After making sure to tell Otto when and where to bring the ordered items,
Lisa finally entered the Favonius Cathedral and proceeded to walk towards the nearby church member...
*She did vaguely hear the children singing, their voices echoing through the place,
But she had no time to inquire about wherever this was a normal singing lesson or a rehearsal...
...
If it was actually the latter, then for the approaching Windblume...
...
...
It was truly such a shame that she wouldn't be able to attend it...
*Those children were just so innocently adorable...~
...
-Good day to you, Sister Victoria. -Lisa said as soon as she approached, looking and sounding serious. -...I know that I don't usually come here at this hour of the day, but there's something I wish to speak with Venti about. -She proceeded to take a small package out of her Vision's "Hammerspace", soon showing it to the nun, her expression turning a little amused. -Of course, I also prepared an "offering" that he wouldn't be able to refuse~
She ended in an equally amused tone,
Soon waiting for the nun's reaction...
-You have truly come prepared, Miss Lisa. If it's like this, then it shouldn't be a problem, now should it…?~ -Victoria seriously and slightly amusingly said, as she eyed the package, before turning her gaze to the direction of the singing. -The children are currently having a rehearsal and "Venti" was supposed to join in as their teacher. But the Traveler had called him at that exact moment and our Archon had been talking to them in a separate room for the last half hour and a few minutes.
Less than an hour prior...
...
-Good Morning, Traveler! I didn't expect you to call so early! -Venti said as soon as he answered the call, looking and sounding happy. -...What news did you bring me this time...?~
"...It's almost afternoon, Venti. But I suppose that to you it's still basically morning...", the Traveler commented, as their slightly concerned face suddenly appeared in a small window above the Dodocommunication Device, "As for news, there are quite a few that I would like to share with you. The first one is quite apparent, right...?"
-Yes, it's a video call now~ -Venti continued, as he made sure to look a little more through the "window", soon noticing two people that he could recognize as Samir (from a previous description) and Cyno (vaguely saw during the last Windblume), as well as Paimon. -Thank you for adding the video call feature to the device, Samir.
"It was no trouble, really.", the other god answered, sounding quite nonchalant, as well as looking a little distracted, "...I just recently returned from taking care of a certain..."Matter", so apologies if I wouldn't be able to help much with this retelling."
"Oh, right, Paimon remembers that! While Traveler and Paimon went to help out with Kalantari's research, you decided to go and "take care of something important", while not telling anyone what it was! And this "important matter" took you even longer to take care of than Traveler's and Paimon's quest! ", the Pixie commented, sounding a little annoyed, as a pout was seen on her face, "Just what was it about anyway, can't you tell Paimon now...?!"
She ended with this, her pout deepening now,
As she proceeded to fold her arms before her chest...
"...The "important matter" has to do with Dehya's adoptive father. That's all I am going to say.", Samir admitted moments later, looking and sounding a little unsure, as well as guilt stricken, "...While the situation has resolved now and thankfully Kusayla is still alive, I still can't help but feel guilty for how the Deshret's Relics clan turned out.", he visibly sighed, "...It would be best if you ask Dehya about the specifics later..."
And with these words, his expression turned completely blank,
Very detached and...
"Again with this eerie looking face! Are you planning to scare Paimon again...?!", the Pixie said moments later, looking a little unnerved, as she soon floated nearer to the Traveler.
"It's alright, Paimon. Samir just needs some time to himself, right...?", the Traveler soon said, upon reassuringly patting the Pixie on the head, all the while looking towards the other god with some concern, "...I don't know what exactly happened, but it's not your fault, alright...?", they continued with the same amount of reassurance, not getting any visible reaction in reply, which soon made them sigh heavily, "...Seriously, both you and Nahida…I suppose I should just start the retelling from the last time we talked. Starting with the "Lord Rukkhadevata's wrath" situation...", they continued, their expression turning a little amused, "Since the Akademiya was affected the most, some Scholars, even from high positions, started turning on Azar and the other 3 Sages. Now they are working with Yanfei and Shahzaman Homayani and it looks like they are going to win the case~"
"I heard from Nahida that "The Akademiyà's Sages killed the Archon with the two Fatui Harbringer's help in order to fully take over Sumeru." rumor is going around even harder now. ", Samir added, looking mostly detached and a little thoughtful now, "...I also heard that Tirzad's thesis turned out to be quite accurate, strangely enough...Though it wasn't taken seriously at first. But then the "crisis" happened, right when some Scholars were making fun of it...", his expression turned more thoughtful now, "...Interesting how that happened so conveniently, also creating the "Lord Rukkhadevata's Wrath" situation which is helpful to the case against the Akademiya. it's as if someone is pulling the strings from the sidelines...I wouldn't be surprised if it's HER work..."
