rubbed her head as they relayed what they learned, Nahida showing Kasala's recording via the holographic screen she summoned with her fingers. Eventually, she said, "…Fuck…that's…not good."

"I'm sorry, Dehya. But keep in mind, it may be that King Deshret unleashed the Forbidden Knowledge inadvertently," Nahida said.

Dehya shook her head. "Look…unlike the rest of my people, I'm under no illusions. King Deshret may have been a god king, but it doesn't mean he was perfect. I don't like it one bit, but I can accept that he might have done so on purpose, especially if it was to take on those bastards in Celestia. No…it's the fact that this Forbidden Knowledge shit is even worse than we thought. I mean, you said earlier it had the taint of the Abyss, but if Forbidden Knowledge brought down King Deshret's kingdom, and forced Rukkhadevata to sacrifice much of her power to contain it…and the Cataclysm only made things worse."

"…And if what you're saying is correct, Nahida, we may have to erase your predecessor's very existence from Irmunsul," Dunyarzad said. "To try and kill a god, an Archon, beloved to most in Sumeru…and your mother to boot…is there no other way?"

"…I don't know, Dunyarzad," Nahida said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I really don't. But that may be the only way to rid Sumeru of the Withering, of Eleazar. And to do that, I need to regain access to the Sanctuary of Surasthana. In other words, I can't simply rely on trumpeting a cure to Eleazar as a means to regain the favour of the people."

"…In other words, you might need to undertake an actual coup d'etat," Dehya said. "Fuck. And between the Sages and at least one Fatui Harbinger, that complicates matters."

"Indeed," Zhongli said. "From what Childe has told me, neither the Balladeer or the Doctor are to be trifled with. While we have tentative confirmation that Il Dottore is in Sumeru, the uncertainty over Scaramouche's presence is concerning. Scaramouche was created to be Ei's vessel, the vessel of an Archon, and Ei and I rank amongst the most powerful of the Seven, at least in terms of raw power."

"I still think that we should consider a propaganda campaign," Nahida said. "To ensure the people are fine with my regaining my seat. And if erasing my predecessor turns out to be the only way…well, only a few of us will remember it. History will be rewritten within the minds of the populace of Teyvat, with a few exceptions."

"…It's not fair," Dehya said. "To be forgotten, to have your greatest act of goodwill forgotten, is appalling…and worst still, it's to save the world. I have my issues with Lord Rukkhadevata, don't get me wrong, but…it's cruel."

"…I know," Nahida said.

"Nahida," Zhongli said quietly. Nahida looked to the Geo Archon, who was looking at her with a solemn gaze. Harry could believe now that he was thousands of years old. "There are many times when I have faced a similar decision, being forced to choose between those I hold dear, and the world. It is never an easy decision to make, and when it seems like it becomes easier…that is when you realise you are on the precipice of forgetting the things you should hold dear. Hopefully, you'll never have to make more of those decisions. Some loved ones I lost to war. Others, I lost to time, Erosion, and madness. Sometimes, I curse accepting the role of Geo Archon. Godhood is a more cruel fate than many realise. After all, while osmanthus wine tastes the same as I remember…where are those who still share that memory?"

"And yet, people desire it," Harry said. "I bet Voldemort would have leapt at the chance to become a god. The Sages would probably want to as well, to say nothing of the Harbingers."

"I would not say that about either Tartaglia or La Signora," Zhongli said. "Tartaglia lives to serve the Tsaritsa, to say nothing of enjoying a good battle, while La Signora mostly enjoyed simple cruelty. But Scaramouche…well, he was the creation of Ei, and he may desire to complete his apotheosis. As for Il Dottore, I would venture that his power equals that of an Archon. He is the Second of the Harbingers, and they achieve that rank based on their power. He'd certainly desire a god's power. But most of those who desire godhood are those least suited to it."

"Ain't that the truth," Dehya muttered. "I'd put money on the Sages wanting to become gods. I mean, they act like they're gods already a lot of the time. So…what next?"

