A surprise? Could this truly be called a surprise?
Futsu Mitama smiled as he relayed the matter to Keqing and Ganyu. The Adeptus would all be attending the Rite of Descension. On the surface, it sounded like good news—but judging from the expressions before him, he quickly realized that this was less a surprise than it was a shock.
"Is th-this—is this really true?" Ganyu's voice trembled. She was nervous—no, extremely, extremely nervous. She knew Cloud Retainer's temperament far too well.
Once that Master began reminiscing, especially upon seeing Ganyu herself, or if someone so much as asked about her childhood, the situation would quickly spiral out of control. Just imagining that scene filled Ganyu with panic. Almost reflexively, she turned as if preparing to leave. She didn't want to deal with today's work anymore—she wanted to find Cloud Retainer.
No. That wouldn't do either. She should find Streetward Rambler instead. That Adeptus would surely know where Lord Rex Lapis, Cloud Retainer, and the others were currently staying.
"Yes, it's true," Futsu Mitama confirmed calmly.
Seeing Ganyu's reaction, he already understood her fear, yet he still asked with deliberate "confusion," "What's wrong? Isn't Cloud Retainer's arrival a good thing?"
Keqing, too, was puzzled. While she felt some apprehension about the Adeptus' presence, her emotions were relatively stable. Her concern lay only in the fact that this year's Rite of Descension would likely be the grandest in a millennium. With four Adeptus present, along with Rex Lapis himself, she couldn't help but question whether she was truly prepared.
Yet while she was still worrying about whether the Rite of Descension could proceed smoothly, Ganyu—who was not even the one in charge—was visibly far more anxious.
That made Keqing deeply confused.
"This—this—" Ganyu hesitated, unsure how to explain. Should she really tell Keqing that Cloud Retainer was an incorrigible bigmouth? That countless embarrassing childhood stories were firmly in her grasp—and that she shared them with alarming enthusiasm?
Perhaps it was because she had lived for far too long. Cloud Retainer always seemed to delight in recounting such things to others.
The last time Shenhe had looked at her with that strange gaze, Ganyu had nearly panicked. That look had made her realize something—her intuition, honed through years as the Qixing's Secretary, was never wrong.
That gaze had clearly said: Why is this different from what Master told me?
The memory alone made Ganyu's heart race.
"I—I suddenly remembered something urgent," she blurted out hurriedly. "Miss Keqing, I'll leave this to you. Mr. Futsu Mitama, we'll speak another time."
With that, she fled in haste, leaving Keqing standing there, momentarily at a loss for words.
"It seems Ganyu cares a great deal about Cloud Retainer," Keqing said at last, offering an excuse on Ganyu's behalf as she looked toward Futsu Mitama.
"Mm." Futsu Mitama gave a faint nod, stifling a chuckle. Of course, he knew the real reason Ganyu had run off—she was trying to avoid her past being exposed.
If one day Ganyu were ever pulled into the Chat Group and encountered Azhdaha within it, she would likely be overjoyed at first. But once she realized that Azhdaha, much like Cloud Retainer, also enjoyed recounting the past—he truly wondered whether she would still be smiling then.
Seeing that Futsu Mitama took no offense, Keqing quietly let out a sigh of relief. After all, calling someone over for questioning only to leave abruptly with a flimsy excuse was undeniably impolite. Especially when that person was not even a citizen of Liyue, but a retainer of the Raiden Shogun—someone under no obligation to cooperate.
It was they who had requested information from him, not the other way around. Moreover, he had been repeatedly attacked on Liyue's land—by Primo Geovishaps, the Fatui, and even the Abyss Order. If anything, his situation could only be described as unfortunate.
"Oh, right—Futsu Mitama."
Keqing suddenly seemed to recall something. After a brief hesitation, she asked tentatively, "I have a friend who hopes for Liyue to enter an era of human governance. An era where not everything is decided by gods, where humans take over matters once managed by them—truly building everything with their own hands."
"But recently, her beliefs have begun to waver. Small matters are manageable, but when major crises arise, without relying on Rex Lapis or the Adeptus—"
"Either an unbearable price must be paid, or the problem simply cannot be resolved at all."
