Chapter 53. Geo Archon Successor? Aila: Pick Me!!!
At Futsu Mitama's words, Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi both nodded slightly and did not continue asking further questions.
Still, the expressions in their eyes remained somewhat strange.
Because according to their perception earlier, there should have been another "presence" here.
That aura had been extremely faint, almost as though it could disappear at any moment, yet both of them undeniably sensed it.
However, by the time they arrived, that presence had already vanished completely without leaving behind any obvious trace.
Was it Rex Lapis? Or perhaps some other existence?
Although both Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi held many questions in their hearts, neither chose to ask further. Instead, they quietly followed behind Futsu Mitama and returned toward the place they originally came from.
Not long afterward, the group returned to the shoreline.
At this moment, Klee stood there with her head lowered, her small face filled with grievance and guilt, practically wearing an "I know I was wrong" expression openly across her face.
Beside her, Albedo and Hu Tao both maintained rather subtle expressions.
Especially Hu Tao.
The earlier heroic momentum she displayed while single-handedly confronting Beisht had completely disappeared by now.
She even covered part of her face slightly, clearly unable to maintain her previous composure.
After all—
The three of them knew very clearly what sort of situation would have awaited them if Futsu Mitama had not arrived in time.
Not far away, Paimon and Traveler also wore helpless expressions.
Neither of them really knew what they were supposed to say here. Because this entire incident felt absurd from beginning to end.
Fishing with bombs—
And somehow blowing out that kind of existence—
No matter who heard such a story, their emotions would probably become complicated.
On one hand, they wanted to comfort Klee.
But on the other hand—
This incident really did originate from Klee's bomb fishing.
Hu Tao and Albedo had nearly ended up in mortal danger because of it.
(Albedo: "Actually, I was still quite far from mortal danger.")
"Klee, why are you making such a face?"
When Futsu Mitama returned and saw Klee's teary-eyed appearance, he immediately revealed a somewhat helpless smile.
Just moments ago, she had still been bravely preparing to confront Beisht directly. Yet now she looked as though she might cry at any moment.
"Brother Futsu Mitama…"
Klee lowered her head even further as her voice became filled with grievance.
"I know I was wrong… I shouldn't have gone bomb fishing…"
Clearly, Klee genuinely understood that she had made a mistake.
Before Beisht attacked earlier, she had only felt excited after seeing such an enormous "water snake."
Within Klee's understanding of the world, there were no complicated distinctions like gods, ancient followers, or divine authority.
She simply thought the giant snake looked very impressive.
And because it looked impressive—
She wanted to blow it up.
Then perhaps bring some materials back for Acting Grand Master Jean, Brother Futsu Mitama, and Sister Traveler.
But after witnessing Hu Tao being blasted away and seeing Beisht summon that terrifying tsunami—
Klee finally realized something.
That thing—
Was genuinely terrifying.
Even Klee herself understood that without the special defensive bombs her Mom left behind for emergencies, she probably had no way to stop something of that scale.
And unfortunately, because she only came here casually to fish and play, she had not brought those bombs with her at all.
So when she looked at the incoming tsunami—
And realized she could do absolutely nothing against it—
Klee finally understood the seriousness of her mistake.
Children were often like this.
The moment they realized a problem had exceeded what they themselves could handle; they would naturally begin blaming themselves.
And Alice herself had long taught Klee one principle—
If a situation developed beyond your ability to resolve it yourself and forced others to clean it up for you, then that meant you made a mistake somewhere.
"Hm…"
Looking at Klee's guilty expression, Futsu Mitama smiled helplessly before slowly crouching slightly in front of her.
"Klee, this actually isn't entirely your fault. Because in a sense, blowing that thing out was also a good thing. You're still the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius, after all."
As he spoke, Futsu Mitama gently gestured toward Hu Tao and Albedo nearby.
"Look, Klee."
"Both Hu Tao and Albedo are very capable people. But even with all three of you working together, you still couldn't handle that big snake. That alone proves how dangerous she really was."
