Ye stood at the harbor, slightly turning his head to glance at the Traveler and Paimon as they approached.
"Are you leaving, Ye?"
Hearing Paimon's question, Ye nodded slightly. "If I don't leave, no one in Inazuma will feel at ease."
Ye's purpose in coming to Inazuma was mostly accomplished. He had boosted his popularity in front of the players, convinced the Raiden Shogun to lift the Sakoku Decree, and only one goal remained unfulfilled. However, that was for version 2.6, which was still far off. So, it was time to leave.
After all, as Ye had said, if he stayed in Inazuma, many people would feel uneasy—especially after his defeat of Sen'emon.
"I heard you defeated Sen'emon very easily?"
See, even the Traveler was curious enough to break her usual silence and ask.
Ye felt a bit helpless but had no choice but to explain in a calm tone, "It's not so much that I defeated her easily, but rather that she was intimidated by me, which led to her defeat."
"What do you mean by that?" Paimon spread her hands, confused. "We heard Sen'emon herself say that you possess strength far beyond her current capabilities."
"If it were the me of the past, defeating Sen'emon wouldn't have been difficult. But five hundred years ago, I suffered a severe injury, and my power is now less than a tenth of what it once was. The current me isn't as strong as Sen'emon thinks."
"Then…?"
"Although my power has weakened, my physical strength remains."
Ye said calmly:
"Sen'emon's sword couldn't harm my body. That's why she 'wisely' gave up."
"It's quite ironic. Sen'emon isn't a fool but a wise person. That's why she understood one thing very clearly—"
"To defeat someone, the basic prerequisite is to be able to break through their defense. Only then do you have a chance of winning, whether it's one percent, one in a thousand, or one in ten thousand. Having a chance is what gives meaning to the fight."
"But if you can't even break through their defense, then the fight itself is meaningless."
"So, when Sen'emon realized that her strongest strike couldn't harm me, she 'wisely' gave up on a futile struggle."
"She knew I had no intention of killing her, so she decided to save the real fight for the future, for the day when she might have even the slightest chance of victory."
Paimon asked, puzzled, "So if Sen'emon had kept fighting, could she have defeated you?"
"Not really. It's just that my strength now lies only in this body. So if she hadn't given up, while she couldn't defeat me, I also couldn't defeat her."
Ye patiently explained:
"Ironically, it was Sen'emon's 'wisdom' that led to her defeat. So, Traveler, remember this: sometimes, it's better to be a bit foolish."
"I see." Paimon nodded, finally understanding.
—Meanwhile, the Traveler looked at Ye with exasperation.
"Do you really think I'd believe you now?"
"..."
Ye was the one who felt speechless this time. No one believed the truth anymore. Everything he had said was completely factual!
Forget it. Whether they believed him or not, Ye didn't need to convince anyone.
So, Ye simply delivered the closing dialogue for version 2.2: "I'm leaving. If you have any more questions, ask them now. I'll answer them truthfully."
As it happened, the Traveler did have many questions.
"About the Hydro Archon…"
"Ah, you came to Inazuma to meet the Raiden Shogun, so naturally, you'd want to meet Lady Furina as well. However, I don't recommend going to Fontaine right now. Your next destination should be Sumeru."
"Why?"
"Because something is about to happen there. The Dendro Archon needs your help."
"The Dendro Archon… I remember Zhongli said that the Dendro Archon is the youngest of the current Archons."
"That's correct. The current Dendro Archon, the Lesser Lord Kusanali, was born only five hundred years ago and inherited the Dendro Archon's throne shortly after. While the other nations also have second-generation Archons, they had lived for unknown lengths of time before ascending. That's why the Lesser Lord Kusanali is also considered the weakest among the Seven… though there are other factors at play."
"She needs my help? But she's a god."
"Even gods can find themselves in helpless situations."
"Why do you want me to help her?"
"Because without the Dendro Archon, things would get very troublesome. Like her predecessor, the current Dendro Archon is an incarnation of the Irminsul, wielding its authority. Just as the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, guarded the Primordial Sea, the Lesser Lord Kusanali is tasked with guarding the Irminsul."
Ye gazed at the distant sea, his tone light as he spoke:
"With Egeria's death, the ancient dragon's authority was split once more. The current Hydro Archon, Focalors, inherited the Hydro Archon's throne, while a new Hydro Dragon was born from Egeria's remains. The Primordial Sea lost its restraint, and Fontaine was set on an inevitable path. The Irminsul is no less important than the Primordial Sea. In fact, for Teyvat today, it's even more crucial. That's why I don't want anything to happen to the Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Let's end this topic here. Once you go to Sumeru and then Fontaine, you'll understand everything."
"Alright, do you have any more questions?"
The Traveler frowned. "About the Gnosis…"
"You must have heard from Yae that she traded the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis to me." Ye nodded slightly. "But I've already traded the Gnosis to the Sixth Fatui Harbinger, Scaramouche—though it was a one-sided trade. He doesn't know what I want from him in return."
"Why?"
"When I come across a useful tool, I can't help but want to take control of it and play with it. It's a bad habit of mine—blame him for being so simple-minded that I couldn't resist."
"A useful tool?"
"When you get to Sumeru, you'll understand. Scaramounce should be heading there now."
"Alright, do you have any more questions?"
Once again, the Traveler was left frustrated by Ye's cryptic answers. She sighed and asked, "Are you, like me, trapped in this world by that unknown god?"
"Not exactly. While there were other factors that led to my arrival in this world, staying here was my choice."
"Your choice?"
Ye glanced back at the Traveler. "When there's a girl crying for help right in front of you, any man would choose to lend a hand, wouldn't he?"
"Alright, do you have any more questions?"
The Traveler was utterly defeated by Ye's riddles. The more she asked, the more confused she became. Why did I even bother asking!?
"No more questions."
"In that case, farewell. The next time we meet will likely be when you arrive in Fontaine."