Rosalyn stared at Shajin in disbelief, her wide eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty, like a frightened deer caught in the headlights.
Even Venti was a little surprised. A flicker of astonishment passed through his green eyes.
He had expected this Gambler to make some outrageous demand.
After a moment of thought, he said, "Fine. But the fragments of Rostam's soul lingering in Mondstadt's ley lines are scattered. They can only be retrieved from the center of Mondstadt's ley network—Snowy Peak. And there's only enough to do it once."
"Then I'll leave it to you~" Shajin nodded slightly and replied softly.
But Rosalyn could no longer contain her fury. Her eyes blazed with wrath, like a raging fire, and her voice trembled with anger and resentment.
"Rostam died because of Mondstadt! And where were you, Anemo Archon, when he sacrificed himself?!"
The flames of her rage lashed out like a whip toward Venti.
Venti closed his eyes and did not resist.
Just as the flames were about to strike him, a strand of "silk" intercepted it mid-air.
"Rosalyn, calm down," Shajin said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's hear what the Little Wolf has to say~" He nodded toward Venti.
Understanding the cue, Venti once again played the Song of the High Heavens. A bluish-green orb of light slowly condensed in his palm.
He handed It to Shajin.
"Just place this beneath the Skyfrost Nail at the summit of the Snowy Peak."
Shajin nodded and turned to leave.
But someone tugged on his sleeve.
"Um… can I come with you guys?"
Lumine scratched her head awkwardly, a soft blush creeping across her cheeks like a ripened apple.
"Traveler, they're Fatui Harbingers!" Paimon cried, tugging nervously at her clothes, her face full of worry.
But Lumine stood firm.
Shajin chuckled.
"You must've sensed your brother, huh? As expected of the twins~"
"You know where my brother is?!" Lumine's eyes lit up with joy, sparkling like stars in the night sky.
Seeing her face draw close in excitement, Shajin instinctively reached out and patted her head.
Lumine's cheeks flushed an even deeper red, but she didn't pull away.
"Of course I know. I could tell you that your brother is silently watching over you from somewhere… but now's not the time for a reunion. First, you need to carve your own path in Teyvat."
He withdrew his hand.
"Still, if you want to come along, I won't stop you."
"Traveler, are you really going with them?" Paimon whispered beside her.
"…Yeah. I'm going!" Lumine looked at Shajin with determination in her eyes.
"Heh, then let's go~"
Shajin reached out and pulled along the sulking Rosalyn, while Lumine and Paimon followed behind.
"Lord Barbatos… Venti, we…" Jean looked at the Anemo Archon before her, heart filled with mixed emotions. She didn't know what to say.
Venti smiled at her, his gaze gentle.
"Thank you for still calling me that, Jean. But as I've said before, in this land where no one wears a crown, just live freely~"
He gently patted her shoulder, as if to remind her not to be too bound by formality.
Jean nodded slightly, her heart heavy with emotion.
Indeed, ever since the Anemo Archon left, Mondstadt had become a nation without a king. Its people had grown used to living in freedom.
As the Anemo Archon, Barbatos surely hoped for such a scene.
Yet Jean suddenly realized—Barbatos' very existence was a paradox to the idea of "freedom."
After all, how could a truly free nation have a god symbolizing that very freedom?
This realization left her deeply puzzled.
Perhaps true freedom wasn't about absolute lawlessness, but the pursuit of inner liberation within structure and order?
Venti seemed to sense Jean's thoughts and said with a smile:
"Jean, freedom isn't always easy to understand. But as long as you feel it with your heart, you'll find the answer that belongs to you."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jean and Diluc standing in silent reflection.
…..
"Try this, Lumine. I think this jerky's pretty good."
Lumine sat wordlessly in the Fatui steam-powered vehicle, staring out at the swiftly retreating scenery. She had expected this journey to be a grueling one, full of hardships and peril. But instead… it had all been so easy.
She thought back to her long trek across the land, every step walked with her own two feet. That arduous journey left her with a strong sense of imbalance.
Damn it, just because they're rich, they get to do whatever they want?!
"Sorry, but yes—being rich really does let you do whatever you want~"
"Eh?!"
Lumine almost jumped from her seat, staring at Shajin with wide eyes.
"How did you know what I was thinking?!"
Shajin rolled his eyes.
"Come on. Your face gave it all away."
He turned to glance at Rosalyn, who had been silent the whole ride, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she clenched her fists.
"Relax, Rosalyn."
"Who's… who's tense?!"
Oh come on, you're stuttering now! Shajin silently griped.
Without a word, he pulled out a small bag from who-knows-where and handed it to her.
"What's this? Clothes?"
Rosalyn opened the bag and found a set of pristine white women's garments inside.
"My dear Rosalyn, you wouldn't want to make Rostam sad, would you~"
"You—!"
Rosalyn bit her lip.
Shajin shrugged and waved Lumine out of the vehicle.
"You can change in here. Lumine, Paimon, let's go take a look at the snowy landscape."
Rosalyn looked at Shajin's back as he exited, her eyes filled with complex emotions. All she could do was sigh.
.....
"Um, Adven…turine?" Lumine tried imitating Rosalyn's pronunciation.
"Heh, Adventurine is a name granted by Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. It's just a title among us Harbingers. You can call me by my Liyue name—Shajin."
"Okay, got it." Lumine nodded.
The two continued walking until Lumine suddenly pointed excitedly.
"Look over there, Shajin! There's a cave!"
"A cave?" Shajin followed her finger and spotted a half-hidden entrance covered in vines and snow.
"It really is a cave!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah! And it looks pretty deep too!" Lumine peered into the shadows, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Shajin studied the entrance. This cave wasn't naturally formed.
Were there people living out here in such harsh conditions?
Seeing Lumine's eager expression, Shajin chuckled helplessly.
"Alright then, I'll go take a look~"
"Yay!"
_
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