"…I think, unless Aether and his companions find something interesting in Port Ormos, nothing, at least for now," Nahida said. "Honestly, after everything, I just want to enjoy the Sabzeruz Festival. Rest and relaxation refresh the mind, like the tide smoothing over the sands of the seashore."

"Indeed," Zhongli said. "Hard work is no good if one exhausts one's self. On a number of occasions, I have had to admonish one of my Adepti, Ganyu, on that very subject, as she is the secretary of the Qixing. Even Ningguang and Keqing know better than to work themselves too hard, driven though they are. Speaking of relaxation, Dunyarzad…did you get the ingredients I asked for?"

Dunyarzad nodded. "I did."

"What's this about?" Harry asked.

"I thought we could do with some food for dinner. I'm curious, Harry, have you ever tried the equivalent of Liyue cuisine in your world, Chinese cuisine?" Zhongli asked.

"Not really. I've had a few Chinese takeaways, and that's it," Harry said. "I'll be honest, outside of normal British fare, I tend to go towards Indian food. Curries and the like, you know? At least the food here in Sumeru is familiar enough for the most part."

"Well, I daresay you're in for a treat," Zhongli said. "I will be cooking for you…"

Harry had to admit to being surprised. In hindsight, he shouldn't have been: Zhongli was millennia old, more than enough time to pick up cooking skills. Then again, he didn't appear to have any sense of money, ironic for a deity who was tied to currency, according to Sirius.

But the Bamboo Shoot Soup Zhongli cooked was lovely. Harry had to admit, it was one of the best things he had eaten upon coming to Teyvat. And everyone else agreed.

"Well, that's the second time I've eaten a meal cooked by an Archon," Dunyarzad said. "I mean, counting Harry in hindsight. My thanks, Zhongli."

"But of course," Zhongli said with a smile. "I'm sorry for imposing the expense of the ingredients on you, but I rely on Aether in terms of purchasing items normally. Or Childe. I'm afraid that if I purchased them myself with your purse, it would be depleted rather swiftly with…superfluous purchases."

"Childe…" Dehya mused. "Isn't that Tartaglia?"

"Yes. My relationship with him is a friendly enough one, though it became strained when he realised I was Rex Lapis," Zhongli said. "We have since reconciled to some degree. He'd probably enjoy testing his mettle against you. And unlike other Harbingers, he at least has some honour and valour."

"Bollocks," Harry retorted.

"Oh, don't misunderstand me, Harry. While I wished for a crisis to prove that Liyue could defend itself without my help, I did not truly realise how far he would go. I was worried that I would have to intervene. But La Signora, while superficially polite, was a sadist and a megalomaniac. The same could be said of Scaramouche, given what Aether and Sirius said about him. Childe did not wish to cause too much harm, but between his morals and his loyalty to the Tsaritsa, his loyalty won out."

"Perhaps we should not talk of the Fatui," Nahida said, mediating as was her wont to do. "Do you have any interesting tales from your time as Rex Lapis?"

"Many, too many, to tell the truth," Zhongli admitted sheepishly. "And too many are also rather sad stories, at least from my perspective."

Dehya frowned. "Well, what about Paimon? Do you have any idea who or what she is?"

"I have my suspicions. I personally believe she was a deity stripped of her power and memory by Celestia or some other power, though that is far from my only hypothesis," Zhongli said. "She knows much about Teyvat for someone lacking in memory of her own identity. I brought this up with Aether and Paimon, and Paimon doesn't know. In fact, she seems to think she would rather not be a deity."

"Who could blame her?" Harry asked. "People who want to be deities ought to have their heads examined."

"Agreed," Zhongli said. "Paimon has many faults, but she is also a decent enough ally, and is endearing enough when her immaturity does not overcome her. Unfortunately, Venti loves to press her buttons."

"Yeah, including that Emergency Food crap," Dehya muttered with a scoff of disgust. "She's a pain in the arse at times, but that's a pretty cruel joke. Speaking of cruel jokes…what about Aether's sister? Why the hell has she thrown her lot in with the Abyss Order?"

