Where is the Anemo Archon?

After a few minutes of walking, Isaac and company finally arrived back at the camp.

And when Isaac saw the cryo whopperflower entertaining Parsifal, he was taken aback for a moment. 'The Whopperflower... Isn't attacking them?'

It was common sense for both RPG games and this world's logic that monsters will have instinctual desires to attack humans due to some kind of bloodlust or pleasure.

So, it was a surprise for Isaac that the whopperflower was not attacking a group of weak humans. On a closer inspection, he realized that it was the same whopperflower he encountered before. 'Still, that doesn't explain why it's suddenly on the good side...'

After contemplating for a while, he came up with a theory. 'Perhaps... It's trying to be good to humans so it can get on my good side? Or maybe I somehow influenced it? Hmm...'

At first, Isaac thought that since cryo-type creatures have a connection to him, and because the whopperflower showed some subservience earlier, he guessed that it was trying to get on his good side by being nice to the humans he saved.

His other theory is that the whopperflower was somehow influenced by him. Perhaps because Isaac wanted to save the people earlier, the Whopperflower wanted to do the same and thought that it was an order from Isaac. So perhaps, Isaac indirectly ordered the whopperflower to help them.

'For a monster that is supposedly spawned from dead gods' malice and mutation, your lack of bloodlust sure is outstanding...' Isaac thought as he looked at the Cryo Whopperflower that was firing snowballs to the distance

Isaac, Moccus, and Daleth then arrived in the camp's view.

Sensing Isaac's presence, the cryo whopperflower stopped what it was doing and looked at where Isaac was.

As if it was in a hurry, it immediately went underground and arrived next to Isaac before lowering its leaf head.

"Still loyal, huh..." Isaac mumbled, to the point that the rest won't hear him. He then walked near Moccus and Daleth before whispering, "Can you two pick up the frozen statues? And Daleth, just follow Moccus."

Moccus sighed before nodding and leaving. "Alright."

Daleth nodded in confirmation and did not say anything and followed behind Moccus to carry the frozen killers that Isaac froze at the bottom of the mountain.

It was the same ice that froze Moccus and his brethren. So even if a hundred years pass, they would still be alive.

Seeing them leave, Isaac turned his attention over to Parsifal before looking at the Cryo Whopperflower and returning his gaze. "You had fun?"

"Yes..." Parsifal answered in a low voice.

Isaac nodded and did not say anything before looking at the other two unconscious survivors. Although they didn't look fine, at least they were not pale anymore. "It seems like all of you are slightly healed."

He then looked at Parsifal again. "I think it's time for my questions."

"A-Alright..." Parsifal nodded as he made a low response.

Without wasting any more time, Isaac started asking questions. "First question, which nation or city are you from?"

"The city of Mondstadt! In the Mondstadt Region!" Parsifal answered immediately.

Isaac nodded and continued."Next question, which Archon is Mondstadt serving?"

"The Anemo Archon, Barbatos. His other title is the God of Freedom" Parsifal sharply answered. He was a pious believer of the Anemo Archon so of course his answer will be fast.

'Anemo... That's the wind element, right?' Isaac thought before continuing. "Do you know what steam machinery is?"

"A... What?" Parsifal blankly asked. He knew what steam was and wasn't unfamiliar with it, but steam combined with a machine? He has never heard of it. "I'm sorry... I don't..."

'Technological level... Low....' Isaac understood and slightly nodded. 'If Gods exist and along them are Godly powers, they'll ought to guide humanity to form better technologies with the help of their powers...'

And this guess of him WILL be proven wrong. As in a few hundred years, The Eclipse Dynasty shall form a nation that is not ruled by any God and shall rise in technology. But of course, this story shall come at another time.

"Does the Anemo Archon personally rules you, or do they use a proxy?" Isaac questioned.

"Erm..." Parsifal scratched his head and thought of a way to describe their beloved Anemo Archon without offending him. "The Anemo Archon... Has been left unseen for hundreds of years... The one ruling Mondstadt right now are the four big clans."

