paradoxical | genshin impact

34 : surrender.

If there was one thing that Fischl didn't do, it's fret about what could no longer be fixed.

The Prinzessin der Verurteilung was all for grandeur and refused to cut corners when it came to her duties to the Adventurer's Guild. She wouldn't have been known as one of Cyrus' best subordinates if she lacked in any aspect. But still, she knew when to call it quits. To just go home despite the harrowing journey she made if the risks outweigh the rewards.

But there are times when she was forced to think...what if she hadn't turned around and left? What if she had stepped in the night she found Kaeya sharing your bed before ultimately betraying your trust by inflicting a curse on you?

Would you be awake right now? Would you be going along with her ridiculous plans while helping her out with daily commissions?

These were the questions that kept her awake at night—guilt so corrosive eating at her conscience, she's afraid she'll wake up without one in the morning. The same questions that made her drop by the Dawn Winery every single day without fail just to ask the servants if your condition has improved. It's been two weeks since you fell into the clutches of that Delusion, and you didn't show any signs of recovering anytime soon.

Despite Fischl being your friend, Diluc strictly forbade anyone from seeing you without his personal supervision until you finally woke up. The master of the winery wasn't going to take any more chances and put you in harm's way, as he rightfully should. But the restrictions he'd set didn't help ease Fischl's worries at all.

One day, she ran into Bennett when she took a simple commission of clearing out a hilichurl camp near the stone gate of Liyue—a little something to take her mind off the fact that you were currently in a coma indirectly because of her inaction. It's a good thing her fellow adventurer didn't seem keen about what was on her mind.

"It's been a while since I've seen everyone!" Bennett sighed, chewing through a sandwich he presumably packed for his trip today. "I really didn't mean to, but I kinda got tangled up with the Liyuen Adventurer's Guild lately? It started when I tracked down this lady that scammed me out of a plaustrite charm I was supposed to give to my buddies back home. Turns out, she was already swindling dozens of other Liyuens!"

Fischl, despite not being in any real mood to entertain his outlandish stories, nodded. "Mmm? What happened then?"

"Well, it was kind of a...luckily unlucky moment? Another adventurer was on the chase for the fraud jeweler in Dihua Marsh, and I kind of almost got killed by a mitachurl."

Another nod. Bennett constantly toeing the line between here and the afterlife was nothing unusual. "And how was the mitachurl going to send you among the stars, exactly?"

"I'm getting there!" he cried out, embarrassment painting his cheeks a bright red. "Well, uh, I kinda charged at him with my sword but he grabbed my arm and threw me, like, fifteen feet in the air! I really thought I was going to die for real."

She sighed—having been with Bennett long enough to see where the story was going. "Let me guess. You landed right on top of the runaway swindler in a stroke of luck."

"I wouldn't call it lucky, 'cause I still broke a few ribs," he laughed, patting the presumably injured spot before wincing a little. "But the adventurer that was chasing her called me a blessing that literally fell from the sky! The swindling lady has been hot on the Liyuen wanted list. She even one-upped Lady Ningguang! Can you believe it? The reason why I haven't come back to Mondstadt yet is 'cause they said the Tianquan was very pleased with my, uh, effort to close the case. They haven't stopped giving me jobs since."

"I do not think Master Cyrus would take kindly to you warming up to another branch of the Guild," Fischl said with a grimace.

Bennett shook his head. "My loyalties are always to Mondstadt, you know! But I can't say no if I get to bring back cool gifts for everyone at home. Here, look!"