Hearing those words, Klee slowly raised her head before looking toward Futsu Mitama seriously.
Then she nodded firmly.
Yes.
That giant snake really was terrifying.
Meanwhile, Hu Tao and Albedo's expressions became slightly subtle again.
Hu Tao indeed admitted that she could not defeat Beisht.
As for Albedo—
That was somewhat uncertain.
Although he looked like a refined and delicate Alchemist, who exactly said Alchemists could not fight properly?
At this moment, Paimon also hurriedly floated forward.
"Yes, yes! Klee, don't blame yourself too much!"
"Even though we didn't actually see the whole battle ourselves, if even Albedo and Hu Tao together couldn't stop that giant snake—"
"Then wouldn't ordinary people just get swallowed whole the moment they encountered it?!"
As Paimon spoke excitedly, Traveler beside her also nodded slightly in agreement.
Clearly, she felt Paimon's words made sense this time.
Upon hearing this, Sangonomiya Kokomi could not help glancing at Paimon in slight surprise.
Even Shenhe looked at her strangely.
After all, in everyone's usual impression, Paimon spent most of her time thinking about eating, drinking, and sleeping.
No one expected her to suddenly say something this nuanced.
"Really?"
The grievance and guilt on Klee's face immediately faded by quite a lot.
"Mm."
Futsu Mitama nodded seriously before continuing gently,
"It's just that if you go bomb fishing next time, Klee—you should lower the power a little. Although blowing her out was technically a good thing…"
"The explosion was still a bit too strong."
Actually, from Beisht's perspective, her situation truly felt incredibly miserable.
First, she was inexplicably slashed while wandering the seas outside Inazuma.
Then, after hiding near Guyun Stone Forest to recover quietly—
She got blown awake by Klee's bombs.
And immediately afterward, she got chased down by Futsu Mitama, who now possessed power on the level of a god.
Was she wronged?
Absolutely.
It was so miserable that one could almost sympathize with her.
But Futsu Mitama himself had no intention of pitying her.
The reason was very simple.
Beisht was an enemy.
Klee was one of his own people.
"Okay, Brother Futsu Mitama!"
Klee immediately revealed a bright smile again, clearly recovering from her previous emotional slump.
Seeing this, both Albedo and Hu Tao secretly breathed sighs of relief. This outcome was naturally the best one possible.
"Oh dear~"
Hu Tao quietly covered her forehead at this moment while inwardly warning herself.
Next time, she absolutely could not make the same mistake again. After all, if it were not for her suggestion earlier, Klee would never have gone bomb fishing in the first place.
Although nobody could possibly predict that bomb fishing would somehow drag out a follower of an ancient demon god—
The source of the incident really did begin with her.
Thus, Hu Tao silently reminded herself that she absolutely needed to be more careful in the future.
Meanwhile, Albedo remained silent beside her.
Because he knew very clearly—
Hu Tao would probably repeat the exact same mistake again sooner or later.
If one asked why—
It was because Guizhong behaved almost exactly the same way.
Within the Chat Group, Guizhong constantly claimed she would "absolutely never do this again"—only to continue doing it anyway shortly afterward.
"Oh my! Everyone! Long time no see!"
At that moment, another familiar voice suddenly rang out nearby.
Tartaglia had arrived.
He was panting slightly from rushing over at full speed while eagerly scanning the surroundings with excitement practically written across his face.
"What happened here? Can someone explain it to me? The moment I sensed the aura of battle here, I rushed over immediately."
As a Fatui Harbinger, Tartaglia's execution speed and combat instincts were unquestionably excellent.
He could clearly sense that a collision on the level of gods had occurred here earlier.
That was precisely why he rushed over so desperately.
A battle of that level erupting within Liyue's territory could only imply a few possibilities.
Either Morax personally made a move against Futsu Mitama out of boredom—
Or Azhdaha appeared—
Or perhaps another demon god-level existence entered Liyue entirely.
