The new phantom was a very elderly man with a black cloth covering his eyes.
Ei clearly recognized him. "Are you... Furuyama?"
The figure turned at the sound of Ei's voice. "Your Excellency the Shogun? Have you not departed for the distant battlefield? Why have you returned?"
Ei then pointed to Furuyama and introduced him. "This is Furuyama, a tea master who has long served by my side."
"Though Furuyama cannot see, he possesses an extraordinary ability to discern quality. The tea he brews with his own hands is among the finest in all of Inazuma."
[Paimon: Even the tea master by Ei's side did not escape?]
[Yae Miko: As Ei's close attendant, his status was quite high. He should have been someone protected.]
Furuyama spoke slowly. "You flatter me. I have simply been by Her Excellency's side for so long that practice has made perfect."
"It sounds like Her Excellency has brought guests with her."
"Given the current situation, I am afraid I cannot offer you any proper refreshments. If you do not mind, please sit down and rest for a while."
"After all, everything outside has become a complete mess."
Paimon spread her hands. "So, what should we do now?"
Lumine whispered, "Let us play along with Furuyama's words. We might get more information."
[Furina: Fishing. This is definitely fishing, is it not?]
[Paimon: A certain fish is getting anxious.]
[Arataki Itto: Fish? What fish?]
[Ningguang: The word 'fishing' is not appropriate here.]
[Ei: Furuyama is not a bad person.]
[Keqing: The time these memories can exist is limited. Going along with the conversation saves a lot of explanation.]
Paimon turned and said loudly, "Yes, the outside is full of beasts. Everything has gone dark. Many people are injured."
Furuyama said, "Ah? I see. So the fighting has reached this far. Most of the nearby residents have fled. They tried to take me with them, but I felt it was meaningless, so I did not go."
"Her Excellency the Shogun is right here. I have no reason to flee."
"Besides, if this is a situation that even Her Excellency cannot resolve, where else could I possibly run?"
Lumine asked, "Why are you not panicking at all?"
Furuyama said with a strong, steady voice, "Fleeing is for the sake of survival. And one wishes to survive because there are still unfinished matters in life."
"I simply happen not to feel that way, nor do I have any regrets left."
"When Her Excellency drinks tea, she often tells me about her dreams. Listening to her, I, who have been blind for many years, feel as though I have personally traveled through Inazuma's most beautiful mountains and seas. Over time, I gradually came to understand her romantic and dreamlike thoughts."
"She always says that all good things change and fade with the passage of time. Therefore, one must seize the moment and enjoy life without leaving any regrets."
[Paimon: Eh? That is quite different from Ei's way of thinking.]
[Ei: Because the one who said those words was not me, but my sister Makoto. Back then, even those around me did not know that there were actually two Electro Archons. Our roles were clearly divided—one handled state affairs, the other led armies into battle.]
[Lumine: And the two of you never appeared at the same time, did you?]
[Ei: Correct.]
[Paimon: The difference between the sisters is so great!]
[Ei: I was immersed in martial arts and not good at conversation. My sister Makoto handled state affairs. Five hundred years ago, she alone answered the summons and went to Khaenri'ah. If... if I had been the one to go back then, would things have been different?]
[Lumine: Perhaps Makoto knew that battle was very dangerous and did not want you to go.]
[Ei: That is the only possibility. Normally, whenever combat was needed, I was the one who went.]
[Zhongli: That battle was indeed perilous. Even Ei would have been in danger of losing her life.]
[Paimon: Was it really that terrifying and dreadful?]
[Zhongli: The continent itself was shattered. It was even more intense than the Archon War.]
[Lumine: I recall Osial and the fall of the Jade Chamber.]
[Ningguang: Those who fought in the Khaenri'ah war were all victors of the Archon War. Yet even so, many gods fell. I imagine there were no few Abyss creatures that rivaled Osial.]
[Zhongli: Correct.]