The moment we stepped out of the Reminiscent Drift domain, the world felt strangely quiet.
Not peaceful quiet.
More like the kind of quiet that follows after a very loud explosion. The sort of silence where your ears are still ringing and your brain is trying to figure out whether the chaos is actually over or if something else is about to fall out of the sky.
I stretched my arms above my head, bones popping one after another as the tension finally left my shoulders. Fighting giant mechanical gods inside memory dimensions really does wonders for your posture. Chiropractors everywhere would be furious if they discovered this method.
"Ahh," I said happily while leaning back. "Nothing like surviving emotional trauma and a boss fight to start the day."
I rolled my shoulders once more for good measure.
"Honestly," I added thoughtfully, "if every morning started like this, my cardio would improve dramatically."
On my left arm, Lumine was still holding on, though her grip was slightly firmer than usual. On my right, Nilou had her arm gently looped through mine like this was a perfectly normal walk through Sumeru instead of the aftermath of a memory apocalypse.
Greg sat comfortably on Nilou's shoulder again in his lizard form, tail flicking lazily like he had not just turned into a flying dragon five minutes ago. If anything, he looked mildly bored, like the entire battle had been an inconvenient interruption to his afternoon.
Behind us, Paimon was floating lower than usual, looking like someone had just been forced to run a marathon through three different emotional arcs.
Her wings drooped.
Her posture drooped.
Even her voice drooped.
"Ugh…" Paimon groaned. "Why does it feel like we just fought a boss, went through therapy, and watched a tragic backstory all at the same time?"
"Because we did," I replied.
Then Nahida approached.
Naturally, I reacted in the only reasonable way.
I bent down, scooped her up, and placed her directly on my shoulders.
Paimon gasped.
"HEY!" she protested. "You can't just pick up the Dendro Archon like that!"
Nahida blinked once, then settled comfortably like she had been expecting this exact outcome.
"Welcome back, Wanderer, Shigeru, Paimon, Lumine, and Nilou," she said gently. "And you as well, Greg."
From my shoulders, she lightly adjusted a strand of my hair like this was the most normal seat in the world.
Greg tilted his head upward and flicked his tail once as if acknowledging a fellow authority figure.
"Whew!" Paimon groaned. "It feels like we just went on a REALLY long journey… Paimon is exhausted."
"Skill issue," I said.
Paimon immediately pointed at me. "YOU RODE A GEO SWORD THROUGH HALF THE FIGHT!"
"Efficient transportation," I replied calmly.
"And you jumped into Greg's beam attack!"
"Team synergy."
"And you were yelling the entire time!"
"Morale boosting."
Nilou laughed softly beside me.
"You say that like we didn't almost get flattened by a god again," she said warmly. "Your definition of a good morning is very questionable, Shigeru."
"Statistically speaking," I replied proudly, "if we survive the explosion, it counts as a successful outing."
Lumine sighed.
Not a tired sigh.
The kind of sigh that suggested she had long since accepted the fact that this was her life now.
Meanwhile Wanderer stood a short distance away from us, arms crossed as usual. His expression had returned to that familiar mixture of annoyance and quiet contemplation.
Nahida tilted her head slightly.
"You don't like being addressed by that name?"
Wanderer glanced up at her.
"It's fine," he said after a moment. "But I was thinking… I should probably change it."
Lumine looked thoughtful.
"You won't go by 'The Balladeer' anymore?"
Wanderer scoffed lightly.
"After learning everything The Doctor did," he said, "there's no way I can continue using a name tied to him."
He looked away slightly.
"I'm not returning to the Fatui. And even if I did, they probably wouldn't take me back."
Paimon floated closer, arms crossed.
"So you're quitting the Fatui for good?"
Lumine tilted her head slightly.
"Let's call it a tactical retreat," she said calmly.
I nodded.
"Professional career change," I added. "Happens all the time."
Wanderer ignored me.
"Everything may look pointless," he said quietly to Nahida, "but it wasn't entirely meaningless. At least I made a lot of people forget about me."
Nahida shook her head gently.
"But that doesn't mean your past disappeared," she replied.
"Of course," Wanderer said.
Nahida's voice remained calm.
"And the goal you gave up everything for… you didn't achieve it. I hope you understand that."
She continued softly.
"Changing the world, the past, the fate of other people… those things are not simple."
