He changed Tiwat

“It was Fischl who proposed that ‘the meteorite is the source of the nightmare,’ and it was also Fischl who said, ‘The Cold Curse has realized that the energy flowing in this Abyssal Pearl is playing its own elegy,’ and only then did we begin to clean up the meteorite,” Mona added.

Yes, Fischl also asserted that the holder of the Eye of God would not be affected by the power within the meteorite.

"Before I came into contact with the meteorite, I noticed something she said—she said that the meteorite was 'the deepest part of the world, the whisper of the stars, the curse of the demon's remains...', which refers to 'the meteorite being the destiny star, the destiny seat of someone who has died.' Even I, a genius astrologer, had to collect meteorite fragments and perform divination to confirm it, but she saw it at a glance."

From Mona's perspective, this undoubtedly means she was outshone by Fischl in the field of astrology, so it would be strange if she didn't pay special attention to Fischl.

So ever since she heard that, Mona had been paying close attention to every word Fischl said, even trying to decipher the meaning behind each sentence. This is also the reason why Han Fulai noticed Mona's unusual attitude towards Fischl.

Han Fulai continued, "After Miss Mona divined that the meteorite was someone's 'Seated Fate,' Fischl said these words: 'The cursed earth, the malice of 'humans'... Only those who died in the most painful way would leave behind such deep resentment. We should question the inhabitants of this land: who has committed such an unforgivable sin! Whoever gave birth to the dead is the true murderer!'"

"Putting aside the metaphors, what Fischl is saying is that 'the meteorite contains someone's obsession,' and the so-called 'culprit' is telling us that the meteorite fall was man-made."

"In addition, Fischl's description of narcolepsy: 'It is neither pure evil nor monotonous magic... This land is cursing humanity. Only the endless sighs of unfulfilled desires, intertwined with the capricious changes of fate, can produce such an evil curse...' She even saw Leonard's tragic wish of 'unfulfilled desires' before we found the Book of Mountains and Seas."

Mona stared at Oz again: "And back then, Oz, this is how you responded to Fischl: 'How pathetic, is this the fate of mankind? No matter how many times, it breaks my heart.' What a 'fate of mankind'."

Oz remained silent.

Mona continued, "Furthermore, when Paimon asked Fischl a question, Fischl replied: If it is not the curse of 'humans,' why would 'humans' be put into a deep sleep? The living are trapped in a dream, becoming the dead who are neither alive nor dead—how terrifying!"

Han Fulai chimed in at the opportune moment: "The tragic wish contained in Leonard's meteorite is humanity's desire to conquer the sky. Therefore, his spirit will influence those who come into contact with the meteorite, making them climb 'Peak Peak' in their dreams—that's what Fischer was talking about."

He and Mona worked together to lay out all the suspicious points they had discovered while traveling with Fischl over the past few days in front of Oz.

Although Fischl's way of speaking is somewhat childish and leaves people only half-understanding, if we regard her words as "prophecies"—then all of Fischl's "prophecies" to date have been verified.

“It’s possible to guess the right conclusion once in a while, but it’s absolutely impossible to 'guess right' every time,” Mona said. “In astrology, there is no such thing as chance, only inevitability.”

Han Fulai summarized: "In conclusion, this is my opinion—and I believe Miss Mona shares the same view—Oz, you and Fischl knew the truth about the meteorite impact from the beginning, and you guided our investigation throughout the entire process. Once we approached Musk Reef, you gracefully withdrew."

Oz let out a rare long sigh: "Alas... Can I ask you two not to pursue this matter any further? As you both have seen, neither I nor Her Highness the Princess have any ill intentions, and Her Highness the Princess truly considers you all precious friends."

"Then may I ask who gave you and Fischl... no, to be precise, who gave you this guiding mission?" Han Fulai asked.

Although Fischl was the one who made most of the "prophecies," Oz was actually the one who secretly guided the dialogue and held the real power of "translation." Furthermore, Han Fulai remembers that when Fischl ran out of lines, he would ask Oz, "Oz, what do you think?" much like an opera singer who had forgotten his lines and asked his partner for a reminder.