No matter which possibility it was, Tartaglia naturally rushed over at maximum speed like a hunting hound that smelled blood.
After all, The Chasm was quite far away from this location.
The fact he still arrived this quickly clearly proved he had pushed himself without holding back at all.
"You really are a complete battle maniac…"
Paimon looked at Tartaglia with an extremely subtle expression.
"Wherever there's a fight happening, you immediately appear there too?"
Back in The Chasm, Paimon had already fully realized how absurdly obsessed Tartaglia was with combat.
He was either currently fighting—
Or actively searching for another fight.
Sometimes, Paimon genuinely suspected that Tartaglia only entered The Chasm because he wanted opportunities to battle stronger enemies endlessly.
After all, according to Yelan, Tartaglia clearly possessed some other hidden objective there.
But regardless of his actual mission—
That guy truly loved fighting far too much.
"Hahahaha~ That's right."
Tartaglia nodded without the slightest embarrassment.
Plans were plans.
Battles were battles.
Those were entirely separate matters.
The thought of fighting an existence on the level of a demon god alone was enough to make his blood boil with excitement.
Even if he ended up getting beaten terribly—
Tartaglia genuinely did not care.
As long as he survived, he believed he would continue growing stronger through those battles.
"Then unfortunately—" Albedo looked toward Tartaglia calmly. "You came too late."
"The enemy already left. What a pity."
Clearly, Albedo had no intention whatsoever of revealing information regarding Beisht or Osial.
Instinctively, he simply did not trust Tartaglia very much.
Back within the Chat Group, Futsu Mitama once summarized Tartaglia rather accurately—
Generally speaking, he could indeed be trusted to a certain extent.
But never trusted too much.
Unless Tartaglia personally signed some extremely disadvantageous contract like he did during the incident in The Chasm—
Then one should always remain cautious around him.
Thus, Albedo naturally had no intention of casually revealing information about Beisht or Osial.
After all—
The moment Tartaglia rushed over this enthusiastically, it was obvious he had ulterior motives somewhere in mind.
The Fatui were never trustworthy. And when it came to Fatui Harbingers—they were even less trustworthy.
As someone from Mondstadt, Albedo had not forgotten the chaos caused there by two particular Fatui Harbingers.
La Signora.
And Il Dottore.
The troubles left behind by those two were more than enough for Albedo to maintain a cautious attitude toward every Harbinger afterward.
"Is that so?"
Tartaglia merely chuckled softly.
Naturally, he could hear the faint hostility hidden within Albedo's tone.
But he also could not really argue against it.
After all, even Tartaglia himself understood perfectly well that the Fatui's reputation in Mondstadt had already completely collapsed beyond repair.
"Yes, that's right."
Hu Tao also nodded seriously from the side. Clearly, she likewise had no intention of discussing matters related to Beisht or Osial with Tartaglia.
Her impression of the Fatui was not particularly positive either.
As someone who frequently traveled throughout Liyue handling matters related to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao knew very clearly what kind of activities the Fatui had secretly carried out within Liyue's territory over the years.
Precisely because she knew—
She naturally would not foolishly hand over sensitive information casually. After all, only a few people currently understood the situation surrounding Beisht and Osial. As long as nobody spoke recklessly, the information could remain controlled.
"Beisht."
At that moment, Futsu Mitama suddenly spoke directly.
"?????"
"???????"
Instantly, question marks practically appeared above everyone's heads as the entire group looked toward him in confusion.
Was this something that could simply be said out loud so casually?!
This Tartaglia clearly had ulterior motives no matter how anyone looked at him.
However, everyone ultimately remained silent.
Because they trusted Futsu Mitama.
Since he chose to speak openly, then he naturally must have had his own reasons.
Meanwhile, Hu Tao blinked slightly as her gaze moved back and forth between Futsu Mitama and Tartaglia.
For some reason—
She suddenly had the feeling that Tartaglia was about to suffer greatly.
