3 Loyalty? Or subservience?

Traveling around Sal Vindagnyr, Isaac, who is sitting on top of the giant snow boar, Moccus, was thinking of many ways that he could do to the giant pillar at the mountain's peak.

As for how Moccus has still not frozen from the cold temperature, well, Isaac is helping.

'Should I form a giant ice structure and just bash it?' He thought. Although this idea was a bit blunt, it was somewhat worth trying.

'No, maybe I should pick it out of the ground and throw it away?' As he thought more if this idea, the more realization came to him. 'No... If that pillar really is affecting the mountain's climate with its presence, then throwing it away is like giving it to another person's problem...'

Since he had confirmed from Moccus that there are indeed humans in this world, his viewpoint changed. 'If there really are humans living near this mountain, then it would seriously damage the area around them...'

Although he wasn't sure, he knows that something in the pillar itself is affecting the whole mountain. And to be honest, why else would it be there? Is it not to maintain the cold temperature? Or something else? Without a clear answer, Isaac just kept thinking.

Just then, Moccus' voice was heard. "Sir Isaac... Are thou sure that thou are human?"

Isaac, sitting on top of Moccus' hide, slightly titled his head and answered. "For the last time, Moccus, I am a human. As for how I'm able to manipulate ice... Err... Cryo, well, it all feels natural to me."

Moccus hummed and continued speaking. "Before I and mine brethren were put in our frozen shackles, I remember... A war."

'A war?' Isaac got into his story and didn't interrupt.

Moccus, undisturbed, continued telling a story. "The lands were greatly ravaged... Many lives fell like flies... And mutations in the land were rampant."

"All because of... The Gods." He added with a serious voice.

'Gods? There were gods in this world?' Isaac started thinking of what Moccus said, trying to extract information. 'From the looks of it, there many gods, and they... fought? But why? Was it hierarchy in their power system or something else?'

'However, I first have to confirm if the God I'm thinking of is the same as what Moccus is saying.'

With that thought, Isaac asked the snow boar king. "What were the Gods like? And why did they fight?"

Moccus thought for a moment and made a low hum. "Gods are... Higher elemental beings. They have great control over the elements and have a long lifespan."

'So just extremely powerful creatures called Gods... Got It.' Isaac thought. Though, a new thought appeared in his mind. 'Wait... Great elemental control?'

He then looked at his hands with his crystal-blue eyes and made a thought. 'Then... Am I one of those so-called gods? Because technically, I have great control over the cryo element...'

Although it was rare for Isaac to jump to conclusions, this idea that formed in his mind just wouldn't disappear. 'No, maybe there's another reason... I can't just jump to some conclusions...'

At this moment, Moccus continued speaking. "As for why they fought... I remember."

Moccus' mood started getting heavy as he spoke with a serious voice. "The realm of the Gods, Celestia, opened seven divine seats for the Gods to ascend and become an Archon that has full control over respective their element."

"Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, Geo, Electro, Anemo, and finally, Dendro. Seven divine seats for the seven elements. And whoever claims those seats, gets to have full control of the element they are in."

'So, it turned to a battle royal for the gods, huh?' Isaac thought. 'Eliminate the rest, and claim the divine seat...'

"Chaos soon followed. Everywhere in the land, the effects of the battle of the Gods can be seen," Moccus added before continuing. "I would know better. For it is the reason mine brethren retreated to this harsh environment. To escape the chaos."

Isaac continued listening with great interest, occasionally making some conclusions in his mind. 'From what I see on top of the mountain's peak, there's no more broken lands... That must mean that the seven archon seats had already been claimed and the rest of the gods have been killed...'

'But that still doesn't answer my—' Just as Isaac was thinking of another thought, a sudden noise was heard in front of them.

On the show-covered path, a blue leaf was constantly moving, as if it was alive. "What's that...?"

After a few seconds, the blue leaf jumped upwards, revealing its full body.

