It was now a few minutes after the recent crisis,
And Venti was in the middle of having lunch with his found-family...
*He made sure not to close the call this time, though...
"Paimon feels very annoyed right now. It's already been a few minutes since the recent "crisis" and we are still standing around, doing nothing! It's a good thing that this room is still miraculously standing and Benben is not trying to kill Paimon anymore or Paimon would have been even more annoyed!", the Pixie soon said, sounding displeased, "First, Cyno left the room to talk to some of those "Temple of Silence" members and still didn't return! Then, Paimon tried to get Samir's attention because Paimon was worried about him, but Paimon suddenly got burned by something when Paimon got near!"
She almost yelled out in rage,
Before a loud huff was heard...
-I am sure he didn't do that on purpose, Paimon. Considering what happened just a few minutes ago, this could be a side effect of Lord Rhadames' power going out of control. -Frederica soon said, looking and sounding reassuring. -As for Cyno still not having returned, I imagine he and his clan members are busy discussing what just happened and how to proceed further. -She added in the same amount of reassurance, before becoming thoughtful. -Of course, since Lord Rhadames is Sumeru's Acting Archon and also their former King, they have no ill intent towards him. But what happened earlier is still very worrying, with the way it happened and the destruction it could have caused if not for the Traveler's plan succeeding.
She seriously and slightly gravely explained,
As there was eerie silence on the other end...
"...In conclusion, Lord Rhadames is both someone that needs to be respected and a possible threat. This is indeed a worrying situation.", Jebrael said moments later, sounding thoughtful, as well as concerned, "I think the best way to prevent any future power outbreak is to take care of its cause. But the burden that Lord Rhadames still carries with him..."
"...There's just so much guilt. For everything.", Jeht sadly added, before a sigh was heard, "...Both Lord Rhadames and Lord Kusanali...I wish I could do something for them."
"...Beep-Beep!", Benben enthusiastically added, "...Beep-Beep."
"...I also want to help!
...And sorry about before.",
Venti heard seconds later…
"Don't worry, Jeht. You are already helping more than enough. And you promised to help further, right...?", the Traveler soon said, sounding reassuring, before there were a few seconds of silence, "But by this point, between them both, I am not sure who needs therapy the most...This is like the situation with Venti all over again, but multiplied by two!"
-...Uh, sorry for worrying you so much in the past, Traveler. -Venti couldn't help but soon say in some regret, before he turned to look between the other people in the room, soon sadly sighing. He really made them all go through a lot...-And my own people, I am really sorry for worrying you so much. In the past, I really...
-It's alright, Venti. As long as you are happy, then it's good enough for me! -Barbara reassuringly told him, her expression warm, before it suddenly fell. She just remembered something she would rather forget...-...Just don't neglect yourself like that again, okay...?
-He wouldn't, Barbara. -Jean soon reassuringly told her sister, before her gaze turned towards the Archon. He was already doing a lot better, but still...-...Right, Venti...?
-Yes, Jean, I promise. -Said Archon soon answered, understanding her concern, before he paused in thought. Their whole exchange took some time, right...? -...Is Samir still unresponsive...?
"Yes, he is, that idiot!", Paimon answered in annoyance, before there were a few seconds of silence, "...At first Paimon wondered why no one seems to be confused how Frederica, Barbara and Jean have also just talked, even though the device should be back with Venti. But you are all having fun together right now, aren't you...?"
-We are in the middle of having lunch. Lord Barbato...Venti accepted our invite and had been staying with our family for a few days now. -Seamus answered this time, as he moved his gaze from his food and proceeded to look between the other people at the table, before turning his gaze to the Dodocommunication Device. -...It would have been nice if Xiao could have joined us, but he must be very busy at the moment.
