When Miss Kamisato left with the letter, her eyes slightly reddened.
Seiyo Raimei took out a roll of tobacco from the lining of his kimono, folded it, wrapped it in cigarette paper, struck a match, and lit it.
A faint smoke dispersed in the slightly chilly air.
He usually didn't smoke in front of children, and besides, Kamisato wouldn't allow him to.
He took a gentle puff, feeling a bit absent-minded.
Looking at the fresh snow on the grand eaves, the fine snow pressed against the roof, and the early winter sun drooped lazily on the small snow, looking like a lazy white cat lying on the tiled roof, basking in the sun and panting.
The fine snow washed the air with a delicate color, welcoming the new spring.
Suddenly, he also wanted to turn into a ball of fine snow, lazily lying there, doing nothing, waiting for the warm sun to melt him, melt into a puddle of snow water, seep into the ground. Such a life should be quite interesting.
It's better than his current state of wandering everywhere.
"Seiyo Raimei, are you satisfied with this life?"
Suddenly, the voice of the Human Principles System sounded in his ears.
"How can there be such a thing as being satisfied or not?"
Raimei took a puff of tobacco, coughed a few times, and extinguished the cigarette butt.
After saying this, he slowly got up, closed the folding screen, and the bronze mirror on the desk reflected his image:
The person in the mirror wore a snowy white kimono, tied with a black cloth bag, with plum and bamboo patterns embroidered on the edges, stepping on wooden sandals, and snow-like silver hair.
He was a charming old man, judging solely by his appearance, no more than thirty or forty years old.
But he was already five hundred years old, and his hair was already white.
The bright silver-gray eyes of his youth were now covered with a thin layer of eye film, like frost, dull and powerless.
Raimei gently tapped his cheeks, and an incredible transformation occurred.
That weak and powerless heart was infused with vitality once again.
It beat vigorously, full of life.
As the kimono fell off, he slowly straightened his spine, his skin becoming firmer and tighter, white and clean, revealing the contours of muscles, undulating slowly in the cold wind. The patterns of bamboo and chrysanthemums draped over him as he stepped forward tentatively, stepping on wooden sandals.
His pure white long hair naturally cascaded down, and his amethyst-colored eyes were like pools melted by the sunset.
Looking at the youth in the mirror, the youthful vitality unique to young people came to the fore.
This was his new body.
He took another tentative step forward, his gait awkward, clearly not very accustomed.
[Human Principles System Launched]
[Name: N/A]
[Position: N/A]
[Age: 18]
[Level: Level 1]
[Element: Anemo]
[Status: Healthy]
[Combat Skills: Mortal level]
[Talent: Immovable Isshin (God level, learned from Inazuma Narukami Beelzebul) ...]
Note: This body is a newly reborn body and can only exist for one hour per day. It must wait until the old identity completely dies before it can persist in the world.
[Please proceed to Mondstadt.]
Raimei lit another cigarette, this time without coughing.
The full name of "Human Principles System" is "Human Principles Survival System", and it is such a rule.
Its purpose of existence is to "preserve human civilization and correct all possible factors that could lead to humanity's destruction".
Raimei is its host.
He came to Inazuma, protected it when it was invaded by impurities, when the deity left, and when the Khaenri'ah crisis occurred, and guarded it for five hundred years.
But mortal life has its limits, which is a cruel reality.
One cannot exceed the balance set by the heavens. Whenever his life nears its end, he needs to "shed his shell" using this method.
When he dies completely, Raimei will be reborn into a new life.
And go to a new place to resolve new "factors that could lead to humanity's destruction".
Of course, by then, he will already be a completely new person.
Raimei must abandon everything, whether it be emotions or fate.
The shedding of the shell must be complete, with an entirely new life surviving in the world, having no connection whatsoever with past people or events, completely severing all ties to the past.
Start all over again—without revealing anything to anyone.
Otherwise, it would disrupt the rules of the Heavenly Principles.
To give an analogy, he is like a stowaway, transitioning from one life to another, so naturally, he cannot flaunt it, or else he will be caught by the customs of "Heavenly Principles".
Raimei is meant to truly die of old age.
The current stage he's in, nearing death, is called the "shedding period", where the old body slowly dies, and the new body is born from it.
He will also experience this death, experience this separation, everything is real.
The emotions of Raimei are real, the life of Raimei is real, the life of Raimei is real, the death of Raimei is also real—these five hundred years of fate are all real.
The taste of death is very painful, very uncomfortable.
He has died several times already, still unable to adapt to death, still unable to adapt to separation.
That's why he said to Kamisato Ayaka, "Don't tell Raiden Ei, don't tell anyone else."
Raimei is afraid that if he sees them, he won't be able to bear leaving, won't be able to bear parting.
Won't be able to bear dying.
In the years to come, he will continue to experience human aging, experience human weakness, experience human separation, die countless times, and be reborn countless times.
That's why he said that being able to die completely is very fortunate.
Accompaniment is the longest confession.
But sorry, as a mortal, he cannot accompany forever.
There are still two hundred and twenty-one days.
He, as Raimei Seino, has eight months left in his final moments, and he needs to pass this period calmly and safely.
"Don't sleep in, old stubborn~ Hey, old stubborn!"
At this moment, a graceful and slightly flirtatious voice came from outside the door.
It sounded lazy, reminding Raimei of the snow on the eaves he had just seen, lazily lying there, waiting for the warm sun to melt it away, carefree.
"Have you ever heard of a dish called "Kitsune Udon"? It's just udon with fried tofu. Come on, get up, get up~ Hurry up and make it for me."
So rude.
Raimei Seino extinguished his cigarette and brushed off the ash from his body.
This stinky fox always behaved like this, calling him old stubborn all the time, who knows where it learned it from...
Always making people worried.
After I die, let's see who will make it for you!
Infuriate you.