Chapter 196.
"You're surprised too, right?" Paimon noticed Mitama's reaction and nodded vigorously. "I know! It's super surprising! With Mona's astrology skills, I honestly don't even know how she could possibly lose."
Paimon shook her head helplessly, clearly feeling sorry for anyone going up against her.
"I feel like this whole competition was practically set up just to hand her free Mora. Sigh~"
Lyney nodded in serious agreement. Realizing that Mitama wasn't going to attack them, he relaxed enough to voice his own confusion.
"Honestly, I don't think Miss Mona should be participating either. The grand prize is twenty million Mora, but didn't 'Father' just give her a massive budget for her research? Why does she still need so much Mora? It's really strange."
Lyney couldn't wrap his head around it. No matter how wildly an astrologer spent, there was no way she could burn through a contract worth nearly five billion Mora in a single month, right?
Lynette nodded quietly. When Mona had first mentioned joining the guessing game for the prize money, her brain had short-circuited a little too.
Is she actually that broke?
"Of course she's broke!" Paimon, who knew Mona all too well, quickly chimed in. "You guys just don't get it. Mona is the literal embodiment of 'poverty'! No matter how much Mora you give her, she always finds a way to spend it on the weirdest stuff!"
"Honestly, I'm amazed she never gets tired of buying all that junk!"
Paimon complained. She knew Mona's terrible habits intimately. The astrologer would gladly skip meals just to buy strange Liyue relics—things like suspected fragments of Rex Lapis statues, old Adeptus artifacts, or pristine Primo Geovishap scales.
She just bought, bought, and bought until all the Fatui Mora was completely gone. It made Paimon's heart ache. Just think of how much delicious food they could have eaten with all that money!
"Maybe it's just like how you love food, Paimon." Lynette pointed out sharply. "Mona probably relies on those materials to improve her astrology."
Lyney, who had seen Mona's frighteningly accurate divinations firsthand, nodded.
"Exactly. It's likely because of those investments that Miss Mona is such a formidable astrologer."
"Hahahaha~ Speaking of which, Lynette and I are exactly the same! We practice our magic tricks constantly behind closed doors. That's why we're so well-known in Fontaine!"
Lyney laughed heartily.
Then, he blinked.
Mitama was gone.
"He's so fast."
Lynette muttered, her cat ears twitching. She had only looked away for a split second, and the man had vanished into thin air.
Was this the true strength of the next Electro Archon? It was genuinely terrifying.
Thank goodness she and Lyney hadn't tried anything stupid, or they wouldn't have even realized how they died.
"Eh? Where did Mitama go?"
Paimon scratched her head in confusion.
"Forget it~ That's just how he is."
Paimon shrugged, not caring in the slightest. Futsu Mitama appearing and disappearing out of nowhere was completely normal to her. She figured he probably just rushed over to the guessing game to make fun of Mona.
Lyney and Lynette, however, felt a massive wave of relief. They had successfully survived a face-to-face encounter with Futsu Mitama—the man who had slain an unknown number of their Fatui comrades. Even if he hadn't attacked, just living to tell the tale was something worth to tell about to their "family"!
—
Back on the arena, Raiden Makoto and Lumine were still locked in a fierce, flashy battle. It was obvious it would be a while before either of them gave an inch.
Meanwhile, Mitama sprinted back to Venti and Maha Rukkhadevata.
"How was it? Figure out why they came back to the harbor?"
Venti asked with a cheeky grin, his eyes occasionally drifting up to the arena.
Makoto was clearly getting back into the groove of fighting, tossing out attacks like they cost her zero stamina.
Fortunately, she was holding back. She deliberately avoided using the Musou no Hitotachi, knowing full well that Lumine would instantly recognize it. Only a handful of people in Teyvat could use that legendary slash—Ei, the Shogun puppet, Mitama, and Makoto herself. Even if Makoto's version wasn't as destructively terrifying as her sister's, using it would instantly expose her as the Electro Archon.
She also refrained from using her signature Chakra Desiderata. But even while holding back, she was still an Archon. Her sheer proficiency with the Electro element was beyond mortal comprehension. To any normal Vision holder, Makoto's casual sword swings looked like full-blown Elemental Skills!
The crowd was absolutely loving it, cheering at the dazzling display of power.
"I got the gist of it." Mitama sighed, not even glancing at the arena. He looked at the two Archons seriously. "I'm heading to the 'Guess What I Guess' area right now. You two keep an eye on Makoto. If anything unexpected happens, fall back to the residence immediately and we'll regroup there."
"Nahida is at risk of being exposed. I need to go have a private chat with Mona."
With that, Futsu Mitama dashed toward the guessing game pavilions.
What a complete mess!
He felt like a tired babysitter running around putting out fires. What was supposed to be a simple, relaxing "Archons' Leisure Tour" had turned into a delicate balancing act the moment Lumine and Mona showed up.
If Zhongli were here, he could have smoothed this over in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the Geo Archon was currently being held hostage by Hu Tao, leaving Futsu Mitama to suffer alone.
"Ah?"
Venti and Rukkhadevata blinked in unison, momentarily confused by the sudden mention of Mona.