"What you sought was annihilation. But that is only a fantasy."
Wanderer laughed quietly.
"Indeed," he said. "How ridiculous."
Paimon tilted her head.
"Do you regret any of it?"
Wanderer shrugged.
"Even if I'm worthless," he replied calmly, "there's nothing in the world worth regretting."
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
"That's either very deep," I said, "or extremely concerning."
Nilou elbowed me lightly.
"Shigeru," she said in that gentle voice that somehow carried the weight of a lecture from three disappointed teachers.
"What?" I protested. "I'm providing emotional commentary."
"You're providing unnecessary commentary," she corrected with a patient smile.
"Shigeru," she said gently.
"What?" I replied defensively.
Greg flicked his tail and tapped my shoulder once, as if supporting Nilou's argument.
"Traitor," I muttered.
Wanderer looked back at Nahida.
"You left that information in Irminsul on purpose," he said.
"Yes," Nahida answered.
"And I made sure you would discover it naturally."
"Why?" Wanderer asked.
"Trying to win me over?"
Nahida smiled faintly.
"In truth, your experiences make you a valuable asset to Sumeru," she admitted. "So yes. Winning you over was part of my plan."
"But before that," she added softly, "I wanted you to know the truth about yourself. If I only intended to use you, I would be no different from The Doctor."
Wanderer looked impressed despite himself.
"Very clever," he said.
"One of my virtues," Nahida replied.
I raised a hand slightly, because obviously this was an appropriate moment to contribute something extremely important.
"I would also like to note," I said helpfully, "that we beat up your giant god machine earlier."
Paimon immediately pointed at me again like a floating prosecutor who had been waiting her entire life for this exact moment.
"You say that like you weren't screaming during the laser phase!"
"That was tactical screaming," I clarified with complete confidence.
Lumine muttered quietly beside me, not even bothering to hide the dryness in her voice.
"You screamed 'WOOOOO.'"
"Morale boosting," I replied. "Very important battlefield technique."
Nilou covered her mouth to hide a laugh, though the sparkle in her eyes suggested she was enjoying this far more than she should.
Meanwhile Wanderer continued speaking, apparently deciding the best course of action was to ignore me entirely.
"If usefulness is what gives me worth," he said calmly, "then embracing my sins to become useful again is acceptable."
Lumine shook her head slightly.
"Nahida doesn't see you that way."
Wanderer looked mildly amused at that.
"Right," he said. "I forgot. You're the good guys. Justice and all that."
I raised my hand again, because that statement clearly required correction.
"Hey," I said. "I personally prefer the term 'chaotic hero.'"
Nilou laughed again, this time a little brighter.
"I think 'chaotic hero' is a generous description," she said. "But it does fit you better than 'responsible adult.'"
"Hey," I said, offended. "I am extremely responsible."
Lumine gave me a flat look that communicated approximately twelve different layers of disbelief.
Greg flicked his tail once in silent agreement with her.
Nilou simply smiled like someone who had long since accepted my hopeless condition.
Nahida continued speaking calmly, returning the conversation to something resembling philosophical discussion.
"Traveler," she said gently, looking toward Lumine. "In the future, I will continue searching Irminsul more deeply. Including the beginning of your twin's journey. I want to know what happened before and after that moment."
Lumine nodded slowly.
"Thank you," she said. "Let's hope you find something."
Wanderer turned toward her again.
"Traveler," he said.
"Yes?" Lumine replied.
"After I dove into Irminsul," he continued, "why did you go to Inazuma?"
"Because I wanted to know what you changed," Lumine answered.
Wanderer nodded slowly as if piecing together the logic.
"So that's how you discovered whose fate had shifted."
He crossed his arms again.
"Regardless of your motives, you did me a favor. I'll repay that debt eventually."
Lumine sighed faintly.
"I didn't do this for a reward—"
"She won't," I interrupted helpfully.
Then I grinned.
"But I probably will."
BONK.
Lumine hit me on the head instantly.
Nilou followed up with a gentle but extremely disappointed look, which was honestly worse than the bonk.
"You shouldn't extort people who just finished recovering from an existential crisis," she said kindly.
"Counterpoint," I replied. "Excellent timing."
"Shigeru."
"Worth it," I muttered.
Wanderer continued calmly, as if this entire conversation had not been derailed by my incredible business instincts.
"Borrowing and returning are the only real relationships between people. I'll balance the ledger eventually."