"...He is currently helping take care of the recent "disaster" aftermath.", Samir answered him, sounding serious and a little regretful, "Apologies for having everyone wait. Nahida "called" me and our discussion took a while.", he admitted, "...It turns out that a few minutes ago, when my power got out of control...It was affecting all of Sumeru and not just this base. Interestingly enough, the Akademiya was affected the most and it looks more ruined than the desert ruins are and some people are already calling it "Lord Rukkhadevata's Wrath"...~", he added in clear amusement, before there was a short pause, "...Nahida asked me in concern if something happened and if I was okay. I told her that I am and that I was simply overwhelmed by a certain revelation. And so she asked me again, I answered. And again. I answered again. And...", he explained, before a deep sigh was heard, "...It took me so much time to reassure Nahida that I am indeed alright. Could this be due to me being the person whom she knows the longest by this point...?", he wondered aloud, sounding thoughtful, before there was short silence, "...In this case, leaving would be a little harder than I initially expected...", he sadly mumbled, so quietly that Venti was certain he was the only one who heard the other god, "...But I am really grateful for your help at the time, Traveler. Using the power of Dendro like that, I could almost see an illusion of Rukkhadevata. A memory of her smiling lovingly as she looked at her people, telling me that what she loved most were these humans who were in her care.", he gratefully added, his voice soon getting melancholic once again, before he deeply sighed, "...I know, this no more than an illusion. Just like Nabu Malikata, she is also already long dead. I myself am currently alive only due to HER generosity. Otherwise, I would have still been dead, as well.", he added in gratefulness and some sadness, before there was a short silence once again, "...Still, it has been a long time since my powers went out of control. I almost forgot that they are still quite potent, even if way less than they were in the past."
"Are you serious?! You almost destroyed the whole of Sumeru without even trying, right…?!", Paimon yelled out moments later, sounding incredulous.
"...Well, I suppose that Apep did say I was a nuisance to fight, which is why she didn't mind making a contract with me...", Samir nonchalantly and slightly thoughtfully explained, "...I am still not going to elaborate on who Apep is.", he made sure to add, sounding very serious now, "But I will be staying in the room to help with the retelling, if needed. And it's about time we resumed that."
"Continuing from where we left off, after leaving the Thuthmouse and Fatui members in a cage, we soon left the place. Our next destination was the destroyed Tanit camp.", the Traveler continued a few minutes later, after Venti finished lunch and moved to another room, "...Honestly, even though I know they were the worst type of people, the state of the camp was quite...Pitiful. It was completely destroyed, mostly barren and there was dried, blackened blood everywhere.", they soon recalled, before deeply sighing, "...At least, that's what I saw when I took a quick glance of the place. I wouldn't be surprised if, were I to look even a little bit harder, the things I would see would have been that much worse."
"They were pretty bad, Traveler.", Jeht soon commented, before there was a short pause, "...At least, it's what father told me, since he didn't let me look for myself."
"...All I can say is that Samail's hate for the Tanit ran very deep.", Jebrael calmly, yet very seriously admitted, "...The state that their "bodies" were found in, I can not help but feel sorry for them."
He darkly added,
Before there was eerie silence...
"...I think I can imagine what happened. By the end of Samail's and his follower's "entertainment" or even midway, they have surely begged for the sweet release of death.", Samir said moments later, sounding quite serious, as well as thoughtful, "...Yes, this punishment should be more than enough for them...", he mumbled, before there was a short pause, "...There is no need to dwell on this, believe me. If you knew more, no matter how used you are to seeing gruesome images, you would surely have horrible nightmares for quite a while. It's best to continue the retelling from here."
He eerily calmly added,
Before there was silence once again...
"...After finally arriving to the destroyed Tanit camp and staying the night, we left for the next morning!", Paimon started a minute or so later, sounding mostly calm, yet slightly unnerved, "...Now that Paimon knows that what happened at the camp was very bad, Paimon is glad we didn't stay there long. What if the enraged ghosts suddenly appeared and tried to kill everyone in revenge?!", she added in horror, before there was short silence, "...Anyway, after a while we arrived at the ruins of Gurabad and entered a temple! There we had to activate some mechanisms again, but this time to release Liloupar! And then another set of ruins suddenly showed up and we entered inside and got to a big cavern and had to fight another batch of monsters! And then, when we got to the room with the big tree, we had to fight a big weird machine thing!"
"...Do you mean Anoushbord...? He is a Mechanical Guardian, not a "big weird machine thing".", Samir said moments later, sounding a little annoyed, "...Didn't you already fight some of these before...?"
"Well, that thing looked really weird and was very annoying!", the Pixie answered back, sounding as annoyed now, "And it almost skewered Paimon with its drill!"
"...So it almost turned you into mincemeat.", the other god commented, sounding thoughtful, "...Yes, I can now understand your annoyance."
He made sure to add,
Now sounding understanding...
