This chapter's shorter than usual, but I hope you all find it worthwhile. Feel free to leave any comments, so long as they're not hateful. :D

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It was around daybreak when (Name) finally woke up again. Miko's closest handmaiden's were chose to bring (Name)'s clean clothes to her. The black tunic and pants seemed to be a stark contrast to the mellow pink and white of the shrine.

For the first time in quite a bit, (Name) managed to have a good bath too, in one of the luxurious bathrooms here. After getting off the Crux and having her journies along the Inazuman islands, (Name) felt a lot taken out of her. Soon enough, Miko was calling for her too from the main wing.

"Any leads?" (Name) questioned as she arrived through the doors, slightly damp hair loose staining her shoulders with water. Yae stood around the now-closed ward stall, almost as if she hadn't left the place at all last night.

"The ninjas are working on it as we speak," Yae looked into the distance, as if she could see the Shuumatsuban there already.

"How many islands have already been searched?" (Name) asked.

"Around half of Narukami, and the entirety of Seirai already," Miko answered, shaking her head a little.

(Name) put a fist beneath her chin.

"It makes sense. More occupied placed like Inazuma City would take much longer than mostly uninhabited places like Seirai," she added, thinking.

"What about the mysterious foggy island mentioned in the Inazuman geographical novels?".

"Tsurumi Island?" Yae asked, "There's no point. Nobody would venture there. Not only is that place a total mystery, but the waters are directly in line with the Watatsumi ports, no ship of any size could go undetected there,".

"We still have a lot of ground to cover then, even with that island out of the question," (Name) muttered.

"The Balladeer seems to love making us work to the bone," she spoke again, with that sarcastic tone and beneath it, a menacing lilt lay.

"Yae?" spoke up (Name) suddenly, "-why do you seem to hate him so much?".

Miko didn't answer immediately.

"I suppose-," she started, "-it may be because I see him as Ei's weakness,".

"Her weakness?".

"I'm her familiar, and I have been for many millenia. Seeing such a powerful Archon, one who's slain countless enemies in battle, becoming weak for an immortal being not even worth pitying? It feels insulting for the one who's been with her through nearly everything,".

For the first time since they met, a small frown painted Yae's face. Filled with more hate than sorrow.

"But Ei wasn't weak at all," spoke (Name) staring Yae in her eyes.

"What?-".

"She wasn't weak. What you told me last night, it sounds like, rather than being weak for 'an immortal being not even worth pitying'-" her voice held an icy edge there, "-it seems as if she was merely having mercy for her own creation,". She finished the sentence, her eyes not having left Yae's narrowed ones for even a second.

The latter scoffed, "Mercy for him? He was a hindrance to her. She should have listened to me when I told her to get rid of him,".

"She was giving an innocent being the chance to live again!" (Name) shouted, a little too loudly.

Maids nearby momentarily turned their heads to look at the two.

Yae shifted her head upwards abruptly.

"Discussing this matter will get us nowhere,".

(Name) agreed with a silent nod.

"Forgive me, I don't know what happened there," she said emptily.

Yae shook away the matter with her fan.

"For now, I advise you to return to Watatsumi and to the Traveller. If you happen to find the Balladeer, try to find any way to detain him," said Yae, acting as if the previous quarrel didn't occur.

"Yeah, I'll make sure of that," replied (Name), and she started to exit the Shrine on the mountain.

She supposed that she should feel bad for yelling at Yae like that, she did let her stay at the Shrine and assisted with not only herself, but the Shuumatsuban and probably even a Commissioner – but she didn't feel any guilt at all.

(Name) didn't know why, did Yae's unsolicited words towards Scaramouche really unnerve her like that? Maybe. But what really got her going was what Yae had said to describe him. 'An immortal being not even worth pitying'.

Boy, if there were ever a set of words that some people had described her with. And to 'put him down'? Whenever (Name) had looked at Scaramouche from the tents and camps they trailed around in, he always gave off a sense of grace, along with the nochalant cruelty, yes, but to refer to him as if he were an animal was just wrong.

No matter how someone was, what their origins, (Name) firmly believed that regardless, there was still a degree of respect to give. To give them your acknowledgment of their humanity. Especially if they were immortal.

She didn't mind a lot of things that had happened to her in this world, truly she didn't. Nothing could compare to the bitter words and actions that others had given her way back when. But she wasn't going to stand for slandering others for simply being given the chance to live.

Even with the Vision Hunt Decree and Sakoku Decree in place right now, (Name) slightly admired Ei for allowing Scaramouche to live. He may not be completely now, but he was most definitely innocent when first created.

Killing someone as pure as that, would be difficult, maybe even for an Archon.

--

It had taken a few hours before she arrived on Watatsumi's pearl white sands again. No Resistance soldier took her into custody unlike last time, perhaps Kokomi had notified them all. Regardless, it was far easier to move about the island.

There was still an aura of fresh carnage surrounding the main route to the Sangonomiya Shrine, so (Name) settled for a side route she had seen Gorou take when returning from the battle. It was surrounded by blue-leafed trees, moving water bubbles encompassing the area. Even the elemental beings here were aqua-related. The whole island felt like an aquarium.

Sounds of metal on metal sounded in the far distance, no doubt soldiers training. They sounded all too similar to the noises that would sound from the Favonius grounds while the Knights trained.

Hmm, this time of year would be when the annual knight entrance exams would take place.

(Name) laughed. Perhaps Noelle would pass this time.

Or Jean's plan of keeping her out of extreme overworking would work yet again.

She sighed.

It was for those people, wasn't it?

That's why she was trying so hard.

She knew Teyvat wasn't perfect, it had its evils, but it was a home for her, and for her newfound friends. Not just the Mondstadt ones. The citizens of Liyue. Chongyun, Xingqiu, Xiangling, Keqing, Beidou...even that adeptus she had met, Xiao. The Inazumans who helped her, Kazuha, Thoma, Gorou, Kokomi...

Most people would have expected her to forget their names after a few days, but she had committed them to memory straight after she had heard them. She wanted to keep everything wonderful and interesting thing Teyvat had to offer in her heart.

And she would protect it not only for herself, but for them too. Every single one of them. If that happened to include Scaramouche, even going against him, then so be it.

Clasping her hand to her side, (Name) continued onwards.

Along the way, the trees on the coast of the route seemed to suddenly split, unnaturally, like from a machine. Across a minor distance of water, they seemed to disappear around a small island with rocks and boulders surrounding it.

(Name) looked up.

How strange. Was this another one of the camps lookout locations? Or something else?

Cautiously, she walked towards the place. Nothing but a few elemental beings lay there, but even they seemed to be avoiding something.

Edging closer, the path revealed for the gaps in between the boulders to increase in size slowly, until almost a human-sized opening was through.

Her vision suddenly jerked, as if reacting to what was inside the opening.

(Name)'s hand crept closer, as did the rest of her body, moving towards the front. Sand crunched beneath her feet loudly, this one more gravelly than anywhere else. Like it was seeped of its softness.

As she put another foot forward, sword nimbly in hand, a gasp echoed in her throat, making her jerk forward.

Hey, what was-

------

The Balladeer smirked.