"Can't you stop just sitting there and watching?"
"At least try to talk the old man down."
Noticing Rowan sitting calmly in his seat, not the least bit flustered, Venti called out in exasperation.
If Zhongli really charged straight for Sumeru, the nation would be plunged into calamity. At the very least, those people in the Akademiya would never survive it.
Venti had no real ties to them and no reason to plead on their behalf. But the Seven Nations had a rule: they must not interfere in one another's internal affairs.
That rule was set at the very first gathering of the Seven Archons. On top of that, there was another: no Archon was to enter another nation's territory without prior notice.
These had long since become the unspoken laws shared by the Seven.
In practice, only Venti and Zhongli occasionally dropped by each other's lands; the rest hardly ever visited. Partly because their relationships weren't great to begin with, partly because of these tacit rules.
And of course, some had no intention of speaking with foreign nations at all—Natlan and Inazuma were prime examples.
"Then let him go," Rowan said.
"If anything, the sooner Lesser Lord Kusanali is released, the better."
He took a slow sip of tea, looking perfectly at ease. Was he really just "informing" them of the little Dendro Archon's situation?
What a joke. Of course he was baiting the idle Geo Archon to go stir up trouble in Sumeru.
Rowan didn't have the time to play savior to the little grass god.
But Zhongli did—and had plenty of it.
"Uh…"
Venti was speechless. If he still couldn't see what Rowan was angling for, he might as well be Tartaglia.
What a sly fox.
Zhongli, over there, also heard Rowan's words and realized the little Archon's plight had been brought up on purpose—to see what he would do.
To pull a stunt this mischievous… truly speechless.
Forget it. Best to rein in his temper a little.
At his age, still so impulsive. Honestly.
And given the pact that barred the Seven from freely entering other nations, he shouldn't go courting trouble.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't Liyue's affair. If something like this happened in Liyue, he would act no matter what. If it happened in Mondstadt, he would likely do the same.
But in Sumeru—though Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had once enjoyed good relations with them—it still wasn't quite the same as with Venti and him.
Besides, the one imprisoned now was the little Dendro Archon. She had, in a sense, consented to her confinement. That gave Zhongli even less reason to intervene.
Having thought it through, Zhongli drew back the riotous Geo energy thundering around them and returned to take his seat before Rowan.
He fixed Rowan with a steady stare for a moment, then took a sip of tea and finally spoke.
"You really do love stirring the pot."
"What, did my reaction surprise you again?" Rowan replied with an easy smile, not the least bit embarrassed.
"Not at all."
"If it were your younger days—overbearing, sweeping the six directions—then yes, the moment you heard someone had imprisoned a god, you'd have dropped a few dozen 'Planet Befall' on Sumeru without hesitation."
"Because divinity must not be insulted, even if Sumeru has nothing to do with you."
"Isn't that right, Consultant Zhongli of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
Zhongli's eyes finally shifted; he narrowed them.
"And what about the me of today?"
He even knew about Zhongli's work with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
This "descender" knew a bit too much, didn't he?
If Rowan had lived in Liyue for a while, such knowledge wouldn't be difficult to pick up. Zhongli wouldn't be so puzzled then. But he was certain they had never met before.
So where was Rowan getting all this information? The goings-on inside Inazuma, the little Dendro Archon's imprisonment in Sumeru—things even the Archons themselves were not fully aware of. How did an outsider know?
It was all highly suspicious. But Zhongli didn't press the question. He knew that even if he asked, Rowan might not answer. Pointless, really.
While Zhongli pondered, Rowan went on.
"Now? You've already made your choice, haven't you?"
"You're angry, yes—but once you actually set foot in Sumeru, you'd cool down quickly and realize there's no need to be so furious."
"In the end, this matter doesn't concern you much. There's no reason to let it rile you."
"Even if, out of respect for Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, you feel a pull to help Sumeru, there's still no need to interfere in their internal affairs."
"Isn't that so?"
Zhongli paused mid-sip and let out a helpless sigh.
"It seems you've seen straight through me."
"I won't bother asking how you know these things. Go on."
"What's the situation with Fontaine's current Hydro Archon, Focalors?"
To the people of Fontaine, Furina was the Hydro Archon. But anyone with a clear head could tell that Furina—a long-lived girl with not a shred of divine power—was no true god. The real Hydro Archon was Egeria's successor, Focalors.
Especially in the eyes of other gods, whether Furina was mortal or divine was obvious at a glance. Even the Fatui had sensed something amiss—never mind the Archons.
And Focalors would have her reasons for doing this. Since Rowan had painted the other nations' fates in such harsh colors, Fontaine surely wouldn't be an exception.
"As for Fontaine," Rowan said, "I'll say only this:"
"They have a god who loves them. Beyond that, I can't speak."
"It ties into their plan. I'm sure you've heard the prophecy:"
'All Fontaine will dissolve into the sea, and the Hydro Archon alone will sit upon the throne and weep.'
"All I can tell you is that Focalors has been plotting to break that prophecy. The rest, I can't—won't—say."
Furina's five hundred years of suffering—five hundred years of performance—couldn't be wasted by a careless tongue.
These two wouldn't go broadcasting it. Even so, Rowan couldn't casually reveal truths to anyone from Teyvat. Otherwise, he might ruin Focalors and Furina's designs completely.
Even if the Sustainer slumbered now, who could guarantee she wouldn't stir at Focalors's defiance?
Those seven primordial authorities, wrested at great cost from the Seven Dragon Sovereigns—Rowan couldn't allow them to be simply handed back to Neuvillette.
So this had to remain secret. No one could be told.
"I see," Zhongli murmured. "Then what of Natlan's god?"
(End of Chapter)
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