Genshin Impact: Following the Winds

"Again!" Kojirou shouted, quickly standing up as he picked back up his fallen bokken. The sand crunched beneath his feet as he aimed it towards his opponent. "I won't lose this time!"

Kensai simply chuckled as he held his sword. "Then come."

As the father and son began their 67th altercation, many other samurai cheered for the boy to defeat his father. Naturally, they knew full well that Kojirou was still far too young and unskilled to defeat their captain, but they too had watched the boy grow beneath his father's tutelage, and so they too rooted for the boy to succeed.

Meanwhile, not too far away, a group of craftsmen marveled in awe at the giant sandcastle Lumine had somehow built, with the creator herself standing at the castle's spire, looking incredibly proud at her creation. 

They weren't the only ones. Nearly the entire beach was filled by people, all enjoying the heat of the summer sun.

Indeed, it was now summer. Or, it had been summer for almost a month, but everyone was too busy to actually enjoy it. But with Gourou Village fully constructed, the people finally had some time for themselves. And since it was reaching the height of summer, Lumine decided to propose they enjoy it by going to the beach.

And so here they were. All of them.

The samurai who normally guarded the village, the people—children, adults, or the elderly—and even Saiguu and Orobashi were joining, though the two were heavily disguised so that the people wouldn't be too busy worshipping them instead. 

At first everyone didn't know what to do once they arrived at the beach, but Lumine was an 'expert' in this kind of thing, and introduced a number of different activities for them to all do. Building sandcastles, playing volleyball, swimming, eating watermelons—she practically introduced a new cultural celebration in a single go.

As for me?

"I-It looks a bit weird." Hanami shyly said, clutching the half-finished carving close to her chest to hide it.

I giggled as I lowered my carving knife. "You are a novice, young one. Our first creations are never our best." I said, giving my newest wooden carving a quick lookover. This time it was a stylized carving of Lumine, her proud expression perfectly copied. "Even my first carvings were no better than a toddler's drawings. We all must begin from somewhere."

And that was indeed true. Since I began receiving a massive surplus of [Wood] from my generators, I began using some of it as carving material to pass the time. The first time I did it, my carving practically broke in half due to how badly put together it was. The second time, I'd made something that only vaguely resembled the hilichurl I was copying.

It took me dozens of tries before my carvings became something somewhat acceptable, and hundreds more until they became good enough for me to share them with my friends.

Of course, I could've used [Hand of Creation] to bolster its quality, but that would've been cheating. And outright excessive for something I enjoyed as a hobby.

Hanami mumbled something as she heard my words, before she finally revealed her half-finished carving. And I could only smile as I saw what she'd created.

It was me! Or me as Wendy to be exact. It was still half-finished, but I could recognize my beret from anywhere. Its quality wasn't the best, but considering this was her first carving? 

Fuiyoh. This girl was really talented, huh?

I patted her head. "You would've been a fine craftsman, Hanami." I smiled slyly as I glanced at Saiguu in the distance, using her illusions to disguise herself. "Alas, it seemed a fox had gotten its claws on you first."

The girl blushed deeply at the praise. "T-T-Thank you."

I giggled, and then smiled wryly as I heard the samurai's exaggerated scream of sadness as Kojirou experienced his 67th loss against his father. "Quite rowdy, aren't they?" I commented as I placed my finishing carving on the small log I sat on. Hanami shyly nodded, giggling slightly as she watched Kojirou grumble at his defeat.

A fond smile came onto my lips as I looked around. Joy permeated throughout the entire beach. These people, hardened by their struggles and strife, had finally found a time to just enjoy being alive. At this moment, it didn't matter what gender or age or occupation you had; they were all survivors of Enkanomiya, and that was something to be celebrated.

I sighed, satisfied.

Truth was, I was the one who suggested this outing. After my talk with Hanami a few days prior, I realized that I'd been too idle during my stay here in Watatsumi. Even compared to my time in Liyue Harbor, my interactions with the common man were far too few in between. I spent far more time holed up in my room in the inn, jotting down stories to be stored in the archives.

But what use were these stories if I did not experience them myself? I would become no better than a nameless spectator, and that wasn't something I wanted to be.

So I shared my woes with Lumine, and she practically ran with it. This whole beach trip wasn't what I had in mind, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

"Ara, if it isn't Wendy-sama and Hanami-chan!" Someone said, and I turned to see one of the farmers I often worked with when I first taught them about farming. She was a widow with an ailing son, but she'd regained much of her spirits after I healed her son and taught her how to farm. 

Hanami's cheeks went red as she bowed. "H-Hello, Inoue-san."

A cheery smile came onto my lips. "And a fine day to you as well, Lady Inoue!" 

The woman smiled back. "We were hoping to find you two! Kanzaki-san just started cooking some food, and it would be remiss if our two saviors go unfed, wouldn't it?"

