A Life of Retired Archon

Retired

Zhongli calmly walked into Northland Bank and saw Signora waited patiently with her subordinates. She waved her hand to her spies to leave, then gave a wicked smile.

"Hello, Zhongli. Or should I call you Rex Lapis? Morax?"

"Call me Zhongli," he firmly replied and looked around. "Is it done?"

"Not yet. Childe is still not coming back," she said. "To think that you bet your gnosis only for this chaos, perhaps you lost your mind?"

"You could say that, but I don't wish to dominate Liyue anymore. Liyue can survive even without god's protection," he voiced. Before Signora opened her mouth, Childe came back and shocked.

"Signora, what are you doing here with Xiansheng?" he asked out of curious. Signora smirked.

"Oh, I just came to take what's mine," she said. Zhongli sighed and looked at the Childe.

"Please wait a moment, the traveler will reach this place," Zhongli said. Childe narrowed his eyes.

"So you did hide something, huh?"

Zhongli didn't say anything. Right after waited for a while, Aether and Paimon rushed in.

"Signora! What are you doing here?" Aether yelled. Signora sighed.

"How impertinent. I wanted to end the contract with the Geo Archon, that's all," she replied.

"Geo...archon?" Paimon shocked. Signora glanced at Zhongli. The amber man sighed.

"Both of us fulfilled our contracts," he said as he showed his gnosis right in front of all. Childe rolled his eyes.

"So all of this just a play, huh?"

"Hehe, you're right, Childe. But you should be happy you can wreak havoc to satisfy your hunger of fight, right?" Signora replied. The ginger man only glared at her, then turned to Zhongli.

"You tricked me," he said. Once again, he didn't reply.

"Zhongli, but why? Is there any token as fair as your gnosis?" Paimon asked.

"There is no such thing enough to bet gnosis, yet Tsaritsa could persuade me to take this unfair contract," Zhongli replied. "Here the gnosis," he said as he handed the bright golden chess piece into Signora's palm.

"Then my job here is done. Let's go back to have an audience with Tsaritsa, Childe," Signora offered. Childe snorted.

"I'm not sharing the boat with you, please go first," he rejected.

"Do as you wish," she replied as she walked away and smiled to Aether and Paimon. Childe glared to Zhongli and walked away, Zhongli could sense he was upset. Aether turned to him.

"We still don't understand with your action, Zhongli," he said. Zhongli smiled.

"I want to retire as an archon and live like the mortals here. Beside, Liyue can protect themselves from the danger," he replied. "And I want to build a family with someone."

"...eh?"

"Huh?"

"...WAIT, WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Paimon yelled.

"Paimon, lower your voice," Aether warned. Zhongli chuckled.

"Let's move to a different place to talk. Guess the millelith will barge in," Zhongli replied as he walked out, followed by them.

"What do you mean by build a family? You're kidding, right?" Paimon asked.

"I'm serious. Perhaps I fall in love with someone," Zhongli replied as they stopped at the dock. "They remind me of the sea."