"..." Isaac was left speechless. 'This... Shouldn't a God of his nation help them? I wonder, what could the Anemo Archon be doing right now...'

He was sleeping. Barbatos sealed himself to sleep in the woods, hidden from everything. It is not only in five or six years or so before he wakes up.

But of course, Isaac does not know that.

Just then, Parsifal added another answer. "Although the Anemo Archon is absent right now, one of his subsidiary God is currently present and is sometimes seen near Mondstadt!"

"Oh? Who's that?" Isaac got interested.

"We call her by many names, but in fact, we do not know her real name." Parsifal somehow got energetic about explaining this matter. "She is known as the Thousand Winds of Time. A God that has been said to have accompanied the Anemo Archon a thousand years ago. Her other title is The God of Time and Winds."

"Thousand Winds of Time... God of Time, eh? What does she look like?" Isaac asked. The name alone was rather conspicuous. Especially the God of Time part. 'Does this God control time itself? How interesting...'

Parsifal thought for a moment and scratched his head. "We... We never actually took a good look at her before. We only know that she wears a white hood over her face and she has two wings similar to the wings of the Anemo Archon."

'So a mysterious God, huh?' Isaac thought. 'A little too mysterious...'

Although the God of Time piqued Isaac's interest, he can't do anything to learn more about her as, obviously, he's trapped in the mountain.

He continued asking Parsifal some questions. He got some answers but some were left unanswered as the kid knew too little right now.

Just then, Daleth and Moccus came back with the frozen statues of the criminals that killed Parsifal's party. The frozen statues were placed on top of Moccus while Daleth was holding them in place.

"We're back," Moccus said as he lowered his body so that Daleth can bring the frozen statues down.

Without saying any word, Daleth swiftly but gently placed all of them on the ground.

"This... This is..." Just as Parsifal was about to say something, Isaac interrupted him. "They're the ones that killed the people that came with you here."

Parsifal listened to Isaac as he looked at the frozen statues that had facial expressions as if they struggled before being frozen. "What will... Happen to them?"

Isaac glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said, "Your choice. They killed your friends and—"

"No! They're not my friends!" Parsifal interrupted Isaac. "I... I heard them. The adventurers that came with us were talking about accepting dirty jobs for the nobles... The knights that were with me directly serve the Lawrence Clan instead of the Knights of Favonius and do the opposite of what a knight does... And finally, the scholars that were with the Galeburn Clan that was threatening my father because of my stepbrother whose mother belongs to them!"

'The last part was unnecessary, bud. That's too personal...' Isaac sighed. "Well then, what do you suggest? You can't just let them free now, do you?"

"I..." Parsifal thought hard for a moment before closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"I-I just want to go back. I want to go back to Mondstadt..." He muttered.

'Struggling to decide... That's a weak point for you. Can't blame you though. You're still a child.' Isaac thought as he glanced at Daleth. "You can accompany them, right?"

"Simple request." With the same ice-cold temperament, Daleth replied.

"How about you, Moccus?" Isaac turned to the Snow Boar King.

"I... Don't like being near humans. I can only accompany them for a short while." Moccus answered.

"That's good enough for me," Isaac said.

Isaac nodded and looked at the two subconscious people that were laying down. 'I should place them in a cart I found near the foot of the mountain...'

He then looked at Parsifal who was still somehow struggling. "You can lead the path back to Mondstadt, right?"

"I can..." Parsifal answered.

"Then that makes things easier," Isaac said as he pointed at Daleth. "Just lead the way for her and I promise you that you'll get back safely."

Parsifal looked at Daleth and found that even though she has an expressionless face, she still somehow gives off a cold feeling. "A-Alright..."

And just like that, Parsifal boarded Moccus down to the mountain with Daleth walking beside them. As for Isaac, he manipulated ice and brought the two subconscious people down rather quickly, and found a cart that they can use.

(A/N: I just found a song that perfectly fits this story. Check out 'Hiding in the blue' by TheFatRat)