Sumeru City
Palace of Alcazarzaray
Paimon waved her hand energetically: "Nahida!"
Nahida looked over and greeted them with a warm smile. "Hello."
Nahida, the current Dendro Archon of Sumeru and the God of Wisdom, was once known as Lesser Lord Kusanali, and her true name is Buer.
"Last night was such a delight that I'm still floating in happiness, like a candle drifting peacefully on water," she said, joy still sparkling in her eyes.
Paimon nodded excitedly. "Yeah, us too! That's why we came to chat with you!"
Nahida smiled again. "Then is there something you want to know?"
Lumine: "About the Void…"
Nahida's expression turned a bit helpless. "Ever since that incident, the Void no longer functions as it once did."
"After careful consideration, I decided to shut the system down completely."
"But this is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I had planned to cease its operations even before."
"Having the Void manage all knowledge centrally stifled people's curiosity and limited their potential. I believe that's not healthy for Sumeru."
"Though people may find it difficult at first, I believe it won't be long before they come to realize this kind of life is better—more suitable for them," Nahida said, confidence shining in her voice.
"As for the future of Sumeru… I plan to retake control of the Akademiya."
"The original Sages have already received their punishments, and the new Six Darshans' leaders have yet to be selected. I'll personally oversee this matter."
"I expect the next generation of Sages to be more academically focused. That's the kind of leadership Sumeru needs now."
"Also, the people of Aaru Village and the entire desert region have suffered long-standing inequality."
"I've begun addressing it. Rebuilding trust, friendship, and culture will take time—but it will be recovered."
Lumine: "What about what happened after I fell asleep that day…?"
"Do you mean the events after the Doctor put you into a coma?" Nahida asked gently.
Lumine nodded. "He took the Gnosis?"
Nahida nodded back. "You're right. The Fatui Harbingers ranked third and above wield powers that rival the gods. In that moment, I stood no chance against him."
"However, even in that dangerous situation, I managed to strike a fair deal with Dottore."
"You must remember the concept that changed your fate—the Laws of the World."
"In truth, those laws have lain dormant since the cataclysm of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago. I used this as leverage."
"I told Dottore that if I destroyed the Gnosis, it could awaken Celestia's intervention. Though it was only a guess, it was enough to deter him."
"This was no small matter. The Heavenly Principles would never allow such a level of destruction to go unchecked."
"As for what I traded the Gnosis for…"
"I demanded not only punishment for the Doctor's unethical acts—but also knowledge that, as the God of Wisdom, I could not ignore."
Lumine: "About the scattered soldier…"
Nahida sighed softly. "He remains unconscious. I've hidden him—like a feather caught on the wind."
"I know you're concerned for him. But as a former god, he possesses certain… formidable traits."
"Still, don't worry. I will keep watch over him and prevent him from causing harm."
"There are many mysteries surrounding him. From my perspective, some truths are quite clear—but he himself seems unaware of them."
"What unfolds in the future will depend on fate."
Lumine: "About the next stop of our journey—Fontaine…"
Nahida smiled knowingly. "Ah, you're headed for Fontaine—the Nation of Justice."
"From what I understand, that country is governed by a complex system of law and trials."
Paimon chimed in: "Oh! By the way, we met someone named Fu Ning, Fontaine's top guardian! He said Fontaine has a Supreme Judge named Neuvillette. Is he the one who judges the people?"
Nahida blinked. "Since you've already met someone like that… why not just ask him about Fontaine?"
Lumine scratched her head awkwardly. "Well, actually, our next stop was supposed to be Inazuma…"
Nahida giggled softly. "Even so, Furina, Fontaine's Archon, and Neuvillette, the Chief Justice, both have tremendous influence on final judgments."
"In short… Furina is a god with a very… unique personality," she added, delicately choosing her words.
Lumine: "About Fu Ning…"
Paimon spread her hands. "Yeah! We also met Fu Ning in Liyue once. But he didn't tell us much…"
"Nahida, do you know more about him?"
Nahida's face turned serious. "Did he introduce himself like this—'I am the strongest warrior in Fontaine, a follower of the Water Archon Furina, and the highest guardian of Fontaine—the Dark God Fu Ning?'"
Paimon blinked. "Yeah! That's exactly what he said. Why?"
Nahida nodded slowly. "That's correct. But… Fu Ning is… terrifying."
"I'm not even sure I should tell you more."
"Well… let's start with what I can say. Based on my research, around twenty years ago, Fu Ning suddenly appeared on the outskirts of Fontaine."
"He was discovered by Furina, who brought him into Fontaine's inner circle."
"He soon became Furina's personal bodyguard—and ever since, he's never left her side. Except for two years ago, when he traveled to Liyue for reasons unknown."
"That's all I know. Fu Ning is extremely mysterious… so mysterious that…"
Nahida hesitated, then whispered: "There's only one sentence about him recorded in the Irminsul, the World Tree."
Lumine and Paimon gasped. "Only one sentence?!"
Nahida nodded, frowning. "I didn't even know Fu Ning existed until recently. Concerned, I searched Irminsul's records… but I only found a single line."
"It was that very introduction he gave you."
"So I suspect—Fu Ning is not a demon god. He's a Descender—but one disguised as a demon god."
"Normally, Irminsul contains some cryptic record of Descenders. But in this case… not even that."
Lumine and Paimon: "Wait—so Fu Ning is also a Descender?!"
Nahida was silent for a long time before replying. "I don't know the full truth about him… but based on your description, he doesn't sound malevolent."
"If he's reluctant to speak, it might be because he's waiting for you to reach Fontaine."
"In that case… allow me, as the God of Wisdom, to give you a single, important piece of advice."
"Remember that sentence. Word for word."
'I am the strongest warrior in Fontaine, a follower of the Water Archon Furina, and the highest guardian of Fontaine—the Dark God Fu Ning. These are not secrets and can be learned with a simple investigation.'
"Don't forget a single word."
***
Author's Note
REVEALED:
Among Fu Ning's twelve divine talents, some draw power from the narrative layer beyond Teyvat, while others tap into the Abyss. These forces erase all traces of Fu Ning's existence, so even Irminsul cannot record his actions.
That's why Nahida had no idea Fu Ning once fought the Heavenly Principles' Enforcer—a battle erased from all history.
Only the Constellation System can confirm Fu Ning's existence, and only the memories of all life can retain him.
But the Constellation of Fate that binds Fu Ning to Fontaine is so powerful that Irminsul could record just one sentence—his own declaration.
That sentence referenced Fu Ning's link to Fontaine and Teyvat four times—enough for Irminsul to store it.
Because of the Abyssal power entwined with him, the Heavenly Principles themselves once attempted to erase him.