Some resonated with Keqing's work ethic, while others resonated with her hobbies.
Keqing's hobby struck a strong chord with two individuals in particular: Kujou Sara and Barbara.
Isn't buying figurines of the divine a wonderful practice?
Could someone who collects figurines of their own deity possibly be a bad person?
Keqing had an entire cabinet filled with statues of the Geo Archon, and Kujou Sara was no different—she had amassed a collection of the Almighty Shogun, God of Thunder.
Barbara, naturally, also collected numerous statues of Lord Barbatos. And right now, Barbara was living the dream.
Because among the divine, Lucian's illustrations featured Venti the most—even including his divine attire. In comparison, even Ei hadn't received any illustrations yet.
If there was one divine fan suffering the most, it was Dunyarzad.
Most Sumeru citizens had no idea what the Lesser Lord Kusanali looked like, so figurines of her were exceedingly rare. Even if Dunyarzad had the money, she couldn't buy one.
As for those like Keqing, who 'disrespected' the divine, they ironically found themselves well-liked by the gods themselves.
Whether it was Venti, Guizhong, Zhongli, or Nahida, they all held a fondness for the Yuheng Star.
The reason was simple: Keqing's 'disrespect' did not stem from arrogance. She opposed the gods but never denied their existence.
She humbly sought knowledge and, in moments of doubt, would ponder what the gods might do—yet she never relied on them.
In contrast, the Grand Sage was the exact opposite.
Though he, too, 'disrespected' the divine, he did not oppose the gods—he denied them.
If his denial were all there was to it, the gods likely wouldn't have cared much.
But while denying them, he couldn't free himself from his dependence on the divine, seeking to use human wisdom to create a god to guide them.
Had he relied solely on his own intellect in this pursuit, it might have been one thing.
But he was also arrogant.
He imposed his personal will upon all of Sumeru, mobilizing the entire nation's resources to forge a god.
Wasn't that the very antithesis of wisdom?
The reason Nahida had tolerated him for so long, only to grow furious later, was because the Grand Sage had crossed a line.
You may oppose me. You may deny me. But you will not force your arrogance and desires upon my people.
Compared to him, little Furina had no such troubles.
Her people still revered her deeply—the most 'disrespectful' act they committed was perhaps naming their pets 'Furina.'
This was also thanks to the Iudex's excellent judgment.
Had the Grand Sage been the one in that position, Furina's circumstances wouldn't have been any better than Nahida's.
Neuvillette lacked human emotions, which also meant he was free from human arrogance.
For four to five hundred years, he had diligently carried out his duties without a single thought of overstepping.
Now, Furina wanted to visit Liyue again. Having read these stories, she wished to meet Keqing and Xiangling, whom she knew.
It had to be said—ever since meeting Lucian, Furina had become much more lively.
The weight on her mind had lessened, and with Lucian's teleportation abilities, she could travel whenever she pleased.
Lately, Furina spent every free moment she had running off to Liyue for fun.
Speaking of Liyue, we must also mention The Knave, who was currently there, keeping tabs on Lucian's movements.
Unlike Tartaglia and Signora, who were aboard a ship, she, stationed at the Northland Bank, could read at any time.
For once, she seemed somewhat melancholic.
Zhongli's words—"In gratitude for an old friend's kindness, bearing the sentiments of bygone companions"—had stirred memories within her.
If Madame Ping's potted plant was 'Liyue,' then hers was 'The House of the Hearth.'
It was a shame her old friend could no longer see the 'potted plant' she had so carefully nurtured...
Arlecchino closed the book and remained silent for a long while.
She was still far too emotionally stable—after all, the Balladeer had already smashed two books by now.
"Shikikan..." The Balladeer muttered Lucian's pen name under his breath.
Lucian checked the system notifications and realized this book had shattered the composure of several Fatui Harbingers.
I wrote a story about Liyue—why are you all falling apart?
What puzzled him, though, was why Signora—who usually broke down easily—hadn't reacted this time.
As he pondered, a knock came at the door.
Opening it, he saw a pink-haired girl in red robes, adorned with deer antlers.
"Granny, I'm here to see you~!" Yanfei called out cheerfully—before freezing as she looked inside.
The room was filled with young people. Where's Granny? She could feel Madame Ping's aura here, clear as day.
And why are there so many adeptal energies here…? Is this really still Liyue Harbor?
"Oh? Yanfei? Come in, come to Granny." Ganyu waved her over.
"Granny?" Yanfei approached, bewildered.
The person before her carried Granny's aura, but… why was she so much younger?
As a young half-adeptus, Yanfei had never seen Madame Ping in her youth, so her surprise was understandable.
"Does this mean I should call you 'Big Sister' now?" Yanfei scratched her head.
As a lawyer, she was used to precise speech—but calling her 'Granny' was also a habit. She wasn't sure what to do.
"Call me whatever you like~." Ping smiled. "Let me introduce everyone to you."
After the introductions, Yanfei finally understood.
Granny had regained her youth because an old friend from her past had returned.
And Granny had summoned her here to ask for her help in gathering materials for the Traveler's Serenitea Pot.
"I understand, Granny. Leave it to me." Yanfei grinned.
In the end, she still defaulted to 'Granny.' Ping didn't mind.
"Mr. Lucian, it's a pleasure to meet you." Yanfei extended a greeting.
As a legal expert, she adored reading—and naturally, she had read the prophecy books.
"The pleasure is mine, though I didn't expect to meet you in my own home."
Instead of meeting Yanfei in court, he'd met her in his own house.
Yanfei, however, overanalyzed his words—as lawyers tend to do.
Lucian said 'didn't expect,' which, inversely, meant he had considered the possibility of meeting her.
But why? Even as an adeptus, she was just an inexperienced half-adeptus.
And as a lawyer… realistically, she couldn't imagine what legal counsel a prophet would need from her.
This was a prophet! Lawyers had to argue their points—but when a prophet spoke, people believed them outright.
In court, it wouldn't be her defending him—it'd be him testifying for her...
Yanfei couldn't figure out why Lucian would want to meet her.
After all, how could she know she was a playable character in 'Genshin Impact'?
For now, she set the thought aside and turned to the Traveler.
"Traveler, would you like to come with me?" Yanfei asked. She wanted to take this chance to get to know Lumine, the protagonist of the prophecies.
"Sure." Lumine nodded. Truthfully, she was also the restless type, so she agreed without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Keqing was chatting with Ganyu.
As 'victims' of the prophecy stories, they were discussing when to seek out Lucian.
Unfortunately, both were workaholics.
As much as they wanted to confront him, with the approaching Moonchase Festival, they were swamped with preparations and couldn't spare the time.
Reluctantly, they decided to let Lucian remain 'at large' a little longer.
They'd settle things with him when they had time to rest—on the day of the Moonchase Festival itself.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice-Over · Furina: About Keqing
"That Yuheng Star you mentioned? To be honest, I really don't see how she's 'disrespectful' toward the divine. If anything, Lucian yanking on my ahoge seems far more 'disrespectful'..."