Alright. So. We're back to square one. Or rather, circle four. Table for four. A perfectly innocent table of a bunch of classy-looking intellectuals gathered in Mondstadt's finest drinking corner at 3PM.
Totally normal. Nothing suspicious. Not a single trace of a Teyvat-saving squad disguised as a wine-tasting club. Nope. Just four very handsome and very suspicious men. Especially me.
Ayaka managed to escape my patented Big Brother Petting Grasp earlier. I'll find her again. I always do. But for now, we had more pressing matters. Like convincing Ayato that this whole operation wasn't just a chaotic fever dream cooked up by two old immortals and one weird isekai'd human who thinks he's still funny after all these chapters.
I clinked my glass on the table. "Alright! Now that our new member is here—whom I recruited myself, by the way. Single-handedly. With the power of snacks and unsolicited head pats—"
Ayato raised an elegant brow, sipping his bubble tea like a noble anime boy. "I wasn't aware that was a recruitment process."
"That's because you weren't aware you were being recruited, my guy. That's the best kind of recruitment!"
Venti chuckled and said, "This reminds me of how I once got trapped into a recruitment—with wine, no less!" He laughed heartily. Zhongli adjusted his tie like he's bracing for a business meeting.
"Let me explain," I said, slapping both hands on the table. "So here's what's going down, Ayato. We're not just some guys vibing with fermented grapes. No, no. We're a Teyvat-saving team. Disguised as a wine tasting club."
Ayato raised an elegant brow. Of course he did. That guy probably practices eyebrow-raising in front of a mirror every morning.
I cleared my throat, glanced left and right like I was about to drop the juiciest tea of 2025, and leaned in.
"So, here's the plan. We're letting the Tsaritsa challenge Celestia."
Cue dramatic pause. Zhongli sips his tea. Venti downs half a bottle of dandelion wine. Ayato doesn't blink.
"If she wins, cool. But if not, we swoop in like the dramatic protagonists we are, beat the weakened Celestia to a pulp, and then do the hero pose while the screen says 'Teyvat Saved.' Credits roll."
Zhongli nods slowly, sipping his tea. "A strategic gamble. High risk, high reward."
"Just like betting on Venti to stay sober for five minutes," I mutter.
"I heard that," Venti sing-songs.
"…You want to let a god war play out to soften the enemy before you jump in?" Ayato's face didn't change. But his aura? Very much 'I want to understand but I'm also reconsidering every decision that brought me here.'
"Hey hey hey," I held up a finger. "Let the record show, this is not a 'war profiting' strategy. This is a 'backup plan in case the world explodes and we'd like to still be alive to fix it' strategy."
"Semantics," Venti whispered, clearly enjoying this too much.
Zhongli cleared his throat, gently placing his cup down like the wise literature professor of Teyvat he is. "There is some logic in what he says. The Tsaritsa possesses strength. But should she fall, the victors of that clash will be weakened. It presents… a window of opportunity."
Ayato crossed his arms. "You all talk like this is chess. The game of gods."
I leaned back and smirked. "Exactly. And guess what? We're the rogue pieces off the board. The secret win condition. The 'press this button and surprise, we're still alive' squad."
He blinked. "That doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't have to," I replied proudly. "What matters is, we've got connections in Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and now Snezhnaya. And most importantly… I've been through this before."
Zhongli and Venti gave subtle nods. Ayato's gaze sharpened. So I exhaled.
"I'm not from here. Not originally. My name's Allen. Shigeru's just my local flavor name. I'm from… a different world. And I kinda… accidentally got isekai'd here."
Venti chuckled into his bottle. Zhongli gave me the grandfatherly 'we've been over this' look. Ayato blinked twice.
"You're not joking?"
"Brother, do I look like I joke about my own identity crisis?"
He didn't answer. Rude.
"Anyway, the reason I know so much about this world," I continued, twirling my wine dramatically like a villainous nobleman, "is because where I'm from, Teyvat is… a story. A game. A world in a screen. But it's real. You're all real. And the things that are coming?"