The feeling was extremely strange, yet Hu Tao trusted her instincts surprisingly well.
Because she understood Futsu Mitama's personality.
He was absolutely not the kind of person who would hand over information for free without any deeper purpose behind it.
What looked free on the surface usually carried a hidden price somewhere later down the line.
"Oh?!!!"
Tartaglia's eyes instantly lit up.
Originally, he had already planned to give up on obtaining information directly and instead seek a breakthrough through Paimon and Traveler afterward.
After all, in Tartaglia's eyes, Paimon was relatively easy to trick.
As long as he could extract scattered fragments of information from her, he was confident he could reconstruct the truth himself afterward.
He truly did not expect Futsu Mitama to reveal information personally instead.
Good brother!!!
Although… a trace of guilt suddenly emerged inside Tartaglia's heart.
Because he knew very clearly—
He was already planning to scheme against the other party later.
"Beisht—"
Tartaglia rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That name sounds a little familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
He looked toward Futsu Mitama curiously.
"Is she a demon god? Was she the one you fought earlier?"
Truthfully speaking, Tartaglia had never specifically heard of Beisht before.
Although he was a Fatui Harbinger, the world contained too many demon gods and ancient entities for him to memorize all of them completely.
"No."
Futsu Mitama shook his head lightly before calmly explaining,
"She's the wife of the God of the Vortex. And also his final follower. She was originally resting within Guyun Stone Forest before Klee accidentally blasted her out."
"Although I still don't know why she appeared here specifically. As for the one I fought—"
Futsu Mitama looked toward Tartaglia meaningfully.
"That was not Beisht. It was her husband. The God of the Vortex—Osial."
At that instant, Tartaglia's eyes became even brighter.
Osial?!
The God of the Vortex?!
That name, he absolutely knew.
He had previously heard storytellers in Liyue mention Osial while accompanying Zhongli through the city.
However, at the time, Tartaglia's attention had mostly focused upon another existence—
Azhdaha.
The legendary dragon capable of rivaling Rex Lapis himself.
Compared to Azhdaha, the stories surrounding Osial sounded somewhat underwhelming at first glance.
According to many storytellers in Liyue, if someone wanted to "see" Osial—
Then they simply needed to visit Guyun Stone Forest itself.
Because those towering stone pillars were supposedly formed from the Geo Spears used by Rex Lapis to suppress Osial permanently beneath the sea.
In many stories, Osial sounded less like a terrifying ancient god—
And more like a landmark attraction.
Furthermore, according to those same legends, Osial had been suppressed by Rex Lapis with a single spear strike.
Because of that, Tartaglia never paid him excessive attention previously.
Azhdaha, meanwhile, was completely different.
During the Archon War, Azhdaha fought beside Rex Lapis personally against numerous gods and even possessed records of destroying divine beings himself.
More importantly—
Even Rex Lapis once admitted that suppressing Azhdaha could not be accomplished by him alone. That was the kind of existence Tartaglia truly desired to find.
In his original plans, as long as he could locate and release Azhdaha—
Morax would definitely appear personally.
Then Tartaglia could exploit the chaos, seize the Geo Gnosis, and escape immediately afterward.
Unfortunately, after searching for more than half a year—
Even after investigating The Chasm—
He still failed to locate Azhdaha entirely.
But now—
Another demon god suddenly appeared before him instead.
Was this not perfect timing?
"Can you explain more in detail?!"
Tartaglia's eyes gleamed with excitement. Clearly, his interest toward Osial had already risen completely.
"I don't know that much." Futsu Mitama simply smiled and shook his head. "After all, I'm not actually from Liyue."
This was not deception.
Regarding Osial himself, Futsu Mitama truly did not possess extremely detailed knowledge.
More importantly—
The task Zhongli entrusted to him had already been completed. He had successfully informed Tartaglia about Osial's existence.
Now the only remaining question was whether Tartaglia would take the bait.
