Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

The next morning, Phanes squatted on the steps at the entrance of the side hall of the Palace of Pure Goodness, holding a cup of coffee he had bought from a street in Sumeru.

The mornings in Sumeru are much warmer than in winter. The air is filled with the mixed aroma of spices and baked goods, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the columns, spreading a row of thin patches of light on the steps.

The wanderer emerged from the side hall and stood beside him, gazing at the distant, layered rooftops of Sumeru City, as if trying to ascertain his location and orientation in his own way. He remained silent for a moment before speaking: "How's that beast Dottore doing now?"

Fanes, holding his coffee, glanced at him sideways: "My dear son, he's in dire straits himself. He tried to erase the other slices, but failed. Now he's being ganged up on by all the slices, and he's probably about to be beaten to death."

The wanderer's gaze visibly shifted for a moment when Fanes uttered the words "good son," but quickly returned to its original position, as if he were ignoring the address in his own way, refocusing on the subject: "Failure? Didn't he already make a deal with the little grass god?"

Fanes took a sip of coffee: "The deal is done. But he underestimated the independence of those slices. He thought that as long as he agreed to destroy all the slices, they would cooperate with his plan and automatically eliminate themselves. But those slices are also themselves; they have their own will and judgment—when they sense that they are being eliminated, those slices will spontaneously unite to resist him. He is now being besieged by more than a dozen versions of himself at different ages, each of whom knows his weaknesses. As of yesterday, he had two broken ribs and dislocated his left arm once, and is currently receiving emergency treatment in some underground laboratory."

After listening to him finish speaking, the homeless man paused for a moment: "...Please don't kill him."

Fanes put down his coffee cup: "So, you're showing some compassion now?"

The homeless man turned his head and glanced at him, his voice neither loud nor soft, as if stating a confirmed fact: "I just want to kill him with my own hands."

Fanes nodded: "That fits the character perfectly."

Fanes finished the last sip of his coffee and placed the empty cup on the windowsill beside him. "So, are you staying here, or coming with us?"

The wanderer stood on the steps: "I'll stay in Sumeru. There are still some things to take care of. And I also need some time to make sure I'm really ready to face the situation on the Winter Solstice side."

Fanes stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Alright. Be careful. If you run into any trouble, you can contact me. I've already had someone reserve a communication terminal for you, and it's already registered."

The homeless man's gaze flickered slightly when he said, "It's already registered": "When did you register?"

Fanes said, "Last night, while you were in your room, I had the equipment delivered and set up the basic account registration and common functions for you."

The homeless man stood on the steps, looked down at his empty hand: "...I don't need your care."

Fanes had already reached the bottom of the steps: "I know. Consider it an extra copy prepared on the spot."

Fanes walked down the steps, where Jakoda was waiting at the courtyard gate, carrying her somewhat bulging backpack. Seeing Fanes approach, she glanced towards the side hall and asked, "What did he say?"

Phanes said, "He stayed in Mount Sumeru. He said so himself."

Yakoda withdrew her gaze: "That's good too. He does need some time to adapt to his new identity and role."

The two walked side by side out of the side gate of the Pure Land Palace and along the main road leading to the outskirts of Sumeru City. Sumeru City was just waking up in the morning, and the stalls along the street were gradually opening. As they passed the large, leafy tree at the city gate, Fanes slowed his pace. He glanced sideways at the bushes by the roadside.

Three mushroom monsters crouched at the edge of the bushes. They were small, dark in color, and covered with a layer of slowly undulating mycelial structure.

They were forming a semicircle, trapping a little girl in a corner by the roadside.

The little girl looked to be about ten years old. She was wearing a light-colored short-sleeved dress and was holding a water bottle that was half-depressed. She was leaning against the wall, her eyes moving back and forth between the three mushroom monsters.

She didn't cry or shout; she just stood there quietly, as if trying to understand the logic behind the three mushroom monsters' actions before deciding how to respond.

When Yakoda saw that scene, she had already gripped her bow: "I'll go take care of it."

Yakoda had only taken half a step forward when Fanes grabbed her wrist: "Don't worry about it. Yellow Hair will handle it later."

Fanes released her wrist. "And look closely at that little girl. Even though she's blocked, she's not panicking. She's observing the direction and rhythm of those mushroom monsters' movements, judging their patterns and potential weaknesses. She just lacks the right opportunity to take the next step."

Yakoda followed his gaze. Sure enough, although the little girl was leaning against the wall, the water in her hand hadn't spilled, as if she was waiting for an opportunity. She turned her head to look at Fanes: "...Are you sure?"

Fanes had already turned around and continued walking forward: "Sure. And think about it, if we intervene, the little girl might see us as just another group to deal with, and her attention will shift from the mushroom monsters to us, disrupting her own rhythm. But if the traveler handles it—the little girl will be more receptive to her help, because the traveler seems like someone who would just happen to be passing by and lend a hand."

Yakoda thought for a moment: "...What you said seems to make sense."

Jakoda glanced back in that direction again, then turned and followed Fanes.

As they left Sumeru City, Fanes glanced back and saw Ying running from the main road, sword in hand, passing through the semicircle formed by the three mushroom monsters and shielding the little girl behind her.

Then they started walking towards the city gate, and after a while, they turned onto a side path leading to the forest. Yakoda stood on the slope, watching the receding figure: "It seems she's taken on a new mission. Judging from the direction, she's going deeper into the rainforest, and that little girl knows the route very well, like she's been there many times before."

Fanes said, "That task is called the Forest Book."

Yakoda turned to look at him: "How did you know?"

"I'm guessing," Fanes said. "And those kinds of missions usually take a long time; she'll probably be deep in the map for a while."

Fanes turned and continued walking along the road leading to the port of Ormos.

After walking alongside him for a while, Yakoda asked, "Aren't you planning to wait for her to finish her mission before leaving?"

Fanes said, "No. Her mission is expected to last for some time, and our schedule can't be adjusted arbitrarily because of a random event. I've already got the ship at the port ready to depart. If we delay the departure time, the subsequent voyage connections and unloading times will also be affected."

Yakoda walked beside him: "What if you guess wrong? What if the quest isn't the Forest Book?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "Then let's just say she's taken on a rainforest exploration mission that will take time to complete. She'll finish it anyway. Knowing her personality, once she accepts a mission, she'll complete it seriously and won't give up halfway just because the mission takes a long time."

Yakoda did not ask any further questions.

The docks of Omosport were busier than usual in the afternoon sun. Several ships were loading and unloading cargo, and the steel cables of the cranes gleamed in the sunlight, lined up along the edge of the dock, each completing its loading and unloading process in turn.

Fanes walked along the dock for a while and stopped in front of a relatively small cargo ship. The ship had a number painted on its hull and its bow was facing the sea.

Fanes boarded the ship, walked to the bow, straightened his coat collar, took out the two radiant Hearts of God from his pocket, confirmed they maintained their steady brightness, and then put them back in his inner pocket. Yakoda also boarded. She walked to the railing, glanced at him sideways, and asked, "Shall we set off now?"

Fanes leaned against the ship's railing: "Let's go. Once winter comes, we'll hand these things over, and then we'll be fine for the time being."

The ship rocked gently, moving a short distance towards the port's exit before turning towards the open sea along the shipping lanes. The outline of the lighthouse along the port's edge gradually diminished, soon becoming a tiny dot being absorbed by the distant horizon, before finally merging completely into the shimmering blue sea.