The first "wish" the Traveler had to fulfill in the book was that of an old man.
In Konda Village, there was a guardian—except this guardian seemed to have forgotten what he was guarding.
In the story, Tejima wanted to leave the village he had protected for so long, and the villagers were trying to persuade him to stay.
The Traveler inquired about Tejima from the villagers, and seeing that the Traveler seemed intent on convincing him to stay, the villagers shared everything they knew.
[Mahiru: "Tejima... He came here thirty years ago and has been guarding this place ever since."]
["He drove away Treasure Hoarders, repelled nearby monsters, mediated village disputes... He poured his heart into this place, and we regard him as the most respected figure here."]
["But now, he suddenly wants to leave... Did we... do something wrong?"]
["If possible, we'd like to apologize to Tejima. We just want him to stay..."]
Mahiru's tone was earnest, like a child reflecting on a mistake.
With just these few words, everyone understood how deeply the people of Konda Village revered Tejima.
Tejima was an "outsider," yet the villagers held him in higher regard than even their own elders.
"Is this Tejima's story? That's wonderful! The Shirasagi Himegimi has taken notice of Tejima!" The people of Konda Village were genuinely happy for him.
Their village had no major disturbances; everyone was quietly reading.
At this point, Tejima hadn't yet mentioned leaving, but the villagers, seeing his despondent state, desperately wished for him to return to his old self.
Unfortunately, they were just ordinary villagers. The most they could do was keep him company—fishing with him, cooking for him, reminiscing about the past. Yet none of it seemed to help.
But the Shirasagi Himegimi and the Traveler were different. One was the young lady of the Yashiro Commission, the other a hero who saved Mondstadt and Liyue. Surely, they could do something.
In the story, the Traveler continued investigating Tejima's circumstances.
Kenjiro told the Traveler that Tejima's change began after the "Vision Hunt Decree."
Later, the Traveler found Tejima and spoke with him.
[Tejima: "Thirty years ago... why did I come here? And for thirty years... why have I refused to leave?"]
Even he didn't know why. This piqued the Traveler's curiosity—and the readers' as well.
What could make a man stay in one place for thirty years? Thirty years! How many years does a person even have? He had spent the prime of his life here.
And judging from earlier descriptions, Tejima was no ordinary man. What reason could compel him to remain in this village for thirty years as an unknown "guardian"?
The Traveler and Paimon, along with the readers, sought answers. They found Tejima's diary.
[Today, I cooked Dry-Braised Salted Fish with the villagers. My hands are clumsy—I burned the pot and had to pretend I was making Dry-Braised Blackfish instead.]
[Today, I saved a child who fell into the water. He said his friend 'Bonbon' was still in the river. I fished all afternoon before realizing 'Bonbon' was his pet crab.]
[Today, I flew a kite, but the string snapped. I chased it, but when I couldn't catch it, I sat down and watched it drift farther and farther away.]
These were all mundane, everyday moments, yet they made people empathize with Tejima even more.
Because this story showed that he wasn't some unapproachable figure—he was just an ordinary person.
Then, the next entry was no longer just trivial.
[Today, I prayed at the nearby shrine again and sat there for a long time. The omamori you gave me has faded, but it's still my most treasured possession...]
This immediately grabbed everyone's attention. This was clearly the key!
The Traveler and Paimon went to the shrine and, sure enough, found an omamori—the very thing Tejima cherished most, now left abandoned here...
Using the elemental traces on the omamori, the Traveler uncovered the "treasure" Tejima had buried.
It was a yellowed letter—a promise between him and someone else. The letter wasn't long, nor was it overflowing with emotion. It held just one simple line:
[If... we get separated in this war, wait for me in Konda Village. There, we'll surely have a peaceful home.]
The readers understood. A silence fell over them. A promise from thirty years ago... Most likely...
Some of the more sensitive readers were already crying.
Tejima had waited here for thirty years. The villagers accepted him, and he had a peaceful home—but not the peaceful "home" he longed for.
The people of Konda Village called him the "guardian," but what he was truly guarding was his promise—their home.
Now, people understood why he had willingly stayed as the village's protector for thirty years. It was for that single written vow.
And when you thought about it—between a small village's guardian and a renowned warrior, which was more admirable?
Well... maybe it was a tie.
Like his diary entries showed, he was just an ordinary man, without grand ambitions. Yet this ordinary man did something extraordinary—something as remarkable as achieving fame.
And now, those thirty years of waiting, thirty years of longing—all forgotten.
Even Lumine herself was moved, reminded of her brother's words:
"Wherever you are, that's home."
At least she and her brother could still reunite, still return "home." But Tejima's "home"... was likely gone forever.
Just as he wrote in his notes: "The omamori you gave me has faded."
Zhongli also loved this story. In a way, wasn't Tejima's devotion a form of "contract"?
Yet as the God of Contracts, he couldn't reward this man who had fulfilled his vow. Some things were beyond even a god's reach.
Yae Miko remained silent. Earlier, it was Kaeya who fell into contemplation—now it was her turn.
If possible, she would have loved to stop Ei. But that stubborn mule was nearly impossible to reason with.
Fortunately, the Traveler was coming. With a wildcard in play, Yae Miko could finally attempt to make Ei see reason.
If words won't work, then I'll just have to prove you wrong with actions. Don't throw a tantrum when it happens.
The Traveler arrives, and Inazuma finds peace. The Traveler arrives, and the skies clear.
At the end of Tejima's story, Lumine shared all the clues she had found with him.
[Tejima's voice was low: "I've forgotten what's written here."]
["But... I must have been waiting here for someone. For thirty years."]
["All this time, I recorded every little interesting thing that happened, just so that when we reunited, I could tell her about every single one of those thirty years."]
By the end, there was a faint trace of a smile in his voice—as if he could picture that moment.
[Lumine's voice carried regret: "Does it make you sad?"]
[Tejima sounded weary: "I suppose... not really."]
["After all, I've already forgotten who she was. Her face, her voice, the things we experienced together—it's all gone."]
The omamori you gave me has faded... and now, even my memories of you have faded. Yet... these are still my most precious things.
Tejima cherished these memories but could no longer recall why they brought him sorrow. That very forgetfulness was the cruelest regret of all.
When Tejima said he wasn't sad—was that truly the case, or had he simply forgotten how sadness felt?
Finally, Lucian wrote in the text:
"Of life's three thousand ailments, only longing has no cure."
Tejima was like this. Shinnojou was like this. Even Vacher was like this.
But guess what? The genius Ei somehow "cured" it! Damn her.
===✧✦✧===
Author's Note:
Tejima's story is honestly my favorite in Inazuma. When I watched Frieren, that dwarf reminded me so much of this tale.
This is also why, even though I love Ei and am her devoted fan, I still want to smack her sometimes.