"That Prince of Snezhnaya looked really scary just now," Paimon whispered to the Traveler once they were outside the basement. "He definitely wasn't joking. If that Harbinger—La Signora—can't figure things out, she'll really be replaced, won't she?"
The Traveler shook his head gently. "He was strict, yeah… but it was for Lady Rosalyne's sake."
"Hey, you two," Lisa cut in with a warning smile. "It's not very polite to discuss people like that right in front of His Highness."
"Sorry!" Paimon hurriedly apologized.
Severin chuckled softly. "It's fine. The Eleven Harbingers are my colleagues, but when there are problems, I correct them one by one. You said I was strict—this has always been my way. I'm far harsher on my own people than on outsiders."
Lisa looked at him with admiration. "Snezhnaya's rise clearly wasn't an accident. Your Highness, has the Fatui ever considered adding a twelfth Harbinger? After getting tired of peaceful Mondstadt, perhaps Snezhnaya would be a refreshing change."
This time, Severin answered with solemn seriousness.
"Every Fatui Harbinger carries a past unknown to outsiders," he said.
"They joined Snezhnaya after walking through darkness, tragedy, fury, despair—or out of selfishness or profit. But never for the sake of 'trying something new.'"
"Miss Lisa, you still don't truly understand us. Otherwise, you would know that if there were a better choice, no one would willingly become a Harbinger. Even the title and authority of 'Prince of Snezhnaya'—if people knew the story behind it, they would no longer envy or fantasize about it."
Lisa realized her joke had crossed a line.
"I apologize for what I said. Each Harbinger of Snezhnaya is irreplaceable."
The more she interacted with Severin, the more unfathomable—and worthy of respect—he seemed.
With matters in the library concluded, Lisa prepared to bid farewell.
But Severin suddenly did something that left her utterly stunned.
A blur flashed past.
Paimon vanished.
Not only Lisa froze—the Traveler was completely dumbfounded.
"Paimon? Where are you?! Paimon—!"
The Traveler and Lisa split up, searching the streets for her.
Though he had only arrived in Mondstadt recently, the Traveler already cherished Paimon deeply. Without realizing it, he had come to see her as his most reliable companion in this unfamiliar world.
They bullied Slimes together in the forest.
Grilled food together at Hilichurl camps.
Spent every night and morning side by side.
When he was lonely, Paimon stayed with him.
When he was sad, Paimon cheered him up.
They had long since become inseparable.
The Fatui's reputation in Mondstadt was notoriously poor, and the Traveler knew little about the Prince of Snezhnaya. Imagining Paimon being taken away—and possibly harmed—sent him into panic.
After searching fruitlessly, Aether finally broke down in tears.
"W–Waaah… Paimon, Paimon, come back! Where are you? Please answer me… please, just answer me!"
With the Lawrence Clan occupying the Knights' headquarters, Mondstadt was unusually deserted that day. The Traveler's lonely figure looked all the more desolate against the empty streets.
What he didn't know—
Was that every one of his movements was being broadcast by Severin.
In the spacious wine cellar of a Mondstadt noble estate, Severin projected the Traveler's actions onto a stone wall using divine power.
He remained silent.
Beside him, Paimon watched the entire scene unfold—watching the Traveler crumble without her. Her heart shattered completely, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
Only when the moment felt right did Severin finally speak.
"I apologize for separating you, Paimon. You may resent my cruelty—but considering the dangers that await you both, I wanted you to understand the meaning of the word companion sooner rather than later."
To dispel the darkness shrouding Teyvat, Severin was one of the central pillars.
The twins—Aether, Lumine—and Paimon formed another.
His plan was to prepare them early—to force growth through understanding.
If he were to fall one day… then at least this world would still have a sliver of hope.
Of course, such an outcome was unlikely.
Still, helping the Traveler and Paimon grasp the meaning of their journey was, in a way, also helping himself.
More importantly, he needed the Traveler to witness and record history—to resist the most fatal enemy of the gods: erosion.
Gods were nearly immortal.
But erosion could corrode divinity itself, leading even gods to ruin.
Severin's power now rivaled that of the Seven. He had only been in Teyvat for three years—erosion had not yet affected him. But defying the Heavenly Principles was not a short-term endeavor.
How to resist erosion had long been on his mind.
And… it was also connected to his sister.
Paimon wiped her tears, no longer as afraid of Severin as before.
"The meaning… of a companion?"
Severin spoke with rare gentleness.
"Paimon, you are but one star among countless others. But to him—you are the entire world."
Paimon, not the sharpest in such matters, didn't fully understand at first. She only felt her heart ache.
"W–Why does hearing that make me feel so sad…?"
Severin stepped forward and hugged her reassuringly.
"Paimon, this journey is not only about the Traveler finding his sister. It is also about you—finding your lost memories."
"My… memories?" Paimon sniffed. "Yeah… I really can't remember my past. It's like I woke up one day and got fished out of the sea by the Traveler. He's always been so tolerant of me, never asking about where I came from. He's always believed I'm a really, really good companion."
"Your Highness… you seem to know who I was before. If I turn out to be a bad person, can you tell me early? So I can leave the Traveler before I hurt him."
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
Severin's words filled her with hope—and fear.
The fear that she might one day hurt the person she cared about most was unbearable.
Severin gently rubbed her head, his gaze deep and unreadable.
"You're still too weak. Knowing too much now would only harm you. When you and the Traveler truly understand the meaning of this journey, you'll grow stronger—and understand the value of your meeting."
Paimon's true identity surpassed that of ordinary gods—perhaps even the Seven themselves. It might even be tied to Celestia.
Severin could not yet give her a definitive answer.
Since his arrival in Teyvat, countless threads of fate had already shifted. Paimon's and the Traveler's destinies were changing as well.
Perhaps the entire world had changed with him.
The future remained shrouded in mist.
Beside him, Paimon looked again at the projection on the wall—at the Traveler's tear-streaked face.
Each time he cried, her heart clenched in pain.
At last, she laughed through her tears.
"Even though the Traveler always calls me dumb… this time I figured it out. Your Highness, you were just tricking me a little, weren't you? You said all that so I'd protect the Traveler, right?"
"Don't worry! As long as he never abandons me, I'll protect him forever!"
…A surprisingly sharp little one.
"All right," Severin said with a helpless smile. "It's time to go back. Otherwise, your companion might come knocking at my door for answers."
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