Lumine: "You've lived here a long time, and everyone relies on you."
Tejima spread his hands: "Yes, but that's not the reason I stayed. Why did I come here thirty years ago? And why, for the last thirty years, have I been unwilling to leave? I don't remember any of it. Ever since my Vision was taken, it seems I've forgotten so many things."
"The old me wanted to stay here, but now that obsession is gone. I feel like going out to see the world might be good, though my heart still feels hollow."
Paimon held her cheek with one hand: "So that's how it is. That means if we help you find your reason for staying, you won't leave, right? But even you yourself have forgotten... What can we do? Maybe you should try harder to remember, see if you can whoosh and suddenly recall!"
[Furina: I whoosh and remembered your offense against me.]
[Cloud Retainer: I whoosh and recalled a similar matter.]
[Ningguang: The impolite Paimon has left a deep impression on people's minds.]
[Lumine: That's fine too. Everyone will remember Paimon.]
[Zhongli: Erosion is irreversible. My old friend also underwent a drastic change in temperament due to erosion. I battled him for a long time and, with no other choice, sealed him away myself.]
[Paimon: Getting old is that dangerous? If you, Zhongli, went mad, wouldn't Liyue...]
[Zhongli: Indeed. Were I to erode, Liyue would undoubtedly become the most perilous place. The Exuvia is not a false thing; it is indeed my divine body. I stripped away a vast amount of power and left it within the Exuvia. The Rite of Parting was also genuinely observing Liyue's traditions. Morax has died. I am the ordinary mortal, Zhongli. Precisely because of this, I needed to retain the Gnosis until the very last moment, using its power to provide an extra safeguard for Liyue. As I am now, I am likely the weakest among The Seven.]
[Childe: Oh? So that means I can have a fight with Zhongli now?]
[Signora: I would advise against that. Even having shed most of his power, the Geo Archon is not someone you can defeat.]
[Ningguang: Your Majesty...]
Mahiru: "Speaking of which, last time I delivered fruit to Mr. Tejima, I think I saw him writing in a journal?"
Tejima scratched his head: "Did I have such a habit? To be honest, I don't remember."
Mahiru affirmed: "Yes, you did! At the time, Mr. Tejima said you were writing down interesting things to remember them for something important later."
Paimon: "Great! It feels like if we can just find the journal, we can keep Mr. Tejima here! Let's look around nearby!"
Mahiru replied happily: "Then we'll leave it to you. We'll return to the village first and let the others know about Mr. Tejima's situation."
Finding Mr. Tejima's journal wasn't difficult; they discovered it quickly.
Paimon: "This should be Mr. Tejima's journal... Let me see."
Saying this, Paimon picked up the journal and began to read.
"'Today, everyone in the village made Dry-Braised Salted Fish together. I'm all thumbs and accidentally burnt the pot. I had to pretend I was making Dry-Braised Black Fish.'"
"'Today, I saved a child who fell in the water. He said his good friend Bongo was still in the water. I fished around all afternoon before learning Bongo was actually his pet crab.'"
"'Today, I went to fly a kite. The string suddenly snapped. I chased and chased, but when I realized I couldn't catch it, I found a place to sit down and watched it drift farther and farther away.'"
[Ningguang: These are all recordings of small moments from daily life. This samurai was someone who truly cherished life. I too have the habit of keeping records, though my entries mostly concern the flow of Mora.]
[Paimon: I know, Ningguang is someone who loves Mora.]
[Lumine: But in Ningguang's heart, there are things more important than Mora. That is Zhongli's pride.]
[Nahida: If only the Grand Sage were more like Ningguang...]
[Lumine: I think, no matter which Archon it is, they would appreciate someone like Ningguang assisting them.]
[Venti: We in Mondstadt have our own pride.]
Paimon spread her hands: "What's written here seems to be just ordinary daily events."
"Wait a moment, there seems to be important information."
Paimon read on: "'Today, I went to pray at the nearby shrine again. Sat there for a long time. The omamori you gave me has faded a bit, but it's still my most precious possession.'"
"That feels like useful information! Let's go check out that shrine!"
The shrine wasn't far away.
