Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Famas's question struck like a hammer blow, plunging both the traveler and Paimon into silence.

If a ship has sailed for a thousand years, and every plank and every rivet is slowly replaced, is it still the same ship that set sail at the beginning?
Can someone who carries old memories and fragments of thought in a completely new body still be called that person?
The ethical issues surrounding the resurrection ceremony had troubled the Munata people for thousands of years. At that time, the Munata people were also unable to solve this philosophical problem, and could only pretend that the ship was still the same ship and the people were still the same people, and continue to live their lives.

The afternoon sun was still warm, but it couldn't dispel the sudden chill that rose in their hearts.

Paimon's little hands unconsciously twisted the hem of his clothes, his voice filled with confusion:

"But...she clearly remembers everything about Heuria...at least she's still a part of Heuria, right?"

Famas's gaze swept over Paimon's uneasy expression, a complex emotion flashing in his crimson pupils.

The boy reached out and caught a falling leaf, his fingertips gently tracing its veins: "Memory is like this leaf. You can tuck it into a book to preserve it, but can you make it grow back on the tree?"

"Who can guarantee whether Heureia's memories or the grass slime's memories are more dominant in that body?"

The traveler stared at the fallen leaf in Famas's hand, his throat tightening slightly.

She still remembered that gentle figure in the Yiyan Palace, Herria's trembling fingertips as she stroked the salt crystal, the tears glistening in her eyes as she recounted the past—those emotions were so real, how could it be…

The traveler suddenly looked up, his voice carrying an inexplicable stubbornness:

"Herria spoke of the pain and despair she felt when her people betrayed her... If even such emotions can be faked, then what is real?"

Famas sighed softly, and the fallen leaves crumbled into tiny pieces between his fingers.

“Sadness doesn’t need to be faked; the grass slime simply and honestly portrays the emotions in memory.”

The boy took a step closer, sunlight casting dappled shadows under his eyelashes. "Like the puppet shows of Liyue, the puppets can cry and laugh, but do you feel they have a soul?"

Paimon paced anxiously in the air, shouting, "This is completely different! Heureia can think and make decisions, she clearly..."

"Obviously what?"

Famas interrupted, his voice suddenly becoming sharp.

"Should she forgive her people who betrayed her, or should she protect Ning Lan?"

"These are the strongest obsessions in Heuria's memory."

The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, swept through the space between the three.

As the traveler gazed at the undulating waves of the harbor, he suddenly realized a terrible truth.

The "Heureia" who had a long talk with her in the Yiyan Palace Square never offered any insights beyond the scope of the Salt Demon God's memories.

"So Ning Lan..."

The traveler's voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the sound of the waves.

"I merely helped Ningguang eliminate the traitors."

Famas turned to look at the sea, his silhouette appearing particularly sharp in the shimmering waves. "Her death can be exchanged for something else, so it can be considered that she has made the most of her resources."

“Ningguang clearly didn’t intend for Ninglan to live too long… Do you really think an ordinary person who has lost the Eye of God can live comfortably in a place like the Abyss of Layered Rocks?”

Paimon opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She looked at the traveler for help, only to find that the girl's face was also as pale as paper.

The noise from the dock suddenly seemed very distant, as if it were coming through a thick layer of frosted glass.

After a long silence, the traveler finally managed to speak: "Then what's the point of waking Heureia...?"

Famas smacked his lips, the sunlight gilding his features with a blood-red edge, and the boy gave an enigmatic smile:

"Who knows? Maybe I really feel guilty about her death... or maybe I just want to see if grass slime can be used as a carrier of primordial matter?"

Paimon gasped at the flippant reply. The traveler gripped his sword hilt tightly, but froze when he met the unfathomable dark red in Famas's eyes.

There was no mockery there, only something almost melancholic that she couldn't understand. The waves crashed against the embankment, endlessly.

"Why should humanity entrust its very existence and survival to capricious gods who are easily averted and can vanish at any moment?"

Pantalone's somber words seemed to still echo in the traveler's ears.

When she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Famas's expression, she suddenly realized that what he said might indeed make sense.

Gods are ultimately uncontrollable beings on the continent of Teyvat.

"Perhaps... he's right."

The traveler whispered to himself unconsciously.

"Who's right?"

Famas keenly caught the subtle sound, tilted his head, and stared intently at the traveler.

The girl then realized she had spoken out of turn and hurriedly tried to suppress her emotions.

"I mean, the lantern sales were pretty good."

The traveler abruptly changed the subject, and Famas, who had clearly heard the girl's earlier whisper, didn't delve into it. Instead, he followed the new topic with a hint of amusement, asking, "You don't really think Pantalone wants to help you, do you?"

If Paimon was completely bewildered and unable to explain the philosophical and ethical issues concerning the Ship of Theseus and the replicants, then the little guy's nerves immediately tightened when it came to the issue of Mora's loss.

"what?!"

Paimon instantly lost his temper, throwing all his previous confusion to the winds, his mind now filled only with the Mora he had painstakingly saved up.

"Famas! What do you mean by saying Pantalone won't help us?!"

Paimon stamped his feet in frustration at the thought of the Mora that might have gone down the drain.

Famas, looking completely at ease, spread his hands and said confidently, "Didn't he talk at length with you at the dinner party, describing his grand plans and lofty ideals? But after all that, didn't he ultimately just want you to buy his night light tickets?"

Despite not having participated in the dinner, FAMAS spoke as if he had personally experienced it.

"N-no, that's right..." Paimon's voice began to tremble, and the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger and stronger. "Famas, how...how did you know?"

"Isn't this obvious?"

Famas spoke in a flat tone.

He finally realized that Pantalone would talk about his lofty ideals with everyone he talked to, and then lure the other person into his linguistic trap.

No wonder the young master described Pantalone as an ambitious man full of grand plans.

"Because he's a banker, everything he says ultimately points to profit."

Famas paused, his gaze sweeping over the traveler and Paimon with a hint of scrutiny:

"Don't you know how popular you are in Liyue? Here, you are the great heroes who saved the entire port."

"Even great heroes are rushing to buy lantern tickets, so what will happen to ordinary people who get the news? You can imagine the frenzy they will go through."

Famas's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering the traveler up.

She recalled the bustling crowds and excited atmosphere outside Yujingtai when she bought the lanterns at the exchange. At the time, she thought that the festive atmosphere might have played a part, but now that she thought about it, she realized that behind that fervor was probably Pantalone's carefully orchestrated manipulation.

Given the crowded conditions in front of the exchange, her and Paimon's actions wouldn't be very conspicuous, but there were still people who could accurately identify them...

She was indeed outmaneuvered by that banker. (End of Chapter)