Lora smiled as she looked at everyone's confused expressions. She cleared her throat, clasped her hands behind her back, walked toward them, and slowly said, "Let me explain. So..."
She carefully recounted everything from beginning to end, finally allowing everyone to learn the whole truth.
At this point, it was impossible to say whether Lora's existence had led Egeria to travel to another world in search of a soul, or whether Egeria's actions had brought Lora here in the first place and set all of these events into motion.
Everything had unfolded within a cycle of fate.
There had never been any way to avoid it.
"How incredible! A world like that actually exists?" Venti clicked his tongue in amazement after hearing her explanation. "So everything we do is just a game to them?"
But no one present truly cared about that.
Just as Egeria had once told Lora, to the lives born in Teyvat, Teyvat itself was reality.
It was existence.
"So... you won't leave again, right, Lady Egeria?" Focalors looked at her and asked carefully.
The caution and uncertainty in her voice were enough to move anyone listening.
Lora smiled and shook her head.
"I'm not leaving. This time, I'm staying."
Everyone gradually walked closer. As they approached, they could all sense the faintly noble aura surrounding her.
"Huh? Lora, you seem a little different somehow," Venti said curiously after noticing it.
"Oh? You noticed?" Lora laughed, spinning in place once before saying, "I mean, I did spend five hundred years as Celestia's acting administrator. Of course I'm a little different!"
"Acting administrator of Celestia?"
Previously, Lora had only mentioned spending five hundred years in Celestia without explaining exactly what she had been doing there. Hearing this now, everyone looked shocked.
"No... it's not just that." Nahida shook her head as she looked at Lora. "Irminsul can no longer read anything about you. It's as though you've completely left its reach. You seem... to have become something higher."
After hearing Nahida's words, Lora frowned thoughtfully for a moment.
"I made a contract with the Sustainer and guarded Celestia for five hundred years. Now the Sustainer is dying. Perhaps the fate of Teyvat is slowly beginning to gather around me."
"So does that mean you're going to become the next Sustainer?" Venti looked at her in surprise.
Lora stared at him silently for a moment before replying, "Keep dreaming. It's not that simple."
After saying that, she lowered her head again in thought and muttered softly, "Still, the Sustainer really does hope I can save this world. I am the heart of the Primordial Sea, the source of life in Teyvat itself. I also come from beyond this world, so I'm not bound by Teyvat's fate. But I don't think those are the most important reasons..."
"Not the most important?" Nahida looked at her curiously. "Then what is?"
Lora glanced at Nahida and said, "The reason the Sustainer finally decided to entrust everything to me was probably because she sensed that power within me. The power belonging to the owner of that unknown voice. That was what convinced her I could bring new life to this world."
"If I had to choose," Venti said with a grin, "working under Lora would definitely be much more comfortable than working under the current one."
The others all nodded in agreement.
"Indeed," Chaya replied.
Even Neuvillette voiced his opinion, saying that Lora would likely do a far better job than the current Heavenly Principles.
"Oh, so now that you know the Heavenly Principles are practically sleeping themselves to death and the Sustainer can barely move, you all suddenly dare to say things like this?" Lora laughed as she watched them seriously nod along.
"I'm actually looking forward to it!" Venti declared.
Nahida nodded beside him. "It does make sense. You are both the heart of the Primordial Sea and the former Hydro Archon. On top of that, you possess power from beyond this world, power that cannot be corrupted. You truly are the most suitable person."
"We'll talk about that later. I'm not thinking about any of this right now." Lora shook her head.
Chaya looked at her and said directly, "Then let's talk about something else. Now that you've returned and Fontaine's crisis has been resolved, it's about time for me to head back too. Otherwise, the Director will start blaming me."
"Mmm... hm?"
Lora abruptly changed tone mid-sentence. Looking at Chaya, she instantly put on a pitiful expression and cried dramatically, "No way! You're leaving already? Absolutely not! Fontaine is at a critical moment right now. Government work is piling up everywhere. Neuvillette definitely can't handle it alone. Fontaine can't survive without you, Chaya!"
"See? Didn't I say her acting was incredible?" Venti spread his hands toward Neuvillette and Nahida. "Lora, honestly, we should start a bard duo someday. I'll handle the singing, and you handle the acting. What do you think? Give it some thought?"
"Does it pay Mora?" Lora immediately asked.
"..."
Venti fell silent for a moment before pointing at her and turning toward Chaya.
"Look at that! Seriously, who's the real God of Mora here?"
Chaya: "..."
"All right, enough joking around. I really should head back," Chaya sighed.
Lora asked, "What? Did Hu Tao send you a letter urging you to return?"
Chaya shook her head. "No, nothing like that. The Director hasn't sent me any messages at all. She probably doesn't even know I'm in Fontaine."
After hearing that, Lora turned to Venti nearby and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Hu Tao didn't even ask about it? Hey, what exactly did you tell her before this?"
"Huh? W-Well..." Venti scratched his head awkwardly.
Seeing his evasive gaze, Lora immediately sensed something was wrong. Narrowing her eyes, she pressed further.
"Spit it out. What did you do? Why are you acting so guilty? Don't tell me you said something weird to Hu Tao."
"No! Of course not!" Venti quickly denied it, yet stubbornly refused to explain what he had actually said.
Lora snorted at his obvious dodging, then placed a hand on Nahida's shoulder.
"Nahida, check Irminsul and see exactly what he told Hu Tao."
"All right." Nahida nodded and was just about to access Irminsul when Venti instantly raised both hands.
"Wait! I surrender!"
Seeing this, Chaya frowned slightly.
"You really did tell the Director something you shouldn't have, didn't you?"