I paused, this time with real weight behind it. "They're beyond what anyone here's prepared for."
"…I see."
He didn't. Not yet. But he would.
"The Abyss Order. The Loom of Fate. You've heard of them?" I continued.
He gave a small nod. "Only fragments."
"Well, those fragments are about to become front-page headlines. Their plan is bigger than just turning people into monsters or staging revolts. They want to rewrite everything. And I mean everything."
Zhongli added with his sage voice, "The threads of fate are being pulled toward something cataclysmic."
Venti hiccuped. "And not the fun 'oops I broke a lyre string' kind of cataclysmic. The 'Teyvat goes boom' kind."
Ayato, still very much processing, narrows his eyes. "You're saying… this is bigger than nations. This is about the fate of the entire world."
I nod. "Yup. This isn't your average fatui scheme or hilichurl prank. This is the real deal."
I gave him a side glance, suddenly serious. "To be honest, I'm expecting something even worse."
All three looked at me.
I leaned back again, tapping my glass slowly. "I've always had this feeling… that Teyvat isn't everything. That there's more. That beyond the Dark Sea, there's a whole other level of chaos. Maybe even the origin of all of this."
I looked at the two old dudes. "Isn't that right?"
Zhongli's voice deepened. "There is. This world… is vast. And there are truths buried so deep, even gods fear unearthing them."
Venti nodded soberly. "The further you go, the stranger it becomes. Things we don't speak of… because we shouldn't."
I nodded too. I understood. Surprisingly. Some of my remaining braincells were still refusing retirement.
Ayato absorbed it all. Then bowed, genuinely, to the two Archons. "I don't know how much I can help, but I will do my best. I have connections. Influence. And I will lend them to this cause."
What a gentleman. What an icon.
"Nice!" I said, slapping the table. "See? THIS is why I recruited you. That and the fact that you bring your own bubble tea to wine tastings. Peak behavior."
Ayato sipped the bubble tea calmly. "This is from a hidden stall in Inazuma. Highly exclusive."
"Did you teleport it here?"
"Maybe."
"You're terrifying."
Ayato smirked slightly. "I try."
"Alright," I nodded with determination, "So we've got allies in four nations. We need more. Natlan. Fontaine. Sumeru's on the fence but we'll knock eventually. After we prep for the Tsaritsa vs. Celestia showdown, we'll move onto what lies beyond Teyvat."
Ayato nodded. "I've already sent a letter to Lady Chiori. I'll likely head there soon. With the Vision Hunt Decree abolished, it's easier to re-establish ties. Once I'm there, I'll speak with higher-ups.
My eyes sparkled. "YES. You're the best. Just send me a letter when you're there. Take your time, no rush. I'll be here drinking with the two retired gods and occasionally bothering people in Mondstadt."
And so, like every successful gathering of professional wine-sniffing chaos gremlins, we ended with a toast. Me with my wine. Venti with his wine, too, though it was technically his fifth round. Zhongli with his ever-elegant tea. And Ayato, with his dangerously elite bubble tea.
I raise my glass, "To saving Teyvat, gentlemen."
Venti raises his mug. "To chaos and good drinks!"
Zhongli lifts his teacup. "To balance."
Ayato smiles faintly. "To cooperation."
And me?
I chug mine like a frat boy on a dare and yell, "TO THE WINE TASTING CLUB, SAVIORS OF THE DAMN WORLD!"
They stare.
"What?" I say. "That's going on the banners."
Zhongli sighs. "He's serious."
Venti cackles. "I'll write the anthem."
Ayato finishes his drink. "I'm beginning to wonder if this was a wise decision."
I throw an arm around him. "Too late now, brother. Welcome to the most chaotic alliance Teyvat has ever seen."
We clinked again. For Teyvat. For survival. For secrets yet to be unearthed.
And for once…
I actually felt like we had a shot at pulling this off.
Even if I still had no clue where Ayato got that damn bubble tea.
