Sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅᴀʀʏ Pʀᴏᴛᴀɢᴏɴɪsᴛ║𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

Chapter 6 : The Rite of Descension

I teleport back to my house in Mondstadt. It's still pretty early so I decide to organize the place. It's always such a mess since I'm barely here. Just as I finished cleaning, I hear a knock at the front door. I open it to see Aether and Paimon.

"Hi, Kieran! The Tone-Deaf Bard told us about your home. We cam yesterday but you weren't here. And Aether didn't want to leave without you.", Paimon said.

Awh, they had to delay for me. I shouldn't have left Mondstadt in the first place.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I had a few commissions outside of Mondstadt yesterday. But it's all done now. Allow me to treat you to breakfast at least."

Paimon cheers. But Aether adds, "We just walked by Good Hunter. It's so crowded today. I don't think we'll be able to get a seat." Paimon whimpers sadly hearing this.

I laugh and say, "Well, in that case I'll whip something up for you. However, I'm not a pro so the taste might not be as good as Sara's."

I cook some Cream Stew and Fisherman's Toast after getting the ingredients from the grocery store. I also brew some tea to drink alongside it.

"Oh woooooow~", Paimon screamed. "This is so good! Even better than Good Hunter."

Aether looks satisfied as well. "You should open a restaurant.", he said.

I'm glad they liked the food. We head out for Liyue after cleaning up. Getting there wasn't much of a problem. We didn't encounter too much trouble because I chose the route which had least enemies. We reach our destination just in time for the ceremony. The whole thing goes on exactly like happened in the game. Rex Lapis appears dead when Ningguang summons him. She orders the Millelith  to apprehend all suspects including us because we were too close to the center. We managed to sneak out but were found out by them. I suggest we split up so that it'll be harder for them to find us. I assure them that I'll find them. The plan worked since majority of the Millelith are coming after me. I find myself in a strangely familiar stairway as they surround me. Before I can draw my weapon out, I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey there, girlie. Hold still."

I am screaming internally. I really did not want to meet him so soon. Looks like I ended up stealing another moment from Aether. Well, it's okay since this guy's intentions are far from good. It's not like I hate him. He becomes more likable as the plot progresses. I just don't like the current version of him. We've actually met once before when I was in Snezhnaya but I doubt he remembers me. His older sister is one of my best friends. The young ginger uses his Hydro vision to defeat them. He then ushers me to follow him. Thankfully we run into Aether and Paimon on the way. He introduces himself and tell us how to clear our names. 

"However, your involvement has made things more interesting.", he says looking over to me. "Clearing your name would be easier since you've got quite the reputation."

"Ah. You remember me then?"

"Of course I do. Sister Alyona talks about you a lot.", he replies.

Paimon interferes, "Wait, you two know each other?!"

"Yes. Kieran is a friend of my sister."

Looking at me Aether says, "I didn't know you had dealings with the Fatui too."

"Um....Alyona isn't a part of the Fatui." I continue, "Anyways, don't we have more important things to do now?"

We go meet Moon Carver first. He tells us to meet the other adepti. After convincing the ghost to stop haunting Wangshu Inn, we get the chef prepare Almond Tofu for the adeptus Xiao. Aether prepares some Satisfying Salad for him. 

"You should make him something too, Kieran!", Paimon says.

"Me...?"

She continues, "He is an adeptus. He might be expecting you to make something as well."

She does have a point. Xiao is a pretty picky eater. I don't want to tick him off so I have to be careful. As far as I remember, Xiao doesn't like food with strong flavors. I have to make something tender and delicate. I suppose I could make some Chicken Tofu Pudding. It'll be a safer bet since he likes tofu as well. I make some extra servings for Aether and Paimon.

"This is delicious!", Paimon yells.

Aether adds, "I know I've said this before but you should definitely consider opening a restaurant."

Aww. I'm glad they like it. At least I know cabbages aren't going to be the only things I find in treasure chests.

"Oh, please. That salad was heavenly.", I say ruffling Aether's hair. His face turns red. He's blushing.....so cute. I guess that was a bit too forward but I couldn't help it. He's just too adorable.

We finally present the food to Xiao. Paimon explains the whole situation to him.

He says distressed, "Rex Lapis.....how could this be?"

Ack. Seeing him sad makes my heart hurt. He was one of my husbandos too. I'd rather keep my distance from him now though. He only seems to care for the Traveler. He's even more intimidating as a real person, it's almost scary. I don't want him to hate me or be annoyed by me so I'll only speak when spoken to.

After talking to the adepti, we come back to Childe. He tells us that the Liyue Qixing are refusing to let anyone see the archon's body.

"If that's the case, then Aether's journey to visit the Seven is already over!", Paimon blurts out. Both me and Aether shoot her a glare. She seems to have realized what she's done and covers her mouth with her hands.

"Oh? And what business might you have with the Seven pray tell?", Childe asks.

Aether coldly replies, "None of your business."

"Heh, good answer.", he continues. "I can help you with that, but it will take some time to meet my contact."

We go to Liuli Pavilion to meet his contact, who obviously is Zhongli. After introducing himself, he states that it is his duty as consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to give Rex Lapis a proper farewell, since the adepti are slowly distancing themselves from the rise of mankind. Because of this role, he can bring Aether to the Exuvia.

Fixing his gaze on me, he says, "I wasn't expecting Miss Kieran to be a part of this as well. But having more help would certainly make things easier."

I've met Zhongli through Hu Tao. I honestly wanted to delay meeting him as much as I can too. I'm pretty sure archons can tell that I'm not a normal human here. Venti definitely knows something too but he hasn't mentioned it nor has he ever been hostile towards me. So I kept procrastinating on telling him. But Zhongli is different. He's more serious. We often run into each other in tea houses whenever I'm in Liyue. He always asks about my adventures and tells me stories of Rex Lapis in return. I've always been a sucker for historical fantasies, which in this world is just history. I've always been keen to hear them from the Geo Archon himself. I start to feel relaxed around him soon too.

"So Mr.Zhongli knows her too.", Paimon says.

"Miss Kieran is a dear friend Master Hu, the parlor's director. Moreover, she's a great adventurer in her own right. It's nothing out of the ordinary for people to know her.", he adds.

I let out a nervous chuckle. Trying to shift the topic, I say, "We should get started as soon as possible."

They all seem to agree.

"I'm afraid won't be able to join you for a bit. I have some urgent business I must attend to.", I add.

Aether looks disappointed. He says, "Can't it wait? You said you'd join us."

"I am truly sorry. I'll be back before you guys finish the preparation, I promise."

Childe and Zhongli give me a suspicious look but soon they're back to discussing their own business. I take my leave from them. If my calculations are right, the time should be just about right now. Time for a short visit to Inazuma.