The announcent that the royal selection had ended also ant that Roswaal's promise to her was now void.
Roswaal had promised her that if she beca queen and t the Divine Dragon, she would be able to save everyone frozen in the Elior Forest.
Now that the selection was canceled, she had no way to fulfill that contract—and Roswaal would have no reason to help her anymore.
"Pfft... Lia, you're still as naive as ever."
Puck couldn't help but chuckle at Emilia, who stood tearfully clutching the letter.
Emilia puffed her cheeks, tears brimming in her violet eyes. "Puck, even now you're making fun of . If I—"
Before she could finish, Puck cut her off: "Lia, didn't you say earlier that sothing new appeared in your mind—sothing amazing that you couldn't understand? I have it too, you know."
"Eh?!" Emilia's eyes widened in surprise.
Puck, still in his kitten form, crossed his arms and spoke gently. "You haven't figured out what that thing really does yet, right? It's no exaggeration to call it the crystallization of miracles."
"So the royal selection is gone—who cares? It wasn't a guaranteed path anyway."
"Roswaal said it might work, not that it definitely would."
"Besides, there are tons of groups in there. It's sothing that can connect to all worlds—and there are gods in there. Things that are impossible in this world might be child's play in others."
"With that in mind, why chase the faraway when you already have sothing better, Lia?"
Emilia blinked, realization dawning. "I-Is that so? That's wonderful! Puck, I'll take a look right away."
Puck could tell from her hesitant expression—she was afraid of talking to strangers.
Ever since she awoke in the forest, she had only really spoken to a handful of people.
Counting on her fingers, besides Puck, there was only the general store owner in the nearby village, the two maids in the mansion, and Roswaal.
Puck looked into the distance, his expression turning serious.
Mother... you've returned, haven't you? This must be the work of a higher power. Beatrice has missed you for four hundred years.
Turning his focus to the divine artifact in his mind, he checked the group specific to this world—currently in a frenzy.
Though we've longed for you, still…
In the group chat—
[Beatrice: Mother... have you really, truly co back?]
In the mansion's library, Beatrice's butterfly-shaped hair ornants trembled. Her brows furrowed, her lips quivered, and tears fell like pearls onto the blank pages of her Gospel.
As an artificial spirit created by the Witch of Greed, Echidna, she shared a unique connection with her. The mont Echidna revived, she felt it.
At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but the object that appeared in her mind made her realize the world was undergoing so great transformation.
And then, she saw her mother speaking in the group.
After a brief mont of disbelief, she carefully read the ssages—and, confirming it was truly her mother, she shakily typed a reply.
[Echidna: Beatrice, I suppose I should say it's been a while. I'm in the Sanctuary. Open a spatial gate to the Sanctuary.]
[Beatrice: Yes, Mother!]
Beatrice quickly opened a portal in front of her leading to the Sanctuary.
With a mix of excitent, anticipation, and nervousness, she stepped through.
As a great spirit attuned to the shadow elent, even the long-lost arts of ti and space magic were second nature to her.
Stepping through the portal, Beatrice saw a figure so familiar it hurt—mories from four hundred years ago ca flooding back like they'd happened just yesterday.
Tears stread from her eyes as her soft, trembling voice escaped her lips.
"Mother… you really ca back… I missed you so much…"
Beatrice ran toward Echidna, but before she could reach her, a pair of large hands grabbed the back of her collar, lifting her into the air like a bunny caught by the scruff.
"Oho~ What have I caught here? A cute little spirit."
"By tradition, spirits caught by a trainer get sealed into a Spirit Ball."
Beatrice blinked in confusion and turned around—only to see a teasing face gazing back at her.
She had been lifted like a kitten, and imdiately flared up in embarrassnt and anger. She raised her foot, preparing to kick.
"Y-You! Who do you think you are?! How dare you—"
Magic?
She couldn't access her magic. And not just that—her body refused to resist. Her instincts scread that she must not show disrespect to this man. There was no reason for it. Just absolute, inexplicable certainty.
Noah smiled brightly at Beatrice. "Little spirit, I like you. Form a contract with ."
Unlike others he wanted to cultivate gradually, spirits were different.
To spirits, a "contract" was everything. It was their purpose for existing. Without one, a spirit's presence in the world beca unstable.
Of course, that was only the case in this world. Once integrated into the Teyvat Universe, that limitation would no longer apply.
Beatrice glared at this mysterious man who had sealed her magic and now asked for a contract, spitting venomously, "Who are you?! Trying to make a contract with ?! In your dreams!"
"Let go! Mother!" she shouted, looking to Echidna.
"Let go, you weirdo!"
Echidna wore the sa smile from Beatrice's mories. "Beatrice, don't be rude to this gentleman. He is..."
Noah smiled faintly. "Because I'm the one you've been waiting for. Right, Echidna?"
Echidna replied with a gentle smile, her eyes glimring with curiosity. "Yes."
The Creator Himself... What is He planning? Interested in Beatrice? Why? What's going to happen? Ahh... I really want to know...
Beatrice's eyes widened. What? He... He... You...
This man... is the one I've been waiting for? The one I'm supposed to form an eternal contract with?
Her mind reeled. She had barely recovered from the shock of her mother's revival, and now this—her mother's chosen "one" appearing right beside her.
Noah gently set Beatrice down and said with a chuckle, "Isn't that Gospel in your hands supposed to record your future? Why don't you take a look now?"
Beatrice quickly opened the Gospel clutched to her chest. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"There's... writing in it now..."
Beatrice hurriedly flipped through the pages of her "Gospel," the swish swish of paper adding urgency to the atmosphere.