A bluish creature resembling the same color as ice appeared. Its body looks like that of a plant while its head had four leaves on it.

Isaac knew it. It was clear that it was a monster.

Getting startled and summoning some ice spears from the ground, Isaac immediately got on guard. "What is that thing?"

"It's a cryo whopperflower..." Moccus said before observing the whopperflower for a moment and noticing something. "Sir Isaac... Look at it."

Isaac didn't know what Moccus was trying to prove but he did just as he said. He looked at the whopperflower and saw that it didn't do anything. No, scratch that, it looked like it was bowing!

"What... Is it doing?" Isaac slowly said as he got down from Moccus. He then slowly approached the whopperflower with caution.

Isaac got close to it and even reached out his hand to touch its lead head. "It's not... Doing anything?"

"Well, that is certainly odd. These monsters spawned from the mutations caused by the death of gods..." Moccus said

"I see..." Isaac said as he continued patting the cryo whopperflower's leaf, and again, the latter did not do anything.

Just then, Moccus' laugh was heard by Isaac. "Haha, now I get it... Sir Isaac, I believe that it's showing its loyalty to thou."

'Loyalty?' Isaac put his focus on the word. And finally, he connected all the dots in his mind. 'That's it! Loyalty! I have full control over cryo, then that must mean that creatures in the cryo domain can be controlled by me...!'

Having this thought, Isaac slowly backed away and said to the protesting whopperflower. "Stand up."

As if following strict orders, the cryo whopperflower straightened itself and stood in front of Isaac.

He then lifted his hand and lifted his pointy finger before pointing at the left. "Turn left."

The whopperflower did so and rotated its body to the left side.

Isaac then changed the direction and pointed at the right side. "Now then, turn right."

And again, the whopperflower followed orders almost instantaneously.

'It really does follow my command!' Isaac happily thought.

"It seems like thou have gotten a new servant, Sir Isaac." Moccus said as he slowly approached them with his massive body.

Isaac nodded as he looked at the cryo whopperflower in front of him with his eyes gleaming and his mind creating all sorts of new ideas.

'The ability to control cryo-type creatures...' A smile started curving up on Isaac's face. 'There are so many things that I can do with this power...'

'I can't wait...' He thought as a small smile appeared on his face.

Just then, in the corner of his eye, white smoke started appearing on the outskirts of the mountain.

"...Huh?"

* * *

Outskirts of Sal Vindagnyr.

A team consisting of fifteen people was setting up camp as one of them lit up a fire.

Four of the people here were wearing full-suit armor as swords were placed on their sides, indicating that they were knights.

While seven of the people waiting were wearing heavy clothing and bodies full of muscles, clearly adventurers.

While the rest of the four were inside little tents as they wrote something on paper, though, one of them is a mere child no less than 10 years old.

Outside the camp, one of the adventurers started talking to their companions as he looked at the tall mountain. "Sal Vindagnyr again, huh?"

"Yeah... I don't know why the Landrich clan is so obsessed with exploring it."

"This is already the third exploration created by that clan." One of the men said with a scoff. "The first and second explorations failed miserably. If it weren't for the fact that they're nobles and are offering huge amounts of money, I wouldn't even get my ass near that cursed mountain."

One of the adventurers made a low laugh and patted his shoulder. "Well, you just can't resist the Mora, now can you?"

"You're bloody right." Laughed the man. "I need the money for the whores, so it can't be helped. Haha."

Meanwhile, at the back of one of the tents, the child that is accompanying them took a peak and listened to their conversation.

'Greedy ruffians...'

He was the legitimate heir of the Landrich clan, Parsifal Landrich. A child with golden hair and green eyes, wearing noble clothing.

He was sent here, along with some bodyguards and trusted men from his father, to receive some real-world experience. Though, if things go south, they would immediately take him back to Mondstadt.

Oh, and he's also a firm believer of justice.

(A/N: Why are you all screaming in my review section with a Goku GIF?)