Oz carefully chose his words: "This person, no, this one... you will naturally meet at the end of this journey."

Han Fulai nodded. "That's what I thought too."

He didn't come to Mondstadt simply for tourism; he came to find a bard to hear his stories.

Although he has not yet met the bard, the bard must already know the purpose of his visit to Mondstadt.

If we consider his experiences over the past few days as a kind of immersive "story," then it's self-evident who he will meet at the end of the journey.

Mona then interjected, "So what role did I play in this meteorite event?"

Chapter Forty-One: Free My People from Ancient Laws [4k]

Faced with Mona's question, Oz adopted a serious attitude: "Ms. Mona, like this Mr. Han, you have come to Mondstadt with a mission, haven't you?"

"Ah..." Mona opened her mouth, remembering "the old woman's task".

“To that one, you are the successor of an old friend…and at the end of the journey, you will also get what you want,” Oz said.

Mona's purpose in coming to Mondstadt was certainly not simply to run errands for the old woman; otherwise, she wouldn't have caused so much trouble on the way and even peeked into her master's "dark history" from her youth. What she truly coveted was the occult knowledge left behind by the rare witch Iris.

Oz meant that at the end of this journey, at Musk Reef, she could obtain the knowledge she desired.

As for who instructed Oz... Mona could probably guess. After all, before going to the Adventurers' Guild to accept the quest, she had almost had her hat blown away by the wind while divining for a bard.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Mona had a vague doubt in her heart—how could the old woman, who was usually so strict and didn't let her go, give her such a long "breathing time" just to get something? It was completely out of character for the old woman.

It's likely that the old woman had already made arrangements with someone to reveal some "truths of the world" to her during this "journey to the West" in Mondstadt.

The astrological theories I had encountered before were probably different from the reality of this Teyvat continent. This journey to Mondstadt was a "trial" arranged by the old woman, so that I could gain "true knowledge" on the journey.

—After witnessing the fallen "Constellation of Fate," Mona couldn't help but think this way.

Although this was good news for Mona, her expression wasn't pleasant. Even if it was for her own good, it felt like she'd been tricked by the old woman, and the proud and arrogant genius of astrology was unwilling to admit she was inferior to that old woman.

Mona crossed her arms and pouted, "So I'm just one of the 'actors' too. You guys already wrote the script, right?"

Oz shook his head and said seriously, "Without you, I doubt either that honorary knight or this Mr. Han would have been able to find 'Peak of the Spiral Hat' so smoothly. Ms. Mona, you are a true genius astrologer and the most important person on this journey, irreplaceable and indispensable."

Although Oz was somewhat trying to flatter Mona, Mona was genuinely pleased, as evidenced by her upturned lips.

Han Fulai also learned a trick from Oz, Fischl's "senior secretary" who had assisted him for many years: the more serious your attitude is when praising a girl, the better the effect.

Women are like that; even if they know it's sweet talk, they still love to hear it and will even convince themselves that it's true—of course, what Oz said wasn't entirely false.

Han Fulai thought for a moment and asked Oz, "Since you promised we would get an answer, I won't force you to talk about anything related to the meteorite event... But I have another question that I'd like to ask you out of personal curiosity—Amy... I mean, does Fischl know about her special abilities?"

This was indeed a question he asked out of personal curiosity.

The followers of a demon god naturally follow that demon god.

Moreover, he had recently heard of a demon god, one who could manipulate dreams, usually appearing in the form of a "heart demon," and who had night crows as his servants—

"Dream Demon God", Mafas.

The demon god who was shot and killed by the Rock King Emperor with "Hanging Li Thousand Jun".

It is said that crows, heralding death, perch on her shoulders, and these retinues, when they take flight, can stir up a dark cloud in the sky; it is said that she possesses clear eyes and a sharp mind, adept at discerning the weaknesses in people's hearts, and even more adept at manipulating and possessing the hearts of her subjects…

Demons are immortal... they will always be resurrected in some form.

