Everything Zhongli had said ultimately pointed to one thing—
his lack of confidence in the Tsaritsa.
In particular, he harbored deep doubts about post-war reconstruction.
After overthrowing the Heavenly Principles, would the Tsaritsa truly possess the ability to establish a new world order?
This was Zhongli's foremost concern.
To be fair, compared to Barbatos and Raiden Ei, Zhongli's perspective was far more far-sighted.
The fact that Mora—minted from his own divine flesh and guaranteed by the credibility of the Geo Archon—had become the universal currency of Teyvat was proof enough of his extraordinary foresight.
Yet while he saw far, he failed to account for one thing—
Severin's nature.
Severin had never needed to prove himself to anyone.
If anything, assisting the Tsaritsa against the Heavenly Principles was secondary.
What he truly desired was to overturn the Heavenly Principles himself.
And so, no one was qualified to demand anything of him.
"Morax," Severin said coldly, his gaze sharpening,
"you may have misunderstood the situation."
"It is I who am demanding the Geo Gnosis from you—
not the Tsaritsa."
Zhongli did not evade the point.
"I signed a contract with the Tsaritsa. My stake is the Geo Gnosis. Since you represent her, the least you can do is cooperate with my request and assume the role of Regent."
"I ask you to become Regent for two reasons," Zhongli continued without embellishment.
"First—to reform Liyue, uproot its old flaws, establish new governance, and elevate its overall strength."
"Second—to prove to me that you alone possess the capability to govern a nation. Only then will I lend my full support to Snezhnaya."
"Defying the Heavenly Principles is no trivial matter. A single misstep on my part could doom Liyue's people. I need you to consider matters from my position while pursuing Snezhnaya's interests."
"Snezhnaya has its arrow nocked—there is no retreat. But the remaining six nations still have room to maneuver."
Friendship was friendship.
But when Liyue's fate was at stake, Zhongli would argue with reason—even if it meant abandoning the dignity of the Geo Archon.
Severin asked calmly,
"Are you afraid, Morax?"
"I am afraid," Zhongli answered frankly,
"that a wrong decision of mine will lead to Liyue's destruction, burying the happiness of countless people."
"If you can fully prove—to me—that now and in the future you possess the ability to govern Teyvat itself, then I, Morax, swear in the name of the Geo Archon that I will aid you with all my strength—even unto death, without regret."
But until then, Zhongli was unwilling to gamble Liyue's fate.
Should Severin earn his trust, he would become Snezhnaya's most powerful ally in toppling the divine throne above the skies.
"Morax," Severin said evenly,
"Snezhnaya does not force anyone to help."
He took out the ancient coin gifted by Ji Fang—
a relic of a forgotten civilization.
"Before the Year of Funeral Flames, there existed a glorious human civilization—the Age of Ceremonial Crowns. The eras of Fire, Ice, and Thunder worship cycled endlessly. Civilization rose and fell within this loop."
"That was a sacred rule set at creation by the Primordial One. Any who defied it—human or god alike—met catastrophic ends."
"The world remains blind, gazing from the bottom of a well. You Seven Archons glimpsed fragments of the truth—yet collectively chose silence."
"The Tsaritsa seeks revenge.
But I seek to shatter this cruel cycle of destiny itself."
"If Snezhnaya fails—if I am defeated—the remaining six nations will not be spared. They will be buried alongside us."
"The logic of lips perish, teeth grow cold needs no further explanation."
Zhongli turned his gaze toward the window, his expression complex.
The Prince of Snezhnaya's depth of thought, breadth of vision, and ambition far surpassed that of the Seven.
"That the Tsaritsa revealed such secrets to you… your relationship is indeed intriguing," Zhongli said quietly.
"But Prince of Snezhnaya—this knowledge is not something to be proud of."
"It is the heaviest curse in this world."
"And besides," Morax sighed,
"even we Seven have only glimpsed part of the truth. You cannot deny that the history we know may itself be false."
"The secrets of ancient times lie buried within the dark fog of ages. Unraveling them requires time."
Severin's voice hardened.
"Time waits for no one."
"Your resolve commands my respect," Zhongli replied.
"But my contract with the Tsaritsa has already been formed."
"Then the contract is annulled from this moment."
"Contracts cannot be broken."
Negotiations had reached an impasse.
When reason failed, only strength remained.
Cryo and Geo energies surged forth, colliding head-on.
In Severin's perception, Zhongli was like an unassailable wall—
rooted in the earth itself, immovable and indestructible.
Worthy of the title God of War, Zhongli's combat power easily ranked among the top three of the Seven.
In Zhongli's eyes, however, an immense frost dragon coiled behind Severin—
its scarlet pupils radiating annihilation, as though nothing in existence could withstand it.
If Zhongli was the world's strongest shield,
then Severin was its sharpest spear.
Ultimate defense versus ultimate destruction—
neither side possessed absolute certainty of victory.
At that moment, the entire city of Liyue Harbor trembled faintly.
The citizens mistook it for a minor earthquake.
The brief test ended.
Both sides stopped short.
Zhongli was the first to withdraw his elemental power.
"The Prince of Snezhnaya is unfathomable," he concluded.
"This matter must be resolved through amicable discussion."
"Prince of Snezhnaya—if you wish to abolish the contract, do you have sufficient grounds?"
"The contract itself was never fair. Why honor it at all?"
Only now did the truth surface.
Long ago, the Tsaritsa and the Geo Archon had signed a contract to end all contracts.
Its terms were simple—
Morax would willingly hand over the Geo Gnosis,
and the Tsaritsa would end his life if necessary.
As the embodiment of contracts, the Geo Archon understood the irony perfectly.
"Morax," Severin said calmly,
"you know erosion cannot be avoided. The stronger the being, the greater the devastation once erosion takes hold."
"You fear that one day you will become like Azhdaha—losing memory, descending into madness, losing control, and personally destroying Liyue."
"You built Liyue into something beautiful. If you were to destroy it with your own hands, the pain would be unbearable. That is why you hoped the Tsaritsa would end your life if necessary."
"Azhdaha's erosion is already severe. He is no longer at his peak. If you lost control, he could not stop you."
"Among the Seven, the only one capable of killing you—
the only one you trust enough to do so—
is the Tsaritsa."
Zhongli lowered his head and sipped his tea in silence.
Severin continued,
"But I have already explained—defying fate is not Snezhnaya's burden alone. Handing over your Gnosis to aid the Tsaritsa in overturning the Heavenly Principles is the duty and responsibility of the remaining six Archons."
"Using your Gnosis as a bargaining chip in a contract with the Tsaritsa is fundamentally unfair."
"On the matter of the Gnoses—
you never had a choice."
"The Geo Gnosis
was something you were always meant to surrender."
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