"Altering memories? That's way too evil. How is that any different from hypnosis?"
Paimon clutched her head with both hands, her face filled with lingering fear.
The thought of her own perception being changed was enough to terrify her.
Suppose she loved eating candy, but the people of Khaenri'ah made her eat grass instead.
The most horrifying part was that...
Paimon would genuinely believe that grass was her favorite food.
Who wouldn't be afraid of something like that?
Lumine also realized how dangerous the situation was and hurriedly asked, "Then how do we stop them? This is completely outrageous. We absolutely can't let something like this happen."
If her consciousness was altered, would she still be herself?
Who in the world came up with such an idea?
Su Han gently shook his head.
"I don't know of any solution for now, but the existence of Irminsul has completely become a negative factor."
"So if we want to stop whatever the Abyss is planning, the first step is fixing Irminsul?"
Paimon immediately grasped the key point.
Even so, the question remained: how exactly were they supposed to fix something like Irminsul?
It affected the entire world of Teyvat. If anything went wrong, the whole world would suffer along with it.
Just like how the Abyss only dared to tamper with the ley lines.
They also understood that if Irminsul were damaged, everyone would be doomed together.
So despite how arrogant they acted all day, they were just as afraid of death as anyone else.
Rubbing his forehead, Su Han said, "Exactly. That's the real problem. But repairing Irminsul isn't nearly as simple as it sounds. Even the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata can't guarantee she'll succeed."
It concerned billions of living beings.
It involved the very laws governing the world itself. How could something like that be changed so easily?
But another problem remained.
How exactly were they supposed to fix it?
It wasn't just Paimon who was troubled by this. Su Han was also deep in thought.
Was there really no way to solve the ley line problem?
Su Han fell silent.
What were the ley lines?
They were roots spread throughout the entirety of Teyvat.
They were practically equivalent to the world's fundamental laws. Trying to alter them was unimaginably difficult.
Yet if they ignored the issue, the Abyss would eventually emerge and create a catastrophe.
"What do you think? If the ley lines were influenced by dragon veins, would they still be affected by the Abyss?"
Suddenly, Lumine spoke.
Su Han's eyes lit up.
"You're right. That's a great idea."
The ley lines...
Covered the entire land.
As the saying goes, you can't guard against a thief forever.
The ley lines were simply too vast to defend completely.
But what if they only needed to defend small areas?
Dragon veins could suppress destiny itself and even purify Abyssal corruption.
As long as the Abyss couldn't influence the ley lines, the entire situation could be reversed.
Although Paimon agreed with the idea, she still raised a concern.
"But there's only one dragon vein, right? We can't gather everyone in the world into one place."
"Paimon, don't forget we have Su Han. Dragon veins aren't the only kind of treasure. Now that we have an idea, we can imitate dragon veins. Once we're strong enough in the future, we can use a similar method to seal the ley lines."
Lumine's explanation made Paimon's eyes brighten.
"So that's how it works."
"Then that really could work. It'll just be a lot of trouble for Su Han. Hehe."
"Protecting the world is my responsibility."
Su Han cooperated by delivering a rather over-the-top heroic line.
After the discussion ended...
Dainsleif looked at the imprisoned souls of Khaenri'ah and pleaded with Su Han.
"Sir, could I ask you to release them?"
"And then? You're planning to take their place?"
Su Han replied calmly.
Dainsleif fell completely silent.
Take their place?
Surely that was a joke.
"You see? I gave you a solution, but you're unwilling to carry it out. By the way, Dainsleif, once they've completed their sentence, they'll be able to reincarnate."
"What? Reincarnation? Is that really true?"
Dainsleif never expected such wonderful news.
The joy in his heart was nearly impossible to contain.
The people of Khaenri'ah...
They could actually be reincarnated.
That was truly wonderful.
Although their lives could never again originate as Khaenri'ahns...
As long as their souls continued to exist, then in a sense...
They were still alive.
"I already told you, I'm not an evil person. As the master of the Underworld, overseeing reincarnation is my duty. So..."
Su Han turned his gaze toward Dainsleif.
He quietly waited for his response.
Reincarnation wasn't free.
It required consuming the power of the Underworld.
For sinners to expect reincarnation without paying a price was wishful thinking.
But if someone was willing to bear that cost...
