The next morning, Arky stood at the winery entrance, saying his goodbyes to Adelinde, Elzer, Hillie, and Moco.
In just three days, he had somehow grown close to all four of them, closer than he expected.
Adelinde looked him over from head to toe, then nodded. "You look presentable now. Make sure you stay safe on your way to Mondstadt."
As she spoke, she handed him a rolled-up scroll.
Arky raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"A map," she replied calmly. "So you won't get lost in the woods."
Even without showing much emotion, her concern was clear. After all, Arky still looked like an 18 year old boy, even if he was actually 518.
"Thank you, Miss Adelinde," Arky said, bowing slightly in appreciation.
Elzer stepped forward and handed him a bottle of dandelion wine as a souvenir. He scratched his head awkwardly. "This is all I've got for you, kid. And if you see Master Diluc in Mondstadt, tell him to remember he owns a winery once in a while."
That earned him a sharp shove on the shoulder from Adelinde.
Arky then turned to the two girls, both of whom looked shy and visibly saddened by his departure.
"Well," he said gently, "I'll be heading out."
They nodded, but the sadness practically leaked from their expressions.
With a sigh, Arky raised his arms. The girls did not hesitate, wrapping him in a hug from either side.
"We'll miss you," Hillie murmured.
Arky nodded. He could not help but wonder why they were so attached after only three days. Was it because they had seen him naked while washing him? Or maybe he had some hidden charm he did not know about?
Then he heard Hillie whisper softly, "You still smell so good… haa."
Arky's lips twitched.
After exchanging a few more hugs, they finally parted.
"I'll see you all again," Arky said, waving as he turned toward the road leading to Springvale. "Thank you for everything. I'll make sure to recommend your wine all across Teyvat."
"May the wind guide you, kid," Elzer called out, waving back.
The four of them watched until Arky disappeared down the road. Adelinde then turned to the girls, her expression sharp.
"Back to work, both of you," she ordered. "And don't think I didn't notice what you were planning. Thankfully, he left before anything happened."
The girls blushed furiously and hurried back to their duties, returning to the quiet rhythm of cleaning the winery.
* * *
Arky walked along the dirt path cutting through the forest, eyes scanning the map held loosely in his hands.
It was a simple outline of the entire Mondstadt region, including the city itself.
Major roads and routes to well known locations were clearly marked, while dotted lines indicated shortcuts, likely paths caravans could not pass through.
Several red skull symbols stood out.
Arky immediately recognized three of them. The territories of the Sleepy Tribe, the Eclipse Tribe, and the Meaty Tribe of Hilichurls.
"Oh… wonder if I can pick up that side quest," he muttered.
His sigil pulsed, and a black die warped into existence before bursting into light. Sitri emerged midair, stretching as if she had been cramped.
"Haaah! Finally out! Do you have any idea how stuffy it gets in there?!" she huffed dramatically, stretching mid air like she had been trapped for days.
"You know, you don't have to hide anymore," Arky said. "Paimon never hid when she traveled with the Traveler. You should be fine walking around with me."
"I know! And I'm not hiding anymore, okay?!" Sitri swooped down and plopped onto his head. "I only stayed invisible 'cause when those winery people found you, they didn't see me! If I suddenly appeared outta nowhere later, they'd totally freak out and get suspicious!"
Arky nodded and folded the map away.
He pulled out the bottle of dandelion wine Elzer had given him and poured its contents into the gourd at his waist, refilling it to the brim.
Sitri smirked, clearly entertained by her own mischievous thoughts. "Hehe… if you'd tried a bit harder, you could've totally gotten the two winery girls in your bed, old man!"
Arky paused mid motion.
He understood exactly what she meant, but he shook his head. "Maybe a one night thing, sure. Anything beyond that would be riskier for them than for me. I'll be fighting Celestia constantly, and those bastards love playing dirty. If they go after someone close to me, the girls could end up dead… or worse."
Sitri blinked, then let out a scoff. "Eh… so you're gonna stay a virgin forever? You're already super old, grandpa!"
She tilted her head, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. "Hm… maybe an Adeptus or an Archon would suit you better than humans?"
She let out a giggle, clearly pleased with her own idea.
Arky resumed walking down the path.
Boars and small wild animals darted between the trees, but with Mora to spare, he had no intention of hunting.
Her words lingered in his mind.
Did he want companionship in Teyvat?
Of course he did.
But not just anyone.
He wanted allies who could stand on their own, people who could protect themselves and grow stronger alongside him.
Not just women, but men as well. The mental trial against the Four Shades had made one thing painfully clear. Facing them alone was impossible.
So, he needed individuals with enough potential. Even if they were weak now, he wanted those who could one day stand against higher powers.
As he mulled over the potential candidates in his mind, Sitri's voice cut in.
Her tone had softened, the usual bounce drained from it.
"Arky… why are you so obsessed with fighting the Heavenly Principles?" she asked quietly.
