"Agarest?"
Cael froze.
This was already the second time he'd heard that name.
Hu Tao continued casually,
"Yeah. Agarest. He was basically the second god of Liyue, right beneath Morax. It's just a pity—he fell five hundred years ago."
"…Huh?"
Cael was genuinely stunned.
Was that actually a thing in Teyvat's history?
Was this some hidden lore? Or had the timeline already diverged?
What bothered him more was that the name Agarest felt ridiculously familiar.
Like it was on the tip of his tongue—but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't remember where he'd heard it.
Meanwhile, from the moment Agarest was mentioned, Zhongli had been quietly observing Cael.
He noticed it immediately—
The confusion.
The hesitation.
The faint, lost look in his eyes.
So it's exactly as expected…
Zhongli silently confirmed his theory.
Rebirth causes the individual to forget all memories tied to their former self—just like Irminsul rewriting history. Only this time, Agarest was erased, leaving Cael as the vessel. The memories didn't disappear… they were overwritten.
Just as he said five hundred years ago.
Zhongli remembered it clearly.
That theory hadn't come from anyone else—it had come from Cael himself.
Back then, Zhongli had only listened.
Now, he was witnessing it.
At that moment, Hu Tao tilted her head.
"So, Zhongli, what do you think?"
When in doubt—ask Zhongli.
In Hu Tao's eyes, Zhongli might be an old fossil personality-wise, but his knowledge was on the level of a walking archive. Asking him was never wrong.
And this time, he didn't disappoint.
"That is correct," Zhongli said calmly.
"Five thousand years ago, the Dark Demon God Agarest, while traveling among mortals, created the first form of opera purely out of interest."
"He then spread it among the gods, and eventually it reached humanity."
"At the time, what Agarest created was jingju. Over time, it evolved into kunqu, and later into regional operas such as Liyue Opera and Yue Opera."
"After countless refinements, jingju remains the most classic and widely appreciated form."
As he spoke, Zhongli subtly glanced at Cael.
Cael, however, was completely overwhelmed.
His thoughts were tangled like earphones that had been kneaded into a ball.
His brain was screaming:
WHAT THE HELL?!
Five thousand years ago?! Jingju already existed?!
Does that mean Agarest was also a transmigrator?!
Hu Tao, on the other hand, instantly lost interest once the explanation ended.
"Ohhh… so that's how it is."
She yawned, dragging herself into a chair.
"Anyway, Cael, go cook. I'm starving."
That snapped him back to reality.
"Ah—right."
Cael shook his head, forcefully pushing those thoughts aside.
Whatever. He's been dead for five hundred years. Ashes scattered and all. None of that has anything to do with me.
Living well in the present is what matters.
With that, he headed to the kitchen.
...
Zhongli watched his back, his gaze growing deeper and more resolute.
...
...
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Nothing unusual happened.
Today, Cael had no work, yet he still stood at Liyue Harbor's docks, waiting for a ship.
He was here to collect something.
Earlier, he'd asked Keqing for help importing coconut milk from overseas.
He hadn't forgotten his promise to Qiqi.
Keqing had agreed without hesitation.
It just so happened that Liyue had recently established a new overseas trade route with Fontaine, making the import possible.
Of course—
Cael paid for it himself.
...
"You must be Mr. Cael. This is your shipment."
A sailor confirmed his identity while directing a massive crate onto the dock.
"Do you need help carrying it? It's pretty heavy."
Cael shook his head.
"No need."
He turned around, lifted the crate with one hand, hoisted it onto his shoulder—and walked off.
The sailor stood there, completely dumbfounded.
That crate usually took three people to move.
And this guy didn't even have a Vision?!
"…Liyue is terrifying," the Fontaine sailor muttered before leaving.
The achievements he'd completed recently hadn't just upgraded the Dull Blade—they'd strengthened his body as well.
...
...
Bubu Pharmacy
"Xiao—Chen—哥哥!"
From afar, Qiqi spotted Cael and immediately dropped her basket of herbs, running straight toward him.
This left Baizhu speechless.
At the same time, his curiosity toward Cael deepened even further.
Interesting… very interesting.
With his free hand, Cael gently patted Qiqi's head.
"Qiqi, look what I brought you."
He set the crate down.
Qiqi stared at it blankly.
"…What is it?"
Cael grinned, pulled out his Dull Blade, and casually slashed the crate open.
The moment it split—
Golden light burst forth.
In Qiqi's eyes, the opening of the crate looked exactly like a five-star pull.
"…Wow. Golden… legend."
Inside the massive crate sat box after box of coconut milk.
Qiqi's eyes sparkled.
"Coconut milk… like."
Then she looked up at Cael, her gaze turning strangely soft.
"Xiaochen…哥哥… also… like."
That made him a little embarrassed.
He scratched her head again.
Baizhu walked over, smiling faintly.
"Sir, please show some restraint. At this rate, my little assistant might get abducted."
Cael looked up and returned the smile.
"Hello, Mr. Baizhu."
Baizhu's expression turned serious as he examined the crate.
"Even as a gift, isn't this a bit excessive?"
Cael waved it off.
"It's fine. This is for Qiqi—not you."
"And don't even think about refusing. Getting this wasn't easy."
That single sentence completely blocked Baizhu's retreat.
He could only sigh and let Qiqi accept it.
After playing with her for a while, Cael prepared to leave.
Then—
The system chimed.
[Achievement completed: "Attempting to abduct a child with coconut milk."]
[Dull Blade upgraded to Tier 12.]
[Congratulations, Host. You now hold an advantage in combat against peak-era Dvalin.]
[Congratulations. Personal Attribute unlocked.]
[Attribute: "Dark" — Returned.]
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