Things would be different.
Dainsleif reacted almost immediately.
He dropped to his knees.
At that moment, he firmly believed he existed solely for Khaenri'ah.
"My lord, from this day forward, I, Dainsleif, am your dog. Whatever task you give me, I'll carry it out without hesitation."
Even sinners could atone.
From the very beginning, Su Han had emphasized that point.
If that was the case...
Then let all of Khaenri'ah's sins be borne by him alone.
"Good. You're teachable."
Su Han nodded with satisfaction.
This was exactly the outcome he wanted.
Looking up hopefully, Dainsleif asked, "Then, my lord... these people of Khaenri'ah..."
"No need to rush. Reincarnation takes time. But since you've been so obedient, I'll allow five of them to reincarnate today."
With a wave of his hand, five souls among the countless spirits were swallowed by a vortex of darkness.
A vision then appeared in the void.
The souls of those five people were completely cleansed before entering the bodies of five pregnant women.
Seeing such an incredible sight, Paimon exclaimed in surprise,
"Su Han, what happened to the original souls?"
Now that reincarnation existed...
How had souls been born before?
It was a question worth discussing.
Lumine and Dainsleif both looked toward him.
Su Han explained,
"Have you ever considered why the world consumes so much energy? It's not because it's weak. It's because it's incomplete."
"My lord... are you saying the world's laws themselves are flawed?"
Dainsleif immediately understood where he was going.
After all, the Twilight Sword had traveled across countless lands over the years and studied a great many ancient records.
The fact that Teyvat itself was incomplete had long since become undeniable.
Lumine quickly caught on as well, even drawing further conclusions.
"I understand. You mean that the entire world is flawed. If the Underworld handles reincarnation and uses purified souls to replace newly born ones, it can reduce the burden on the world itself, right?"
"You're quite clever."
Su Han praised her.
Lumine immediately looked pleased with herself.
"The truth is, it's perfectly normal for a world to have flaws. This is our home. Who can guarantee their home will always remain perfect?"
"We shouldn't constantly envy someone else's home."
"A truly great person should protect their own home while thinking about its shortcomings and helping it grow."
"Whether it's Khaenri'ah or today's Snezhnaya, they're all just a group of shortsighted fools."
"They keep shouting that the other gods are terrible, that the Heavenly Principles are terrible. But at least the Heavenly Principles have genuinely been trying to repair this world."
"Dragonspine, Tsurumi Island, the desert. If she truly wanted to, she could have simply abandoned those places and allowed them to perish."
"But as the head of the family... could the Heavenly Principles really bear to do that?"
Su Han's words left everyone deep in thought.
Even Dainsleif felt ashamed.
Compared to true justice...
Personal desires were insignificant.
If they had truly acted for the sake of the world back then...
How could they ever have fallen into darkness?
In the end, it was simply because their greed had grown too great.
Listening to Su Han, Lumine's eyes were filled with admiration.
This was exactly what she liked most about him.
Despite always talking about slacking off and taking it easy...
When it came to matters of right and wrong...
This man had never once backed down.
"All right, this conversation is over. Dainsleif, I have no intention of imprisoning you. But since you've chosen to atone for the people of Khaenri'ah, you'll obey my orders, even if I tell you to eliminate large numbers of Hilichurls."
"Yes, sir. I will obey any command you give."
Dainsleif understood that Su Han was preparing him mentally.
But in reality...
There was no need.
Since Hilichurls would arrive in the Underworld after death...
It was far better to grant them true release.
After all...
In their next life, they could finally live as ordinary people.
Suffering...
Would eventually come to an end.
"Good. Then your first task is this. Bring the Hilichurls throughout Sumeru to the Chasm as much as possible. Take it step by step. If you rush things, you'll only make a mess of it."
"Understood."
The conversation ended.
Dainsleif left the Underworld and devoted himself wholeheartedly to carrying out his mission.
Now that he finally had a true purpose...
He feared nothing.
No matter what obstacles lay ahead...
He would grit his teeth and keep moving forward.
This...
Was the true hope of Khaenri'ah.
Aether...
Your beliefs have been wrong all along.
"Mr. Su Han was right. No matter what this world is like, it's still our home. If you always try to fulfill your wishes through destruction, you'll eventually lose everything."
