Elios furrowed his brows.
'Something's wrong with this one…'
His instincts screamed that the strange floating creature before him wasn't normal at all. Yet even when he pushed his senses to their limits, he couldn't detect a single thing "wrong" about her—and…
That was exactly the problem.
He didn't sense even a wisp of elemental energy around her.
That alone was abnormal. She was floating effortlessly, but there was no Anemo current supporting her, no elemental resonance, no visible mechanism—nothing. What unsettled him even more was the subtle pressure in the back of his mind, like a nudge:
Don't think too hard.
It's not important.
A mental suggestion.
Normally, mental interference was useless against him. That was one of the natural benefits of being a god—resistance carved into his existence. It had only grown stronger after he connected to Teyvat's surface ley lines for the first time.
But right now, for the first time in his life, he doubted that resistance.
How could there be an authority capable of affecting him—even slightly—on a mental level?
His conclusion formed instantly: this wasn't ordinary sorcery, nor a cheap illusion. If something could press against his mind at all, then it had to be an authority at least comparable to one of the Four Shades.
No one below that level should even be able to touch him.
He raised the danger level of the small floating thing in front of him immediately. Even if this wasn't his first time dealing with powers of that category, caution wasn't optional. Authorities like theirs were no joke—not even to him.
Despite all that, none of it showed on his face.
He maintained the same calm expression and turned to Aether as if he was merely curious.
"What is that little thing?" Elios asked evenly. "Some kind of floating mecha from Fontaine? Or Nod-Krai?"
"Huh?!" Paimon shouted, stomping her foot in midair in outrage. "Paimon is Paimon!! Not some kind of robot!!"
'Funny little thing…' Elios noted. 'It doesn't feel like she's acting. Still… I need more information.'
"So your name is Paimon," Elios said smoothly. "Forgive my rudeness. I've never seen a species that can float like you in Teyvat."
He tilted his head slightly.
"If I may ask—what exactly is your race?" He paused for a beat, then added as if it was an afterthought. "Or… are you also a Descender, like Aether?"
"Eh? My race?" Paimon blinked, then looked offended again. "Isn't Paimon a human?! And what's a 'Descender'?"
'Hm.. Definitely weird,' Elios concluded.
Before Elios could continue pressing, Aether answered.
"Paimon," he said, "a Descender in Teyvat refers to someone who comes from beyond this world possessing the trait of not being shackled by this world's fate and laws."
Then Aether looked back at Elios, keeping his tone neutral even as suspicion lingered behind his eyes.
"But you don't need to worry," he added. "Paimon isn't a Descender. I can guarantee that."
Aether hesitated for a fraction of a second, then continued:
"Honestly… I'm more inclined to think you might be one."
He didn't say the rest out loud, but the thought was clear in his mind.
In his previous life, he'd learned how abnormal Paimon was. He'd traveled all seven nations and still never met anything like her. Yet no one—not even the Archons—ever questioned her, ever treated her like a foreign existence.
But Elios did.
He asked what no one else asked.
And that implied something terrifying: Elios' understanding of Teyvat's structure and laws was not inferior to the Archons.
Which made the next question inevitable.
'How could someone like him have been completely absent from my previous life?'
Aether had crossed Teyvat end to end. He had met the strongest of each nation, and even brushed against the elusive authorities above them. Yet he had no memory of Elios Luxveritas.
His expression tightened.
'Could this not be regression at all…?'
'Could it be a parallel world?'
'A different Teyvat with a different timeline?'
If that was true…
'What happened to my original timeline?'
'Did it cease to exist—or continue without me?'
'What happened to Lumine after I died?'
'If the Heavenly Principles awakened like we predicted… she won't spare Lumine.'
His throat felt dry. He exhaled slowly and forced himself to steady.
'No conclusions yet. Not without information.'
Then he looked at Elios again, decision forming.
'This Elios is the biggest difference from my previous life. I need to learn about him. If I understand him, I might understand this different world better.'
______________
Elios, meanwhile, fell silent after Aether's reply.
Aether was correct: Paimon wasn't a Descender, he just asked to probe.
Elios could feel it through the ley lines. Teyvat's system recognized her existence and registered her naturally, feeding her presence back toward Irminsul. She was… "included."
Unlike Aether, who was treated like a gap in the record—present in reality, yet invisible to the world's natural accounting.
'I may have to reconnect to Irminsul again,' Elios thought. 'I need answers about her.'