***
Okay. So I may or may not be slumped over a wine barrel. Don't judge me, Ayato brought the fancy bottle and Venti spiked the whole thing with… something suspicious. I think I just sipped a comet.
Zhongli's sipping tea like we didn't just plot an intercontinental rebellion. Ayato's gracefully holding his bubble tea like a royal while I—Shigeru, Allen, whatever—am basically melting.
And then... like a light shining from heaven. Or a judgment bolt from Ei.
"Hey, idiot."
Ah. My doom.
Lumine.
She's standing there with Paimon. And Paimon looks disgusted at my wine-soaked existence, which is hilarious considering she eats slimes.
Lumine puts her hands on her hips. "Time to go. I told you not to get drunk too much."
I slap the table and stand—well, stagger up like a baby deer discovering gravity. "Awww, if it isn't my dear traveling partner. The sunshine of my life. The Paimon killer."
"HEY!" Paimon squawks, insulted, as usual.
Lumine sighs and grabs my arm, steadying me like the responsible adult she is. Goodbye wine. Goodbye questionable decisions. Goodbye hot men club.
"Farewell, my beautiful Archon buddies and Hydro Daddy," I mumble, saluting in seven different directions. "Zhongli, may your tea never cool. Venti, may your alcohol be ever potent. Ayato, may your bubble tea not betray you."
We step out, and somewhere along the way, my brain goes poof.
"Where are we?" I blink as the breeze hits my face. "Lumine, did you kidnap me?"
She rolls her eyes. "I didn't, but I plan on throwing you into the sea."
"...I'm sober now."
"Good."
Paimon floats above us, giggling like she's got front-row seats to the circus. Which, fair.
Turns out, we're at Wangshu Inn. Again.
I blink. "Why are we here?"
"Because we still have no home," Lumine replies with a sigh, unlocking the same room we've squatted in for three regions.
"You'd think with all the world-saving we do, they'd at least give us a teapot."
"We should ask Madame Ping."
"We should demand rent at this point."
Inside, it's cozy. Familiar. Slightly broken, but home-ish. Paimon does a dramatic flop on the bed and starts snoring in less than ten seconds.
Lumine and I lie down. I stare at the ceiling like it holds the secrets of the Abyss Order.
"Yo partner," I mumble. "Can't sleep?"
Lumine nods slightly. The moonlight falls on her face. She touches my cheek, gentle.
"Once we get to Sumeru... what are your plans?"
My brain panics. Oh shit. She's serious. Engage mental system. Activate the last braincell!
"Well... aside from meeting Nilou," I start. Bad idea. I immediately feel the temperature drop.
Her brows twitch. Danger. Abort.
"I want to save Nahida," I say quickly. "And maybe beat the ever-living shit out of Dottore. Like, respectfully. And... I don't know. Do something that actually makes sense for once?"
She softens. Her hand still lingers on my cheek.
"I still have no idea what you're thinking... but I know you've planned everything."
I smile. "Thanks. You're the best."
In my head: Since when did I actually think?
She must be drunk.
We stay like that for a moment, the silence hanging between us—not awkward, but full. Full of things we haven't said. Maybe can't say yet.
"…Do you ever think about going back?" she suddenly asks.
I glance at her. "Back? Like to my world?"
She nods.
"…Sometimes," I admit. "But then I remember the people here. You. Paimon. Even the weirdos like Itto and Scaramouche. Teyvat's home now, even if it makes zero sense 90% of the time."
She chuckles softly. "It really doesn't."
"I love it here," I say, softer this time. "It's chaotic and confusing and full of monsters that want to throw me off cliffs, but… it's mine now. Teyvat is my home."
I mumble something under my breath, barely audible, "…Where Earth? Where no one's even waiting for me."
Lumine doesn't respond right away. Instead, she brushes aside the hair falling over my face with a gentle touch. I pretend not to notice that she heard me.
She just smiles.
We lie there a little longer. I turn to her again.
"You ever think about staying?" I ask.
She's quiet for a moment, then answers, "Maybe. If staying means not being alone."
