Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

Thankfully, the system acted quickly and removed the memories that had come back.

I'm suffocating...

He slightly opened his eyes, strained to reach the surface of the water, grabbed the floating plank, pressed his center of gravity against it, rested his head on the plank, and gasped for breath.

"Huff...huff..."

The twilight had completely faded, and the sun had sunk completely. When I entered my memory, it was still early in the morning. It turns out that so much time has passed.

At the far end of the horizon, Kiyono saw a ship.

-

That night, the dim, snowy night covered everything. Candles were still lit in the lowest cabin, and the narrow cabin was filled with the heavy smell of malt liquor. This liquor had a low alcohol content, and the sailors loved to drink it, firstly because it could keep them warm, and secondly because it was free of bacteria.

The drinking water on the ship, especially the water that the sailors drank, had developed a thin layer of green algae due to the long voyage, and drinking it would make them sick.

"You're awake, young man."

Uncle McCajeb took a puff of his opium. He was the helmsman of the ship. He had been in this business for twenty years. He started out doing ordinary business in Zhidong, and later he followed the government and worked for the officials.

On this voyage, the official he served was of considerable status; he was the eighth executive officer, Lady [Madam]. This lady resided in the most luxurious cabin, accompanied by a group of folly-like envoys. He was not even qualified to meet her.

Kiyono opened his eyes with some difficulty and coughed several times.

He found himself leaning against a dilapidated bed, but his hands were chained.

Although he could easily break these chains with a single pull.

“Don’t be nervous… I didn’t lock you up on purpose,” McCain explained. “The guests on this ship are too distinguished, and you, young man, are of unknown origin, so it’s better to lock you up.”

"Honestly, we took a huge risk to stop the ship and rescue you..."

The boy in front of him looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. When Maika found him, he was lying weakly on a wooden board, barely breathing.

"Where is this?" Kiyono asked.

“This is an envoy ship from the Eastern Kingdom.” Uncle McCa handed Kiyono a malt barrel cup. “Want a little? It’ll warm you up.”

"No."

Kiyono shook his head. "I don't want to become an old man who loves to smoke and drink."

"It will shorten your lifespan."

“Wow. That’s a hurtful thing to say,” Maika said, clearly not understanding Kiyono’s implied meaning. He scratched his head. “Anyway, let’s go upstairs together first?”

What do you need to do?

"The leaders of the Fools want to see you... well, fine, to interrogate you."

He hesitated for a moment, looked around, and lowered his voice:

“If you really are a spy, young man…” Maika gave him a sympathetic look.

"The lady will burn you, young man."

Climbing the steps up the ship's deck, the sailors and even the first mate lived in the lower deck, the Fools' officers lived in the second deck, and the esteemed Executive Lady lived in the top deck.

Each reincarnation results in the loss of all memories, but basic common sense about this world is retained.

For example, the names of the various countries, and their respective highest administrative bodies.

The Fools are the official organization of the Winter Kingdom, headed by eleven Fool Executives. Each executive has received the favor of the Ice Queen and enjoys great power.

The woman was the eighth of the eleven executives, and she was ruthless.

Kiyono is in a bit of a mess right now.

His current identity... well, it's not exactly clean.

To put it bluntly, he was an Inazuma agent sent to Mondstadt. On Earth, he would at least be considered an Inazuma agent. To put it less bluntly, his origins are unclear, his identity is ambiguous, and he has no past experiences, making him a suspicious person to some extent.

Given the executive's style, it would be reasonable to set him on fire or throw him into the sea.

In Genshin Impact, the girl I loved died 500 years ago.

Volume 1: Chapter 36 Should we just get rid of him?

"Mondstadt...long time no see."

The woman said softly.

The transparent cabin windows reflected the city at the end of the sea, and the lights of Mondstadt were already faintly visible. With the gentle sea breeze, it seemed that spring was just around the corner.

The woman had not returned to Mondstadt for so long that she had forgotten it was her hometown.

She buried many things, but burying them does not mean forgetting them. Those things took root deep in the soil of her memory, and in moments she was unaware of, they slowly grew and sprouted along with her thoughts.

The woman still remembered the first time she met him, which was in Mondstadt.

Spring had already arrived by then.

