"There was even a monster invasion?!"
Hu Tao stomped her feet in frustration, genuinely regretting that she'd missed out on such excitement.
Monster invasions only ever appeared in novels around Liyue!
"So, then what? How did you end up fighting the Fatui?"
Jiang Bai let out a weary sigh. "Just when we thought it was all over and returned the Holy Lyre der Himmel, that Fatui Harbinger blocked our path."
Seeing that Jiang Bai had reached the juicy part, Hu Tao quickly interrupted, "Wait! Let me guess first!"
Her mind raced wildly for a moment, then she slammed the table triumphantly. "They wanted to kidnap you all to force you into finding the Anemo Archon, didn't they!"
Zhongli hid a faint smile behind his teacup as he sipped.
Knowing his old friend, the Archon was probably among their group all along. No need to search at all.
Indeed, reality aligned perfectly with Zhongli's guess: Venti had been beaten down almost instantly.
Jiang Bai scratched his head awkwardly, unsure how to explain without embarrassing himself.
Should he say the Anemo Archon was right there, but several of them still couldn't beat La Signora, and then they helplessly watched her rip out his [Gnosis]?
That'd be way too humiliating!
Stammering slightly, Jiang Bai finally settled on, "Sort of… She beat us up, then forcibly took the Anemo Archon's [Gnosis]…"
He deliberately skipped the humiliating details, giving only the broadest outline.
Hearing that the Anemo Archon's [Gnosis] had been taken, Zhongli's teacup paused briefly mid-sip, though he quickly resumed as though nothing had happened.
"[Gnosis]? What's that? Is it the Archon's literal heart?" Hu Tao asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
Jiang Bai glanced at Zhongli and tentatively asked, "Mr. Zhongli, do you know?"
Venti had mentioned this knowledge was exclusive to the Archons, meaning very few others knew about it.
Zhongli nodded slightly. "What we call a [Vision] and the Archons call a [Gnosis] are essentially the same—a device external to the body that channels Elemental Energy."
Jiang Bai stared at Zhongli in shock.
So he even knows about this? He must have planned this for ages!
Who would believe he wasn't after the Geo Archon's [Gnosis]?
If someone took a [Gnosis], would they become a god?
If Zhongli took the Geo Archon's [Gnosis], would he become the Geo Archon?
A future Archon working as Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant? Talk about prestige!
That actually sounds… pretty great…
Jiang Bai quickly shook the dangerous thoughts out of his head.
Too frightening! Stop thinking nonsense!
Zhongli eyed him curiously, sensing Jiang Bai was entertaining some strange notions.
"What about the Anemo Archon, then? What happens to him after losing his [Gnosis]?" Hu Tao asked worriedly.
Mondstadt was Liyue's neighbor—any major upheaval there would inevitably affect Liyue.
Zhongli set down his teacup and sighed gently. "He'll lose his divine authority, I suppose."
"Is the Fatui's goal the Archons' [Gnoses]? Will they stop after taking the Anemo Archon's, or is our Lord Rex Lapis their next target?" Hu Tao's brow furrowed anxiously.
An Archon losing their authority was no minor incident. It might severely strain diplomatic relations between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya, possibly affecting Liyue as well!
Though she didn't doubt Rex Lapis's strength, just imagining people coveting his power left her restless at night!
"La Signora may be strong, but her strength comes from the Tsaritsa. There's no way she could defeat our Lord Rex Lapis. Don't worry!" Jiang Bai tried reassuring her.
"But then why was she able to steal the Anemo Archon's [Gnosis]?" Hu Tao clearly wasn't reassured.
She'd never personally seen a god or witnessed their power, so she had no idea how much the Archons differed in strength. But surely two of the Seven wouldn't be that far apart, right?
If Signora could defeat the Anemo Archon, didn't that mean she had a chance against the Geo Archon?
Seeing Jiang Bai's panicked glance, Zhongli understood the silent plea for help. Setting down his cup calmly, he pondered briefly before speaking:
"It was probably willingly surrendered by the Anemo Archon himself."
"Huh?" Hu Tao stared blankly.
Jiang Bai was equally baffled.
That's how you spin getting robbed?!
While their circumstances hardly matched the word "willing," it did help preserve the Anemo Archon's dignity. Jiang Bai figured it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Zhongli calmly explained, "Mondstadt values freedom above all, and the Anemo Archon embodies that ideal. Unlike Rex Lapis, he neither rules nor manages Mondstadt directly. Thus, the [Gnosis] holds little meaning to him. Giving it up to protect Jiang Bai and the others from Signora makes sense."
Jiang Bai nodded eagerly, supporting Zhongli's spin wholeheartedly. "Mr. Zhongli's right! He handed it over willingly!"
Zhongli's explanation made so much sense—even Jiang Bai himself would have believed it had he not been there personally!
Hu Tao shot Jiang Bai a skeptical look. "Then why did you say he 'got robbed'?"
"Anything taken through questionable means counts as robbery!" Jiang Bai insisted defensively.
Zhongli quietly watched their playful bickering, sipping tea slowly, thoughts drifting far away.
Knowing his old friend from Mondstadt, he was certain—the [Gnosis] had indeed been willingly given away, even if under pressure.
So, the Tsaritsa has finally begun her move after five centuries…
Could Liyue truly bear the consequences of losing its god?
"What about the Knights of Favonius? Are they planning to make this public?" Hu Tao questioned again.
"From a rational standpoint, probably not," Zhongli answered, shaking his head gently.
Losing an Archon's [Gnosis] would undoubtedly be kept secret. Revealing it would cause panic, and devout believers might even attack the Fatui diplomats in Mondstadt. That could escalate into a diplomatic conflict, or even war.
And currently, with most of Mondstadt's strongest forces away, they lacked the power to confront the Fatui head-on.
It would only result in Mondstadt's crushing defeat.
Jiang Bai nodded solemnly. "I think so too. Even though we have eyewitnesses, there's no concrete evidence. The Fatui could easily deny it. The Knights will probably use this incident as leverage to negotiate some concessions from the Fatui, but beyond that… well, I'm not much of a political analyst."
Zhongli smoothly refilled their cups, his voice calm and measured.
"Knowing the Anemo Archon's character, he won't pursue the matter of his lost [Gnosis] further. For the sake of the greater good, Mondstadt and Snezhnaya will maintain their façade of friendship, and their trade and cooperation will likely continue as before."