"Can you take human form?" Elliot asked.
"Do you believe I'm a demi-divine beast!?" Ganyu was surprised. Unlike other humans or gods, Elliot hadn't shown deep suspicion toward her identity, nor had he mocked her.
"Of course. You have qilin horns on your head—how could that be fake? Besides, lying about something like this is meaningless. Why wouldn't I believe you?" Elliot spread his hands in explanation.
Hearing his words, Ganyu froze. Her wide, round eyes stared at Elliot, and soon, tears began to glisten within them.
"Waaah... Waaah... Finally... Finally someone believes me... Everyone else said I was fake... They never believed me..."
All of Ganyu's bottled-up grievances burst out at once. As she cried, her round body quivered slightly.
"Regardless, it would be best to leave this place soon. The world is growing unstable, and the wars will only worsen."
"Are you trying to chase me away...?" Ganyu asked, her eyes filled with tears.
"Not at all. If you wish to stay, you can. I was only giving advice."
With that, Elliot slowly turned as if to leave.
"Wait!" Ganyu, sensing something wrong, quickly called out.
"Is something the matter?"
"Didn't you say this land belongs to you? Then where are you going?"
She knew exactly what Elliot had meant earlier. Cui Jue Slope, once desolate and rarely visited, had recently become crowded with people—mostly humans fleeing from the chaos of war.
By nature, a Kirin was a benevolent beast fond of humans. But every human Ganyu encountered treated her with inexplicable hostility. The reason was simple: her plump appearance looked nothing like a Kirin, and many hurled cruel words at her because of it.
This made her fearful of humans—and even wary of gods. Yet Elliot, this unusual existence, had finally kindled a spark of warmth in her frozen heart. He had spoken no harsh words, nor acted rudely. Instead, he had advised her to leave this place for her own safety.
"Though this area is my territory, I don't live here," Elliot explained.
"Then where do you live?" Ganyu asked instinctively.
"In the southwest, there's a place called Liyue. That's where I reside."
"Liyue…? You mean the prosperous Liyue?" she asked, her voice tinged with longing.
"Yes."
"I've heard a powerful deity resides there, which is why Liyue has always been peaceful and thriving. Recently, travelers passing through Cui Jue Slope all said they were going to seek refuge in Liyue—that only Liyue's god can grant them safety and happiness."
Though Cui Jue Slope had no villages or permanent human settlements, it remained a vital passage to Liyue. Its prosperity drew people from across all of Teyvat. Over time, Ganyu had learned of Liyue's greatness from passing merchants and travelers.
From then on, she longed for Liyue. She believed she would love it there, but the hostility she often faced from humans made her afraid of crowded places. Thus, she never dared approach—only watching from afar.
Yet she never imagined she would one day meet the very deity of Liyue from those stories.
"Indeed," Elliot said with a faint smile.
"So you're the Geo Emperor everyone talks about!?" she asked excitedly.
"Not exactly. I am the Dark god. The people of Liyue call me the Dark Night Sovereign. The Geo Emperor is the God of Geo," Elliot corrected.
"Then..."
"Liyue has two gods," Elliot explained.
Hearing this, Ganyu finally understood. She had thought she'd misremembered, yet she still felt puzzled.
"Why is it that merchants and travelers always speak of the Geo Emperor, but never of you?" the naïve Ganyu asked directly.
"Because the Geo Emperor is stronger than I am, and more benevolent. That is why he is sung of."
"Do you dislike humans…?"
"I neither like nor dislike them. I simply don't care about them."
At last, Ganyu understood why only tales of the Geo Emperor spread in Liyue, while the Dark Night Sovereign remained unspoken of.
Yet from this encounter, she could clearly feel that the masked Dark Night Sovereign before her was by no means inferior.
—Perhaps he simply wasn't good at expressing himself.
That was what Ganyu thought.
"Um…" she spoke cautiously.
"What is it?"
"May I… may I join Liyue…?" After much hesitation, Ganyu finally voiced the question she had long held in her heart, unwilling to let this opportunity slip by.
It wasn't just because she admired Liyue. As Elliot had said, the world was growing more turbulent, and this place would no longer remain safe. She needed a place of protection, and with two Supreme Gods guarding it, Liyue was undoubtedly the best choice.
"I-I-I'll work hard to lose weight… I-I can also use elemental powers… and… and… I'm smart and learn quickly! I'll definitely be useful! Please, let me join Liyue!"
The chubby blue sphere did her best to prove her worth. She wasn't foolish—if she wanted to join a powerful faction, she needed to show she had value.
Though her words sounded like empty promises, Elliot knew she would one day make them reality.
"What's your name?" Elliot asked.
"My name is Ganyu—'Gan' as in sweet, 'Yu' as in rain."
"Ganyu, welcome to Liyue." Elliot smiled calmly.