Nahida shook her head gently.
"Relationships are not ledgers," she said. "People who appear in your life do not simply vanish like droplets of water. There is no such thing as balancing everything to zero."
Her voice softened slightly.
"To be human is to live with imperfections. You may choose whether you want to be human."
Wanderer remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Humans need a heart," he said quietly. "I gave up trying to become one a long time ago."
Nahida answered just as gently.
"You understand pain perfectly well. You simply bury it. The past cannot change, but the future grows longer every day. Eventually the past becomes only a small part of your life."
Wanderer smirked faintly.
"Sounds like you already planned my future."
"I hope you'll give Nahida a chance," Lumine said quietly.
"Yeah!" Paimon added quickly. "Otherwise everything we went through would be pointless!"
Wanderer sighed.
"Fine," he said. "I'll assist from the shadows."
Nahida smiled warmly.
"I'm glad you accepted. Then perhaps we should celebrate with a new name."
Paimon perked up immediately like someone who had just been handed a weapon.
"OOH! Paimon wants to give you an ugly nickname!"
"Why?" Wanderer asked flatly.
"Because Paimon still doesn't like you that much!"
"Then let's avoid each other," Wanderer replied.
Nahida giggled softly.
"A name is life's first gift," she said. "If you cannot decide, perhaps Lumine and the others can help."
Lumine blinked.
"Us?"
"Nope!" Paimon said quickly. "Paimon only does nicknames!"
I immediately raised my hand.
"OH! I'm amazing at naming things."
Lumine groaned instantly.
Nilou covered her mouth to hide another laugh.
"Please don't let him name anything," she said to Nahida with mock seriousness. "Last time he tried naming a technique it turned into a ten-minute speech."
"Alright," I said thoughtfully, clearly ignoring the slander.
"First suggestion… Hat McHatface."
"No," Wanderer said instantly.
"Okay okay," I continued. "How about… Lord Edgelord the Sixth?"
"Absolutely not," Lumine said.
"Fine," I said. "Windy McGremlin."
Nahida shook her head gently.
"Rejected."
Paimon was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of the air.
"You are terrible at this!"
Finally Lumine sighed.
"What about… Sora?"
Everyone paused.
"Sky," she added quietly. "Because of your Anemo Vision."
I nodded slowly.
"Yeah," I admitted. "That actually sounds cool."
Nilou tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Sora," she repeated softly. "Sky."
She smiled gently at Wanderer.
"It suits you better than all the dramatic titles you've been collecting."
"Yeah," I said. "That actually makes sense."
Paimon pointed at me accusingly.
"You're just bad at naming things!"
"Rude," I said.
But honestly?
Sora wasn't bad.
Even Greg flicked his tail in approval.
***
The moment the naming ceremony ended, the atmosphere relaxed in a way that only happens after an absurdly long day finally decides it is done ruining your life. Not peaceful relaxed—more like the kind where everyone silently acknowledges they survived multiple emotional breakdowns, one existential crisis, and a giant mechanical god trying to vaporize us.
Honestly, pretty productive afternoon.
Wanderer—no, Sora now, apparently—stood there with that familiar mildly irritated expression, like the universe had just handed him a new identity and he was still deciding whether to complain about it.
He glanced at Lumine once, then at Nahida, then briefly at me before sighing like someone who had already accepted that his life had permanently intersected with chaos.
Meanwhile, I had much more important matters to discuss.
Namely: how awesome the fight earlier was.
I stretched my arms and leaned slightly so Nahida, who was still sitting comfortably on my shoulders, didn't fall off. "You saw that, right?" I said proudly.
Nahida hummed curiously above me. "Which part?"
"The part where Greg and I executed the perfectly synchronized dragon beam attack," I replied immediately.
Greg flicked his tail from Nilou's shoulder like a silent confirmation.
"That," I continued proudly, "was art. Pure tactical brilliance."
Paimon groaned loudly. "You jumped directly into Greg's laser."
"Strategically," I corrected.
"You jumped into a dragon laser!"
"Correct."
"That is NOT strategy!"
"It is if you survive," I replied.
Nilou giggled beside me. "It did look very impressive," she admitted, her eyes bright with amusement. "Although I believe Lumine and I were also helping quite a lot."
Lumine crossed her arms and gave me a look that contained the calm patience of someone who had spent far too long dealing with my nonsense. "We were doing most of the work," she said flatly.