He added, looking and sounding quite serious,
Before his expression turned thoughtful, as he stayed silent afterwards...
"...The work of the one who revived you...Yes, she probably has that kind of power.", Cyno noted, sounding mostly calm, yet looking very thoughtful, "...I wonder if Azar and the rest of his henchmen realized who you are by now."
"If they did realize who Samir is, do you really think they would share this information with anyone...? They would surely be asked many "problematic" questions if they did.", the Traveler thoughtfully added, before their expression suddenly darkened, "...Unless they want to turn Samir into Sumeru's enemy, but would they dare go that route after seeing what happened during "Lord Rukkhadevata's Wrath"...?"
"...If not for my contract with Nahida, I would have punished Azar way more than with the "Itchy nuisance penance" I already brought on him.", Samir calmly admitted, his expression starting to rapidly darken, "...If he dares even imply I would hurt Nahida, I will make sure to find a way to break this contract and show him what it means to cross ME. And if he goes further than that, perhaps daring to hurt Nahida himself in order to place the blame on me...I WILL BREAK HIM LITTLE BY LITTLE. PIECE BY PIECE I WILL TEAR HIM APART, BODY AND SOUL. I WILL FIND WAYS TO MAKE HIM SUFFER IN ENDLESS TORMENT. I WILL INFLICT HIM WITH PROLONGED AND AGONIZING PAIN. UNTIL THE LIGHT LEAVES HIS EYES AND ONLY A SHELL OF A PERSON REMAINS. UNTIL HE HAGGARDLY DROPS AT MY FEET AND STARTS BEGGING FOR MERCY. BEGGING ME TO END HIS NIGHTMARE, TO END HIS ROTTEN AND WRETCHED EXISTENCE. WISHING THAT HE WAS..."
"Samir, please calm down. I understand your feelings, but Paimon already looks terrified.", the Traveler interrupted him, as they looked between the absolutely murderous looking god and the horrified Pixie in worry, "...How about you save this..."Facial expression" for when you confront Azar...? As you know, myself and Paimon already had a discussion about his possible punishment. If you don't mind it, we would LOVE it if you joined us!"
They added, still looking a little concerned,
Yet there was also a tint of eerie amusement in their eyes...
*Venti realized it's because they also detest Azar...
...
Not that he could blame them,
Considering how this despicable human was...
...
Doing anything he can to further his "plans",
With no regard to the lives of others...
...
...
It was also no surprise that Samir still looked quite murderous...
*It would surely take him at least a minute more in order to calm down...
"I am fine now, truly. I am not going to kill you Paimon, so there is no need to look at me like that.", Samir reassured a minute or so later, looking a little sheepish now, "Thinking about Azar and what he might dare do (again) just made me so mad, that I...", he soon deeply sighed, clearly trying to calm himself, moments later looking more nonchalant again, "...Nahida also told me that due to the Akademiya getting mostly destroyed and currently unusable, Tirzad tried to take on some hobbies, like Gardening, Drawing and Music. Even with Nilou and Tighnari's help, it didn't work out for him."
"...Well, Tirzad is pretty talentless, right...? He admitted this himself that time at the Oasis.", the Pixie commented, looking and sounding more thoughtful than anything, before she turned to look right at the Dodocommunication Device, "...Paimon still can't believe how Samir installed a "video call" into Alice's device and it works so perfectly! The video is so clear and smooth!", she added in clear awe, before her expression turned thoughtful and slightly confused, "...And Paimon thinks that Paimon heard you did some kinda "Project" together with the racist...Liloupar...? What is it all about and why didn't you tell Traveler and Paimon of this...?"