Though honestly—
Looking at the brightness in Tartaglia's eyes right now—
Even if nobody said another word, he would probably still investigate Osial obsessively afterward anyway.
"That's true…"
Tartaglia revealed a somewhat regretful expression before turning his gaze toward Guyun Stone Forest thoughtfully.
"So…The God of the Vortex escaped from the seal earlier?"
He clearly sensed two divine-level powers colliding here previously.
One belonged to Futsu Mitama.
The other undoubtedly belonged to Osial.
According to the legends, Osial should still remain sealed beneath Guyun Stone Forest by Rex Lapis.
So how exactly did he attack earlier? Did he actually break free?
If that were true—
Then the situation would become extremely serious.
"Impossible." Hu Tao immediately shook her head seriously. "He absolutely couldn't have escaped completely. If he truly broke free—"
"Then we wouldn't still be standing here peacefully talking right now."
As the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao naturally knew many secret historical records unavailable to ordinary people.
The Geo Spears thrown down by the Archon during ancient times became the present-day Guyun Stone Forest itself.
Which also meant—
The very land beneath their feet functioned as part of Osial's seal.
If Osial truly escaped entirely, then nobody here would have the luxury of calmly chatting.
Everyone would already be fleeing for their lives instead.
Within the records preserved by Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Osial ranked among the most terrifying demon gods during the Archon War.
Weak demon gods generally died.
The ones sealed instead—were usually the ones too troublesome to kill outright.
"No." Futsu Mitama calmly corrected the misunderstanding. "He temporarily broke part of the seal to launch an attack against me. But he hasn't truly escaped. Though honestly…"
"That ability surprised me quite a bit."
The speaker himself sounded casual.
But the listener took the words extremely seriously.
Tartaglia stared toward Guyun Stone Forest quietly as thoughts rapidly churned inside his mind.
Temporarily breaking the seal—that sounded extremely useful.
The only question remaining now—was exactly how powerful Osial truly was.
If Osial's strength genuinely matched the ancient legends—
Then this could become an enormous trump card.
Unknowingly, the corners of Tartaglia's lips slowly curled upward. Clearly, various dangerous plans had already begun forming inside his head.
However, outwardly, Tartaglia still maintained a perfectly normal expression while casually continuing conversation with everyone regarding Beisht and Osial.
After chatting for a short while longer, Tartaglia eventually bid farewell politely, stating that he still had matters to handle and promising to invite everyone out for dinner another day.
Most importantly—
He had already obtained the information he wanted. There was no reason for him to continue staying here.
Naturally, nobody tried to stop him either.
Not long after Tartaglia departed, the group also began returning toward Liyue Harbor.
Hu Tao, however, chose to remain behind temporarily. The disturbance at Guyun Stone Forest was simply too large to conceal from the Millelith and the Liyue Qixing anyway.
Since the authorities would inevitably arrive soon, Hu Tao decided she might as well remain here and explain the situation personally.
Everyone naturally agreed.
Paimon even waved enthusiastically toward Hu Tao while floating away.
"See you later in Liyue Harbor!"
Hu Tao grinned brightly and waved back as well.
"Once I finish handling things here, I'll come find you guys!"
Nearby, Lumine quietly watched the interaction with a rather subtle expression.
Because somehow—
Things unfolded slightly differently from what she originally imagined.
Still, seeing that Hu Tao and Paimon did not start arguing or fighting with each other afterward—
Lumine also secretly felt relieved. No conflict occurring between both sides was already a very good outcome.
Thus, the group gradually returned toward Liyue Harbor.
Although nobody spoke much along the way—
Inside the Chat Group, however, conversation remained extremely lively.
[Paimon: "By the way, Futsu Mitama, why did you reveal information to Tartaglia?"]
[Paimon: "I really don't think that guy is a good person. Even though he acts friendly, he still feels dangerous somehow."]