"Details," I replied.
Greg nodded once in solemn agreement.
Paimon immediately pointed at him. "Don't encourage him!"
Greg blinked slowly, which I chose to interpret as enthusiastic support.
Nahida chuckled softly from above me. "It was quite the battle," she said warmly. "You all fought very well."
"See?" I said instantly. "Archon verified."
Greg flicked his tail twice in confirmation.
Meanwhile Sora folded his arms again, clearly done with the conversation. "There," Nahida said gently. "Now you have a name of your own."
Sora glanced sideways. "What about a nickname?" he asked dryly.
Paimon froze mid-air.
"Uh… uhhh… still thinking," she muttered nervously. "Stop rushing Paimon!"
Sora shrugged slightly. "Take your time. I don't need to see you again until you've thought of one."
"HEY!" Paimon protested immediately.
Nilou tilted her head thoughtfully. "Perhaps something less insulting this time?" she suggested politely.
Paimon crossed her arms. "No promises."
Lumine stepped forward slightly, shifting the conversation back to something more serious. "What do you plan to do next?" she asked.
Sora's expression darkened just a little. "Everyone who manipulated me," he said quietly, "everyone who made me suffer… they will pay the price."
The air shifted slightly.
Even Paimon stopped joking.
"You mean the Fatui?" she asked.
"The Doctor," Sora replied calmly. "At the very least."
Greg's tail flicked slowly.
Nahida watched him carefully. "Your stance has changed," she said thoughtfully. "Your path will likely change as well. But not immediately. You still need time to settle your thoughts."
Sora remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "One more thing."
Everyone looked at him.
"There are descendants of the Raiden Gokaden still living in Inazuma," he said. "Some of them know—or should know—about my connection to their history."
Nilou looked concerned. "You want them to know the truth?" she asked gently.
Sora nodded once. "I will remain in Sumeru for now. But if you encounter them… tell them that I was responsible for the Raiden Gokaden's downfall."
Paimon gasped. "Even though everyone forgot about it!?"
"They deserve to know," Sora said quietly. "Even if they choose to stab me for it."
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "That's fair."
Paimon turned toward me instantly. "HOW is that fair!?"
"Accountability," I replied calmly.
Greg flicked his tail approvingly.
The room fell quiet again before Lumine nodded once. "Fine," she said simply.
Sora smirked faintly. "Straightforward. I like it."
He turned away slightly. "Let's call it a day. Goodbye, wise deity. And you two."
Then he vanished into the shadows.
Paimon blinked. "He's gone…"
Nahida folded her hands thoughtfully. "Today was the equivalent of living an entire lifetime in a single moment for him. He will need time to recover."
Paimon nodded slowly. "Yeah… but he doesn't seem quite as scary anymore."
Lumine looked thoughtful. "There were bumps along the way, but it's over now."
Paimon suddenly perked up. "So can we finally go eat!? Paimon is starving!"
I nodded immediately. "That might be the smartest thing you've said all day."
"HEY!"
Nahida smiled warmly. "Thank you for everything. I hope you all find somewhere pleasant to rest."
I crouched slightly so she could climb down from my shoulders, but instead I simply lifted her off and set her on the ground before ruffling her hair. "Alright little radish," I said cheerfully. "Take care of yourself. And keep an eye on hat gremlin over there."
Nahida laughed softly. "I will."
Nilou waved politely. "Goodbye, Lady Nahida."
Greg gave a small nod.
And just like that, we left the Sanctuary.
***
The walk back to where we were staying felt strangely peaceful, which was suspicious because peace in our group usually lasted about three minutes before something exploded or someone accidentally uncovered another world-shaking secret.
Paimon floated lazily beside us, stretching her arms. "Whew! It's about time we had a break. As soon as you stop moving, all the hunger comes rushing back…"
Lumine smiled faintly. "Rest up. I'll buy you something nice."
Paimon gasped dramatically. "Really!? You're the best!"
Nilou laughed softly. "You spoil her."
"She earned it," Lumine replied.
Greg flicked his tail once in agreement.
We stepped into the room we had stayed in previously when Paimon suddenly stopped mid-air. "Huh?"
She pointed toward a small table. "Look at that vase…"
Lumine tilted her head. "What about it?"
