"In Sumeru—who decided to imprison you?"
A trace of anger rose on Zhongli's otherwise placid face.
Nahida—wearing Katheryne's body—felt a strange warmth at that. Like a senior she'd never met was suddenly ready to stand up for her.
Catching his displeasure—and recalling that this gentleman had once been unmatched in war—she hurried to clarify. "N-no, it's… complicated. The current Grand Sage is indeed continuing my confinement, but… although he's disrespectful to me, I'm no longer sure he's wrong."
"Oh?"
That gave Zhongli pause. In a nation of wisdom, its God of Wisdom judged her own confinement… not necessarily a mistake? For a moment, he wondered if the Grand Sage had poured her a cup of very persuasive tea.
"Morax—no, Mr. Zhongli," she asked softly, "is governing a nation truly that difficult?"
She recounted what Idris had told her in private—point by point.
Zhongli fell silent. Even Yun Jin's aria onstage faded to a distant thread while he thought.
At length, he shook his head. "I shouldn't judge the Grand Sage you speak of—right or wrong—without meeting him. Every nation differs. He may be reasonable; some of what you quote rings true. But that may also be because you, Lady of Grass, are… not yet seasoned."
"Until I see the man, I cannot say more."
Nahida's eyes brightened. "Then—Mr. Zhongli—may I invite you to Sumeru to meet Sage Idris with me?"
If she faced Idris alone again, she feared she'd be in tears before she finished her first sentence. With Zhongli at her side, at least she'd have the courage to stand there and speak.
Zhongli hesitated. He truly had no pressing duties—and he was curious. What sort of human could leave even the God of Wisdom at a loss? On the other hand… if he vanished to Sumeru for a few days, Hu Tao would definitely hang him from the parlor's doorframe.
Sensing his waver, Nahida set a small canister and a matching pair of earpieces on the table.
"I… borrowed this from Sage Idris's office," she said, a little sheepish. "His invention—the Music Walkman. It holds a song he composed. After you listen, I think you'll be even more interested in him."
Intrigue won out. Zhongli placed the earset on.
Stirring music poured in—Ask the Gods.
Three minutes later, he laid the set down and exhaled. "A fine piece. Reverent toward the divine, and still—firmly human in its questioning. Hard to imagine it was penned in Sumeru."
"Perhaps precisely because he admires Liyue from the outside," he mused, "he could write such a song."
He rose. "Very well. If your time is short, let us depart."
Curiosity about Idris had flared to a steady flame. A man who could stump the God of Wisdom and write a song like Ask the Gods, confessing open envy for Liyue—such a person was worth meeting… even if Hu Tao strung him up on a streetlamp afterward. And besides, it would be a favor to this junior in spirit.
Nahida bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Zhongli."
Yes—what she lacked was the experience of understanding humans as a god. Ruling was no bedtime story; perhaps Zhongli could teach her a measure of what she needed. Then, next time she faced Idris, she wouldn't wilt.
They were just about to leave when Yun Jin called from the stage, smiling, "Mr. Zhongli, a moment—appointment or no, you still need to pay for your seat."
Zhongli glanced at Nahida, a touch sheepish. "Ahem… Miss Katheryne, do you have any Mora on you?"
Nahida: "?"
What is wrong with Liyue's god?! After he wrote you a song, this is how you repay him?
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