"...A "project" I did with Liloupar...? Oh, that...", Samir quietly said, his expression turning from slightly confused to that of recognition, "...Yes, I, after seeing how pitiful Gurabad turned out...I decided to talk to Nahida about it later, ask her what she thinks about this.", he started in a calm sounding voice, yet looking quite melancholic, before his expression turned slightly confused, "...To summarize what she told me: Nahida doesn't mind me using the Dendro Gnosis in whatever way I see fit, since she trusts me to do the right thing. And she is in favor of me using it in order to revitalize parts of the Red Desert, hopefully creating more and more Oases for the people to find solace and shelter from the unforgiving desert sun.", he soon explained, his expression turning grateful, before he suddenly sighed moments later, "...But I still felt like this is wrong for me to do, especially after what happened in the past. Then I remembered about all the Jinni powers that were left with me and how they too, can be used to revitalize the land. But Liloupar, being a Jinni, knows how to use them way better than me, so I asked for her guidance."
"Right, that time you asked to speak with her and after which she left somewhere with you, promising me that she will be back later...", the Traveler recalled, looking and sounding thoughtful, "...I did notice that the Temple of Silence base looked greener afterwards. So this is the reason why."
"Liloupar is actually quite a good teacher, even if she is quite...Unstable, as you already know. Though I can't say I am that much different, considering what happened a few minutes ago…", the other god admitted, sounding a little sheepish, before he sighed, "We also went to some other places, like Aaru village. So as to not shock the people with my true appearance, I made sure to be in Hawk form while doing the "Miracle"."
"Oooh, you can turn into a Hawk? Paimon didn't know that!", the Pixie commented, looking quite enthusiastic, "Does it look as regal as your current form?"
"I does look as regal, yes~ The people couldn't keep their eyes of me~", Samir added in amusement, as well as tease, "I can also turn into a Ram if you want~ It looks as regal, if not more~"
...
"...You are really going hard with the Ancient Egyptian mythology there...", the Traveler commented moments later, looking and sounding a little suspicious, "...That eye and hair coloring of yours, the desert pyramids and temples, the name "Amun" and getting eaten by a big snake thing, that burning light "skill" of yours that happened when your power went out of control...And now this...", their eyes suddenly narrowed, as they turned to look towards the other god, "...If you acquired enough Forbidden Knowledge, then all of these "coincidences" might actually be deliberate, isn't that right...?"
"...Well, I can't say that it doesn't look like that. But strangely enough, they are coincidences. Most of what you just described "happened" before I acquired THAT specific part of Forbidden Knowledge.", Samir admitted, looking and sounding quite serious now, "..."Teyvat has its own laws", you must have realized it by now. That also includes the many coincidences happening. Ones that logically, shouldn't be coincidences at all.", he slightly eerily added, his expression turning hauntingly calm, "...Then there's a thing called "FATE", which seems to be quite strong in this world. It's as if SOMETHING or SOMEONE is making sure that everything goes according to the "script"."
...
"...Kairos must be one of these "SOMEONE", isn't she...?",
A thought suddenly came to Venti's mind...
*Wait, why did he suddenly think that...?
...
And why, once again,
Did it feel like he already knew, but forgot...?
...
...
Did SHE made him forget,
Once again...?
...
...
"Once again...?", what...?
...
...
"As such I needed allies, willing or not. Slowly but surely, pushing them to change their own fate and of those around them. Which includes the Traveler from the stars...And you too, Barbatos."
...
"I am sorry to have brought such a burden on your shoulders, Barbatos. I never wanted to play with your fate like this, but it had to be done. You have to live, you have to survive. You can't die, especially not now. You have to help the Traveler in their fight.", I am certain you remember these words now."
...
"I might have altered your fate and sealed your memories, but with the Time powers I left you, please fight back and survive.
I would have helped you more if I could, but as things stand, I am currently powerless to.
Any wrong move on my part and THEY would win."
…
Yes, he remembered all that,
But still…
...
...
"Kαιρός:
Opportune or right moment"
...
...