Dainsleif had a feeling.
Su Han's true strength did not come from his power alone.
It came from his unwavering desire to save the world.
Perhaps...
Even his incredible fortune existed because the world itself was helping him.
After all...
Helping Su Han was the same as helping itself.
Of course...
Su Han himself knew nothing about that.
Inside the Underworld...
After seeing Dainsleif, the third wheel, finally leave, Lumine immediately walked over and hugged Su Han's arm.
"Aren't you afraid I'll take advantage of you?"
Faced with his teasing...
The young woman puffed out her cheeks and huffed.
"I'm making it up to you. Besides, it's been so long since we last met. What's wrong with giving you a hug? Ah... wait. Why are you carrying me like a princess?"
Lumine had only intended to comfort Su Han.
After all...
She had heard that her brother had caused him quite a bit of trouble.
She had already liked Su Han for a long time, so naturally she wanted to comfort him.
Instead...
He swept her into a princess carry.
Startled, Lumine hurriedly wrapped both arms around Su Han's neck.
Nervously glancing around, she saw Paimon cleverly covering her eyes while muttering,
"I can't see anything. I can't see anything."
She really was quick-witted.
Still...
Being held like this made Lumine feel incredibly safe.
Perhaps the emotions had finally reached their peak.
Or perhaps she simply had more courage than usual today.
She raised her head...
And gently kissed Su Han.
The two embraced and kissed, completely ignoring the tiny Paimon standing nearby.
"Mmm..."
What exactly were they doing?
Why were there such strange sounds?
Should she take a peek?
The fingers covering Paimon's eyes slowly separated, leaving tiny gaps.
When she saw Su Han and Lumine completely absorbed in each other, her little face instantly turned as red as an apple.
"Wah..."
How bold.
They'd actually gone this far.
Su Han was even caressing Lumine.
No.
She couldn't keep watching.
Paimon hurriedly flew onto a nearby tree, yet her eyes still couldn't resist sneaking glances.
Once she had gone farther away, the two became even more affectionate.
Unfortunately for Paimon, Su Han thoughtfully created a small wooden cabin, blocking her view completely.
Right at the crucial moment, she wasn't allowed to watch.
It was like a movie getting censored at the most important scene.
The frustration was unbearable.
Then Paimon made a surprising discovery.
There seemed to be a small opening on the side of the cabin...
Just enough to peek through.
Should she look?
She hesitated for a long while before slowly flying back.
Three hours later...
Lumine lay in Su Han's embrace, so exhausted that she didn't even want to move a finger.
"Do you think... I'm too easy?"
Like many other women...
Lumine had never expected their relationship to progress so quickly.
But...
She truly loved Su Han.
When she learned that he had been stranded in another world and seriously injured...
The fear that welled up inside her had kept her awake night after night.
That was when she finally understood.
She had fallen in love with him.
Perhaps she had loved him for a very long time already.
It was only because finding her brother had mattered more than anything else that she had kept suppressing those feelings.
But the moment she heard Su Han had been hurt...
She could no longer hold them back.
Today...
Those feelings had finally blossomed.
Looking at the anxious young woman in his arms, Su Han said affectionately,
"No. In my heart, you'll always be the very best."
"Really?"
"Of course."
The two chatted in bed for a long time.
They talked about what had happened five hundred years ago.
They also discussed how Su Han had been injured.
When Lumine heard that he had been ambushed, she frowned.
"From what you've said, it shouldn't have been my brother who attacked you. First, he isn't that powerful. Second, he shouldn't possess the power over time and space."
"That does seem true."
Su Han also realized the inconsistency.
Yet he had clearly seen that figure.
It really had been Aether.
So how could that be explained?
There were simply too many unanswered questions.
Lumine couldn't figure it out either, so they could only put the matter aside for the time being.
Now that the two had officially become a couple...
They could finally hold each other openly without hesitation.
When the conversation turned to their future plans...
Su Han said they still needed to keep selling manga.
Even though they now had numerous gods on their side, remaining cautious was still the top priority.
"So where are you planning to go next? Sumeru, or..."
"I want to visit Fontaine. There's an old promise that's about due, and it's time to fulfill it. Would you like to come with me?"
"Of course!"
Lumine's eyes lit up, and she agreed without the slightest hesitation.