[Lumine: "Futsu Mitama definitely has his own reasons for doing it."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Honestly, I think hiding the information entirely was impossible anyway. After all, this is Guyun Stone Forest. The only god associated with this place is Osial."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Even if we remained silent, Tartaglia would eventually investigate it himself."]
[Shenhe: "Agreed. No matter how much we tried concealing it, he would eventually discover the truth."]
[Albedo: "More importantly, I'm curious why Tartaglia is so obsessed with demon gods specifically."]
[Azhdaha: "It's fine. No matter what happens, I'll handle it personally if necessary."]
[Guizhong: "Mm. Whatever tricks he wants to play won't matter much anyway."]
[Bosacius: "Osial is powerful, but with the Archon present, nothing too serious should happen."]
[Eula: "Regardless, if the Fatui become interested in this matter, we should remain cautious and avoid giving them opportunities."]
[Klee: "Sister Eula is right!"]
[Futsu Mitama: "There were three reasons why I revealed the information proactively."]
[Futsu Mitama: "First, the information could not remain hidden forever, so proactively revealing it was more efficient."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Second, we can observe what choices the Fatui make after learning Osial's location."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Third… This was someone else's request, though I can't reveal whose."]
[Zhongli: "…"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Someone?"]
[Raiden Ei: "A person?"]
[Venti: "Hehe, are you sure that counts as a 'person'?"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "More importantly, when are you finally coming to Sumeru?"]
[Futsu Mitama: "Soon, soon. Stop rushing me. Trust me, it won't be many more days."]
[Futsu Mitama: "@Cyno, I'll leave guiding responsibilities to you then."]
[Cyno: "If this were one month ago, I would've agreed immediately. But right now…my situation is somewhat delicate."]
[Cyno: "Still, once you arrive in Sumeru, I'll arrange for a friend to assist you. He should be able to help with many matters."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "A delicate situation? What happened?"]
[Cyno: "The atmosphere inside the Akademiya has become extremely strange recently. The Great Sage and the other Sages appear to be secretly carrying out something."]
[Cyno: "As General Mahamatra, I naturally possess authority to investigate. However, every investigation I attempt gets obstructed. Even the Great Sage himself directly told me I have no authority to investigate these matters."]
[Cyno: "For the sake of justice and the beliefs in my heart—I've already decided to investigate privately."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "The Great Sage…"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "It seems many changes have occurred within Sumeru as well."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Your situation doesn't sound very optimistic either."]
[Raiden Ei: "Do not worry. You should trust your successor."]
[Zhongli: "Indeed."]
[Venti: "If you're really that worried, then why not pressure Futsu Mitama harder and send him to Sumeru sooner?"]
[Futsu Mitama: "????"]
Amid such casual exchanges, the group eventually returned to Liyue Harbor and arrived outside Futsu Mitama's residence.
"Young Master."
"Everyone."
"Welcome home."
At the entrance, Aila and Black Aila already stood waiting there quietly.
One dressed in white.
One dressed in black.
The pair of maids standing side by side at the doorway while welcoming everyone home immediately caused Paimon's mood to brighten visibly.
At this moment, Paimon finally understood why Futsu Mitama had insisted on saving Black Aila.
As expected, Aila and Black Aila standing together, one dressed in white and the other in black, created an indescribably harmonious scene. No matter how one looked at them, they were exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
"Damn it!! I'm already starting to get jealous!!"
Paimon clenched her fists unwillingly, her face filled with envy. She wished she could also receive this kind of treatment one day.
"Sister Aila!"
Klee happily waved toward Aila and Black Aila, her expression full of curiosity and novelty.
Although she had already seen Black Aila several times through the Chat Group livestreams, this was still her first time seeing her in person.
Both Aila and Black Aila revealed faint smiles toward Klee.
Even though the fusion had already been undone, the two of them had inherited each other's memories. Naturally, they still retained a great deal of affection toward the mischievous little girl before them.
"You're back? Then let's prepare dinner."
At this moment, Kuki Shinobu seemed to have heard the commotion and walked out from inside the residence.
