"She is the God of Wisdom no longer to be kept under watch in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Tonight, she will be officially freed and formally become the Princess of Sumeru.
"Our Princess of Wisdom will dance with our nation from this day on, celebrating today's victory.
"Also—at tonight's celebration banquet, everyone who fought with distinction will receive a special pill that I will personally refine. I won't shortchange these rewards.
"Soldiers, friends, fellow citizens—after today, you, and this emerald rainforest, can finally sleep well."
Idris's gentle words flowed through the Void Terminal into every home in Sumeru. Many felt their noses sting; when they looked at him again, it was with the closeness one reserves for an elder. Who else says, "sleep well," and means it?
Some were startled when he announced that the Little Lucky Grass King would become the Princess. The implications of changing just those two characters were… vast. Yet beneath the light of victory, no one raised an objection. Decades from now—centuries, even—Sumeru would still remember this day, and the young Grand Sage who stood on the Prime Machine God's crown to end five hundred years of pain. The one who, by deed, gave them all the promise of an unbroken night's dream.
On the highest bough, Venti chuckled when he heard what Idris had arranged for Nahida.
"Haha—so you're a princess now, Buer. How does it feel? Not only that—Idris's effectively 'rebelled' against your old title and named himself king. Princesses don't hold much power in statecraft, you know."
His tone teased, but the warmth underneath was unmistakable. Gods who had once ruled nations understood: given what Idris had proved today—that Sumeru no longer required divine rule—releasing a god without care could have rattled the court. By making Nahida a princess, he let her remain beloved and exalted, yet outside the levers of policy. It was the best arrangement.
What Venti grasped, Nahida grasped too. Gratitude shone in her eyes as she looked at Idris. She had nearly resigned herself to "seeing him off" into old age from inside her prison; she had not expected freedom—let alone with so dignified an identity.
From now on, she would be the Little Lucky Princess, not the Grass King. The true king had become someone else—and he had declared it before Sumeru, before the delegates of Fontaine, Liyue, and Mondstadt… before the Hydro, Geo, Anemo, and Dendro Archons themselves.
Even if the heavens came knocking today, they'd have to accept it.
"B-but, typically… the princess is the king's daughter," Nahida murmured, cheeks aflame. "Is that rotten man trying to take advantage of me?"
"Ha!" Zhongli laughed, then sighed with a trace of nostalgia. "I wonder what the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata would make of this sight. Founding the Akademiya… was not meant to lead here."
"True enough," Nahida said softly, pressing a hand to her chest—where two Gnoses now rested. When Idris told her he was ready, she would activate them to meet the Greater Lord. May it not be a final farewell…
…
Within Sumeru City, Idris ended his speech, coughed a mouthful of blood, and thumbed off his earpiece. The internal backlash was real, and the Marana energy he'd swallowed still churned in him. But he was an alchemist as well as a fighter; a few pills would set him right. If he didn't find a better conduit, he could always feed the spare energy into the Prime Machine God.
"Grand Sage Idris, you should rest," Cyno urged, stepping forward after catching that bloody cough.
Idris's gaze swept past him—lingering on the worry in Nilu's eyes and the others'—and he waved it off. "I'm fine. Flesh wound. I'll be fully recovered by tonight's celebration."
"Cyno, conserve your strength. Maintain order. Don't let anyone use our joy as cover to loot or stir trouble."
"Yes!" Cyno bowed, more moved than he could hide. Even now—pale and spent—Sumeru's Grand Sage thought first of the city's peace. A perfect king indeed.
The Traveler took a step as if to speak—then held back when she saw his color. He needed rest first.
"It's okay," Paimon said, patting Ying's shoulder. "There's a banquet tonight. He'll be there. If you need to say something, say it then."
"…Mm." One last chance to clear the air—that's what tonight would be. Idris rarely received casual callers, and work kept him busy.
Just then, Nilu approached. Ying's expression turned sheepish. "Uh… about the other day—sorry for interrupting you two."
"It's fine," Nilu smiled. "Grand Sage Idris never minds being misunderstood. I don't either. And after what you did today, I forgive you."
"But I heard you say you have something to tell him at the celebration," she added, eyes brightening. "You're beautiful, and you're stronger than me in a fight… but I won't lose."
"I have something to tell the Grand Sage tonight too! I'm not losing to you!"
With that, a blush rushed up Nilu's cheeks. She tossed her hair and hurried off.
Ying stood frozen, then turned beet red. Even Paimon got it. "Traveler… I think Miss Nilu thinks you're going to, um, confess."
"W-who said anything about that!" Ying stomped—Paimon-style—and huffed. "Karmic payback, huh? I misunderstood him, and now he misunderstands me. Please let no one else have heard that… If people from Liyue or Mondstadt saw, how am I supposed to show my face?"
A hopeless wish. On the boughs above, Nahida had seen—and heard—everything, clear as day.
…
In the Akademiya's inner sanctum, Idris pushed open his chamber door—and paused. Something small and "ghostly" was bundled in his quilt, radiating warmth.
"Little Lucky Princess, please stop playing games with my heart."
"Bleh~ Who told you to say I should warm your bed when you rest?" Nahida peeked out, face aflame. "I'm doing as asked. No take-backs."
She burrowed deeper, then, voice barely above a whisper: "Tonight you'll release my body from the Sanctuary, right? When I warm your bed in person… I won't be able to run away like this projection can."
"Do as you like."
Idris tugged the pillow out from under her head, sat back against the headboard, and downed a few pills. As the medicine threaded through his meridians, he closed his eyes—both to settle his injuries and to receive the system's reward.
Today's battle had truly changed Sumeru's fate and future; the system would not be stingy. Dropping into that inner space, he realized there were two rewards this time, not one.
[Congratulations to the Host.]
By cornering the Withering and Marana until they gathered all their power for a final, desperate blow—and then defeating them—you altered how Sumeru overcomes its calamity. Reward granted.
[Congratulations to the Host.]
By transforming the Little Lucky Grass King into the Little Lucky Princess, you reasonably changed her status and shifted the original course of events. Reward granted.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito