Genshin Impact: I'm just a mortal

Yu Xie couldn't quite figure out the reason behind the change, so he simply put away his Vision and tried to sense the flow of elemental energy.

When it came to manipulating elemental energy, he was still a complete novice and not yet proficient.

After several attempts, however, he managed to achieve relatively stable control over the elemental energy within his body.

To take it a step further... Yu Xie turned to look at Shenhe.

Shenhe was undoubtedly far more adept at controlling elemental energy than he was, and Yu Xie decided to seek her guidance.

"Shenhe," Yu Xie sat down at the table, "I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"If you have a question, just ask; no need to be so formal," Shenhe replied.

"Well..."

Before Yu Xie could finish his sentence, a knock suddenly came at the door.

It was the voice of the inn's maid.

"Exc-Excuse me, sir, um... T-The Shogun is looking for you. The Shogun asked me to see if you have a moment and if she could come in to meet with you."

The maid's voice carried an unmistakable nervousness. Her words were likely genuine—it's only natural for an ordinary person to feel anxious and excited when meeting a Archon who governs Inazuma.

Yu Xie thought for a moment before responding to the maid outside, "Of course, please invite the Shogun in."

"Y-Yes!"

The footsteps outside gradually faded away.

"The Shogun—she's Raiden Shogun, the Archon of Inazuma, correct?" Shenhe asked Yu Xie.

"Yes, that's right," Yu Xie nodded.

"Why would Inazuma's Archon take the initiative to seek us out?" Shenhe paused, realizing her question might have been phrased incorrectly.

It wasn't "us" she was here to see—she was here to see Yu Xie.

She'd heard that Raiden Shogun, the Archon of Inazuma, was a woman.

For some inexplicable reason, Shenhe began to feel a faint sense of nervousness.

Although she had lived alongside Adepti for many years, she had never encountered a true Archon before.

Could it be that Yu Xie already knew Inazuma's Archon from before?

Yu Xie had once been a great general in Liyue during the Archon War. If he had also known Inazuma's gods in the past, it wouldn't be all that surprising.

And she herself was merely a mortal. Compared to a Archon, did she seem far too insignificant?

As this thought crossed her mind, Shenhe realized how much her thinking had changed.

In the past, she would never have thought like this—she wouldn't have compared herself to others.

Nor would she have felt this faint worry in her heart, like she was afraid of losing Yu Xie...

"Perhaps it's because of what happened when we went to Tenshukaku today," Yu Xie speculated briefly.

Just as Yu Xie finished speaking, the sound of footsteps approached the door once again.

This time, the footsteps were distinctly different from the maid's, carrying an indescribable poise.

Eventually, the footsteps stopped outside the door.

Yu Xie could sense that the beautiful Archon of Inazuma was standing just beyond the door.

"Yu Xie, may I come in?" A melodious voice passed through the door and reached Yu Xie's ears.

The voice carried a trace of familiarity, as if he had heard it in a dream or long ago.

"Of course. The door is locked; I'll open it," Yu Xie said, walking over to unlock the door.

A woman with long purple hair, dressed in a light purple kimono, came into Yu Xie's view—Raiden Makoto.

After hundreds of years, their reunion happened in such an ordinary inn.

But even so, even though it was such a plain and unremarkable meeting, Raiden Makoto's heart was filled with warmth and satisfaction.

Yu Xie had truly returned.

Makoto had thought of many things to say as her first words to Yu Xie.

A simple "long time no see," or perhaps "I hope you've been well?"

Yet at this moment, it seemed all those rehearsed lines vanished. Looking at Yu Xie standing before her, she found herself speechless.

So many years had passed, yet Yu Xie hadn't changed a bit.

Yu Xie, too, was momentarily stunned.

The person before him wasn't Ei. If his guess was correct, this woman, who looked identical to Ei but exuded a completely different aura, must be Ei's elder sister.

Yu Xie had wondered before—since the story had changed so much, could it mean that Makoto was still alive and well?

Now, the answer was clear.

Yu Xie suddenly smiled.

Though he didn't know what had caused the original tragic ending to change, he was truly glad it had.

"Yu... Yu Xie..." After a moment of silence, Makoto spoke again, but only managed to call his name, as memories of the past surged over her like a tide.

"Come in first, let's talk inside," Yu Xie said.

Soon, the three of them were seated at the table inside the room.

"This must be Miss Shenhe, correct?" Makoto asked with a gentle smile, looking at Shenhe.

"Yes, hello," Shenhe replied calmly, her expression neutral. She wasn't surprised that Makoto knew her name—after all, as the ruler of Inazuma, it would have been easy for her to gather such information.

Still, Shenhe couldn't help but study Makoto slightly.

Though she was a Archon, there wasn't a trace of arrogance about her—none of the usual sense of separation between mortals and gods.

On the contrary, Shenhe felt that Makoto seemed more like a mature, experienced, and exceptionally beautiful woman.

Her flawless face and impeccable figure were beyond reproach—perfect in every sense.

The thought made Shenhe suddenly feel a twinge of anxiety about her own appearance and figure... a strange feeling indeed.

The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat subtle, and Yu Xie broke the silence.

"What brings you here, Shogun?"

"If possible, there's no need to call me Shogun; just Makoto will do... I simply wanted to see you," Makoto replied with a smile. "Last night, Yae Miko came to visit you, didn't she? Please don't mind her—she has a rather impulsive personality at times.

"And please don't blame the two guards at the entrance to Tenshukaku. They didn't recognize you at first and were just following protocol. Once they realized the situation was different, they promptly reported it to me."

"Of course not," Yu Xie said with a smile. "So, in the past, in Inazuma, I..."

"In the past, you were the Commander of the Okuzumeshuu and the leader of the Imperial Guard," Makoto said slowly.

The Commander of the Okuzumeshuu... Hearing this, both Yu Xie and Shenhe fell silent for a moment.

Yu Xie marveled at how much he must have experienced in his past.

Shenhe reflected on how, compared to such a history, her connection with Yu Xie seemed much more fleeting.

"During the Khaenri'ah War, I nearly lost my life on the battlefield—it was you who saved me," Makoto said, her gaze at Yu Xie filled with gratitude and a special kind of emotion.

Yu Xie was taken aback.

So the reason Makoto was still alive and well was because he had changed the original course of events?

End of chapter

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