The blessing of the Anemo Archon was a tangible, beautiful thing, a gentle, persistent tailwind that seemed to carry Ren all the way back to the familiar, amber-hued skies of Liyue. The long, solo flight was a peaceful, exhilarating journey, a time for quiet reflection as the green, rolling hills of Mondstadt gave way to the sharp, majestic peaks that guarded the heart of the land of contracts.
As he approached the sprawling, golden city, a new, and wonderfully strange, sight greeted him. He was no longer the only person in the sky.
He saw a small, sleek shape, a hoverboard, gliding in from the direction of Qingce Village, a merchant, by the looks of his travel-worn clothes, landing with a practiced, confident ease in the designated public landing zone just outside the city gates. A moment later, another board zipped past at a higher altitude, this one bearing the sigil of a foreign dignitary, heading directly for the lower platforms of Yujing Terrace.
The age of flight had begun. It was not a sky choked with traffic, not yet. The sight was still rare, a novelty. It seemed to be the preferred mode of transport for those who made their living traveling the long, often dangerous, roads between Liyue's settlements. It was faster, safer, and infinitely more direct than a winding mountain path.
He then saw it, just for a moment, a single, sleek, and much larger, dark shape, gliding with a silent, majestic grace from the direction of the newly established factory towards the highest, most exclusive landing platform of the Jade Chamber itself. The Cloud-Piercer. The hovercars, it seemed, were still a rare, and very exclusive, sight, their presence a quiet, powerful symbol of the Qixing's new, technological might.
Ren simply smiled, a quiet sense of pride warming his heart. He guided his own board away from the public landing zones, his destination a far more private one.
He flew over the familiar, elegant roofs of Feiyun Slope and descended, with a soft, gentle whisper of his propellers, into the tranquil, secluded sanctuary of his own garden.
The sliding door to the house burst open before his feet had even touched the ground.
"Ren!"
Ganyu was there, her face a beautiful, perfect picture of pure, unadulterated, and very happy, relief. She didn't wait. She ran to him, and the moment his feet were on solid ground, she enveloped him in a hug that was a deep, warm, and familiar embrace.
"You're home," she whispered, her voice a soft, happy murmur against his hair. "You're finally home."
That evening, the quiet, comfortable dining room was filled with the happy, excited chatter of a hero's return. Ren, his mouth often full of the delicious, home-cooked meal that Ganyu had insisted on preparing for him, recounted his grand Mondstadt adventure.
He didn't just tell the stories; he showed them. The photo album, his precious chronicle, was laid open on the table.
He showed her the picture of the grand, chaotic, and very happy, farewell party.
He showed her the picture of him and Klee at the foot of the great statue, and Ganyu just shook her head, a fond, amused smile on her face. "I am still not entirely convinced that she is a safe playmate," she said, though there was no real heat in her words.
He showed her the picture from the cathedral, of Barbara hugging him, and Ganyu just giggled. "You seem to have a talent for charming the women of every nation you visit," she teased.
He showed her the triumphant, and hilariously photobombed, picture from their adventure with Benny's Adventure Team, and the majestic, awe-inspiring photo of them with Lupus Boreas.
Ganyu listened to it all, her heart swelling with a quiet, profound pride. He was her little brother, her quiet, sweet Ren. And he was also a hero, an ambassador, a friend to gods, and the beloved, adopted prince of both the city of eternity and freedom.
"And what about here?" he asked, his own story told. "How are the hoverboards and the cars?"
"The rollout is proceeding… cautiously," Ganyu explained, her professional, secretary's mind kicking back into gear. "The hoverboards are quite popular, as you might have seen, especially with the traveling merchants. The licensing process is strict, but fair. It is working."
She then let out a small, thoughtful sigh. "The hovercar, however… that is a different matter. The training is far more rigorous, the license much more difficult to obtain. And," she added, a hint of a proud, almost proprietary, smile on her face, "the price is… considerable. For now, they are primarily being used for official Qixing business, and for a few of the more… affluent and well-connected guild leaders who have passed the exam. Lady Ningguang believes it is best to introduce them slowly, to let the city adapt to the idea before they become a common sight."
Ren nodded, understanding the wise, cautious logic of the Tianquan.
The long, exciting day, the culmination of a long, exciting journey, was finally coming to an end. Ren, his body and his heart full, finally made his way to his own room.
He slid into his own bed, the familiar, soft sheets a world of comfort. He was home. He had seen other lands, he had made new friends, he had flown with the wind. But in the quiet, peaceful darkness of his own room, with the gentle, loving presence of his sister just a wall away, he knew, with an absolute, unshakeable certainty, that there was no adventure in the world that was better than the simple, beautiful joy of coming home.