Paimon didn't have much trouble finding the omamori.
It was primarily purple, adorned with white patterns.
Paimon: "It looks like something a girl would have, both the color and the design."
"If Mr. Tejima was always holding onto it, perhaps there's some of his elemental energy residue on it? Could we use this to do something?"
Following the lingering elemental energy, Lumine and Paimon found a spot where Mr. Tejima had buried something.
Paimon, guessing it might be treasure, grew exceptionally excited: "The soil here has been disturbed. Could it be that Mr. Tejima hid some kind of treasure here, which is why he's stayed all this time?"
"Treasure worth guarding for thirty years must be incredible! Let's dig it up and see!"
Opening the buried object, they found not treasure, but a single sheet of paper.
Paimon examined it: "This is a letter. It's even turned yellow, looks like it was written a very long time ago."
Saying this, Paimon read the contents aloud: "'If we get separated during this war, wait for me in Konda Village. That place will surely be our safest home.'"
Paimon seemed to understand, but not fully: "Konda Village... where is that?"
Lumine: "The place we're in right now is Konda Village."
Paimon had a sudden realization: "Huh? So Mr. Tejima was actually waiting here for someone?"
"But it's been thirty years... Has he still not waited for her? Anyway, let's return these things to Mr. Tejima first?"
[Venti: It truly is Mr. Tejima's treasure. A treasure that belongs to him alone.]
[Ningguang: Paimon's eyes light up at the mere mention of treasure.]
[Paimon: Just like Furina's eyes when she sees cake!]
[Furina: Why is it about me again?]
[Lumine: It must be that Paimon likes you a lot, always thinking of you.]
[Furina: Is that so? Oh right, she once praised me as the prettiest girl before.]
[Lumine: That's right, you are the prettiest girl.]
[Furina: Hahahaha, I do enjoy such compliments.]
Mr. Tejima fell into thought, looking at the items Lumine brought: "That's right. This handwriting in the journal is indeed mine. The omamori and the letter should also be my things. Even though I've forgotten what's written, it seems I truly have been waiting here for someone. For thirty years."
"During that time, I recorded interesting things every day, so that when we reunited, I could tell her all about these thirty years."
"So many things happened over the years. Time passed so quickly; it's been this long in the blink of an eye. Why would I forget something so important? Come to think of it, after my Vision was taken, I felt as if I had been hollowed out."
"Love, regret... everything related to her vanished completely."
[Yae Miko: Ei, are you watching? See what precious things you have taken away.]
[Keqing: Waiting for thirty years... the person he's waiting for probably isn't around anymore, right?]
[Ningguang: Thirty years is a long time. No matter how far apart, one should have arrived by now. Perhaps after the war mentioned in the letter, the two were forever parted.]
[Navia: But doesn't Mr. Tejima know this deep down? Yet as long as there's a sliver of hope, he won't give up. Day after day, year after year.]
[Venti: And now, all those memories are gone.]
[Ningguang: So a Vision bears such memories and wishes...]
[Keqing: My wish should be to build a better Liyue.]
[Paimon: Is Miko's wish to protect Inazuma?]
[Yae Miko: A Vision? I don't have such a thing. I am not human, you know~]
[Paimon: Confused. Only humans can get Visions?]
[Yae Miko: I recall there are many youkai in Inazuma who possess Visions. There's one who sleeps all the time, trying to find ways to grow taller. Quite an interesting little fellow, too.]
[Sayu: Lady Miko... are you talking about me?]
[Yae Miko: How rare that you're not sleeping.]
[Sayu: When there's nothing to do... occasionally, I'm awake occasionally.]
[Paimon: Surely she can't be cuter than me, right?]
Paimon asked cautiously: "Are you sad?"
Mr. Tejima opened his hands: "It seems I'm not that sad. After all, I've forgotten who she was. Her face, her voice, the things we experienced together... I can't remember them clearly anymore. It's as if she never appeared by my side, as if all these years were just a vague dream."
Lumine: "Then... will you still leave?"
Tejima: "Probably not. I've waited most of my life; might as well keep waiting."
"Just... if I finally meet her but can't even call her name... would that make her sad?"