"There's writing again..." Tears shimred in Beatrice's eyes.
This Gospel had been given to her by her "mother," and it recorded her "destiny."
For the first hundred years, the Gospel had written everything—what she would say, what she would do, and what her future held.
But three hundred years ago, the Gospel stopped showing words. Not only that, but all the previous text had vanished as well.
At first, she thought sothing was wrong with the Gospel. But no matter how she examined it, it was perfectly intact.
That left only one conclusion: She had no future.
When she realized that, she even contemplated ending her own life.
But because of her contract with her mother, she couldn't even commit suicide until the contract was fulfilled.
Now, with her mother's resurrection, all of that darkness was finally dispelled.
As she read her now-restored future, a blush spread across her adorable face. Embarrassed, she snapped the book shut with a pa!.
A teasing voice rang out nearby.
"Oh~ What was written in there? Let take a look too."
Beatrice clutched her Gospel tightly to her chest. "No! I won't let you see it!"
Noah crouched in front of her, grinning mischievously. "Oh~ That line's in the book too, isn't it?"
Beatrice now realized he could also see the future. She turned her head away with a hmph! "Betty doesn't know anything." But then, her expression changed visibly—from a pout, to sorrow, to a choked-up sob.
The emotions she'd bottled up over four hundred years exploded like a firecracker.
"You made Betty wait so long! Do you know how many tis in those four hundred years Betty wished you would appear and take her away?!"
Noah watched her emotional breakdown like a domino cascade and gently patted her head.
Nearby, Echidna wore her usual expression, but her inner emotions were on fire—like a gourt savoring the finest delicacy.
So Beatrice reacts like this when she ets "the one"? How fascinating. How delightful—ah~
Before she could enjoy it any further, an invisible bolt of spiritual lightning struck her consciousness, causing her intense pain.
Oww oww oww...
She knew—this was the Creator punishing her.
Noah glanced sideways at Echidna.
She had deceived Beatrice with a loophole-filled "contract" just to observe the mont a spirit might defy their core essence.
For spirits, contracts were everything—violating one was unthinkable.
Echidna had simply wanted to witness what would happen if a spirit tried.
It was so cruel that even Noah—the Creator—couldn't turn a blind eye. Even he wouldn't do such a thing.
"There, there. It's not too late now, is it? Your destined future—do you like it, Beatrice?"
Noah's gentle voice soothed her. Spiritual tornt far outweighed physical pain. For a normal person, even one month of such imprisonnt would shatter their psyche.
So, he prepared the most beautiful future possible for Beatrice.
Among all the girls in this world—though he loved many—his favorite was Beatrice.
After all, which heart wouldn't be moved by a spirit willing to wait four hundred years for a faceless, naless partner she'd never t?
For Noah, the Creator, ti ant nothing. But the weight of ti—a slow-burn devotion—left the deepest marks.
Beatrice felt his warm hand on her head, and the tender voice beside her ear stirred within her a kind of happiness she had never known before.
Tears kept flowing from Beatrice's eyes, soaking her adorable cheeks.
She had imagined countless tis what it would be like to et "that person."
She never imagined it would feel so blissful.
Beatrice rubbed her face, trying to wipe away her tears with her tiny hands, but her lips curved in a soft smile of joy.
"Mm... Betty likes it..."
Noah gently lifted Beatrice into his arms like a little angel from the Garden of Eden, letting her rest against his chest.
"Then from this mont on, Beatrice and I are bound by an eternal contract."
With those words, he kissed her lightly on the forehead.
All prior contracts on Beatrice's body vanished, replaced by a new emblem: a golden tree encircled by an ouroboros.
He wasn't going to grant her power just yet—he would wait until they returned to the Garden.
The mont the new contract ford, Beatrice imdiately knew who Noah was.
Though she was briefly stunned, she quickly cast all hesitation aside.
She didn't care who her contractor was.
After all, this was the person she had waited for over four hundred years to et.
The one she would be with for eternity.
"Noah," Beatrice murmured happily, clinging to his neck, her small head resting against his cheek.
"I'm here, Beatrice."
"Noah... Noah... Noah..." she repeated with delight, as if branding his na onto her soul.
Noah gently patted her back. "Mhm. I'm here, Beatrice."
Echidna stood silently nearby, her eyes shimring.
Ah~ So the Creator has this side to him as well. What kind of emotions lie within the Creator? I want to know...
Even after obtaining the truths of the universe and staring into countless unknowns, the greatest mystery by far was the Creator—and he was right beside her.
His power, His authority, His emotions... The more she thought about it, the more her breath quickened.
Crack!
Echidna clutched her head. "Ow ow ow…" The pain wasn't physical—it was a pain in her soul and consciousness.
Noah gave her a brief glance.
"Then, let's go, Beatrice."
With that, Noah stepped forward and vanished silently into the air.
Echidna then heard his voice ring in her mind.
"Reach the seat of the Seven Sins Throne soon, Echidna."
...
anwhile, back at the mansion—
Emilia timidly sent a ssage in the group chat. Everyone was very friendly to the new half-elf from another world, excitedly asking about her world.
In such a warm environnt, her anxiety faded away.
When she ntioned her wish to save the frozen spirits of the forest, many even helped her contact a great deity.
She was overwheld with gratitude, thanking them repeatedly in the chat.
[Nahida: I understand your situation, Emilia. From what I know, your world isn't yet a part of the Teyvat-based plane.]
[Nahida: However, it has already been detected by the Cosmic Nexus.]
[Nahida: Reviving lives within the universe is complicated—even Primary Gods have to submit applications.]
[Nahida: But for worlds outside the universe... that's a much simpler matter.]
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