A small boy who looked about five or six years old was walking alone on a path in the wilderness. His clothes were a bit dusty, and although his face was youthful, his eyes held a mature expression.
The wilderness, far from the towns, was not safe; monsters often roamed these areas.
Logically speaking, no parent would allow their child to venture alone into such a place.
"Check panel," the boy said softly.
Immediately, several pieces of information surfaced in his mind.
[Name: Yu Xie]
[Age: 6 years old]
[Physical Status: Growing]
[Skills: Mastery of Body Techniques (Elite Level), Mastery of Sword and Blade (Elite Level), Pure Heart and Soul (Normal Level)]
—Where is this?
[The Nation of Water, Fontaine]
—What kind of person was I in my last life?
[Data missing, unable to answer]
—You don't remember either?
[I will delete any related information upon the end of your life]
—Understood.
Yu Xie closed the information in his mind and came to a stop.
A glimmer of light flashed, revealing a long blade and a "Vision" of the Electro element in Yu Xie's hands.
From the size and length of the blade, it was clear that it was not a weapon meant for a child.
As for the Vision, it wasn't a true Vision; technically, it was just a finely crafted pendant that could not harness the power of the Electro element.
Regarding the blade, Yu Xie only knew its name was "Cloud Cutter," and he felt that this blade was very important to him.
Beyond that, he had no recollection of how it came into his possession.
Similarly, he could only recall that the "Electro Vision" was a significant object, but he could not remember its origins.
He had no memories of what he had done in his last life.
Just as Yu Xie was pondering these thoughts, a few beast-like monsters suddenly appeared, blocking his path.
The monsters glared hungrily, emitting low growls from their throats, their eyes blood-red, with blue faces and sharp fangs.
Yu Xie stowed away the Vision and slowly drew the blade. The Cloud Cutter seemed to respond to him, as if it had been tailored specifically for him.
The monsters let out menacing roars, slowly advancing toward Yu Xie.
Though this life's Yu Xie was still a child, he remained calm, gripping the hilt of his blade and stepping forward to meet the threat.
The tip of the sword traced a graceful arc in the air, and a flash of white blade light cut through the space.
In just a couple of seconds, the beast-like monsters fell to the ground, unable to rise again.
As Cloud Cutter dissipated into particles of light in Yu Xie's hand, a sudden commotion drew his attention; a convoy was approaching.
"Kid in front, get out of the way."
Yu Xie turned to see the driver at the front of the convoy shouting at him.
The driver's tone was not very friendly, but he was quickly silenced by another person.
The convoy came to a slow halt, and that person walked into the middle of the convoy, speaking to someone in the carriage before returning to Yu Xie's side.
"Child, where do you live? Fontaine Court?"
"Fontaine Court…"
"What's wrong? Don't you know Fontaine Court?"
Yu Xie certainly knew; he retained basic knowledge about Teyvat.
Although he was unclear about what he had experienced in his previous life, it seemed this life was set after the Archon War.
As a newcomer to this world, Yu Xie's understanding of Teyvat wasn't completely comprehensive, but he was still somewhat familiar with it.
"I know. I want to go see Fontaine Court."
"First, tell me where your home is. The noble person in the carriage said they could give you a ride home. It's dangerous for a little kid to be out here alone," the speaker said, glancing at the corpses of the monsters nearby. "So, did you do this?"
"I don't have a home for now," Yu Xie replied, "and yes, I did this."
"For now? Do kids nowadays speak in riddles?"
Perhaps this conversation caught the attention of someone inside the carriage, as a slight rustle indicated movement. A beautiful woman stepped out.
She was dressed in an elegant black gown and had long pink hair, which was tied back and draped over her left shoulder.
Her extravagant attire made her noble status apparent.
Upon seeing her, everyone present bowed respectfully, not daring to slacken their demeanor.
Without saying a word, she approached Yu Xie, squatting down to look at him.
"Child, you said you have no home, is that right?"
"Not for now," Yu Xie said.
"Do you have any family?"
"Not for now either."
The woman smiled, not dwelling on what "for now" meant, but instead glanced at the corpses of the monsters with a slight frown.
"Did you really do all of this?"
"Indeed."
"How old are you?"
"Six years old."
"A six-year-old can do this? Even two or three adults might struggle with these monsters," the woman seemed slightly surprised, her eyes thoughtful.
"Is it that difficult?" Yu Xie asked.
"Hehe."
The woman smiled, "By the way, do you know me?"
"I feel like I've seen you somewhere, but I can't remember."
"My name is Crucabena. What's your name?"
Crucabena… Yu Xie suddenly recalled.
She was the former "Harbinger," one of the Fatui's executives.
"My name is Yu Xie."
"Yu Xie, since you don't have a home for now, you can come with me. I can give you a home. Would you like that?"
"…" Yu Xie hesitated for a moment.
He hadn't expected that just as this life was beginning, he would receive an "olive branch" from a Harbinger.
"What's wrong? Don't want to? If you don't, I won't force you," Crucabena said, noticing Yu Xie's silence.
At that moment, she seemed very kind, like a true elder.
"I can go with you," Yu Xie replied calmly.
Even though he didn't want to join the Fatui, he thought of something: since Crucabena was still alive now, then Arlecchino should still be Peruere, still a child of the House of Hearth.
He wanted to meet Peruere, and he also wanted to see Clervie.
As for other matters, he could wait until he met Peruere and Clervie.
"Welcome, child," Crucabena said with a gentle smile, then stood up and addressed someone nearby, "Take him back to the House of Hearth."
With that, Crucabena got back into the carriage.
"Kid, it seems the Harbinger really appreciates you. You're in for some good fortune," the person who had spoken to Yu Xie before said.
"Good fortune, huh…" Yu Xie thought to himself, "Maybe it's misfortune instead."
He turned his gaze toward Crucabena's carriage, his eyes deep and filled with a maturity that didn't match a six-year-old.
.....
The convoy slowly moved on, arriving at Fontaine Court just before the sun set.
Though he didn't have memories from his previous life, time had passed, and Yu Xie's recollection of Fontaine was somewhat hazy.
However, it wasn't too different from what he remembered; as the nation of "Justice," it was bustling with activity.
The streets were filled with hurried pedestrians, shouts of vendors, and laughter—various sounds echoed in the air.
The convoy continued until it finally reached its destination before night fell.
The House of Hearth.
Yu Xie sat in the carriage, lifting the rear curtain to see that they had entered the gates of the House of Hearth.
He knew that once he went through this door, it wouldn't be easy to truly leave again.
Soon, the sounds of children playing reached Yu Xie's ears.
Looking through the carriage window, he saw many children around his age laughing and playing in the nearby garden.
Their faces were filled with smiles, seemingly content with their current lives.
After all, for them, this place was home.
At least for now.
End of chapter
I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who support me on this journey. Your contributions make a real difference!
Special Thanks to : Lightmare
As a Patron, you unlock:
Exclusive access : Get 50+ advanced chapters ahead of everyone else
Exclusive shout-out : Receive a special shout-out every chapter as a thank you for your support!
Your support not only fuels my creativity but also helps me grow on this community. If you're not a paetron yet, consider joining us.
Join now : patreon.com/DeCakraWnloverz