"...Weeeeeell, since it has been a few minutes that Cyno left, shouldn't someone continue the retelling already...?" , Paimon suddenly said, sounding sheepish and a little bored, before there was a short pause, "...But not Paimon, since Paimon is still having a headache from the recent "revelations". Seriously, this whole mess is getting messier and messier with each new "info" we hear! Next thing you are going to tell Paimon is that Samir was eaten by a huge snake monster or something!"
She added in annoyance,
As huffing sounds were soon heard...
...
And then there was eerie silence...
"...Considering what already happened, I wouldn't really be surprised by that turn of events..." , the Traveler soon admitted, sounding thoughtful and a little concerned, before there was a short pause, "...Samir did say before about some danger in the "Desert of Hadramaveth" that we have to avoid...And also that "Not that I would leave a body, since, well…" sometime at the start of our current retelling...Besides, isn't his "God name" Amun, which looks similar to the name "Amun-Ra" from Egyptian mythology…?"
They explained, sounding more concerned now,
Before there was eerie silence once more...
...
"You could ask Lord Rhadames about this when he is back. If he wants to, he would answer. If not, then you shouldn't push it." , Jebrael said moments later, sounding quite serious, yet also slightly concerned, "...I should continue the retelling now." , he soon said, before there were a few seconds of silence, "After going over the "instruction papers" that Lord Rhadames so helpfully provided, we quickly decided on our next course of action: making preparation for the journey to Safhe Shatranj. But there was an issue that had to taken care of first, which is the enemy Thuthmouse and Fatui members remaining unconscious in the nearby camp.", he explained in all seriousness, as well as some annoyance, "...Truthfully, I did not want to associate myself with these evil people. Especially not after all they did until now. Moreover, taking them with us would greatly slow our movements. So I made a proposal: seeing as their allies are bound to realize that something is amiss soon enough, we should leave them all inside of a cage nearby."
"...Paimon didn't really want to do anything with these people either, so Paimon quickly agreed to the idea!" , the Pixie soon added, sounding a little annoyed herself, before a huffing sound was heard, "Seriously, after everything those people did, we went too easy on them!"
"...Being left in a cage like animals is already a humiliating punishment, right...?" , a familiar curious voice was soon heard, followed by a few mechanical "beep-beeps", "So you think so too, Benben! I am glad that you agree!" , Jeht happily commented, before there was a short silence, "...I am feeling better now, father. If you, Traveler, Paimon and Mister Venti don't mind, I can help with the retelling." , there were some "beep-beeps" following her words, "...Sorry, Benben, but I don't think you can help me. Not everyone can understand you."
"...Beep-beep... ", the construct sadly voiced out.
"...But, I really wanted to help you..."
Venti suddenly heard moments later...
*Said in the same sad voice as Benben's...
...
...
Wait, when did he learn the mechanical language...?
*Was it something he could understand before but didn't have the chance to...?
Or was it a "language skill/ability" he somehow acquired just now...?
...
This was truly very wei...
"I apologize for returning as suddenly as I left. I did have the promised "discussion"." , Cyno's voice was suddenly heard, sounding a little annoyed.
"Oh, it's Cyno and Samir! You are both back!" , the Pixie exclaimed moments later, before there was a short pause, "Oh, right! Samir, were you ever eaten by a huge snake monster...?"
"...I indeed did, as part of a contract. Though Apep isn't a monster. How did you know...?" , Samir admitted, his voice soon getting suspicious, before there was a short pause, "...Before you ask, I am not going to tell you who Apep is or what our contract was about. It's still too early for that. Besides, with the current company, it might get quite dangerous if I do..." , his words soon trailed off, before there was another short pause, "...The Traveler and Paimon should be okay knowing...Venti possibly, as well..."
"...Is it part of Forbidden Knowledge...?", the Traveler asked, sounding suspicious.
"...You could say that, yes." , the other answered, "...Though you could try running into her if I told you and Apep will eat you whole, right away...Seeing as she is affected by Forbidden Knowledge herself." , Samir sheepishly added, before a deep and guilt stricken sigh was heard, "...It was a "failsafe plan" of sorts, but I should really apologize to her when she is "back in her right mind", wherever that might be..." , there was more silence after this, before another sigh was heard, "...Seeing what I already said and everyone's suspicious expressions, admitting this much should be okay, right...? The reason I am not affected by Forbidden Knowledge at the moment and Apep is, is due to her eating my body back then and getting all the corruption acquired into herself..."