In Han Fulai's eyes, Fischl's experience might be similar to Ningguang's in her childhood—both received the inheritance of a certain demon god and had a "portable old man." But judging from Fischl's behavior... she seemed completely unaware of this. What sounded like a "prophecy" to Mona and Han Fulai might just be "lines" to Fischl.

Of course, just as Han Fulai is not Heuria, Shen He is not the sea god, and Ningguang is not Guizhong, Fischl is also not a demon god. At least her personality is still that chuunibyou (delusional) girl, Amy.

Oz was silent for a moment, then flapped his wings—a raven's face shouldn't actually show any expression, but both Han Fulai and Mona saw a feeling called "nostalgia" on Oz's face.

Oz told a story in his deep, magnetic voice:

"There is a story. A long, long time ago, in a very, very far place, there lived a very, very little girl."

"The little girl's parents are both busy adventurers. From a young age, she spent her time in libraries, traversing a thousand universes with the pages of books, becoming the master of the Night's Sanctuary, the royal daughter who brought down the holy lightning, and a close friend who shared her destiny with the pitch-black night raven..."

"'Amy, what book did you read today?' Her parents, who had just returned from their adventure, asked her this question."

"Then, the girl told them the story she had read in her favorite series of novels, about Fischl, the 'Princess of Judgment'."

The girl's parents stroked her head and praised her, saying, "Little Fischl, you are a remarkable princess, my proudest daughter. Never give up on your aspirations and dreams, no matter what."

“Her gentle words, full of kindness and praise, lit up her heart… but the warm time spent with her busy parents was always so short.”

"Being fascinated by fantasy novels made her feel out of place, whenever she felt lonely or in pain, she would tell herself: 'I am Fischl, an extraordinary princess. Even my parents acknowledge this... I must never give up my lofty ideals and dreams... because these are the tests for a princess.'"

"However, just as the universe in 'The Nights of Princess Fischl' eventually dies due to increased entropy, the little girl who was indulging in fantasy has inevitably grown up a bit."

"On her fourteenth birthday, the children who didn't understand Fischl mocked her again."

"This is just a minor setback that a noble princess inevitably suffers. My parents will surely understand," she thought. "As a princess, I must never give up my lofty ideals and dreams."

"But when she returned to her parents, hoping to find comfort, she was greeted only by gentle but weary words: 'Ah, Amy. You're fourteen now, it's time to step out of those childish fantasies…'"

"The familiar voice was like a red-hot dagger, piercing the girl's heart..."

That midnight, hiding in the all-too-familiar library, the girl felt strange gazes and heard the sound of wings that should not belong to this world.

Through her red and swollen eyes, she met the gaze of a pitch-black raven that did not belong to this world.

Oz the Raven appeared before her along with the "Eye of God".

—No, it should be said that it is the royal artifact of the Netherworld royal family, the "Abyssal Secret Pearl," and her closest friend who shares her soul and destiny.

“And what happened after that is another story…” Oz ended his narration.

This is how Fischl and Oz met.

“So she was actually unaware of it…” Han Fulai nodded.

Mona, however, rarely praised Oz: "You've worked so hard... Even though little Amy wasn't aware of her true connection with 'Fischl,' you still silently protected her and waited for her to awaken..."

From an outsider's perspective, Fischl and Oz are less a master and servant, and more like a "troublesome young lady" and a "male mother who worries so much she's going bald"...

Mona didn't care what dangers Fischl might bring if she awakened—how should I put it, even if Fischl was some legendary powerful demon god, if you add the "chuunibyou" attribute, it doesn't seem dangerous at all.

However, Oz solemnly refuted Mona's statement: "No, Lady Mona, the princess has only one name, and that is Fischl. Some people may call her by other names. But for me, the only person who has given me life and power is the name 'Fischl.' This is the name that suits her destiny, please don't get it wrong..."

Yes, Fischl didn't like the story of the girl named Amy.

Whenever she thinks of this story, she feels a suffocating pain and a gnawing loneliness.

Perhaps one day, someone will write this story down—but it will only be Amy's story, and it has nothing to do with Fischl.

The princess has only one name, and that is Fischl.

Fischl has only one identity: a princess.

Simple yet perfect logic.