Then another matter surfaced in his mind.
'Perfect timing… I also need to confirm little Nahida's choice regarding my proposal.'
'If she refuses, I may have to reveal another card to convince her.'
He pushed those thoughts aside for now and returned his focus to Paimon.
Paimon, after processing Aether's explanation, nodded eagerly as if she finally understood something.
"Ah! So you weren't from Teyvat—that's what a Descender means!" she said. "Paimon gets it! But Paimon isn't one—Paimon was always in Teyvat!"
Elios' gaze softened slightly—at least on the surface.
"Then, little Paimon," he asked gently, "can you remember your family? Your parents?"
He leaned a little closer, tone careful but persistent.
"Or do you know anyone else who can float without elemental energy like you do?" He paused. "Humans can't really do that… so it's hard to call yourself human."
"That's rude!" Paimon snapped, stomping the air again. "Paimon is a human! If you don't stop, I'm going to give you an ugly nickname!"
Despite her anger, Elios caught it—an almost imperceptible wobble. The question had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.
No one had ever asked her that.
And now that she tried to think… there was nothing clear before the moment she'd been drowning in the sea.
But the moment her mind brushed against that emptiness, something inside her slid away from it, pushing her attention aside—like it didn't matter.
Like she shouldn't look.
Paimon latched onto her irritation instead, as if it was safer.
Elios' frown deepened.
He could tell she wasn't lying.
'So she truly doesn't know.'
'And that mental suggestion isn't only aimed at me… it affects her too.'
'Someone .. or Something is guiding her thoughts subtly.'
Elios glanced at Aether.
'And there's a high chance this connects to the Descender.'
'Whatever that existence is scheming, I need to know. Or it may interfere with my plans .'
'But rushing it will only alert whoever is behind it.'
He exhaled quietly, shifting priorities.
He had just cleansed Dvalin. Mondstadt would be panicking. Jean needed answers, and the citizens needed reassurance.
More importantly—
Venti should already be tracking the Abyss Mage. The window was small. If Elios didn't move as soon as the hideout was confirmed, he might be forced into months of chasing shadows again.
The Abyss Order was a persistent pest, and if left alone, it could ruin his larger plans.
He wasn't letting that happen.
So Elios allowed the tension to fade from his posture and put on a warm smile.
"Forgive my rudeness," he said smoothly. "I was simply surprised to see a floating little girl. It's rare—even for someone with years of adventuring."
He spread his hands slightly, as if offering peace.
"As an apology, I'll treat you both to lunch. You must be hungry and tired from traveling. And as you can see…" he gestured vaguely toward the sky, where the storm had begun to settle, "…the Stormterror crisis has been resolved. You can rest easy and enjoy your stay in Mondstadt."
"Oh?!" Paimon's eyes sparkled instantly. "You're treating me to delicious food?! So you were a good guy after all!" She giggled. "Paimon totally misjudged you hehe~!"
All earlier anger evaporated like mist. In a blink, she floated right beside Elios, then turned and waved aggressively at Aether.
"Hey! Let's go into the city and get delicious food! He said he's treating us!"
Aether shook his head, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
'Paimon is always Paimon…'
"I know, I know," Aether said, walking closer. "But aren't you being a little hasty? Didn't we just eat fish earlier? At this rate you'll get fat, and monsters will find you delicious."
"Hmph!" Paimon puffed up. "Those tiny fish didn't even fill half of Paimon's stomach! And stop making jokes like that, or I'll give you a nasty nickname too!"
Aether chuckled—then his gaze shifted toward the silent dragon nearby.
His tone turned more serious.
"By the way…" he asked, looking at Dvalin. "Are you okay? I saw you get hit and fall earlier."
______________
Author's Note :
I'm sorry guys, I had matters to take care of yesterday and delayed the release of this chapter. Don't worry tho, cause I'll still be releasing the fifth and last chapter this week tomorrow.
I hope you liked this chapter, it's mostly hinting that Paimon has some connection to some higher authority of Teyvat, which we all may or may not have deduced. I'm going with the theory that she has a link to Phanes, specifics later as revealing more will be a spoiler.
And regarding Elios' link with Irminsul and ley lines it'll be explained on the next arc of Sumeru, it'll be a brief arc before heading to Natlan, and don't worry cause it's soon enough, we're half done with Mond, Elios will head there after some 'bonding' time with Lumine and then relationship building with Eula.
Have a good day!