Chapter 76 - Chapter 76

The Goddess of Flowers, Nabu Maricata, is not a pure demon born from the "Original Fragments."

During the Throne War, she picked up a fragment of Phanes' broken "Original Ring." That fragment carried the complete "Law of Flowers" and a small piece of the Dragon King Nibelung's "Water Elemental Authority."

Maricata's original identity was from the fairy clan.

This dates back to the "Year of Doves Carrying Branches," which predates even the "Year of Fire Burial."

Phanes came to the world of Teyvat and began creating humans, but humans were ignorant. Thus, Phanes created a race of fairies, all composed of beautiful women, to teach humans knowledge and survival skills. They helped mankind establish tribes, city-states, and countries, acting as mentors to humanity.

The fairy clan, inherently beautiful and intellectual like gods, was constantly courted by human heroes and sages. How could the sentimental fairies resist the courtships of these heroes? Eventually, they decided to unite with humans.

But at that time, humans had only just taken root in the world. How could Phanes allow such unions? He established a rule that fairies could not fall in love with humans. Therefore, love between fairies and humans would not be recognized by the world, and no children would be born from their union.

It was then that the world of Teyvat welcomed its second foreign traveler. This traveler did not have the power to change the world's structure, so they were not considered a descendant.

The leader of the fairies fell in love with this traveler. In defiance of the rules set by Phanes, she prayed to the three sisters of the Moon Palace and made an eternal vow of union under their witness. The rule that fairies and humans could not have children was broken, and the fairies once again prayed to the three sisters of the Moon Palace.

This behavior enraged Phanes.

To Phanes, this was nothing short of betrayal. The peaceful "Year of Doves Carrying Branches" ended, and the "Year of Fire Burial" began.

The first war broke out between Phanes and the gods native to Teyvat. In just thirty days, disasters befell the world. Fairies and their lovers fled through shattered lands, between the heavens and the earth.

After the First War, Phanes expelled the fairies and placed a curse upon them. Fairies and humans were to be forever separated. If a fairy fell in love with a human, they would lose their beautiful form, their minds would collapse, they would lose their voices, and they would turn into small fairies wandering the mountains and forests forever.

Takumi could understand both the fairies and Phanes. Fairies simply wanted to unite with humans and have children. Meanwhile, Phanes, having just arrived in Teyvat, needed to establish a firm foundation. He needed the human race to grow rapidly and cover the world with the "Human Power." The love between fairies and human heroes delayed this process, and their alliance with the three goddesses of the Moon Palace was akin to stabbing Phanes in the back.

However, Takumi was not Phanes. He realized that by lifting the curse, the fairies would become his loyal followers, as all they truly wanted was to love and be loved by humans.

Although fairies were not demons, they were closely related, much like nymphs from Greek mythology.

As Takumi admired Nilou's dance, he heard the gentle voice of the Great Dendro Archon, touching his ears like a soft breeze. It was indeed an enjoyable experience.

"The Dance of the Flower God, three thousand years ago," the Archon's voice began, "was not long after I met Amon and Maricata. We agreed to rule Sumeru together. It was my birthday, and I sent out invitations to many gods and demon gods."

She continued, "Because war still raged during those times, many demon gods were afraid I had other plans, so not many came. Amon brought lamps that illuminated the night sky, Morax brought wine cups made of nightstone, and the God of Freedom arrived in the form of the wind, playing beautiful songs. Maricata brought flowers and danced among them to celebrate my birthday. The scribes recorded that moment."

"Whenever it was my birthday, the people of Sumeru would re-enact scenes from that day, hoping to make me happy."

There was a trace of nostalgia and regret in her gentle voice.

Takumi listened with interest and smiled. "A banquet of the gods? Hahaha, I should hold a banquet for the gods sometime. That would be quite entertaining."

In Greek mythology, the gods of Mount Olympus often held grand feasts. The Pantheon of Teyvat, overseen by the laws of nature, could certainly do better than Zeus, he mused.

At this point, Nilou had finished the final sequence of her "Dance of the Flower Goddess."

Nilou bowed gracefully, her voice carrying happiness, "Thank you, everyone, for watching me dance."

She could never have danced so freely before the revival of the Great Dendro Archon. Back then, whenever audiences in the Zubair Theater grew in number, people from the Akademiya would come to evict them, followed by heavy fines.

"Miss Nilou's dance was so beautiful," someone said.

"Yes, it's said that this was the same dance the Flower God once performed at the banquet of the Great Dendro Archon."

Suddenly, a purple Patisara flower fell from the sky.

"Your dance was very beautiful. I present you this flower. I hope you continue to perform even more beautiful dances," said an ethereal voice, carrying a hint of majesty.

Nilou stared at the flower, according to legend a gift from the God of Flowers to the Great Dendro Archon, which had appeared out of thin air. When it fell before her, she instinctively caught it.

The Patisara emitted a soft light, and the plants in the Zubair Theater suddenly blossomed, transforming it into a wonderland.

"Wow! Is that the legendary Patisara?!"

"It fell from the sky!"

"The flowers have bloomed everywhere!"

"I heard a voice! Was it the voice of a god?"

"It was a male voice! Could it have been a god from one of the Seven Nations passing by?"

"This must be the power of the gods!"

"Miss Nilou's dance was so captivating, even the gods stopped to watch!"

While the Grand Bazaar, shrouded in flowers, was in an uproar, Takumi and his companions had already left.

The Patisara had been enchanted to never wither, forever bloom, cause the surrounding plants to flourish, and offer some protection to its bearer—a small gift, almost like a fairy-tale item.

---

At the highest point in Sumeru City, in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, the Great Dendro Archon looked at Takumi tenderly.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked.

Takumi was surprised. "Hey, how did you know? Can you read my thoughts?"

Of course, he was joking. No one could fully read the intentions of a god. Yet, as the God of Wisdom, the Archon, also known as Nahida, was truly intelligent. Whether in terms of IQ or emotional intelligence, she was one of the most exceptional in Teyvat.

Nahida reached out, placing her hand gently on his chest. "I can't hear your thoughts. But your next destination is Fontaine, right? To prepare the gate for the second world... You've settled things here in Sumeru, so you're ready to leave, aren't you?"

Takumi grabbed her hand, smiling playfully. "Oh, are you reluctant to part with me? Or are you just hoping for a bit more tenderness from me before I go? Because if so, I'm happy to oblige~"