For how long...
...
Did she...?
...
...
...
J̴̢̛̫̙͓̻̥͖͇̋͜ų̵̢̛̘̪̹̘̮̳̗̖̭̏̓͛͒̍͂̑̐̇̕͝š̵̛̛̛̜̙͖̈́̿͆͌̂̕͘͘͠͝ͅt̸̡̗̩̝̭͇͛̉̇͋̊̚ ̷̢̹̰͎̳̼̳͓̱̍̈̑̒̈́̽̍̓̂̍̎̚͘̚h̵̠̞̟̯̀̏̇̋̋͜ǒ̶̧̺̝͓͙̖͙̤͂̔̔̒̔̃̊̿̐̾̿̚͘w̴̢̢̡̢̻̺͓̩̥̪̙̠͈̔̽̎̐̒̂̄̿̽͠ ̴̢̭̣̰͔̯̱̞͙̼͓͓̀l̴̡̢̬̫̟̙̯͙̬̠̳͇̼̾̐̈̎̓̽̏̾͆̋̅͘̚o̶̧̧̩͎͕̖̗̳̠̯̗͌͆̋̋n̵̜͉̍́̏͗͠g̷̣͉̖̣̈̀̀̔̋͛͋͑̀͐̋͝͝ ̶̻̻͖͖̟̺̗̒͑à̷̲̃̑͑͝͠g̷̳̞̱̥̋̇̊̚ǫ̸̢͓͓͇̭̺̗͖͔̤̗̌̊̉̄,̷̢͓̞̭̟̺̩͖̳̙͖̖̯̰̂̆̇̅͛͛͝
D̵̢̨̢̘̥̟̳̖̺̼͕̳͂͌͗̿ͅi̵̻̱̻̟̹̻͓̻̺̬͛̀̈́͑͜d̵͍̻̭̫̈̆̌̈́̒̓͆͘̕͝͝ ̶̛̹̣̞̐̅̒̽̆͗́̒̐̀͊̒̆͝i̵̡̢̧̛̟̱͉͔̼̮̙̤͕̜̯̙͒̑̈́̓̑̇̐̏̾̾͝͠t̸̜̳͊͒́̒͜͠ ̶̡̬̯̫͎͐̋̂͆̆̕͘͝a̸̱͕̙̻̝͝ļ̶̘̩̲̘̳͖͔̓̎͒̽̽͐̽l̴̡͔̣̱͇̔͋̅̓̒̀͠ͅ ̷͈͉̖̰̹͓͈̘̖̯͍́ͅs̵̡͈̦̗̝͔̞̆͂͐͂̓͋̀̀̇́̃̊͜͜͠͠t̸͙̘̋̓̔͑̒̍̓͝ǎ̶̹̻̰̩̜̱̭̪̬̻̼̭̐̊̂̐ͅr̵̺̬͕̟͉̺̦̯̩͔̼͚͎̺̿̄̌͋͂͛͋͝ţ̴̛̛̛̻̮͓̮̜̣̦̬͊͛̍̾̄̅͂͗̽͘͜͝.̵̹͓͈̥̥̃̎͜.̷̧̙͓͕͚̰̦̝̹̖͎͎͚̠̅̾̎͌͂̓̐ͅ.̸̟̮͓̪̳͍̘̆͜?̸͖̟̘̻̲́
...
