Guiding Spirit | Genshin Impact

「1」;Peacekeeper

Genshin Impact uses a lot of terms that are oftentimes left unexplained without a fixed definition. So in my best attempt to make sense of them, some of these terms are defined by what I see fit. Please take them with a grain of salt and do not consider them canon! Also, every term will be explained at the end of the chapter for those who needed a reminder^^

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Aether never dreamed of entering the seemingly sacred Yuehai Pavilion. With dozens of guards roaming on its gate each passing hour, Aether could only ponder what kind of information is stored inside. Yet, there he stood, in front of the gates of Yuehai Pavilion, although not inside, he got a hunch he is going to enter soon.

"Ah! Ms. Ganyu, you're back! I hope it wasn't too much trouble rushing about like that..." Huixin happily greeted them with a warm smile.

Ganyu, seemingly hurried, quickly answered. "I promised to help you and I'll keep my word. Nothing to worry about. Look, it's the invoice for the transaction between Second Life and Fanmu Carpenter's, we've brought it back."

Huixin sighed, "Thank you so much! Now we can solve this problem."

Ganyu nodded, tho soon her face went serious. "Agreed. But I have an urgent problem I need to confirm first, please wait here while traveler and I check." She turns back to Aether as if silently confirming.

"Alright," Huixin gladly agreed.

Ganyu led both Aether and Paimon near the gates of Yuehai Pavilion, nodding to each guard to pay respects. With each step nearing the grand double doors, Aether becomes more and more anxious.

Yuehai Pavilion had stood tall since the first-ever building of Liyue. Some would say it's the landmark of Liyue's governance. Could a mere traveler get in? After all, who knows what kind of secret stored inside. If one were to leak, could a catastrophe happen? Aether does not want to be the source of such scenario. He was already once considered a criminal in Liyue, and once was more than enough.

"Am I allowed to get in...?" Aether had to ask. He was reluctant and certainly do not want to get in trouble.

"It's alright. Let's just pretend you have special permission from me," Ganyu smiled.

"Why not... give Traveler an actual permission?" Paimon lightly laughed, fiddling with her fingers just as nervous as Aether.

"You're right, but I'm not sure if I still have the right to do that... But here, you have my permission to enter Yuehai Pavilion."

"that's it?"

Hesitantly pushing all guilty pleasure, Aether and Paimon followed Ganyu past the pavilion doors, entering a series of grand meeting rooms and empty halls.

Despite the obvious hollowness and lack of light, Aether knows just how historical the floor he stepped in is, after all, it's where all the Liyue Qixing makes all the important decisions since two hundred years ago.

"I'm sorry for dragging you inside here, Traveler, but I do need your eyes for this." Ganyu started, turning around the corner to a mistakenly hidden door that seems to blend too well with the wall. Opening the door effortlessly, they are met with dust saying hello and dim light greeting their arrival.

"Please watch your step," Ganyu warned. "This place is the archive, this is where we kept all records of previous Liyue Qixing as a memorial, and of course with pictures."

Just as Ganyu informed, Aether had come to realize how truly massive the room is. With hundreds of pictures of Liyue Qixing from all eras hanging on the wall, neatly arranged with one another according to their years of reign and titles. If the walls weren't filled with picture frames and paintings, it would be stacked with wooden shelves, storing scrolls of papers that had decayed of old age. Aether could even recognize a few portraits, notably the current Tianquan and Yuheng, Lady Ningguang and Keqing.