"Thinking about that does make my heart ache a bit. Strange, I don't even remember her, so why do I have such thoughts? Before this, I also always felt a hollowness in my heart, as if something was missing. Anyway, thank you for helping me find my reason to stay. I will continue waiting here for her."
Paimon's mood was also affected: "Even though Mr. Tejima says he's not very sad, I don't know why, but I feel so sad."
Lumine: "Me too. Losing the very reason for one's sadness... that might be an even greater sorrow."
[Paimon: He's already forgotten her existence, yet he's still worried that not being able to call her name would make her sad...]
[Lumine: Mr. Tejima's love for her has been etched into his very habits.]
[Qiqi: Forgetful... can... write down... look often... then...]
[Paimon: What is Qiqi saying? I don't quite understand.]
[Baizhu: What Qiqi means is, one can write those things down. Looking at them often can help a lot. Now, Mr. Tejima has the letter and his diary. Things recorded in words won't disappear.]
[Paimon: I remember now! Qiqi writes 'coconut milk' on her slips of paper!]
[Baizhu: Coconut milk is Qiqi's favorite thing. Though, it is indeed delicious.]
[Ningguang: Mmm, the aroma of coconut milk is different from cow's milk, with a richer, more layered flavor. If I have business at Bubu Pharmacy, I'll remember to bring some coconut milk.]
[Paimon: Ningguang, what you really need to bring is Mora! Baizhu's stuff is so expensive, and he doesn't give discounts!]
[Baizhu: Didn't I take off ten thousand Mora?]
[Zhongli: Indeed, it was ten thousand less. Compared to three million Mora, ten thousand may seem insignificant, but it is still ten thousand Mora, which can buy quite a few things.]
[Paimon: Well... alright then, I guess you did give a discount.]
Paimon: "It really is as Miss Ayaka and Mr. Thoma said. When a Vision is taken, everything related to one's wish is lost along with it. That must be the reason for Mr. Tejima's previous state. At least we managed to help him a bit, right?"
Not knowing the answer herself, Paimon shook her head and said: "Sigh, let's go find the next person."
"According to Ayaka's information, the second person who had their Vision taken is a samurai from the Tenryou Commission. But it's strange—the Tenryou Commission serves the Shogun, managing Inazuma's public order. The Vision Hunt Decree is being enforced by them. So why would they target their own comrades?"
When Lumine and Paimon arrived, they happened to witness the samurai arguing with some citizens.
The plain-clothed man in blue was named Oomori. His tone was unpleasant: "I'm asking you, are you planning to withhold this month's relief grain?"
The other man in brown, named Yuuya, spoke with equal condescension: "Our whole family is depending on that grain to survive! If you don't give us an answer today, don't even think about leaving!"
[Ningguang: These able-bodied men, standing here demanding relief grain so righteously... I don't like it. With this time, they could be thinking of ways to earn money. Inazuma is an island nation; they could go fishing. When I was young, my family was also very poor. If I hadn't sold my goods by noon, there would be no lunch. Back then, I worked hard every day—fishing, selling fish, busy day after day.]
[Paimon: These two, big and burly, don't look hungry at all. They don't seem like impoverished families.]
[Ningguang: Precisely. That's why I'm angry. Instead of thinking about labor during this precious time, they're here arguing. If I had this time, I could catch a lot of fish.]
[Paimon: Ningguang can fish too?]
[Ningguang: Of course. Swimming is also my forte. Before making my fortune, I held countless odd jobs in Liyue. There are many things I can do.]
[Paimon: I truly never imagined that Ningguang, seated high in the Jade Chamber, could also go to sea to fish.]
[Zhongli: Ningguang's family background was no different from these two families demanding relief grain. But different choices determined different paths.]
The samurai who had his Vision taken was named Kurosawa. He was tall and muscular, standing with his arms crossed: "I've told you countless times, I don't know anything about relief grain..."
Oomori was furious: "Still lying? That's grain to save lives, not for you samurai to line your own pockets!"
Yuuya: "Do samurai think they can do whatever they want? I'm going to report you to the Tenryou Commission!"
Lumine stepped forward and asked: "What's this about relief grain?"