Genshin Impact players would never have imagined that the characters they pulled would suddenly get buffed.
Characters like Xiangling, Hu Tao, and Yanfei—the Liyue Pyro ones—had all received buffs.
Some people compared it to previous data and found that these characters could be called greatly buffed; although not quite reaching the level of the Three-Body Problem folks, they could certainly be called Super Earthlings now.
[This is bad; in the future, Xiangling's damage will really take the biggest share in the Wanda International team]
[The Hu Xing Zhong team from the 1.0 era can actually still compete in the 5.0 era]
[Next door in Honkai: Star Rail, they also talk about buffing characters, but it's just on the agenda; over here in Genshin, they just straight-up buffed them]
[Why wasn't Yoimiya buffed? She's Pyro too!]
[The value of a Liyue household registration]
[Family, who gets the refreshing feeling of Xinyan's burst changing from Physical DMG to Pyro DMG? Finally, I can do Hyperbloom]
[Physical mains lose a great general!]
While the players were heatedly discussing the buffed characters, Rios and the others had already gone traveling to Mondstadt.
Unlike the previous two times, there was no local Archon acting as their tour guide.
Although during the trip, they saw a green-clad bard performing street arts, after listening to the performance, Rios and the others left without giving a single Mora.
Those who pay get a money show; those who don't, a people show. Although Rios and his group didn't pay money, they contributed to the crowd count, so they felt no discomfort whatsoever about not giving Mora.
After finishing their Mondstadt trip, Rios and the others didn't choose to continue traveling; instead, they chose to return to Natlan.
Although they hadn't taken much time hurrying back, they had spent a long time playing.
Going back a bit later, Kachina and the others' families would start to worry.
Not long after Rios brought them back to Natlan, he was summoned.
"Lord Rios, the Pyro Archon is calling for you."
Since Rios was no longer the Pyro Archon, the way everyone addressed him had changed.
They could call him the former Pyro Archon, but that title felt especially uncomfortable, so no one did.
After all, for most people in Natlan, the previous Pyro Archon before Rios was the real former one.
The Pyro Archon didn't change as frequently as Inazuma's Shogun; usually, they waited until the old one couldn't hold on before switching to a new one.
Therefore, a Pyro Archon like Rios, who had stepped down after such a short time, made everyone feel unaccustomed.
"Got work right after coming back."
Rios sighed.
"Do you want me to go with you to see Mavuika... Lord Pyro Archon?"
Mualani said.
"No need. Your task is to first report to your family that you're safe, then get a good night's sleep."
"Leave the tough jobs to me."
Rios said.
"Haha, tasks? Rios, you're not the Pyro Archon anymore; you can't order me around."
Hearing Rios's words, Mualani smiled lightly, then placed a hand over her mouth and yawned: "Yawn... But after playing so wildly outside, I am pretty tired; heading home to sleep first."
Rios glanced at the sky; sleeping at this hour would probably mean Mualani would be too excited to sleep at night again, then wake up very late the next day.
But this girl usually got up late anyway, so there wasn't much difference.
After arriving at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, Rios happened to run into the Traveler and Paimon.
"Good morning, Lord Pyro Archon." Paimon waved her hand, greeting enthusiastically. "We got your letter; looks like you had a blast in the other countries."
"You don't need to call me Pyro Archon anymore; just call me Rios," Rios said with a smile. "Mavuika is the Pyro Archon now; I'm just a workhorse under the Pyro Archon."
"Then... was Rios also summoned by Mavuika?" Paimon asked. "We were called too, but we don't know why."
"Do you know what it's about?"
"Not sure."
Rios said, "To keep the mystery, they never explain things clearly—unlike me, who just says it straight out when there's something."
"Uh... do you?" Paimon scratched her hair, unable to recall any difference between when Rios was Pyro Archon and when Mavuika was.
"Didn't I tell you about Nod-Krai?" Rios said. "The special elemental power, the Moon Goddess, and the Fatui Harbingers 'Puppet' and 'Maiden,' plus the Abyss monsters 'Wild Hunt' different from Natlan's— I said a lot, right?"
"Wait, you absolutely didn't say any of the later stuff!"
As Paimon was chatting with Rios, someone came up to them and reminded, "Lord Rios, Traveler, Paimon—the Pyro Archon has been waiting in the council chamber for quite a while."
"Looks like Mavuika's getting impatient," Rios said with a smile.
So, the group headed toward the council chamber. On the way, Paimon said, "Before, when we went to the council chamber, Rios was always the one waiting inside for us."
"Going into the council chamber with Rios now feels kinda weird."
Rios said, "Someday when Paimon becomes Pyro Archon, it'll be us coming to the council chamber to see you—then you'll get used to it."
"I can become Pyro Archon too?" Paimon perked up happily, kicking her little legs back.
"Paimon's inflating again," the Traveler quipped.
"Of course... at least in terms of appetite, you're on par with a Pyro Archon," Rios said.
"So you're just teasing me about my big stomach!"
Paimon was about to flare up when Mavuika's voice rang out.
"Rios, it's been so long since we last met—how'd you learn to secretly badmouth me behind my back?"
In the council chamber, Mavuika raised one brow, her lips curving slightly.
"Lord Pyro Archon, what I meant was, I prepared Liyue and Fontaine specialties for you," Rios said. "These foods are absolutely fresh; no worries about spoilage."
"Is that so? Then thanks for your kind intentions," Mavuika said with a smile. "By the way, any fine wine?"
"There's Mondstadt wine," Rios said. "When we bought it, they thought we were minors and wouldn't sell; luckily, I contacted the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and said it was for the Pyro Archon, so we finally got the wine."
"Rios, you still say you didn't badmouth me? With you saying that, all of Mondstadt thinks I'm a drunken barrel now."
"No problem—the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius is a barrel too; they won't mind. Might even sympathize."
"But that's still badmouthing me, right?"
As the old and new Pyro Archons chatted, Paimon whispered in the Traveler's ear: "Actually, Mondstadt's Archon is a drunkard too..."