This life had lasted far too long.
Far, far too long.
A thousand years of reincarnation had planted real hesitation in Elliot's heart.
Yes.
Now, he no longer truly wished to return.
This place was too beautiful.
He had the strength to stop disasters before they happened. He had the strength to protect it all.
With his mask on, the karmic debt no longer left him drained and broken. As long as he used the Calming Mantra once every day or two, his spirit would recover.
Even though this was an age of war, to Elliot it felt like a hidden paradise.
At the very least, he could protect it.
But he remembered—he remembered the vow he had sworn, the promises he had spoken, the contracts he had made.
And so Elliot dared not.
He dared not grow too close to the people he had once lived alongside.
All he wished was for Qiqi—to live like a normal girl.
As long as she didn't become a zombie, everything else could be endured.
After all, humans instinctively reject what is different.
Even if others didn't, she herself would.
Like Ganyu—no one ever said they hated her, no one discriminated against her. Yet Ganyu herself felt she could never truly belong among Liyue's mortals.
In the end, the best identity for living among humans was still to be human.
Having saved Qiqi, Elliot was already content. He dared not bind himself to her too closely, lest he grow too attached to this life.
Elliot returned to where he had rescued Qiqi, quietly observing the battle from the shadows.
In the end, the Adepti and Ganyu had worn the god down until it finally fell.
Once he confirmed their victory, Elliot left the battlefield and returned to Mt. Tianheng.
Looking out toward Liyue, he saw groups of people carrying their belongings, heading toward Guili Plains.
For now, everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly.
...
In the days that followed, life settled into a quiet rhythm amid the chaos of war.
As expected, the grasslands were named "Guili Plains."
The name hadn't come easily—they had debated it for quite some time.
At first, they tried combining Morax's and Gui Zhong's names, but no matter how they arranged them, it didn't sound right.
Neither "Morax" nor "Geo Emperor" suited the land.
Then Morax suddenly recalled the human name Elliot had once given him: Zhongli.
That struck the right chord. They combined Gui Zhong's "Gui" with Zhongli's "Li," naming the vast Glaze Lily–covered fields "Guili Plains."
"Your approach is flawed. I tested this type of mechanism before, but it was rejected by the Sovereign," said Cloud Retainer, studying the model before her.
"The Sovereign again? What did he say?" Guizhong asked, surprised.
"While its power is considerable, the firing speed is too slow, and it's difficult to conceal. It wouldn't threaten a god—at best, it could handle their followers."
Cloud Retainer repeated Elliot's past judgment.
Hearing this, Guizhong carefully examined the mechanical model she had built. The more she looked, the more she realized Cloud Retainer was right.
"Now that you put it that way… it does seem flawed." Guizhong admitted the design's weakness.
"But just who is this 'Sovereign' you all speak of? I've never even seen him."
Both Guizhong and Cloud Retainer loved mechanical arts, often studying them together. Yet many of Guizhong's creations were dismissed.
Not so much by Cloud Retainer, but by Elliot through her.
Every time, Elliot would find flaw after flaw, and so, even now, no machine capable of slaying a god had been created.
What does he look like? Even I've never seen him," Morax said calmly from nearby.
"No way! Not even you?"
"I mean his face. Since the day I met him, my elder brother has always worn a mask. We've lived together for over a hundred years, and he's never once taken it off."
At his words, Guizhong was stunned, her imagination of Elliot growing even larger.
It wasn't that Elliot refused to meet her—it was that he thought her too perceptive. If they met, she might see through him far too easily.
"I've made some fresh bamboo shoot soup for you all."
While they spoke, Marchosius approached, carrying a large tray with three steaming bowls.
"Thank you, Marchosius," Guizhong said warmly.
"Thanks," Morax added.
"It's nothing. This is the least I can do for you. I need to prepare dinner, so I'll head back."
With that, Marchosius returned to the village with his tray.
"So fresh and sweet—truly a Marchosius dish. I never tire of it," Cloud Retainer said as she immediately began eating.
"Morax…"
Morax had just lifted his spoon when Guizhong called to him.
"Sometimes, showing a little more expression… isn't such a bad thing."
She gazed seriously at his stony, expressionless face.
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Your command of Geo doesn't mean you must always wear a face as rigid as stone."
"Truth be told, the Emperor is very gentle. It's only because of everything he has endured that he seems this way," Cloud Retainer added, sipping her soup.