W̶̖̦̟̠̭̭̣͚̲̗̜͋̇͛̋̒̉̇̆̆͐̊̈́͠ͅą̵̱̦̿̄̄̄̂̌̂̅̊̒̕̚͘͝ͅş̵̛̺͎̰̝̟͉͔̯̦͕ ̵̥̮̈́̍̇̄̑́́͒̏̊̚i̵̦̺̯͗͑́̓ţ̵͚̤̣̝̂͗̀͝ ̵̨̗͕̱̭̭͕͇̣̜͉̟̒͑̈́̾̈́ͅḯ̷̼̖̗̏͐́̎̃̂̿̾̄̚͠ͅn̸̨̬̰̱̮̲͍̯͕̺̰̂͋̃̀͛̈́̕͝ ̷̭͓̝̼̲̳͎̪̳̳̮͋̄̏̾̃̊͝t̴̨̥̘͙͕͖͎̱̗̖̏͑ẖ̴̼̰͙̞̞̠̩̞͚̲̈́̏̀͋͗̽̑̐̈́̾͌̚ȉ̷̢̢̲̻͗̀̐̌̓̈́̕̕͝ṣ̷̻̹́̂͂̾̌̈̋́͌͒̚͘͝͠͝ ̵̧̩̗̜̗͓̓̊̾̔̋̽̐̊̇̕̕̕͝͠t̶̢̧͈̻̻͉̬̣̥̰̰̮̉̀́̊̚̕̚̚͘͝i̷̜̘͔͚͇̫͋̓̽͋̆̑̀͝͝m̸̱̺͚͎̫͍̙̹̳̭̝̗̬͗͐̌̄̌̎̓̿̋̓ͅͅė̵͕̥̱̳͑͐̽̔͆͜͠͝l̵̬̆̎̑̋͂̇i̸̞̹͕̟͔̖̞͆̏̒͂̋̊̒́̌͑̓̕ņ̸͚͖͖̙̙̑̚ͅę̶̲̳̲̒?̷̢̨̡̢͔̼̪̉͊̾̽̃
...
...
Ṍ̴̡̩̖̠͕̖̔͝ŕ̴̳͈̰̠̭̹̩̖͓͖̝̰̥͇͉̑̏͗͗̔͗̚̚͝͝͝ ̶̛̬̬̏̈̈́̊w̷̨̲̻͎̩͙̣̼͋̃̈́ą̵̟́͒̊̀s̴̫̳̤͉͇̭̩͚̞͕͚͕̉̒̾͒̔̕ ̵̧̞̥̖͉̼͙̦̻̿̀ͅî̵͖͕̙̬͊̊̀́̀̉t̶͙͉̮͈̮͔͛͛̾̐̆͆͗̀̇͒͆̐̃̍͒͜,
...
̵̥̳̠͖̹̏͑̃͐̄͂̈́̎͒̀̌̀͜Iņ̸̡̧̺̪̭̗̲̪̺̳̫͂͌͆̌͛̏͝ ̸̛̪̊̃͛̎̊͂̏̈́̅̒̆͘͝ą̴̧̺̮̗̬͆̔̄̒̾͌̔͒́͂̅̚ ̴̨̛̝̤̹̹̬̝̫̦̮̘̖͍̈́́̚p̸̧̢̧̨̛̩̪͍͓͕̭̘̻̀̾a̷̛̝̭͔͍̯̟͇̿͐̎̍͒͊̇̔͂͜͝s̶͍̝̹͔̻͎͚̟̀̽̓͗̀͘̕͠t̶̨̢̨͚̝̖̞̠̼̺̙̼̭̣̃͂͊̑̐̃̇̀́́̈́̅̕͘/̸̨̒͂̑́̈́͘͝f̸̤̮͎̙͓̤̩́̾͑̽u̶̢̹̺͎͇̯̬̠̝̜̓̈́̂̋̏̋͂͋̆̏͛̚̕ţ̴̥̠͓̩̥̓͋͋̊̿͂̐͐̔̀͘͘̚͜͝͝ư̷̢̨̫͚̠͇̜̙̖͖̮̬̆̓̅ȑ̵̛̛̙̝̦͐͌̈́̃̉͒̿͜e̴͖̳̖̝̳̠̊͐̀͑ ̴̘̤͚̱̜̫̫̮̪̩͚̼̯̮̒͊͌̾͑̍̆͂͠ơ̴̩͈̓̀̀͐̀͐͝n̴̨̿͒̽̂͑̕ẽ̵̢̛̦̤̥͕̯̲̘͍̦̀͒̓̎̎̎̏̍̓̿̚͝.̴̛̥̳̦̋̎̐͌͗̕͝.̴̧̛̹̭̤͈͍̼̰̘͙̺̻̤͎͉̿̊̔͌̓̓.̴̳̉͗̂̃̀̓͆?̷͙͖̬̦̮̯͍̳̩͐̐̆̍͂̉͛͘͝