He admitted, sounding a little sheepish now,
Before there were a few more seconds of eerie silence...
"Paimon was right, it's really getting messier and messier now!" , the Pixie said moments later, sounding quite done with everything, "By far, Sumeru is the most...Huh, Traveler...? What do you have there...?"
"...Oh, sorry, Paimon. Since things keep getting...Like THIS, I decided to check something." , the Traveler soon admitted, sounding quite thoughtful, "Remember this "Oasis Garden's Truth" item we found in that random domain while helping the Aranara...? I just looked at its description, which I should have done before, but was too overwhelmed at the time for..." , they explained, before there was a small pause, "...Well, let's just say that Nabu Malikata, also known as the Goddess of Flowers, was also a "shrewd" person. Perhaps even more than Samir is, who looks very innocent in comparison.", they added in an unreadable voice, "In fact, from this description alone and with the addition to what we already know/realized, I would even call her needlessly cruel."
"Oasis Garden's Truth:
"Who would worship a departed god?"
The Lord of Flowers was once in alliance with two other gods. Apart from wisdom and power, she also brought mercy and joy to her people.
Just as the earth needs more than the burning sunshine and pouring rain, to the people of the Lord of Flowers, joy and love, singing and music, and wine and extravagance were just as vital as strength and sensibility.
It is said that flowers blossom so that they may enjoy a spectacular death, and that death was precisely the wholehearted pursuit of the Lord of Flowers — for death adds bitterness to lost joy, and intensifies with time across endless memories.
The ignorant Lord of Deserts was never aware of her reasoning. He only reveled in her immense charm and grace — and as misguided as such fervent affections might be, they were well within the calculations of the Lord of Flowers."
The Traveler voiced out the description,
And moments later, there was deep and eerie silence...
...
One that proceeded for quite a while...
"...Uh, Paimon doesn't think this is good..." , the Pixie was the first to say, sounding very concerned and a little afraid, "...Samir is looking kind of scary right no..."
"So she actually wanted to die...Did I hear it right...?" , said person soon interrupted her, sounding eerily calm, " ...You are really telling me that Nabu Malikata actually wanted to die all along...?" , he asked, starting to sound a little menacing, "...This..."Item", where did you find it, Traveler...? Mind if I take a look...?"
He eerily calmly and slightly darkly added,
Clearly not going to accept "no" for an answer...
...
"It's from a domain called "Tower of Abject Pride"." , the Traveler said moments later, sounding a little concerned, "It's description is: "It is said that the deserts were once home to three sage-kings, one of whom remained lovely and wise till the very end. They parted ways eventually for the sake of the paradise they sought in their hearts. This place is called a "tower," but in truth was the temporary residence of one of these people when they were building that earthly paradise. If one stretches the past back even further, it was once a small shrine built to avoid the wind and the sand."."
"So it appears." , Samir said back, still sounding quite unnerving, before there was a short pause, "...I told you to give me the item, Traveler from the Stars. I want to check it for myself." , he dangerously added, before there were a few more seconds of silence, "...So it was truly like this all along, she wanted to die. And for such a reason, too...". .. flowers blossom so that they may enjoy a spectacular death..."..."...for death adds bitterness to lost joy, and intensifies with time across endless memories." ..."
He added in a calmer voice,
Yet there was some darkness in it still...
"B-beep-Beep?" , Benben asked in worry.
"...H-hey, are you really okay...?",
Was the translation that Venti soon heard...
...
"...Am I okay, you ask...? Do I look okay to you...?", Samir answered, starting to sound quite menacing once more, "...All this time, I thought it was my fault she died...I blamed myself for her death...Because I insisted she share all that Forbidden/"Hidden" Knowledge with me, during that ritual...Getting punished for talking too much...", there was a small pause after those words, "...And yet she knew she would die all along. She even welcomed her death. And even used my feelings for her to...!", the words were suddenly cut off, before a deep sigh was heard, "...ignorant Lord of Deserts...", I suppose that I am. She took me for a fool. And not just me, but also our third friend, Rukkhadevata and her own "followers", the Jinn. I know they also mourned her death, as it affected us all..."