"Did someone break it while cleaning?" Paimon wondered aloud. "I don't remember a cleaner being here…"
Lumine froze slightly.
I noticed immediately.
She remembered.
That night.
The broken vase.
The moment that shouldn't exist anymore.
Because someone had erased himself from the world.
Yet the vase was still broken.
Then a voice echoed through the room.
"You sound lost and confused."
Lumine turned sharply. "Who's there?"
Paimon spun around frantically. "Hello!?"
"I know why you are troubled," the mysterious voice continued calmly. "Anyone who knew such truths would find their mind overwhelmed."
The room grew strangely cold.
"The fate of Teyvat cannot easily be changed," the voice continued. "Perhaps a god may succeed… but for others… who can say?"
"When a small animal strikes a tree, the tree may sway… but it does not move. The same is true for fate."
The voice paused.
"Like a vase that falls to the ground. Whether it is pushed by a bird… or knocked over by a cat… the result remains the same. A broken vase."
Paimon nearly jumped out of the air. "WHO ARE YOU!? How do you know all of this!?"
"History does not change easily," the voice replied. "But human hearts can."
"Trust your eyes. What you see is truth. What you cannot see… may only be illusion."
Then the voice disappeared.
Silence returned.
Paimon blinked slowly. "…What just happened?"
Lumine stared at the broken vase.
I watched her carefully.
She was thinking.
Hard.
Greg's tail flicked slowly.
Nilou frowned slightly.
Paimon scratched her head. "Anyway… should Paimon get someone to clean that up? It feels weird just leaving it there…"
She floated out of the room. "Paimon will be right back!"
The room fell quiet.
Lumine remained staring at the vase.
Nilou turned toward me slowly. "You know something," she said.
Not a question.
An observation.
I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah."
"Her."
Lumine looked at me immediately. "You know who that was?"
I glanced toward the doorway where the voice had echoed. For once, I wasn't smiling.
"We'll be hearing more from her," I said quietly. "Soon."
Greg's tail flicked slowly.
Nilou frowned slightly. "Should we be worried?"
I stretched my arms again as the familiar grin returned.
"For now?" I said.
"Nope."
Then I started walking toward the door.
"But we should probably prepare anyway."
_______________
End of Chapter 171
Quests Completed:
*Escaped the collapsing Reminiscent Drift memory domain after successfully restoring Wanderer's memories and destroying the mechanical god born from his past.
*Witnessed the birth of a new identity as the former Balladeer abandoned his Fatui title and accepted the name Sora, marking the end of one life and the uncertain beginning of another.
*Observed Nahida's quiet strategy of truth and patience successfully turning a former Harbinger into an ally of Sumeru.
*Allowed Shigeru to propose several catastrophically bad name suggestions before Lumine mercifully intervened.
*Confirmed that emotional recovery after a life-altering identity crisis may include sarcasm, threats of revenge against the Doctor, and mild irritation.
*Discovered that even after someone erases themselves from Irminsul, certain echoes of fate—like a broken vase—refuse to change.
*Encountered an unknown voice speaking about the nature of fate, history, and human hearts, hinting that the world's deeper rules remain far from understood.
Rewards:
*Adventure EXP +5,200
*26,000 Mora (Apparently philosophical revelations also come with travel reimbursement.)
*Companionship EXP: +450 (Lumine, Nilou, Paimon, Greg, Sora)
*"Name of the Sky" : (A symbolic memory fragment marking the moment the Wanderer chose a new name and a new path.)
*"Irminsul Echo Fragment" : (A faint remnant of the memory domain where past and present collided.)
*"Broken Fate Vase Shard" : (A fragment of porcelain that should not exist according to Irminsul's records. It hums faintly with temporal anomalies.)
*"Greg's Battle Approval" : (A rare double tail flick. Restores morale by 8 points and increases team confidence.)
*"Nilou's Quiet Comfort" : (A gentle Hydro imprint that eases emotional strain after intense battles.)
*"Lumine's Tactical Patience" : (A spark of disciplined calm that improves decision-making during chaotic situations.)
*"Paimon's Hunger Alarm" : (Activates automatically when the team has survived something extremely stressful and urgently requires food.)
*"Sora's First Step" : (A swirling trace of Anemo energy symbolizing a storm that chose to move forward instead of destroying everything around it.)
*+18 (Sumeru Reputation — "Friend of the Dendro Archon")