The breeze in Mondstadt is light and comfortable, carrying clusters of dandelions. This city has always been tranquil and pleasant. The ancient ruins of the sacred pillars stand around the square, covered with lush green ivy.

At that time, she was not yet a lady; she was just a scholar.

The garden behind the square was quiet and rarely visited by people, so it became the girl's secret hideout. She loved to come here to sing, though she mostly just hummed tunes.

The woman still remembered what the man looked like; it was an afternoon, or rather, dusk, when the setting sun was tearing the sky apart with its rosy glow.

The boy had probably been practicing swordsmanship for a long time.

Panting heavily, steam billowed upwards.

He had long, golden hair that reached his waist, and beautiful, clear eyes, like a golden lake reflecting the setting sun, which could clearly reflect the person's image when they looked at them.

"You sang beautifully. Was it 'Rainy Night at Guojiu Lake'?"

He answered the questions earnestly.

The girl loved to sing, but she never sang in front of others; this was the first time she had heard such praise.

She was a little shy at that time.

So he covered his face with his hood.

This guy is annoying because he always stares into people's eyes when he talks.

He spoke very seriously, and his eyes were very sincere, as if... he was genuinely praising himself.

This is the most embarrassing thing.

He said that any troubles a lady might have could be confided in him, as it was a knight's duty to share her worries.

But he wasn't very old. He spoke in a way that sounded old-fashioned, and kept calling her "lady," trying to act mature and gentlemanly. In reality, he was just a bratty little boy.

And eavesdropping on other people's conversations...

The woman's first impression of the boy was not very good.

But at that time, she was still quite young and very playful, so she decided to play a prank on her.

"What's your name?"

"Russtan, madam, and you?"

"Don't tell you."

Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to play a prank on him to pass the time.

That's what she said to the boy back then, "Okay, little knight, can you come here tomorrow and listen to me complain about my troubles?"

“Of course,” the boy said earnestly, “but I need payment.”

"What kind of compensation?"

“I want to hear you sing ‘Rainy Night at Fruit Wine Lake’ again, because it’s really beautiful.” His gaze was sincere and innocent.

"Okay then. You absolutely have to come!"

"This is the knight's promise."

But she didn't show up the next day at all. The girl, who had a mischievous heart, deliberately fooled the boy like this to get revenge for overhearing him.

She sat in the attic across the square, watching as if she were watching a play, completely at ease.

She will never go there again.

The boy waited from dawn until dusk. As night fell, the lights went out one by one, and everyone went home. The streets were deserted, leaving him all alone, leaning against a stone pillar, like a stray puppy.

Seeing his pathetic and ridiculous appearance, the girl thought to herself that he deserved it.

For the next period of time, the boy would come here every day, waiting from dawn to dusk. At that time, she would sit leisurely in the attic, just watching him since she was bored, as a pastime during breaks from her studies.

This guy is both stupid and stubborn; he's completely fooled without even realizing it.

That was what the lady was thinking at the time.

Very stupid.

He would come to the square at sunrise every day, and if the girl didn't come, the boy would start practicing his sword.

He practiced his sword with great seriousness, his long golden hair scattering in the air with the morning sunlight flowing through his hair, his swordsmanship was light and graceful, with a faint sound of wind rustling through it.

As he practiced, he reached a point of exquisite skill, and he would burst out laughing, like a fool...

Sometimes he wore knight-like armor, sometimes a plain shirt. He didn't like wearing hats, and his favorite fish was sardines, which were often in his lunchbox.

He also likes to sing, humming the second half of "Rainy Night at Fruit Wine Lake".

The sword technique he practiced... the girl had never seen it before, could it be that he created it himself?

The girl didn't believe he was that smart, but he was indeed very serious when practicing swordsmanship, seemingly tireless, practicing from morning till dusk.

He didn't put away his sword and go home until the moon was high in the sky, and then he would appear at the same time and place the next day, as precisely as an hourglass.

After observing for a while, the girl became familiar with the boy, or rather, she became curious about him.

Doesn't he get tired of practicing swordsmanship every day? Doesn't he get bored?

A few days, or perhaps several dozen days?

They were both familiar and unfamiliar with each other. They had only met once, or perhaps dozens of times. The boy didn't even know the girl's name, but the girl knew him quite well.