"Is it because of Xai'reth? He never forced you to challenge Celestia or throw your life away. So why do it at all?"
She hesitated, then added, "What is it you actually want? What's your dream?"
Arky halted beside a small forest pond, her words catching him off guard. It was rare for Sitri to sound so earnest, and rarer still for her to call him by his real name.
"Why are you suddenly asking me that, Sitri?" Arky asked, not bothering to look back at her.
Sitri let out a small, forced laugh. "Hehe… it's no big reason or anything. I was just thinking, okay? That's all."
Her usual smugness faded, her voice turning lower. "When I was with Xai'reth, it was always just the two of us. He was… really lonely, you know. Rejected by the Shades. Rejected by his own creator."
She floated quietly above his head, eyes unfocused, clearly lost in old memories. "Even when he talked to mortals, he never showed his real face. He always borrowed someone else's appearance. All because he didn't want them getting punished by Celestia just for speaking to him."
Her expression grew distant, almost nostalgic. "Unlike you, he wasn't a Descender. If Phanes hadn't been injured, Xai'reth would've been caught again. Locked away… or worse."
She shuddered. "Torn apart and turned into something like a Gnosis."
Sitri circled above his head, voice soft and heavy. "But you… you're different! You're a Descender. Celestia's rules don't touch you. They can't find you unless you make it easy, and they can't even watch unless they show up themselves."
She tilted her head, almost pouting, her voice a quiet murmur. "So… why fight at all? Why not just live happily? Stay in Mondstadt, find someone, get married… and just live like normal people?"
Arky stared at his reflection in the pond. The silver eyes, the long hair, the pale skin. It hardly felt like he was looking at himself anymore.
"You know, Sitri… back on Earth, I had a dream," he said quietly. "I wanted to travel. See the world, experience different cultures, eat food from everywhere. Not alone. With my parents and my brother."
His voice softened. "They gave up so much for me when I was young, so it felt only natural that I should do the same once I grew up and got a job."
He paused, letting out a slow breath. "But before I even finished high school, they died in an accident. Just like that, my dream collapsed."
"My brother's still alive. He got married, works overseas now. It's just me back home. Me and my cat, Megatron." A faint smile flickered. "My brother sends me money every month, but… I already had enough left behind by our parents."
"I had friends too," Arky continued. "But it never felt the same. That's why I liked open-world games and novels so much. I could live through the journey of the main characters. Especially Genshin. Traveling anywhere with the Traveler… seeing the world unfold."
Sitri floated back and perched quietly on his shoulder.
"And then I got dragged into Genshin for real," Arky said with a dry chuckle. "It should've been a dream come true. A magical world, endless possibilities." His tone darkened. "But before I could even enjoy it, my mind was thrown into a spiral of death after death. Still… I endured."
He started walking again, following the path toward the Statue of the Seven near Dawn Winery.
"So when you asked me what my dream is," he said, "it's actually simple. I want to travel all across Teyvat, to do what I couldn't back on Earth. And since my family isn't here… I want to do it with my future allies. People who share my goals, or at least won't walk away once they learn the truth about me."
"But Teyvat isn't Earth," he continued. "I can't just travel with money, a visa, and a passport. Out here, you risk getting killed by Hilichurls, robbed by Treasure Hoarders, or worse, kidnapped by some lunatic like Dottore."
Sitri leaned against his neck, closing her eyes and listening intently.
"To travel freely in Teyvat," Arky said, "the first thing you need is power. Not just enough to kill monsters, but power to kill gods themselves. Absolute power."
"If that's what I want, then fighting Celestia is inevitable. I'm not doing this for Xai'reth." He looked ahead, eyes steady. "I'm doing it for myself."
They crested a hill, the Statue of the Seven coming into view. Above it, an Eye of the Storm drifted silently through the air.
"Once I'm done with Celestia," Arky said, "maybe then I'll think about living comfortably. Maybe with someone I love." He sighed. "Though honestly, with how many girls I like in this world, I don't think I could choose just one. But that's a problem for later."
"For now, I want to reach Allogene, then enter Mondstadt, meet the Traveler, and start gathering people who can stand with me. One step at a time."
"I see," Sitri said softly.
Then, just like that, her tone flipped.
"Hehe! Well, count me in, old man!" she declared proudly. "At least your dream isn't as gloomy as Xai'reth's. And don't worry! Even if none of the girls you like fall for your weird face, I'll still stick with you. Be honored, okay? The greatest beauty in Teyvat is right here, with you!"
Her nose lifted smugly.
Arky snorted. "Thanks… I guess. For now, let's deal with that flying pest."
"Oh! Before that!" Sitri suddenly perked up. "You might wanna check your quests first. Trust me, you might be surprised!"
Arky blinked. 'Right, there was a quest tab.'
He had completely forgotten about it after sleeping comfortably at the winery.
He nodded. "Good point, little mascot."
He decided to check the quests before dealing with the green, overgrown fly in the sky.