"What kind of logic...?!", Paimon started, before her words were suddenly cut off and a weary sigh was heard, "...Right, you were eaten by a big snake thing and it was apparently also "just an annoyance". Paimon should have known…", she mumbled, before there was short silence, "While trying not to get skewered, Traveler and the rest finally beat up this "Mechanical Guardian" and Paimon felt safe. So Paimon looked around the place some more, which was actually pretty beautiful...Ignoring the killing robots from before."
"I have to agree with Paimon, the place looked really nice. Like a small Oasis with the tree in the middle, reaching towards the opening at the ceiling of the cave. ", Jeht admitted, before there were a few seconds of silence, "To think this was Liloupar's cell all along.", she soon mumbled, sounding quite thoughtful, "But as soon as the Traveler touched the bottle hovering under the tree's roots, the whole place started to wither. It's a good thing that the Traveler took a few photos of it beforehand."
"I read in the "instruction papers" that the place was going to wither as soon as Liloupar was freed, so I made sure to take a bunch of photos before that.", the Traveler admitted, sounding glad, before there was a small pause, "...Speaking of which, what exactly did you do with those papers, Samir...? I thought I had memory problems when I suddenly saw that "P.S." text!"
"...Oh, that. I wrote it with a "special" type of ink, one which appears when certain conditions are met. And the condition for the "P.S." text to appear was that you free Liloupar.", Samir soon answered, sounding quite amused, "That was the best moment for you to make the decision, after all."
"Liloupar was very mean to me and my father!", Jeht admitted in annoyance, before a huff was heard, "She was even worse than Tirzad when we met him, with her so called "remarks"!"
"And even though she was a racist bottle, she was apparently in love with a certain god of the "desert philistines".", Paimon commented, sounding quite suspicious, "Paimon can't help but wonder how that happened."
"Easily, I am very handsome and charming, so how could anyone not fall in love with me...?", Samir answered, sounding quite amused once again, before there was a short pause, "...I might look way younger now than I did in the past, but you like this view, don't you...?~"
"D-did you just make your top disappear and...?! S-stop showing off your muscular chest!", the Pixie yelled out in embarrassment, "H-hey, Traveler, Jeht, Jebrael, even Benben, tell him to stop!"
"...Beep-Beep...?", Benben soon said in confusion.
"...Why does he need to stop…?",
Venti heard seconds later...
"I have to agree with Benben, I don't really see Lord Rhamades doing anything wrong.", Jeht admitted, before there was a short pause, "Besides, father is usually also walking bare-chested and he looks great. How is that different...?"
"...Paimon had to admit that Samir doesn't look half bad...Kind of like a miniversion of Zhongli, just tanned and with some differences...If his form was older, it would surely be similar...", the Pixie thoughtfully commented, before there was a pause, "But the problem is, he is also currently making that "I am sexy and I know it~" kind of face!"
"...Well, at least he seems to be feeling much better now.", the Traveler commented, sounding glad, yet also slightly amused, "...Which reminds me, Samir, what is with the Rich Red Brocade description...?", they soon asked, in both amusement and intrigue now, "And I am talking about this specific part of it: "Legend has it that when the King of the Desert was still alive, his people chose to cover their eyes as they dared not look upon him, whose brilliance was beyond that of the sun.". So, what is the deal with it...?~"
"Well, do you think that the legend is true...?~", Samir answered back, sounding as amused and intrigued, "By the way, this is a question for everyone present here, not just the Traveler~"
"The brocade is mainly used to protect the eyes from the desert sand.", Jebrael answered almost right away, sounding quite serious, "...But as for the legend's truthfulness, hum...", he thoughtfully added, before there were a few seconds of silence, "...Looking younger now..."Brilliance beyond that of the sun"...Even the Jinn fell in love..."
"...The legend seems to be true, right, father...?", Jeht added, before there was a short pause, "...I like the Traveler too, of course. But I have to agree that Lord Rhadames..."
"Is pretty handsome, Paimon supposes. And he is also very cheeky!", the Pixie interrupted her, sounding a little annoyed, "Don't tell Paimon that you seduced your enemies wherever you could. This "Apep", you didn't seduce her too, did you...?"
"...Me seducing Apep...? Well, that's quite a weird accusation.", Samir said moments later, sounding quite confused, "...Can she even be seduced…? If so…"