The Traveler and Paimon explained the situation to Dainsleif, recounting their experiences within the ruins.
[Paimon: "It feels like wherever Abyss Mages are lurking, Ruin Guards often wander around too. Is this just a coincidence?"]
[Dainsleif: "There are no coincidences in this world. Everything is a seed planted in the distant past."]
["Just like your appearance in that tavern... time merely waited for it to sprout."]
Mona strongly agreed with this statement, as fate in Teyvat is predetermined - there truly are no coincidences, everything is ordained by destiny.
Bennett, who was with Mona at the time, scratched his head. No coincidences? So his bad luck was predestined?
That's just too unlucky... to be fated with such misfortune...
Setting aside Bennett, the female Traveler's previous appearance at the tavern wasn't due to any "seeds of the past" - she was tricked into going there by Lucian.
Though even if Lucian hadn't tricked her, she would have stumbled upon Dainsleif in the tavern anyway.
Returning to the story, Dainsleif even revealed that both Abyss Mages and Ruin Guards originated from the fallen ancient civilization - Khaenri'ah.
Even more shocking were the Traveler's subsequent words: ["I have memories of being in Khaenri'ah."]
The Traveler explained that when she awoke, everything was already engulfed in flames. Her brother tried to take her away, but they were stopped by an unknown god.
Many people only now realized that the Traveler had been in Khaenri'ah before encountering that unknown god.
While everyone knew about the Traveler and her brother being stopped by an unknown god, they didn't know what happened before that encounter.
Not just the readers - even Paimon in the story was hearing about the Traveler's pre-god encounter experiences for the first time.
This was because the female Traveler didn't understand this world at first. She didn't even know where that sea of flames was - she only learned it was Khaenri'ah after traveling for some time.
Kaeya, unusually serious for once, read the story intently.
[Dainsleif: "Hmm... After arriving in this world, your first awakening was when your brother roused you from the falling star."]
["Then your brother told you that Khaenri'ah's destruction had caused catastrophic changes, and that you should leave this world called Teyvat together."]
["You experienced that calamity... it happened five hundred years ago."]
This meant the Traveler had awakened once five hundred years ago. After being awakened by her brother, before she could even understand what was happening, her brother was already dragging her to leave Teyvat.
But before they could escape, they were stopped, and she fell into another five-century slumber.
So the poor Traveler had only been awake for that brief moment in five hundred years?
In that short time, the Traveler didn't even know where she was or what she was supposed to do.
Only after her second awakening did she gradually come to understand this world and realize that place had been Khaenri'ah.
Her brother, on the other hand, had awakened before her both times.
Truly the legendary Sleep Champion.
[Dainsleif: "Regarding Khaenri'ah, I likely know more than you do."]
["Khaenri'ah was a nation without gods - not because the gods died or left, but because they never existed in Khaenri'ah's history to begin with."]
["It was purely a mighty nation built by humans, who took pride in its unprecedented prosperity and glorious civilization."]
The cryptic Dainsleif finally provided a straightforward clue:
Khaenri'ah was a nation of humans, one that had never had gods from the very beginning!
In some ways, present-day Mondstadt and Liyue could also be called "nations of humans," but they weren't godless nations.
Yet how did godless Khaenri'ah survive through the eternal years?
People didn't know the answer, so they kept reading.
Dainsleif continued: ["Five hundred years ago, the gods descended together and destroyed Khaenri'ah."]
["They uprooted so-called 'human pride' like weeds from the gods' garden..."]
Kaeya frowned, his heart in turmoil.
This was the first time Diluc had seen Kaeya show such emotion while reading. He silently placed a glass of wine before Kaeya without a word.
On Dragonspine, Albedo remained silent. As a creation of "Gold," even he couldn't clearly explain the events of five hundred years ago.
For others, this revelation carried enormous implications. Five hundred years ago had been an unmitigated disaster for most nations.
But now it seemed Khaenri'ah was the victim? Then what about us?
The fact that the gods had waged war on Khaenri'ah wasn't common knowledge.
Dainsleif's words made people wonder: Why would the gods destroy Khaenri'ah?
But this didn't make them question their gods - these were the same deities who had protected them for centuries. They wouldn't doubt their gods based on Dainsleif's words alone.
At most, they were curious about their gods' reasons, not their morality.
In Mondstadt, Kaeya and others turned their gazes to Venti, eyes full of questions, hoping for answers.
Liyue was no different - people looked curiously at Zhongli, wanting explanations.
But these two old foxes naturally remained silent. Regarding Khaenri'ah, they could only sigh. Its destruction hadn't been their wish to begin with.
If not for Khaenri'ah's catastrophe, how much tragedy could the seven nations have avoided?
If Venti hadn't fallen into slumber, Dvalin wouldn't have drunk poisoned blood - and thus wouldn't have been corrupted by the Abyss from the start.
Without the Abyss invasion, how many Millelith soldiers and Adepti would Liyue have saved?
Inazuma suffered even more. Without Khaenri'ah's fall, how much more "cheerful" would Ei have been?
Certainly much less withdrawn than her current state.
And if Makoto had remained to rule, there would have been no Sakoku Decree or Vision Hunt Decree.
Fontaine's situation would have been completely different too. If Egeria hadn't died, the Prophecy wouldn't have occurred at all, as Egeria could have fully controlled the Primordial Sea.
Dainsleif's words painted a pitiful picture, but that was ultimately from Khaenri'ah's perspective.
In truth, the war five hundred years ago had no true victors.
Even creations of "Gold" like the demonic dragon Durin and Elynas met tragic ends.
Durin merely wanted to dance with people upon hearing the "music," yet in reality brought irreversible calamity to the land.
When Durin finally awoke, all he saw was the Bard of Wind guiding the sapphire-blue dragon as its fangs pierced his throat.
Even in death, Durin's thoughts were of "Gold":
"Goodbye, Mother. My journey ends here."
"To sleep amidst silver-shining snow isn't so bad."
"Farewell, fair bard, fair dragon."
"If only we could have met at another time, another place,"
"To sing and dance together - that would have been wonderful."
Elynas too, after coming to the surface world and witnessing its vibrant colors, chose to die willingly.
As a creature of darkness, it could have revived at any time, but it chose eternal slumber rather than bring misfortune to the people above.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice - Lucian: About Khaenri'ah
"Khaenri'ah... tch, greed makes the snake swallow the elephant."