Just as Ei and Nahida were chatting happily, Ei kept sensing a gaze from below that caught his attention. Following that gaze, Ei paused slightly, spotting a figure on the Sumeru ship that was both very familiar and yet strange to him.
It was the puppet he had created with his own hands and subsequently abandoned—the Balladeer.
This pair of 'parent and child,' who had parted ways due to the Doctor's schemes, finally met again after more than four hundred years.
Both Ei and the Balladeer had complex expressions in their eyes; even a thousand words could not describe their complicated feelings.
Nahida naturally noticed the exchange of glances between Ei and A-Mao and spoke up: "Ei, why don't you go meet him first? You two must have a lot to talk about."
Ei shook his head at this and said: "Since he is able to meet me, it means he has already made his choice. There is no need to rush. Besides, the current situation is not suitable for contact with him."
"I have already heard from Miyashiro about his actions in Sumeru. I am deeply sorry for the adverse effects caused to you and Sumeru."
Nahida, however, took a broad view of things and smiled: "The Balladeer's nature is not bad; he was just utilized by that Doctor of the Fatui. Now that he has embraced the empty sky and chosen to keep moving forward, I let him take this opportunity to become a student of the Logic School. He has also discarded the name Balladeer and changed it to A-Mao, starting his own life anew."
Ei murmured upon hearing this: "A-Mao?"
Nahida laughed: "Originally, Paimon, who is by the Traveler's side, wanted to name him 'Bong-Bong-Small-Round-Hat,' but he didn't seem interested in that name. So, I modified it slightly, and it became A-Mao. He didn't object, and I must say, he really does like wearing a round hat."
Ei also revealed a faint smile: "A-Mao... that really is a good name. I originally named him Kunikuzushi and held high hopes for him. It is a pity that although I created him, I abandoned him. Kunikuzushi, Balladeer—both names represent bad memories and the past. Choosing a new name is certainly a good choice for a fresh start."
"Nahida, thank you for helping me guide A-Mao, who had gone astray, back onto the right path."
Nahida also showed a kind smile and said: "You are welcome."
Subsequently, the two deities stood high above, chatting and laughing about various things regarding A-Mao. A-Mao, who was on the ship, felt a certain malice from their bright smiles and the way they occasionally pointed at him. He snorted coldly and chose to ignore them.
Deities are received by deities; therefore, Miyashiro, as the Inazuma Regent, naturally received Alhaitham, the Acting Grand Sage. As for Cyno, the General Mahamatra, he was received by Sara of the Tenryou Commission. As for the others, they could only remain background characters.
For some reason, looking at Alhaitham, who had a calm expression as if everyone owed him millions of Mora, Miyashiro always had the urge to laugh out loud.
After a simple handshake, Miyashiro took the initiative to make small talk: "Mr. Alhaitham, it has been a long time... uh, actually, I can't say it's been a long time. It seems not even a month has passed, and we are meeting again. I wonder when the word 'Acting' in your title will be removed?"
Alhaitham said calmly: "Soon. However, it's not just about removing the word 'Acting'; it's about removing all five characters."
Miyashiro asked with a look of surprise: "What? Your previous thoughts haven't changed?"
Alhaitham: "Not only have they not changed, but they have become even more deep-rooted. As expected, I still do not like the identity of a leader."
Miyashiro: "Is that so? Then I wonder if your successor will be obedient to Nahida. If that were the case, it would be a huge help."
Listening to Miyashiro's pointed words, Alhaitham's expression darkened. He couldn't help but look up at Lesser Lord Kusanali, who was chatting happily with the Raiden Shogun, wondering what he was thinking.
Unlike the sharp-tongued Alhaitham, Cyno appeared much colder, as if his visit this time was truly only to be responsible for Lesser Lord Kusanali's security.
However, the object of his protection was a deity; did she really need his protection?
Miyashiro seemed to have sensed Cyno's true intentions. Therefore, while greeting him, Miyashiro deliberately lowered his voice and said: "By the way, I remembered something. One of the celebration events in Inazuma, the registration deadline for the Genius Invokation TCG Grand Prix, seems to be today. The registration location is in Ritou."
As expected, once Miyashiro said this, Cyno became a bit restless. Although he remained a man of few words, one could judge from the way he occasionally looked up at Lesser Lord Kusanali that he was not calm inside.
As for Collei, the shy little boy, Miyashiro just whispered to him: "Collei, I have some good news for you: Amber has also come to Inazuma!"
Collei, the little boy, immediately became excited and asked incredulously: "Really?"
Miyashiro: "Of course it's true. They are currently at the Mondstadt Embassy in Inazuma."
After receiving confirmation from Miyashiro, Collei looked longingly at the Dendro Archon in the sky, hoping she would finish soon so he could go find Amber for some snuggles.
As for Lumine and Paimon, because they had a good relationship, Miyashiro's attitude toward them was somewhat casual. He said: "Lumine, Paimon, long time no see. You've returned to Inazuma too."
Paimon also said very enthusiastically: "Hehe, I heard you are getting married to Shenhe! When we get to your wedding feast, I'm going to have a really good meal. Also, I heard Inazuma is very lively recently; there must be a lot of delicious food and fun things. Of course, we can't miss out on such a lively event."
Miyashiro complained deliberately from the side: "Speaking of which, I'm getting married, and you two just brought two mouths with you? Don't you have anything to offer?"
Paimon asked with a puzzled look: "Offer? What kind of offer? Ah, you want a wedding gift, right? You have to ask the Traveler about that; I don't have money to buy gifts."
Paimon pointed his little hand, shifting the responsibility to Lumine, which earned him an eye-roll from the mischievous Lumine, who said: "You want a gift, right? How about I pack Paimon up in a gift box and give him to you?"
Upon hearing this, Paimon immediately jumped up and said: "Hey! How can you do that? Aren't we best friends?"
Lumine: "Sorry, not anymore, not since you pointed at me just now."
Unexpectedly, Miyashiro also struck a blow: "Don't, I can't afford to support Paimon. I heard Paimon can eat up 300,000 Mora in food expenses a month; that's more than Sayu's monthly salary."
Seeing Miyashiro and the Traveler teaming up to bully him, Paimon couldn't help but squeal in frustration. This cute and clumsy behavior made Miyashiro burst into laughter.
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