Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

Part One

1: The Aroma of a Cup of Tea

"So you're the leader of that group, huh? Hm... You're younger than I expected."

"So I've been told multiple times. Though you are not exactly in the position to call me 'younger', are you?"

"Well...compared to the other clan heads, surely the words of a mere shrine maiden wouldn't mean much to you, would it?"

"...Perhaps not."

They both stood underneath the torii gate before the Thunder Sakura. The shrine maiden finally faced the young lad, who then noticed there was a bronze fan with a tassel in her hand that matched the sparkle in her eyes.

He saw no hostility or arrogance in her eyes nor heard it when she spoke of his age and his status. It was refreshing compared to the past few days when he would be inside the halls of his own home...being berated in his own home in guise of 'kind words of wisdom' from his 'elders'.

Exhaustion was seeping through his straight posture and his long lashes were evident with sleeplessness. The shrine maiden blinked at this in curiosity.

"You look tired," she commented while shutting her fan in hand. "Do I?" the young lad smiled wryly, "Must be due to the training I had this morning..."

The shrine maiden was young, but she was not naive. She smiled at his excuses but said nothing about it.

"Let's be straightforward, shall we?" she said and hopped down the stairs. The young lad blinked in surprise when the girl paused in front of him and stared up at him with a smile.

"Do you want me to help you secure your position?" she asked. The young lad was taken aback with her words, and he chuckled.

"I hate to be rude, but what can you possibly do to achieve that?" he asked, "The Grand Narukami Shrine opted to stay out of Inazuman politics as much as possible. I'm afraid you won't be able to help me."

The shrine maiden tutted with a slight frown. "That wasn't an answer to my question, hey. It's a simple 'yes or no' question. All you have to do is choose," she wagged a finger.

The way she spoke casually should have made him dismiss her already. Help him secure his position? How did she know? Or rather, what makes her think she could do anything about it? She was just a–

The young lad paused. His gaze softened and he looked at the ground. Just a kid.

"He is just a kid. What makes you think he can carry such a heavy burden by himself?"

"Sooner or later, he will give up. Trust me. Only then will we able to have the opportunity to strike."

For someone who hated being undermined, wasn't he also doing such to the girl before him? The idea of being a hypocrite made him ashamed.

The sakura petals continued to shower them and sunlight would bounce off the hilt of his blade and the shrine maiden's friendly gaze.

She gave an innocent eye smile and tilted her head, "So? Do you want my help or not?"

The young lad looked at her. He pressed his lips into a firm line.

"Before I answer your question, I'd like to ask how you learned of my clan's struggles. That is classified information. Not just anyone can hear about it," he said.

"Is it really, though?" the shrine maiden replied, "Any person with a common sense could see why you struggle. Your parents passed away and so you took on both of their jobs to ensure the family's position. In the eyes of the rest, you are someone worth exploiting. You are a young boy, after all. But of course, you already know that."