Morax the Geo Archon: Billionaire in the Chat Group

Mondstadt, a Beach

"So, you two drifted here… from another world?"

Paimon, the tiny floating companion, flitted about a girl with golden, shoulder-length hair.

The girl wore a primarily white dress with elegant designs. Her golden hair shimmered like dawn under the sunlight, and a five-petaled pure white flower adorned her head. A long ribbon tied around her neck swayed with the sea breeze.

Her fair skin glistened in the sunlight peeking through the gaps in her dress. Around her damp ankles, a few small crabs scurried in circles.

"And when you were about to leave this world, heading for the next..."

"A god appeared and blocked your path."

The girl nodded calmly, her golden locks shimmering like the morning light. Mimicking the haughty tone of the god she remembered, she spoke:

"'Outlanders, your journey ends here.'"

"'The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles shall put an end to the arrogance of humankind.'"

Paimon hovered before her, nodding in understanding with a serious expression. "And then your brother was sealed by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, and you lost your memories."

"That's right. That unfamiliar god took my brother away. I was also sealed, stripped of my original power. Once, we crossed countless worlds together, but now I'm trapped here..."

Using a tree branch, the girl sketched the figure of the god in the sand—a tall figure with long hair, a graceful form, and two peculiar cube-like constructs floating nearby.

"How many years ago was that? I don't know… but I'll find out."

"Since I woke, I've wandered alone. Until two months ago, when I met you."

"Mm~! Mm!!"

Paimon nodded vigorously. "If it weren't for you, I would've drowned back then."

"You fishing me out with a rod looked pretty cool, by the way!" Paimon winked and gave her a thumbs up. "So I'll do my best as your guide!"

"Let's set out, Lumine."

"Our first destination is Mondstadt, the land of the Anemo Archon. As everyone knows, where there's wind and poetry, there must be news of your brother. That's what I think..."

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Liyue, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor

Zhongli had finished a long day of work. While enjoying a plate of Glaze Lily Pastries from Liuli Pavilion and sipping tea brewed from Mondstadt's finest Windwheel Aster petals, he leisurely listened to a report from the funeral parlor's assistant.

"Today's Rite of Parting involved two families. The first was a farming family from Qingce Village, for which we charged 10,000 Mora. The second was the Senyi Forest Trading Post in Liyue Harbor, for which we charged 1,000,000 Mora."

"Mm." Zhongli nodded slightly.

He understood why the fees for the same ritual varied so drastically.

The Qingce Village family lived in poverty. A tragic accident had caused their child to fall into a valley, leaving no remains behind, only a lingering True Spirit.

Helpless, they sought assistance from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. The 10,000 Mora fee represented three months of the family's income—it would've been unreasonable to ask for more.

On the other hand, the Senyi Forest Trading Post was a large and profitable establishment notorious for exploiting its employees. Workplace injuries often went uncompensated, and the company regularly avoided its responsibilities.

The True Spirit disturbances this time stemmed from an accident that killed three workers.

The funeral parlor's fee of 1,000,000 Mora would primarily be used to compensate the families of the deceased workers.

"The trading post's payment seems a bit lenient," Zhongli mused, tapping the table with a finger.

The assistant flipped through her ledger with a serious expression. After a few seconds, she replied: "The Director has already handed over evidence of the trading post's wage theft and tax evasion to Lady Ningguang of the Qixing. I suspect the company won't last until next year's Lantern Rite."

"Mm." Zhongli nodded approvingly, saying no more.

When his tea was finished, Zhongli rose to leave, but the assistant called out to him.

"Mr. Zhongli."

"What is it?" He stopped in his tracks.

"The Director asked me to relay some news." The assistant spoke softly.

"Go on." Zhongli turned to face her, his expression calm. His gaze seemed to pierce through her, as if seeking out the current funeral parlor director behind her words.

"An outlander has arrived in Mondstadt. The Wind Dragon, Dvalin, is growing increasingly frenzied. The Anemo Archon remains nowhere to be found."

The brief message left Zhongli deep in thought for a moment.

Eventually, he nodded to the assistant without commenting on the news, instead shifting the conversation.

"May I ask you a question?"

The assistant blinked, momentarily surprised, before nodding. "Please do, Mr. Zhongli, though if it's something you don't know, I'm unlikely to know it either."

"Analyze this scenario for me," Zhongli began, his tone thoughtful.

"Imagine a group of individuals with no shared interests or conflicts of interest. None pose a threat to one another, and any one of them might offer assistance to another.

"In such a situation, who among them would sow discord or provoke conflict?

"If they cultivated good relationships, they could gain everyone's help. But if they offended someone, there would be no benefit whatsoever.

"For context, these individuals are all genuinely good people."

The assistant frowned in thought, her brow furrowing slightly. After a moment, she tilted her head and spoke cautiously.

"Hmm… This sounds like an alchemical hypothesis—something the Alchemist's Guild might discuss."

"From a practical perspective, I can think of two possibilities."

"First, the individual might have personality issues. Perhaps they're simply accustomed to such behavior? Acting passive-aggressively or stirring up trouble might just be second nature to them, not necessarily intentional. Even among a group of strangers with no real stakes, their habits might take over."

"Second, the person might dislike certain members of the group, or they could find enjoyment in watching others fight. I suppose this could also be classified as a personality issue, though one is subconscious, and the other deliberate."

Zhongli nodded slightly at her explanation. "Thank you."

With those words, he turned gracefully and left Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Before long, he vanished from her sight.

As his silhouette faded into the distance, a sigh escaped under the warm, orange glow of the setting sun.

"Ah, as expected… Mr. Zhongli still refuses to remember my name."

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T/N: poor assistant :((