The day after the storm was one of weary, grateful recovery. The citizens of Mondstadt emerged from their shelters to a city scarred but standing, the air filled with the sounds of hammers on wood and the cheerful, determined chatter of a community rebuilding. The winds were calm, the sky a clear, brilliant blue, and a profound sense of relief had settled over the entire nation.
Lumine and the Knights had returned victorious, the threat of Stormterror abated, for now. The city was safe.
In the Liyue delegation's inn, a new, final decision was made.
"Our work here is done," Keqing announced, her tone crisp and decisive. "The trade agreement is finalized, and the immediate crisis has passed. It is time for us to return to Liyue."
"But shouldn't we stay and help them rebuild?" Ren asked, his heart aching a little at the thought of leaving his new friends amidst the lingering chaos.
It was Ganyu who answered, her voice gentle but firm, full of the ancient wisdom of a nation that had seen its own share of crises. "Liyue cannot solve Mondstadt's problems for them, Ren. We offered our aid in a time of immediate peril, as any good neighbor would. But this is their city, and their struggle. They must find the strength to face their own challenges, to rebuild their own home. That is the essence of freedom, the very foundation of their nation. To stay longer would be to overstep."
Ren understood. It was a lesson in respecting the strength and sovereignty of others.
And so, their final day was spent in a long, heartfelt series of goodbyes.
They found Amber at the city gates, already back to her usual cheerful patrol, her boundless energy a reassuring sight. She gave Ren a big, enthusiastic hug. "Come back and visit soon, okay? We didn't even get to have a real gliding contest!"
They found Noelle single-handedly clearing a massive pile of rubble from a side street, a feat of strength that made even the Millelith warriors look on with respect. She blushed when Ren thanked her for her protection, promising to "continue training diligently to be of even greater service in the future."
Eula was overseeing a reconnaissance patrol, her demeanor as cool and elegant as ever. But when Ren approached, a rare, soft smile touched her lips. "Farewell, Ren," she said, her voice losing its usual icy edge. "Should you ever return, remember that my offer for a demonstration of the 'Dance of Sacrifice' still stands. As... a gesture of vengeance for your departure, of course." Ren knew it was her strange, unique way of saying she would miss him.
Albedo and Sucrose offered a more reserved, intellectual goodbye, presenting him with a small, glowing alchemical sample that would "serve as an excellent light source for reading."
They found Barbara at the cathedral, leading a choir in a song of thanks. She gave him another cheek-pinching, bone-crushing hug, making him promise to write to her.
Klee was the most difficult goodbye. When she learned her pixie prince was leaving, her face crumpled, and her big, crimson eyes filled with tears. "You're leaving?" she sniffled, clutching his hand. "But… but we haven't even found the treasure at the end of the rainbow yet!"
Ren gave her a gentle hug. "I have to go home, Klee," he said softly. "But I'll come back. I promise. And maybe you can come visit me in Liyue someday. I'll show you all the best places to find shiny rocks." The promise of a future adventure was enough to stem the tide of her tears, which were replaced by a wobbly, hopeful smile.
Lisa and Jean met them at the Knights' headquarters. Lisa gave Ren a sly wink. "Don't be a stranger, cutie. The world of elemental science won't be half as interesting without you." Jean, her face full of a sincere, profound gratitude, formally thanked the entire delegation for their invaluable assistance. "Mondstadt is in your debt," she said, and everyone could hear the deep sincerity in her words.
Their final farewell was with the hero of the hour. They found Lumine near the statue of the Anemo Archon, her small, floating companion happily munching on an apple.
"You're leaving?" Lumine asked, her golden eyes holding a hint of disappointment. She had felt a strange, unspoken kinship with the quiet, powerful boy from Liyue.
"We have to," Ren said with a smile. "Our work here is done. But yours is just beginning, isn't it?"
Lumine nodded, a determined look on her face. "I'm looking for my brother. And I need to speak with all of the Seven Archons to find him."
Ren's smile widened. He had been waiting for this opening. "The Seven Archons, you say? Well, in that case, you should come to Liyue."
He looked at the towering statue of the wind god, then back at her, his voice dropping to a knowing, conspiratorial whisper. "In a few months, Liyue will be holding its annual Rite of Descension. It's the one time of year that our Archon, Rex Lapis, descends to the mortal realm to give his divine predictions for the coming year."
He leaned a little closer, his glowing azure eyes full of a significant, powerful meaning. "If you truly want an opportunity to speak with the Geo Archon, there is no better time. You should come visit."
He had just given her the next main quest, a formal, personal invitation to the next chapter of her story.
Lumine's eyes lit up with a new, brilliant hope. "The Rite of Descension," she repeated, the name full of a new promise. "Thank you, Ren. I will."
With their final goodbyes said, the Liyue delegation reassembled at the city gates. The grand caravan, now laden with crates of Mondstadt's finest wines, turned its wheels south.
Ren took one last look at the city of freedom, at the great windmills turning peacefully in the gentle breeze, at the friends he had made. He had arrived as a simple inventor on a trade mission. He was leaving as a hero and a friend. He turned and faced the road ahead, the road back home to Liyue, and the next, even bigger, chapter of his own impossible story.