"Under such circumstances can Liyue truly achieve human governance?"
She spoke while watching Futsu Mitama closely, clearly seeking his opinion. As for this so-called "friend," anyone with even a shred of sense would know she was speaking of herself.
Keqing was genuinely lost.
Before Futsu Mitama's arrival, before these successive incidents unfolded, she had been a firm believer in governance by humans—even knowing that nearly all of Liyue Harbor revered Lord Rex Lapis.
For thousands of years, under Morax's guidance, Liyue had never known failure. Every annual decree had paved the way for prosperity. And yet, Keqing firmly believed that once humans were no longer sheltered by their divine guardian, they would mature more quickly.
But reality posed a brutal problem.
Gods were supreme. The Seven Archons stood at the pinnacle of power among their nations.
Even in Mondstadt, a land famed for freedom and human governance, the Anemo Archon Barbatos—though rarely seen—was everywhere. Any villain who dared stir trouble there would inevitably fear his presence.
Liyue was no different.
Besides Lord Rex Lapis, there were the Adeptus. Keqing had witnessed countless events across the land and understood all too clearly that even if human governance were achieved, it would only be because the Adeptus and Morax had stepped back voluntarily.
And when disaster struck, they would still emerge to resolve what humans could not.
"From a universally rational perspective," Futsu Mitama finally said, seeing the hesitation in Keqing's eyes, "the era of human governance, as I see it—"
"Is fundamentally impossible."
He did not soften his words.
"I acknowledge that Liyue Harbor was built by human hands, with Rex Lapis providing only guidance. But when true danger appears, it is never humans who face it head-on."
"It is Rex Lapis and the Adeptus who step forward."
"The things I've encountered these past few days are not matters ordinary people can resolve."
With that, he fell silent.
Since the Chat Group began adding new members, events had grown increasingly turbulent. Leaving Inazuma for Liyue had only intensified the chaos. Whether it was the Abyss Order, the Primo Geovishap, or the Fatui lurking in the shadows—none of these were threats the Liyue Qixing could easily handle.
The Fatui, in particular, were either silent or catastrophically destructive.
In Futsu Mitama's view, Liyue simply lacked the strength to truly enter an era of human governance.
In truth, it was no different from the original course of events. The Adeptus and the Qixing alike knew that Morax had not perished—he had merely stepped aside. Xiao still bore the burden of eradicating Demon God Remnants, while the Adeptus continued to safeguard Liyue's peace.
The Qixing, meanwhile, remained occupied with administrative affairs.
Nothing had fundamentally changed—except that Morax now walked among the people under the name Zhongli.
After a long silence, Keqing finally spoke again.
"Then what do you think of Liyue's current situation?"
"To be honest," Keqing said, a faint smile touching her lips, "I feel that you and I are rather similar. Not in temperament, but in how we look at things—there's a certain resemblance."
"If you weren't the Raiden Shogun's retainer," she added lightly, "I might even consider recruiting you to work under me."
Her words carried a joking tone, yet the thought behind them was sincere. If Futsu Mitama truly were not bound to Inazuma and the Raiden Shogun, but merely an ordinary Inazuman, Keqing would very likely attempt to draw him into her camp.
Someone so capable, whose methods aligned closely with her own and who maintained good relations with the Adeptus, would be far too great a loss to let slip by.
Futsu Mitama silently retreated half a step, making his stance clear. Facing Keqing—one of Liyue's three notorious workaholics—he felt that maintaining a bit of distance was the wiser choice.
"It's not really a matter of viewpoint," he replied, giving a casual shrug. "As things stand, don't you think Liyue is doing quite well?"
"The Qixing are working tirelessly to improve the lives of Liyue's citizens. Meanwhile, Rex Lapis and the Adeptus quietly stand guard, dealing with threats beyond human reach. In such a situation, what is there to be dissatisfied with?"
He paused briefly, then continued evenly, "If I had to define it—Liyue today is no longer an age ruled by the Adeptus alone, but an age of humans and Adeptus."