Hanami's blush only deepened, and I chuckled. To the craftsmen, Lumine was their savior, for she was the one who took on most of Gourou Village's construction. But to the farmers, it was Hanami and I that they held in great regard. For I was the one who provided them with the crops and knowledge of farming, and Hanami often aided them by using her training under Kitsune Saiguu to make their jobs easier using her Anemo.

"Verily, a shame indeed!" I quickly stood up and held my hand out to Hanami. "Come, young one. Let us feast ourselves on some fine food."

"Un." Hanami smiled shyly as she took my hand, still clutching her half-finished carving close to her chest.

As Lady Inoue told us, we soon found a small group of farmers crowding around a makeshift grill, handing out roasted skewers of vegetables and meat. I gratefully accepted a good dozen of them, before handing over half of them to an approaching Lumine. I then shared what I had left with Hanami, and together we ate as we watched a game of volleyball being played not too far away.

The rest of the afternoon was just as eventful. After we finished our lunch, some people began a tournament to see who could eat an entire watermelon the fastest. Lumine was naturally excluded, since her incredible eating would surely grant her victory over many others. She could only grumble in faux annoyance before she returned to her giant sandcastle.

Since I had nothing to do, I decided to give it a try.

In the end, Kojirou won. The boy was practically ravenous after his continuous fights against his father, and he tore through the watermelon like a starving wolf. He was awarded another bundle of roasted skewers as his award, and the boy devoured them just as quickly.

Me? I didn't even make it to the top 3. It wasn't a surprise though; my stomach had always been somewhat small, and it was always a struggle to finish the many lavish meals Morax liked to share with me.

Then, evening fell, and as we all watched as the sun began to dip into the horizon, Lumine approached me with a request.

"Fireworks?" I asked, confused by the term.

She nodded, grinning slightly. "Of course, no summer outing is finished until we light some fireworks?" Her grin faded slightly as she saw my confusion. "Uh, fireworks are a thing, right? I mean, you guys have gunpowder."

"Give me a moment." I told her as I began scouring my Inventory. Or at least I looked like I did. In truth, I immediately turned to the [Shop] and searched up what a firework even is, and my eyebrows raised when I found out that it was a carefully bundled craft of gunpowder, fitted together to create a show of trailing lights.

I unconsciously gulped. That…did indeed sound like a fitting way to end this midsummer day, even if I didn't quite know why. It didn't even cost that many Primogems to purchase!

So I did, and I brought out a whole crate of fireworks from my Inventory. "Do you mean this, perhaps?" I said, pretending as if I always had them on me.

Her eyes lit up as she saw it. "Yeap." Her grin widened as she picked up one of them. "And this is the nice stuff too!" 

With the fireworks in hand, she began calling for everyone to gather. And soon enough, there were hundreds of people standing together, all of them watching as Lumine carried the crate of fireworks in her hands. 

The traveler grinned. And then, with her hands glowing gold, she began throwing the fireworks into the air with such speeds that they caught fire. The fireworks left small trails as they ascended towards the night sky like needles of light, before the glows faded.

And then,

Boom!

Hundreds of explosions occurred together, and the people watched in awe as the sky was filled with giant trails of light, covering every color the human eye could see. The fireworks' trails gathered in various different shapes—flowers, diamonds, and even a few hilichurl masks. For the first time, the light of the stars were obscured as the fireworks filled the night sky.

My eyes were wide as I watched the fireworks. My heart drummed with excitement and awe in my chest, and strangely I could feel tears gathering in my eyes. This was definitely the first time I'd seen fireworks, and yet they made me so incredibly fond at the same time.

This, undoubtedly, was joy. 

Already, I could feel a hundred words swimming in my head, and my fingers twitched in anticipation of writing this experience down. Yet I also knew that no words could capture the dazzling sight before me.

To witness something that went beyond words, and to still itch to try anyway, to share this abundant joy, and for it to be Remembered for eons to come. That was the essence of a Storyteller, was it not? 

[Detected a significant shift in Destiny of -Watatsumi Island-. Achievement -Fate Defiance- has taken effect. Rewards have been given.]

I blinked at my Genshin System's sudden words, and then blinked again when I realized what it said. This time, I hadn't just changed the destiny of a single person—I'd shifted the Destiny of an entire island. And-

Before I could think further, a warmth coursed through my chest—a sign that I just received a new Talent. I quickly gave my Talents a check, and I found it.

[Ode of Remembrance 3★

Though their lives had long ended, their Stories remain, shaping the lives of those who walk towards the future. You had guided them in their time of need, and the people of Enkanomiya are forever grateful.

Protects the User from certain Mental Afflictions. Further increases Charisma

Talent Synchrony with [Windblume Festival: Resonance] detected! This protection can be shared to others through the User's songs]

A gentle smile came onto my lips as I read the Talent's description. "So you're all still watching." I said, happy that they too could find enjoyment.

I looked up at the glittering fireworks, and closed my eyes.

"Their Stories will go on." I promised. "I will make sure of it."

And so, that promise was uttered to the fallen spirits, as the skies were lit up by stars of our creation.