But their divine minds worked incredibly fast. They instantly connected the dots: Did Mona enter the guessing game too?!Is it really that coincidental?!
If that genius Astrologer actually participated in the event and tried to divine Nahida's fate—she might actually see something she wasn't supposed to. Even if she didn't get the full picture, attempting to pry into the destiny of the Dendro Archon—one of The Seven—would have severe, mind-breaking consequences for a mortal!
Realizing the danger, Rukkhadevata immediately stopped watching the arena. She turned to Venti.
"You keep an eye on Baal."
"Okay, no problem!"
Venti flashed an 'OK' sign, promising he had everything under control.
Maha Rukkhadevata nodded seriously and gracefully hurried after Mitama.
—
Meanwhile, inside the "Guess What I Guess" pavilion—
Nahida was having the time of her life.
She was delighted to discover just how clever the people of Liyue were! They didn't rely on magic, divination, or mind-reading. Instead, they deduced her identity and background through sharp questioning, careful observation, and clever linguistic traps.
Right now, she was sitting across from a beautiful, elegant woman named Ying'er, who was currently trying to talk Nahida into a corner.
They sat at a simple, unadorned table with a sand timer keeping track of the round. The referee stood nearby, holding two pieces of paper containing some basic facts about both contestants.
"So, my sweet little sister, you're from Sumeru and you work at the Akademiya, right?"
Ying'er smiled warmly, leaning on the table.
"To be honest, it's truly amazing that someone as young as you made it all the way to the quarterfinals. Your parents must be so incredibly proud of you."
"I don't have parents."
Nahida replied softly, shaking her head.
She was actively feeding Ying'er another piece of information. It was the truth, after all. If she had to name her parents, it would technically be Maha Rukkhadevata and the Irminsul. But Rukkhadevata had always maintained that they were both just incarnations of the Irminsul tree itself. Maha Rukkhadevata didn't see herself as Nahida's mother, but rather as an older sister and mentor, guiding her so she could grow strong.
"..."
That single, quiet sentence caused both Ying'er and the referee to freeze completely. A flash of profound heartache filled their eyes as they looked at the little girl.
What a poor, sweet child!
Losing her parents so young, traveling all the way from Sumeru to Liyue just to participate in a game, all so she could win the prize money and donate it to the Akademiya to help the desert folk!
Ying'er mentally kicked herself.
Why did I bring up her parents?! I'm such a thoughtless jerk!
Seeing Ying'er fall completely silent, Nahida blinked and spoke up.
"Sister Ying'er, it's my turn now, isn't it?"
"Mm." Ying'er nodded, forcing a strained, apologetic smile. "It's your turn, little one. If you can guess my hidden profession and my deepest desire, you win the match."
"But I have to warn you, I have a big advantage. I already know you're from Sumeru, you work at the Akademiya, and why you joined this competition... and, well, I won't say the last one."
The fact that the kid was an orphan was just too sad. Ying'er was genuinely starting to feel guilty about using it as a winning condition.
"Okay."
Nahida nodded seriously. A faint, emerald-green light shimmered deep within her eyes as she looked right at Ying'er.
"You are an Alchemist."
"What?!"
Ying'er gasped, her eyes going wide with shock.
Only a tiny handful of people knew she dabbled in alchemy! Or rather, she wasn't a true, certified alchemist, but she was highly proficient in making perfumes.
How did this little girl guess it so fast?! Was this her special ability?
As a quarterfinalist, Ying'er had faced a few people who claimed to use divination, precognition, or advanced deduction. But their guesses were always vague. They would try to bluff her, and Ying'er would just smile and tell them to keep guessing until they inevitably lost.
But this little girl had stated it with absolute certainty! What kind of power was this?
The referee, however, remained perfectly calm.
This wasn't the first time the little radish had pulled this off today. Whenever she used this mysterious power, the match ended instantly. It was just like that astrologer in the next block over—the moment she pulled out her Hydro Mirror, her opponents had absolutely no secrets left.
"And... you want a serious relationship? With a reliable man?"
Nahida tilted her head, a hint of genuine curiosity in her voice.
Based on how flirtatious Ying'er acted, Nahida had naturally assumed a woman as excellent as her would have plenty of suitors and romantic experience. It was a bit surprising to learn that her deepest, hidden desire was just a normal, dependable relationship! Was human psychology really that simple?
"!!!!"
Ying'er's pretty face instantly burned a bright, embarrassing shade of red. She stared at Nahida in utter shock, because she knew for a fact this wasn't mind-reading!
She hadn't even been thinking about romance! Was it divination?! But divination required crystal balls, cards, or mirrors! This kid hadn't used a single tool! She just looked at her and knew everything?!
"Ehe~"
Nahida giggled softly.
She didn't bother explaining, mostly because she couldn't. It was simply her authority as the God of Wisdom. No matter how deeply Ying'er buried her secrets, Nahida could pluck them out if she wanted to.
She hadn't wanted to use it at first—she genuinely wanted to figure Ying'er out on her own! But Ying'er was just too good at hiding her tells. For the sake of the Akademiya's twenty million Mora, Nahida had no choice but to "cheat" a little!
Though, strictly speaking, it wasn't cheating at all. The organizers had explicitly stated that using personal abilities was perfectly within the rules!