As long as she keeps it in mind, adds a touch of the princess's nobility, and a little bit of other people's consideration, nothing can hurt her.

Moreover, Princess Fischl now not only has Oz, but also good friends from another world.

Oz flapped his wings a few times and suddenly began to fly low in the air.

His voice gradually rose from a low tone to a high one, becoming as stirring as an aria:

“Fischl, perhaps the princess of judgment, but not always. Perhaps brave and proud, yet also timid and cowardly. Both noble and ordinary, a first-rate adventurer who never makes many friends, the princess of the Kingdom of the Unbelievable.”

"Fischl was both timid and strong, fearing the gossip of others and yearning for their respect."

"More importantly, Fischl is an ambitious person who constantly criticizes himself, has been defeated by himself countless times, and has risen up countless times."

"No one but Miss Fischl deserves the name Fischl. It is a complex yet simple symbol, pointing to the beauty of dreams and freedom. Whether followed or not, Fischl is Fischl."

“She is my eternal master, and she vowed to grant all people the freedom to dream. She said: ‘Set my people free, unbound by ancient laws.’”

“I, Oswaldo Hefnavanes, will forever remember her holy words.”

"...'Let my people be free, not bound by ancient laws.'" Han Fulai repeated the sentence in a low voice.

Mondstadt is a "free" city-state.

Therefore, "Fischl" appeared in Mondstadt.

At that moment, Fischl's voice suddenly came: "I hear the whisper of fate, calling my name in hushed tones... What do you want to discuss?"

She had finished saying goodbye to Ying and Paimon, and seeing that Oz hadn't returned for a long time, as a responsible owner, she naturally had to come and check on him. She then heard Oz calling her name from afar, which piqued her curiosity.

Oz flew frantically to Fischl: "We're talking about... about the Nightfall! And the Name of Judgment!"

Fischl put her hands on her hips and nodded with satisfaction: "Hmph, let the princess's glory illuminate this world!"

At this moment, Luminous and Paimon also walked over. Paimon shouted, "What are you whispering about? Let me join too!" Luminous retorted without hesitation, "How can you call it 'whispering' if you let me join?"

The previously somber atmosphere vanished, and laughter returned to the room. The "whisper" between Han Fulai and Oz will likely remain a "whisper" for the foreseeable future.

After Fischl and Oz left, Han Fulai took out that book again—

Princess Fischl's Night Tales, Volume Zero: Midnight Fantasy Suite.

That is, the setting collection for this novel.

Despite its gorgeous art design, this work has a very dark world-building setting:

All things bright and beautiful will inevitably decay and be destroyed with the irreversible increase of entropy, and the end of the universe is the princess's future homeland, the "Pure Land of the Night" that ends all illusions.

This is the fate of the universe, the fate of all worlds, and the fate of all people.

The fate of the princess and her loyal friend, "Oz the Raven Who Severs Day and Night" Ozwald Hefnavanis, is to shoot down the "World Beast" that devours dreams.

Finally, at the place where cause and effect end, the gathered souls are blessed, all beautiful memories and virtues are stored in the heart, and all ugliness is burned away by the thunder of holy judgment.

The princess will burn her own heart.

As immortal radiance shines forth, a new universe will be born.

But before that ending, the princess will travel through many universes and witness ten million different sights.

Therefore, even if she is an investigator for the Adventurers' Guild in a somewhat backward world... that is in line with the spirit of the original work and is an interlude in the Princess's Pilgrimage.

The princess will eventually understand that every moment in life, even the most insignificant interlude, should be cherished.

Because the Princess's Midnight Fantasy Suite is composed of countless small episodes.

……

Han Fulai handed the book in his hand to Ying and Paimon: "On the way to Musk Reef, I recommend that you two take a look at this book... It's a good book."

Chapter 42 Musk Reef

Musk Reef is located east of Cape Oath, about a few dozen nautical miles from the Mondstadt mainland. After all, Musk Reef is the summit of "Hilltop" that Venti moved into the sea with her divine power. It is quite an achievement to blow such a large snow mountain to a place dozens of nautical miles away from Mondstadt.