In the land of Sumeru, the magnificent and awe-inspiring Sanctuary of Surasthana stood like a radiant gem, exuding an aura of divinity and solemnity. It rested in serene silence.
In one quiet corner of the palace, a little girl sat curled up pitifully. Her small body was tightly wrapped around itself, like a frightened creature desperately seeking warmth and shelter—lonely and helpless.
Her entire being was cloaked in soft, natural shades of green, interspersed with hints of pale gray. From her came a quiet, graceful serenity.
Few would believe that this delicate-looking child was none other than the revered Lesser Lord Kusanali—Nahida.
Though Nahida looked no older than a child, a gentle, indescribable divine light lingered around her. Her pointy elfin ears twitched ever so slightly, as if able to catch even the faintest whispers of the world.
Her long, silky white hair, tinged faintly with gray, had been carefully tied into a playful side ponytail. The ends faded into a tender green, like the first budding shoots of spring—full of vitality and life.
Atop the right side of her head, a tiny, fresh green leaf sprouted cheerfully. It marked her as a newborn deity, a living gift from nature itself.
But now, this god of Sumeru—the Dendro Archon—was confined within the Sanctuary of Surasthana, murmuring softly to herself.
"I… I'm not yet worthy of being a true god…"
Suddenly, a ruckus broke out outside.
"Hey! Who are you? The Grand Sage has decreed that no one is allowed in here!"
"Huh? And who cares about the Grand Sage?"
"How dare you! Guards! Seize him!"
"Boring~"
In an instant, the commotion fell completely silent.
Nahida felt a pressure—a presence so immense it rivaled, perhaps even exceeded, that of a god.
Inside the sanctuary, she was like a tiny boat tossed about in a raging sea.
Then, the massive doors creaked open with a soft squeak.
"Ah, there you are~"
A warm, golden light streamed in, shining directly upon Nahida.
Curled up tightly, she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes widened in confusion and surprise, and she whispered:
"Are you… the sun?"
Shajin scratched his head.
"The sun? That's a strange name~"
Nahida looked at him timidly.
"Foreign god… may I ask why you're here?"
Shajin waved dismissively.
"I'm no god. I'm human~ probably?"
Nahida tilted her head.
"Probably?"
"If you're here for my power… I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm not fit to be a god…"
Shajin rubbed his temples in exasperation.
This kid's really been PUA'd into oblivion…
Without hesitation, he punched through the glass wall in front of him.
"Don't sweat the details~"
Then he grabbed Nahida's hand.
"Come on, let's go see Teyvat~"
"Eh? I—!"
In a flash of golden light, the two vanished.
…..
"Hey, Shajin… Now that I think about it, I don't recall hearing anything about the Dendro Archon in Sumeru~"
Furina took a sip of Qingce Village tea.
"The Dendro Archon?"
Shajin looked at her oddly.
"Didn't I tell you Nahida was being held under house arrest?"
"Cough cough cough!"
Furina nearly choked on her tea.
"You absolutely did not!!!"
She steadied her breath, still reeling.
In her mind, gods were lofty beings who stood above all, commanding everything. A god being imprisoned by their own people? This was a first.
Shajin stroked his chin.
"Guess I'll give you the short version."
"After the original Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, disappeared, the sages discovered the newly-born Nahida and brought her back to Sumeru."
"The sages found her amid the ruins of scorched earth. To celebrate the return of a god, they named her the 'Lesser Lord Kusanali' and had her reside in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, hoping she would one day possess the same wisdom as Rukkhadevata."
"But in truth, she was no more knowledgeable than a child."
"This realization hit the sages hard. They used 'protection' as a pretext to confine her in the sanctuary."
"Since her return to Sumeru, Nahida never left that place, nor did she ever appear in public."
"Hidden away in the sanctuary, she was overlooked and rarely mentioned. She studied endlessly, trying desperately to become a proper god and lead her people."
"But compared to the omniscient Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, Nahida believed she was far from worthy of the title 'God of Wisdom.' Governing the nation was better handled by the Sages at the Akademiya. Her presence, she thought, didn't matter much."
"That's why she spent every waking moment studying—hoping to grow up into a god who mattered."
"This belief only shattered when the sages planned to replace her with a 'new god' they were creating."
"She finally realized she shouldn't have ignored her own voice. Diminishing herself only gave the sages more room to manipulate."
"Before one becomes a god, they must first become themselves."
"The upper echelons of Sumeru had long since allied with the Fatui to enact this so-called 'God-Creation' plan—replacing the old with the new."
"Wait—Fufu… what's wrong?"
Furina's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Shajin… she… she's so pitiful!"
Shajin twitched at the corners of his mouth.
"So, Fufu, are you saying…"
Furina wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Let's take her with us, Shajin… please…"
Shajin thought about how those Akademiya geezers might go nuts not being able to find their 'Dendro Archon'…
…and it did sound kind of fun.
…..
And just like that, Nahida found herself in Shajin's arms.
Was that really all it took to get spirited away?
She couldn't sense any malice from this man. In truth, she had never truly understood humanity, nor could she empathize with it as a human might.
But as a god, sensing good and evil came naturally.
Besides… had she really already been replaced…?
Seeing her downcast expression, Shajin reached out and gently patted her head.
"Don't sell yourself short. To me, you're already a proper god~"
_
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