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Zhongli was not in the habit of travel— he was mostly content stationary, sitting in his own place in the world. It was rare that he ventured out of Liyue, much less to far off distances such as Inazuma. But such was the nature of an archon— not interested in foreign affairs, and often absorbed in one’s own ventures.
That being said, here he was, standing at the Ritou docks. He had a suitcase packed with necessary supplies and funds, as well as Master Hu’s strict instructions written on a paper in his pocket. He greeted the merchants that smiled at him as he walked past, and forgoed his usual leisurely pace. He was here for a reason, after all.
Inazuma was much like it was in the past— the tall, rocky spire that rooted the great Narukami shrine at the top, and the shining city of the shogun in the distance. Though he had heard foreigners compare the aesthetics of Inazuma to Liyue, he could not personally find anything particularly similar.
Around midday, he stopped beneath a shady tree to indulge in a light meal he had bought in Ritou. The bento had looked quite beautifully arranged, and despite Master Hu’s nagging on his spendings, just one lunch could hardly hurt.
“Whoa.”
The voice came from the right. Zhongli looked up in surprise, and without pausing the boyish voice said, “That looks super yummy mister, where’d you get it?”
Zhongli blinked. Undeterred by the lack of response, the child continued, “‘Cause I’ve never seen anything so pretty when it comes to food— and I know all the things to eat around here! There’s them mushrooms growing by the river and the seaweed by the water, but that’s nothing like those. I bet my granny’ll be shocked when she sees this.”
Amused, Zhongli smiled warmly. “Is that so?” He replied gently. “In that case, why don’t you take this?”
From his traveling bag, he took out a similar box— it had been meant for dinner, but he would probably reach Inazuma City by then. He could easily buy another meal there.
Yet to his surprise, the boy’s cheeks puffed up and he replied indignantly, “I don’t need no charity! I’m Arataki Itto, the evilest, evilest, only oni! And I don’t need the help of no human!” He stomped his foot for emphasis and continued emphatically, “You looking down on me, huh?!”
Zhongli could only reply, amused, “On the contrary, young sir. I only offered since I bought too much, and it would go to waste otherwise.”
“Oh.” The boy, Arataki Itto, frowned and scratched his head. “That’s bad, mister. You can’t just waste food like that. ‘snot good to let it spoil.”
“Yes, it was my mistake,” Zhongli said. He offered the packaged box. “Would you mind helping me out, Arataki-kun? If you don’t mind, at least.”
At last, the boy took the proffered box and looked at the wooden finish admiringly. “Pretty…” he muttered under his breath. Zhongli watched him, curious.
Arataki Itto was perhaps ten years of age or so,or at least that was what his physical appearance implied. He knew little of yokai and oni, and whether their lifespans were more similar to those of mortals or the Liyuen adepti. His clothes were threadbare, yet his hair was clean and appearance tidy. He was clearly looked after and cared for, but not perhaps not well off.
The red markings on his face and the horns atop his head were the most striking part of his appearance, naturally. The way he had proudly given his name away, the way he had eagerly spoke about this ‘granny’ of his…
Zhongli smiled warmly at the boy yet again. “Arataki-kun, may I ask you something?”
“Yeah! What?” The boy replied, still distracted by his new bento.
“What are your dreams for the world?”
Itto scrunched up his nose. “Mister,” he complained, “Those were just a buncha nonsense words stuck together.”
Zhongli laughed. “My apologies. What I mean is, what are you going to be when you grow up?”
The boy brightened. He responded immediately, as if he’d already given much thought on it. “I’m gonna be the bestest, evilest oni there ever was! And I’m gonna be so scary that everyone will have to follow me before they get… umm… get eaten! By me! And then granny’ll get ta live in a real house, and I can give her food like this everyday. And I’ll be super strong, so I’ll beat up all the guys making fun of us. And they’ll cry and run home to their mommies, and then I’ll beat up…”
The boy spoke on, speaking passionately on his future strength and terror. Satisfied, Zhongli watched him prattle on and on with great vigor.
What an interesting child.
Arataki Itto waved him goodbye as Zhongli set off south again. The next morning, he would wake up with a tassel lying beside him, glowing bright gold— the color of the nice mister who’d bought too much food the day before.