"I already bought the ingredients earlier."
Previously, Kuki Shinobu's return to Liyue Harbor had not simply been for rest. She had specifically gone out to purchase groceries and prepare lunch.
After all, it was already noon.
Everyone had spent an entire day and night inside The Chasm. Although their constitutions far surpassed ordinary people, they still had not reached the point of completely transcending mortal needs.
At the very least, when it was time to eat, they still needed to eat.
"Wow!!!"
The moment she heard Kuki Shinobu's words, Paimon's eyes immediately lit up.
She grabbed the Traveler's arm beside her and said seriously.
"Traveler, Shinobu is seriously way too reliable!!!"
The Traveler also nodded slightly in agreement.
Having a logistics-type companion like Kuki Shinobu truly gave people an extraordinary sense of security.
In the end, the Traveler, Sangonomiya Kokomi, and Kuki Shinobu headed toward the kitchen together to prepare lunch, while the others temporarily dispersed and did their own things.
Under normal circumstances, Aila should also have gone over to help.
However, this time was different.
Futsu Mitama returned directly to his room, while Aila and Black Aila silently followed behind him.
"You already lost to me, yet you're still following along?"
Black Aila raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked toward Aila, her tone carrying a faint trace of teasing and mockery.
"That was during the night."
Aila's expression remained calm and indifferent.
Unknown to the others, the two of them had already engaged in a "battle" beforehand.
And the outcome was obvious.
Aila had lost.
No matter what the process had been, the final result was still her defeat.
"Heh."
Black Aila let out a soft laugh, but did not continue pressing the matter. Because she understood very well that this was merely "her" delaying tactics.
Of course, Black Aila also understood the principle of leaving room for retreat. There would eventually come a day when she herself lost as well.
Thus, she tacitly allowed "herself" to continue following along and serving the young master together.
"It seems the two of you are getting along quite well."
Futsu Mitama looked at the interaction between Aila and Black Aila and revealed a faint smile after realizing their relationship seemed unexpectedly harmonious.
"However, Young Master."
At this moment, Black Aila suddenly looked toward Futsu Mitama.
"Do you have something on your mind?"
At the same time, Aila also turned her gaze toward him. Clearly, she wanted to ask the exact same question.
"Is it really that obvious?"
Futsu Mitama blinked in surprise, seemingly not expecting the two of them to notice so quickly.
Aila and Black Aila both nodded lightly. If they had not noticed something unusual about Futsu Mitama's mood, the two of them would not have intentionally followed him back together.
"Actually… it's about this…"
Futsu Mitama did not conceal anything and slowly explained the source of his concerns.
In this world, the person he trusted the most was undoubtedly Aila.
And the issue currently weighing on his mind was directly related to Zhongli.
After all, Zhongli had already made his intentions perfectly clear.
He wanted Futsu Mitama to become the next Geo Archon.
However, to be honest, Futsu Mitama truly was not particularly interested in the position of Geo Archon.
The reason was simple.
It was troublesome.
The positions of The Seven Archons were all troublesome beyond imagination.
Not to mention the Geo Archon, even if Raiden Ei truly handed the position of Electro Archon over to him, Futsu Mitama's innermost thoughts still remained unchanged.
He still did not want it.
What he truly preferred was the kind of freedom he originally envisioned for himself—buying houses across every nation in Teyvat, then peacefully retiring somewhere and living leisurely for the rest of his days.
Even after experiencing so many things, this fundamental thought of his had never changed.
But some matters could not simply be resolved through "wanting" or "not wanting."
Both Raiden Ei and Zhongli had shown him tremendous kindness.
Whether in Inazuma or Liyue, the two Archons had genuinely taken care of him.
Futsu Mitama could not pretend not to notice their goodwill.
And it was precisely because of this that he had never directly refused Raiden Ei's expectations regarding the future position of Electro Archon.
If Raiden Ei truly chose to step down one day, then Futsu Mitama would indeed inherit the title of Raiden Shogun and become the next Electro Archon.