I blink. "That was almost romantic."
She smirks. "Almost."
We end up talking about the dumbest things.
"You know," I say, poking the air like I'm delivering a TED Talk, "Venti's music is, like, 50% actual bard skill and 50% alcohol-fueled chaos."
Lumine chuckles. "You forgot the 10% wind Archon privilege."
"That too," I nod solemnly. "And Ayaka totally snores when she's tired. Like a dainty kitten who learned how to chainsaw."
Lumine laughs. "She'd kill you if she heard that."
"Worth it," I grin.
Then I glance at the ceiling. "Also, I'm convinced Xiao hears everything. We've been up here making weird noises for hours and he just... doesn't react."
Lumine hums. "He probably meditates through it. Pretends we're wind noises or something."
"Mystical yaksha earplugs," I whisper dramatically.
She snorts. "I'd buy that merch."
And just like that, the night feels a little lighter.
"Sometimes," Lumine says quietly, eyes on the ceiling, "I dream of places I've never been. Cities that don't exist. Skies with two moons. I don't even know if they're memories or just... dreams."
I hum, my voice low. "Sometimes I dream of going back. Just to check. Just to see how things are. But then I wake up... and I'm here. And honestly, I don't want to leave anymore."
She tilts her head toward me, curious. "You mean it? You're really not thinking about your world anymore?"
I hesitate, then smile faintly. "Teyvat's my home now. Chaotic, confusing, deadly... but it's mine. I've got people here. Weirdos. Friends. You. Even Paimon. It makes waking up worth it."
"You're not alone here either," she says simply.
I blink at her. For once, I don't have a quip. Just a slow exhale.
Then she speaks again, softer. "I think about my brother sometimes. What will happen when I find him again. If... when I have to choose. I don't know if I'll stay. But I know I want people to come with me. People I care about."
I nod, watching her. "Then I'll walk with you until the end. Whether that's here... or beyond the stars."
We both stare at the ceiling again, the silence deep and unspoken.
It's a silence that says: we've both lost something. But maybe, for now, we've found enough.
"Let's sleep," I whisper. "We have a big day tomorrow."
She nods.
And maybe, just maybe, for the first time in forever—I feel ready.
_____________________
End of Chapter 68
Quests Completed:
*Successfully recruited Ayato into the covert Teyvat-saving team. (Officially)
*Established a foundational alliance spanning Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and Snezhnaya.
*Laid groundwork for the Tsaritsa vs. Celestia gambit and future plans beyond Teyvat.
*Secured rare bubble tea from Inazuma (Ayato's signature contribution).
*Survive an accidental reunion with three of the most intimidating Archon-tier men alive
*Discover emotional baggage while pretending it's just the alcohol
*Go back to Wangshu Inn with Lumine and Paimon and accidentally make it a therapy sleepover
*Tell Lumine the truth about your thoughts of Earth
*Ask Lumine about her thoughts on the future and her brother
Rewards:
*+1 New Ally (Ayato Kamisato: Finally official)
*+50 Influence Points (in four nations)
*+3 Strategic Advantage (due to alliance and insider info)
*Suspicious Wine Buff – +10 Charisma, -90 Coherence
*One (1) soft forehead brush from Lumine
*Wangshu Inn Sleep Bonus – +1 HP regeneration, +30 heart rate when she looks at you like that
*+10 Emotional Growth (Limited-Time: I am now mildly self-aware)
*Housing Crisis Reminder – "We still don't have a damn teapot.
*+10 Lumine Affection
*+1 Lore Fragment: Lumine's Inner Thoughts
*+1 Shared Hope
*+1 Hint at Alternate Endings
*Nilou Mentioned +1 (Ship war fuel acquired)
Achievements:
"Almost Romantic"
-Say something meaningful and didn't ruin it. Miraculous. +10 Emotional Maturity EXP
"Saviors of the Damn World"
-Your wine-soaked pact isn't just a toast—it's a promise that this world will survive the chaos yet to come.