I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

On the freshly made bed, the new disciple Kiichi Hougen had brought back was sound asleep.

The room had already been tidied up, of course by Sara, while Kiichi Hougen watched. That didn't last long, as she quickly grew bored and went outside to stand guard.

"How strange..." Kiichi hovered upside-down in midair, holding her chin as she muttered to herself. "Back when I was masquerading as Baobhan Sith, Jasmine took such good care of me. Now Sara's taken over all the household chores. Could it be that I'm one of those legendary 'Born-to-Be-Useless' types?"

She tilted her head in thought. "Hmm... probably not. When I was Okita Souji, I still did housework. But this halfway lazy, halfway competent thing is even more frustrating! What kind of half-baked nonsense is this?"

Her expression darkened as another realization struck. "Now that I think about it, both Sara and Jasmine were little girls. I keep letting little girls do all the work for me. Isn't this exploitation? Am I going to get arrested for this?"

Just then, the door creaked open, and Sara stepped out.

"Master, where did you find Junior Disciple Gorou? And why hasn't he woken up yet?"

"Ah... I found him by the seashore." Kiichi Hougen flipped herself upright midair, recalling the scene. "His clothes were soaked with seawater. I figured he must've drifted over, so I brought him back with me."

The way Kiichi described "finding" a disciple sounded more like adopting a stray pet, but Sara didn't think there was anything odd about it. After all, that was exactly how she had been taken in.

"Now that I think about it, his situation was similar to yours. When I picked him up, he wasn't in great shape—he had a fever, and his whole body was burning up. But compared to when I found you, his condition was much better. No need to remind you how bad you were back then, right?"

"Mm, I remember," Sara murmured, lowering her gaze. Her voice carried an unplaceable emotion. "I was probably just one step away from death. If not for you, Master, I wouldn't have survived."

"One foot in the grave is a good way to put it. When I found you, you were wrapped in Abyssal energy, and your body was as broken as a tattered rag. You'd lost so much blood that even I thought, This one's a goner."

Had Kiichi arrived even a moment later, Sara might have died, and Kiichi wouldn't have had the chance to meet such a good disciple.

Still, even when imagining that grim possibility, Kiichi felt little emotion. She didn't experience the usual human sensations of fear or regret.

As a "non-human existence," Kiichi's emotional fluctuations were naturally sparse. Having lived for over a thousand years as a great tengu, her feelings were limited. She might be curious about new things and feel satisfaction when her curiosity was fulfilled, but beyond that, her emotions were muted.

The two walked along the veranda, the left side lined with rooms and the right leading directly to the courtyard. Several small trees grew in the yard—jujube trees, to be precise. Their blossoms and fruits promised to be worth looking forward to.

"Still, Sara, the fact that you survived might be thanks to divine intervention."

Kiichi's sudden remark caught Sara's attention, and she turned her head slightly.

"After all, when I found you, you had a Vision with you, didn't you? You didn't have it before your fight with the Rifthounds, right?" Kiichi raised a delicate finger, her tone thoughtful. "Maybe your bravery moved the gods. They didn't want you to die, so they turned their gaze toward you and bestowed the Vision. That Vision likely protected you from the Abyssal energy until I could treat you."

"Thinking about it that way, maybe even our meeting was thanks to divine blessing."

Of course, Kiichi knew that the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma didn't possess such abilities. The granting of Visions and their meeting had little to do with her.

The "gods" Kiichi referred to were something far more abstract and metaphysical—perhaps fate itself.

Floating just above the ground without unfurling her wings, Kiichi moved effortlessly, clearly enjoying the convenience of her abilities.

It's perfect for lazy people, she thought.

At that moment, Sara, walking beside her, seemed to recall the dog-like tail and ears on Gorou. After hesitating briefly, she voiced her curiosity.

"Master, about my new junior disciple... is he a yokai, too?"

Having spent nearly her entire life in the forest, Sara had little experience interacting with humans. She'd met her master, a tengu, and befriended Chika, a human girl. But Gorou, with his dog ears and tail, was something entirely new to her.

Unable to suppress her curiosity, she asked.

"..."

An awkward silence stretched on for several seconds.

Wait a second... Is Gorou even a yokai?

Kiichi furrowed her brow, her mind racing. She was well aware that Teyvat was home to not just yokai and Adepti but also beastfolk—humanoid creatures with animal traits.

Take Diona, the bartender, for instance. She had cat ears, a tail, and even stretched like a cat. If Venti, who was allergic to cat fur, got too close to her, he'd start sneezing uncontrollably.

So... was Gorou a yokai or a beastfolk?

"Master? Master?"

Seeing Kiichi frozen midair, Sara tilted her head and called out several times.

Ugh. Admitting my lack of knowledge to my disciple is kind of embarrassing, but...

"Sorry, but I honestly don't know."

"..."

Now it was Sara's turn to fall silent.

She stopped in her tracks, lowering her head as though contemplating some profound, unsolvable riddle. A peculiar aura radiated from her—one Kiichi could only compare to a student racing to finish a final exam question in the last ten minutes.

It made Kiichi instinctively hold her breath, hesitant to interrupt her disciple's concentration.

"I see now. I understand what you're saying, Master," Sara finally said, lifting her head to meet Kiichi's gaze. Her expression was serious. "You're telling me that whether Gorou is a yokai or not doesn't matter. What matters is that he's my junior disciple. Is that correct?"

"..."

Wait. That's what I meant? I don't even remember thinking that.

Although, now that she'd framed it that way, it didn't sound entirely wrong...

"Ah, yes. Exactly. You've got it. Very insightful," Kiichi replied, going along with it. Then she asked, "But, Sara, have you considered the possibility that... maybe I just don't know the answer?"

"Master, what kind of joke is that?" Sara frowned. "You're all-knowing and all-powerful. How could you not know something like this? You're clearly testing me, trying to teach me a lesson. If I couldn't figure that out, how could I call myself your disciple?"

"All-knowing and all-powerful? That's... quite the misunderstanding," Kiichi muttered, baffled.

When did this misconception even start?

---

Greetings, esteemed reader.

Your presence throughout this chapter's journey is deeply appreciated. In Liyue, we hold that every tale, much like the enduring stone, gains strength through the appreciation of those who encounter it.

Should you wish to support WiseTL's dedicated endeavors in bringing these narratives to you, you may consider visiting:

[patreon.com/WiseTL].

Even the most modest contribution serves as a cornerstone, fortifying the foundation upon which future stories are built.

With sincere regards,

Zhongli