But now—
Zhongli's sudden confession had truly given him an enormous headache.
Furthermore, Zhongli had already stated clearly that whether Inazuma retained Futsu Mitama or not ultimately no longer mattered much, because Raiden Makoto would eventually revive.
Once Raiden Makoto returned, Inazuma would undoubtedly flourish once more.
But Liyue was different.
Liyue was now entering an era belonging jointly to humans and Adeptus. And the leader of this era needed to be a "human" possessing combat power equal to an Archon.
That was precisely why Zhongli had directly expressed his intentions toward Futsu Mitama.
"I see" A faint trace of surprise flashed through Aila's eyes. "So Mr. Zhongli is actually Rex Lapis. He really is the Geo Archon."
Black Aila also narrowed her eyes slightly.
Previously, she had never sensed any danger from Zhongli at all. If not for the uniquely special aura surrounding him, she might truly have subconsciously regarded him as nothing more than an ordinary consultant from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Now it seemed that this man was far from ordinary. He had simply concealed himself too perfectly.
"So what do you two think?"
Futsu Mitama sighed helplessly.
He could not possibly split himself in two like the Ailas—one becoming the Geo Archon while the other became the Electro Archon.
"Young Master."
Aila looked directly at Futsu Mitama.
"If you truly had to choose…which side would you choose?"
Facing Aila's question, Futsu Mitama fell silent for a brief moment before slowly replying:
"If I truly had to choose… then I would still choose to become the Electro Archon."
"After all, regardless of everything else, I already promised Raiden Ei. She wholeheartedly guided me long before she ever joined the Chat Group. And when I was dragged into the Abyss by the Abyss Order, she didn't hesitate for even a moment before directly charging into the Abyss to find me."
Gratitude was not something that could simply be forgotten.
In truth, his earlier refusal toward Zhongli already represented his own answer.
However, Zhongli had also helped him generously.
The inheritance of the Geo Archon.
The deterrence Zhongli displayed toward the terrifying existences within the Abyss when Futsu Mitama entered it.
And the countless forms of assistance afterward.
All of it was real.
That was why Futsu Mitama intended to delay the matter for now and search for a solution that could satisfy both sides.
If such a solution existed, then naturally that would be best.
If not…
Then he could only choose to refuse Zhongli.
There was no helping it. Some things ultimately still followed the principle of first come, first served.
Futsu Mitama truly could not bear to hurt Raiden Ei's sincere feelings because of this matter.
As for Barbatos—
Forget it.
Anyone could take that broken Anemo Archon position.
"I see…"
After hearing Futsu Mitama's answer and understanding his thoughts, Aila quietly glanced toward Black Aila.
Black Aila naturally understood "her" meaning immediately.
"Young Master." She calmly spoke: "Zhongli said that the next Geo Archon must be a human possessing Archon-level combat power, correct?"
"Yes."
Futsu Mitama nodded instinctively.
But immediately afterward, he suddenly realized something.
His gaze abruptly lifted toward Aila and Black Aila standing before him.
A human possessing Archon-level combat power.
Weren't such existences standing directly in front of him right now?
Although Aila and Black Aila were currently separated, they could still fuse together once more.
And the fused "Aila" truly possessed combat power on the level of an Archon.
Furthermore, she wielded dual authorities simultaneously.
Even during the era of the Archon War, such an existence would unquestionably have ranked among the truly powerful.
"In that case—"
Aila slowly spoke at this moment.
"May I ask Mr. Zhongli whether I, as an Adeptus disciple, possess the qualifications to become the next Geo Archon?"
Black Aila also calmly added:
"If the only requirement is a human possessing Archon-level combat power—"
"Then 'I' should satisfy that condition."
Yes. If the requirement was merely possessing Archon-level combat power, then "Aila" unquestionably fulfilled it.
And no matter what powers she possessed—whether authority or Abyssal strength—
She was still, fundamentally, human.
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