The moment those words left his mouth, Keqing's pupils contracted slightly.
Almost unconsciously, she stepped forward several paces, closing the distance between them. Her refined features were now close, her gaze fixed firmly on Futsu Mitama's eyes. Shock flickered unmistakably within them, and her voice trembled faintly as she spoke.
"Could you say that again, Futsu Mitama? Repeat what you just said."
Her sudden proximity startled him. Regardless of her appearance, such an abrupt advance would make anyone tense, and his heartbeat quickened slightly.
Still, he answered calmly, without hesitation.
"If I had to say it again—Liyue today is not the age of the Adeptus, but the age of humans and Adeptus. Humans are no longer mere beings to be protected unconditionally. They now possess the strength to protect themselves. Perhaps it is still insufficient," he added after a moment's thought, "but they are no longer as fragile as they once were."
"The Adeptus refrain from worldly affairs, intervening only when the land of Liyue or its people face true peril. As for what humans can accomplish—" His gaze shifted back to Keqing. "You, as one of the Qixing, should understand that better than anyone."
He fell silent.
Before him, Keqing's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as though something unseen had suddenly come into focus. Her expression made it clear—this was not merely an answer, but a door that had just been opened.
"I—I have matters to attend to," Keqing said hastily, turning away. "We will handle the Abyss Order and Ill Dottore's affairs."
With that, she departed without another word.
In her heart, the confusion that had weighed on her for so long had been swept aside. Why insist on drawing such a sharp line between humans and Adeptus? Were they not all protectors of Liyue?
Clinging too stubbornly to that distinction would only plant seeds of instability.
It would be better to state plainly that humanity had grown strong, to ask Rex Lapis to entrust matters to them with confidence—to let the Adeptus and Morax himself bear witness to this new era and see how far humans could truly go.
After Keqing left, Futsu Mitama could only sigh.
These two truly came and went in haste.
They had arrived to investigate the Abyss Order and Ill Dottore, yet at the mention of Cloud Retainer, one had fled outright. Now, after discussing the Rite of Descension, the other had done the same.
Shaking his head, he turned back toward the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"So fast." Kuki Shinobu glanced up as he entered, a hint of complaint in her voice. "Did it really end that quickly? It hasn't even been a few minutes, has it?"
Indeed, his exchange with Keqing and Ganyu had been brief. Before much could be discussed, both had already left, and he had returned alone.
"Did something happen?" Aila asked, glancing behind him with mild confusion.
Tartaglia's abrupt departure earlier was understandable, but Keqing and Ganyu were old acquaintances. Even if they were busy, they would normally say their goodbyes. Leaving like this felt—strange.
Hu Tao and Shenhe also turned their attention toward him. Neither believed Keqing or Ganyu to be the sort who would depart without reason.
"Hmm…how should I put it," Futsu Mitama said thoughtfully. "When Ganyu heard that Cloud Retainer had arrived in Liyue Harbor and intended to attend tomorrow's Rite of Descension—"
"She left in quite a hurry. Probably too happy—went straight to find Cloud Retainer."
"As for Keqing, we spoke briefly about Liyue's current situation. She seemed to come to a realization of her own and left immediately afterward."
Klee blinked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Brother Futsu Mitama, who is Cloud Retainer?"
"She's an Adeptus," Hu Tao answered before he could speak, planting her hands on her hips. "Cloud Retainer lives on Mt. Aocang."
"Liyue's Adeptus are rare, you know. Ganyu is half-Adeptus, so she was probably delighted to hear about Cloud Retainer's arrival and went to reminisce. And Keqing~ well, she's one of the Qixing. Important people are always busy, so her sudden departure is perfectly normal."
Klee's eyes shone brighter at the explanation. Her curiosity about the Liyue Adeptus had only deepened.
"Oh—right." Hu Tao suddenly froze, then glanced around with confusion. "Where did Consultant Zhongli go? I distinctly remember him being here an hour ago, discussing condensed resin candy with Albedo."
"How did he vanish in the blink of an eye? Strange, strange~"
Her tone was puzzled, almost playful, yet even she couldn't recall when Zhongli had slipped away.