He sadly added, before there was silence once more,
One that didn't stay for long...
"BEEP-BEEP! BEEE...!" , Benben suddenly yelled out.
"A familiar power! Rewriting my programi...!"
Venti heard moments later...
...
Wait, what...?!
"Benben, what's wrong?! What "familiar power"...? How is it rewriting...?" , Jeht yelled out in worry moments later, her voice suddenly getting cut off moments later, "...H-hey, Benben...?! W-what is wrong with you...?"
"Paimon is starting to get concerned, why is Benben suddenly malfunctioning?!" , the Pixie yelled out, sounding concerned herself, before a yelp was heard moments later, "H-hey, what did you try to attack Paimon for?! S-stop! P-Paimon is not your enemy! T-Traveler, help!"
"All this time...Even before my death and even after my "rebirth"...I always blamed myself for her death and the aftermath…Rukkhadevata leaving and returning only after things were dire...The numerous sandstorms brought after her death...The suffering of the people and…
...All of it...I thought I destroyed everything...With my foolish ambitions, I..."
"...H-hey, can you stop it, Benben?! Stop attacking Paimon!" , the Pixie yelled out, sounding both annoyed and desperate, as sounds of fighting were soon heard, "T-thank you, Traveler and Jeht...P-Paimon thought she was going to…!"
HOWL!
"H-hey, did the wind suddenly start picking up...? F-father...?" , Jeht slowly said, sounding very concerned, "...Wait, is that a sandstorm forming in the middle of the room?! W-why did it...?!"
"...And it's rapidly getting bigger and bigge...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!", Paimon suddenly yelled out, "...Thank you for saving Paimon, Traveler. Paimon thought Paimon was going to…!", she soon gratefully added, as the sounds of howling intensified even more, "...But why is that device unaffected?! Just what did Alice make it from?!"
…
"...He is the one who is doing this." , Jebrael's voice was heard moments later, sounding quite concerned, "Both of Benben's malfunctioning and the sandstorm were brought by none other than..."
"To repent even a little for what I have done, in my mourning and rapidly corrupting mind...I tried to find a way to bring her back to life...
...It was what I wanted...It was what the Jinn wanted...Yet, it failed…
...Instead of bringing her back to life...My actions only made things worse...The crisis of Sumeru...The outbreak of Forbidden Knowledge...All of it...I..."
Boom!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
"...Now there's an earthquake. "Samir", you...", Cyno commented moments later, sounding thoughtful and really worried now, "...SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP HIM!"
"Well, what do you want Paimon to do?! I can't even move in this crazy sandstorm!", the Pixie yelled out, sounding really annoyed now, as the sounds of cracking and howling considerably intensified, "...W-well, this is starting to look really bad…It looks like the place is going to collapse at any mome…!", her voice suddenly got trailed off, "...Wait, is that a barrier...? W-with some kind of light power...?! WHEN DID HE PUT THAT ON?! AND IS IT JUST PAIMON OR IT'S STARTING TO GET HOTTER HERE?!"
…
"...Everything that happened ever since her death…If I knew she actually wanted to die…
…Instead of trying to bring back the past…Perhaps, I would have chosen a different path…
…And then, all of that suffering and destruction…
…
…Could it have been avoided…?"
...
-... Traveler, should I teleport there and help...? - Venti couldn't help but suggest, feeling very concerned himself. -...Or are you going to ask Xiao for...?
"For all those years, I…
Just what did I…Do all that for…?
…It was useless…
…It was all so useless…"
"...No, it's fine, Venti. I already have an idea." , the Traveler soon said, sounding dead serious and thoughtful, "Jeht, Jebrael, Cyno, I just need you to help me get close to him. Paimon, cling onto the Dodoco device for now." , they continued, as soon only the intensified sounds of cracking and howling were heard, followed by sounds of fighting, "...This should do it, hopefully...Because I don't want to hurt Samir...Especially not when he is like this...So sorrowful and..."
"…Useless…
…Useless…
…
Everything is…
…Useless…
…
…Just like my current…"
...
...
...
"...Rukkhadevata, truly the purest of the three of us…
...Did I corrupt Nabu Malikata somehow...? Or did she, from the very moment I met her...?
…
...It doesn't really matter anymore...Our past...Is already…
…
…It's already gone, right…?
…
…
…Only memories remain…"