Today was the first time in a hundred years they had enjoyed themselves so much that they completely lost track of time.
"Hahahahaha! What did I say? It had to be me! Once you get the hang of it, fishing is easy—after all, I've got four hands!"
Bosacius stood with his arms on his hips, laughing proudly.
"Alright, alright, we know you've got four hands," Bonanus said helplessly.
"Oh no... we overdid it—it's already dark!"
One of the Yaksha finally noticed, and everyone froze. The sun had already dipped below the horizon.
Elliot had told them to return before sunset—yet the sun had long since vanished!
Hearing Bonanus's alarmed cry, Bosacius's laughter abruptly stopped. His grin stiffened, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
It wasn't just him—the other Yaksha also felt their hearts sink. Their expressions darkened instantly.
This was bad.
It was their very first day in Liyue, and they'd already made such a foolish mistake.
All of them grew tense, their hearts pounding, the silence heavy enough to hear a pin drop.
"Brother Bosacius... what do we do now?" Bonanus whispered nervously.
"Go back. We have to go back. We can't just run away. Whatever punishment awaits, it's our fault. We got carried away..."
The others nodded in agreement. Each of them carried several sharpened sticks, with fish still hanging from them—the trophies of their little "hunt."
They had caught plenty of fish, yet not a single one of them felt happy.
They had never once failed the Dream God, even when he treated them like tools. Every command he gave, they carried out perfectly.
But now... they had failed the one who had shown them kindness.
The Yaksha were filled with guilt, silently cursing themselves over and over.
The journey back was painfully quiet.
They didn't rush—they followed Elliot's words: walk at a normal pace, don't hurry, whether going or returning.
They had already made one mistake; they could not afford a second.
After a long walk, they finally reached Tianheng Mountain. Heads hung low, they looked as though they wanted to bury themselves in the ground.
At the mountain's center, Elliot sat beside a campfire, quietly brewing tea.
The Yaksha approached cautiously and stopped before him, lowering their heads without saying a word.
"Sit wherever you like," Elliot said calmly.
"Your Majesty, we—"
"It's fine. Sit down and talk slowly," Elliot interrupted before Bosacius could finish.
They fell silent and sat in a circle around the fire.
Elliot took a fish from the wooden stick behind Menogias, skewered it with a sharp rock, and placed it over the fire to roast.
The only sound was the crackling of flames. Not one of them dared to speak.
Elliot's silence felt heavier than any scolding, making every Yaksha feel as though they were sitting on pins and needles.
They would rather he yelled—raged even—than quietly roast fish like this.
"Don't you like grilled fish?" Elliot asked, glancing at them with a puzzled expression.
"Your Majesty, we know we've done wrong..." Bosacius quickly spoke up, being the eldest of the group.
"What did you do wrong?"
"We should have returned before sunset. We failed to fulfill your command. Please punish us."
Elliot raised his hand without a word, reaching toward Bosacius.
At that moment, every Yaksha's heart clenched. A wave of dread surged through them, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
They had all witnessed how the Dream God punished those who failed him. The horrifying images flashed vividly in their minds.
Bosacius dared not move. His body was rigid with fear, four fists tightly clenched, eyes shut, teeth gritted, bracing himself for the blow.
"It's fine," Elliot said softly. "Recognizing your mistake is enough. No one is perfect. Just don't repeat it next time."
He simply patted Bosacius on the shoulder.
Bosacius slowly opened his eyes. His trembling gaze fell to the ground as Elliot's words echoed in his head—his mind going completely blank.
When he turned his head, he saw Elliot casually skewering a few more fish, placing them over the flames as though nothing had happened.
"Do the Yaksha not like fish?" Elliot asked again with mild confusion.
"I should've asked before sending you out if you even liked fish..."
He sighed softly. "Ah, what a shame. So many fresh, good fish. Bring them all here—I'll just eat them myself."
...