Zhongli frowned. "I can't claim to know all the answers, any more than Nahida would. We are both deities known for our knowledge, but we do not know everything. However, I can make some inferences. It may be that Lumine woke up from the sealing of Asmoday not long after Asmoday's attack. Given that she has been known to be active soon after the Cataclysm, it's possible Asmoday's sealing only worked for a short period. Though there is another frightening possibility. Aether brought up the possibility of possession, that someone or something is possessing her. But Khaenri'ah also mastered many arts of alchemy lost to the modern age. One of their researchers, Rhinedottir, survived, and has turned her back on the remnants of Khaenri'ah…and created at least one Homunculus, by the name of Albedo. A thought that Aether and I had was…what if the Lumine who joined the Abyss Order is actually a Homunculus of some sort, a clone of Lumine?"

Harry shared a look of shock with Nahida. "Then what about the original Lumine?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. Which shows this hypothesis, while a chillingly plausible one, has more than a few holes in it."

"There may be a way to determine whether or not that may be the case, or at least shore up the information on such a hypothesis," Nahida said. "Aether and Lumine, as outworlders, would lack records in Irmunsul, as would Harry and Sirius, at least up to a point. But if Lumine has a presence in Irmunsul, then it means she, or rather the Princess of the Abyss Order, was born here on Teyvat, and thus may be a Khaenri'an creation, or even someone else's."

"She did recognise Aether on their first meeting after their separation, so it is possible they copied or transferred her memories," Zhongli said. "But to what end? That is the pertinent question that follows. Why create a copy of an otherwise unknown world-traveller? And does that mean her loyalty to the Abyss Order is the result of indoctrination imposed by Khaenri'ah? Dainsleif may know something of the truth, but if he does know, he's not telling. I certainly suspect some things, but I have few certainties, especially ones I'd be willing to voice."

"I think we should change the subject," Harry said.

"Actually, I have an idea," Dehya said, before looking to Nahida. "Nahida, you know that I donate to a lot of orphanages, right? Particularly those helping out Eremite orphans. I hadn't thought about it, but…well, those kids in those orphanages are part of the future, as is any Eremite kid, but we don't have much in the way of formal education. Would you be willing to help with a curriculum?"

"Sure! I'd be only too happy to help, Dehya! True, you'd still need people to teach desert survival skills like you do now, but I'm sure you know the best people to speak with about that!" Nahida said enthusiastically, before frowning. "Then again, it's my first time designing a curriculum, and I have to make sure it's appropriate to the age level of the children."

"Hey, don't sweat it. You can work on it in earnest once you regain your seat, Nahida," Dehya said.

"Agreed, though I could help out. I've dabbled in teaching children before," Zhongli said.

"And I need to ensure that as much of it as possible is fun," Nahida said. "Lessons that entertain stick better in the mind. How did that line from that song from Mary Poppins go, Harry? A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. It'll be an interesting challenge. Hmm, I should speak with Tighnari. Oh, and Madam Faruzan. According to Tighnari, she was the scholar in charge of designing Collei's curriculum."

"Sounds like a plan," Dehya said. "Faruzan speaks all haughtily and crap, but she's a good person, better than half the scholars of the Akademiya. Looks like she's barely out of her teens, but mentally, she's over a century old."

"Yeah, Tighnari told us," Harry mused. "Something about the way a stasis trap in one of the desert ruins worked. Her mind experienced that time, but her body didn't."

"Sounds nightmarish," Dunyarzad opined. "It's a wonder she survived with her sanity more or less intact. Still, it's a wonderful idea. The Eremites deserve better than what they have. Even if it's not the glories of King Deshret's civilisation, they need something better than what they have."

"I know that, my lady," Dehya said quietly. "Don't get me wrong, the world will always need mercs like many Eremite groups, like me. But we need more than that, even if the Akademiya thinks differently."

"Well…enough of that for now," Dunyarzad said. "The Sabzeruz Festival will begin the day after tomorrow. Hopefully, the others will be back by then. And then, we can try to enjoy ourselves, before the serious work must be done…"

CHAPTER 24 ANNOTATIONS:

So, here we are, with a bit more discussion between the characters, along with Zhongli cooking.

No numbered annotations this time.