Providence

In the wake of Jean's summoning, Paul ultimately ended up with the task of getting her up to speed. He thought it would have been better to leave such things to Zhongli, but that apparently wasn't the case as even Jean herself seemed keen on hearing what he had to say. When Paul asked for the reason, Jean was the one to answer, "First impressions are essential in establishing trust and a baseline for comparison. Your behavior and the information you provide allow others to make an initial assessment of your character. Using that, I can later ascertain whether or not you were being deceitful by communicating with others."

"..."

Though he had expected Jean's straightforwardness, Paul was still a little taken aback by it. Fortunately, his nearly six years as a Noble had given him a fair amount of resistance against such things. As a result, he was quickly able to regain his wits, stating, "I see. If that's the case, I will do my best to present a detailed account as well as listing out my expectations for the future..."

Responding in the manner expected of a Maid, Jean folded her hands over her lap and lowered her head in a flawless display of courtesy, her voice calm and composed as she replied, "Thank you, Master Paul. Your consideration and willingness to listen to counsel have already given me a positive impression of your character."

Pulled into Jean's pace, Paul found himself offering a markedly less but still courteous bow as he said, "You honor me with your words..."

Realizing the error he had just made, Paul's body briefly tensed. Jean's disposition and bearing were just so far removed from a Servant or Maid that he couldn't help regarding her as a Noble...

Fortunately for Paul, this seemed to bolster Jean's impression further as she adopted an approving, squinty-eyed smile...

...

..

.

Several hours after Paul's explanation and a small party to welcome her to the group, Jean was lying silently in bed, her pale-blue eyes focused on nothing in particular as a faint knock sounded at her door.

Rising to a seated position, Jean habitually checked herself over before calling out, "Please, enter."

Fortunately, not that she had expected him to enter her room in the middle of the night, the person at the door wasn't Paul. Instead, it was Zhongli wearing a vanilla-colored nightgown that reached down to her ankles.

"Having trouble sleeping...?"

Adopting a weary smile, Jean answered, "To be fair, I rarely got more than three hours of sleep back in our world. My duties and aspirations left me little time for things like leisure and relaxation..."

"Mmm..."

Making her way over to Jean's bedside, Zhongli pulled up a chair before taking a seat and inquiring, "And what is your 'initial assessment' of our new Master?"

Averting her eyes, Jean deliberated for several seconds, memories of the past few hours resurfacing in her mind as she answered, "I believe he is a good, honest man. But I can also tell he's hiding or, at the very least, holding something back. In a way, he reminds me of my younger sister...someone with great potential, but burdened by the expectations of others..."

Adopting a faint smile of her own, Zhongli remarked, "It's no wonder Grandmaster Varka entrusted the matter of protecting Mondstadt to you. Your insight and ability to ascertain a person's true nature are truly remarkable..."

Turning to meet Zhongli's gaze, Jean was about to ask for her opinion but remained silent as the former willingly explained, "Our predicament has placed a tremendous burden on Master Paul. Though he was given the option of whether or not to help us, his nature has compelled him to believe he 'must' help us. While that is certainly beneficial for our cause, I fear it is only a matter of time before he breaks under the strain of his perceived responsibilities. For that reason, I am relieved that you, of all people, were summoned. It appears Fate truly is on our Master's side..."

Understanding what Zhongli was trying to say, a self-deprecating smile developed across Jean's face. During her relatively short tenure as the Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonia, she had worked herself to exhaustion on several occasions. She had gotten better at delegating towards the end of the Stormterror incident, but she still had first-hand experience deferring to and nearly breaking due to others' expectations.

"What would you have me do? I could offer him advice, but I fear it may sound illegitimate considering I'm in a similar situation. With the fates of two worlds on the line, even resting here in my room feels...negligent...I understand there is little I can do at the present moment, but it doesn't prevent me from feeling like I 'should' be doing something..."

Contrasting Jean's expectations, Zhongli responded with an affirmative nod, saying, "Good. That is, precisely, what you 'should' be doing."

"I'm afraid you've lost me..."

Amused by the doubtful expression on Jean's serious yet childish face, a soft chuckle emanated from Zhongli's throat before she went on to explain, "Just as you are concerned about Master Paul, he will invariably be worried about you. In the beginning, he will see your hard work and feel driven to put in even more effort. The closer he comes to injury, the greater your concern for his well-being. In turn, he will attempt to ease your anxieties by taking things slower and advising you to do the same. In essence, your righteous natures will help you to refine and ultimately restrain one another..."

"..."

Furrowing her brows, Jean fell into a contemplative state with one arm crossed, the other resting on top in a manner that allowed her to thumb her chin and nibble her index finger. Zhongli's words made it sound like she was advising her to become Paul's rival, but Jean got the distinct impression there was much more to it.

Seeing through Jean's thoughts, Zhongli removed any room for doubt by supplementing, "Your suspicions are correct. I'm asking you to fall in love with him. If there is anything I've learned from observing humans, it's that emotions like love allow them to overcome just about anything. What our Master needs, more than anything else, is a legitimate reason to dedicate himself to our cause. There is a distinct difference between simply doing what you believe is right and fighting to protect the people you love..."

While others might have felt offended or betrayed by Zhongli's words, Jean's expression hardly changed as she asked, "Are you sure I'm the best suited for the task? Based on my observations, there seems to be a burgeoning relationship between Master Paul and Xiangling. If that's the case, I may complicate matters by being too...persistent."

Instead of insisting she was correct, Zhongli emulated Jean's posture as she answered, "Truth be told, this is mere speculation based on my part. All I know for certain is that Master Paul needs something 'more' to anchor him to our cause. It is no coincidence the Gods in charge of the Boundaries had us make certain compromises. This world is also a far cry from our own. The sensibilities of people here are less...refined. Master Paul is an exception, but that may very well be the reason for his inevitable breakdown. When one's views differ drastically from the rest of the world, it weighs heavily on the mind."

"I see...so what you're saying is I'm not necessarily the best option, just the most convenient given the circumstances..."

Nodding her head in affirmation, Zhongli adopted an apologetic smile as she said, "I've made an effort to break down our Master's defenses, but my actions have had the opposite of the intended effect. I believe I can achieve greater results once this body matures, but that is a matter for the future. For now, what our Master needs the most is someone he can compete against and grow alongside."

Though she could guess Zhongli's response, Jean asked the obvious, specifically, "And what about Xiangling?"

Closing her eyes, Zhongli explained, "I'm afraid Xiangling is a little too emotional and prone to negativity. She has improved considerably over the past few months, but her behavior has only added to our Master's perceived burdens. It will likely take several years before she matures to the point of being able to make rational judgments in matters such as this."

Nodding in both affirmation and understanding, Jean said, "Very well. It will take some time, but I'm confident I can fall in love if things progress according to your predictions. Given Master Paul's physical appearance and disposition, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Though she found the present Paul more adorable than attractive, Jean could tell he would grow into a handsome man. He also took his training very seriously, so it wasn't difficult to picture his physique developing in a favorable direction. Once he put on a bit of muscle, Paul would be well within Jean's underused but still-existent strike zone.

Believing their conversation to be finished, Zhongli rose to her feet and said, "Then I entrust this matter to you. Just keep in mind that it is not a duty exclusive to you. This world has very...open views on relationships. Instead of restraining him, you should consider actively supporting our Master's relationships with others. After all, given his status as the next Lord of Milbots, it may not be possible for the two of you to marry until we remedy the decay and corruption within the Asura Kingdom. Given that, Master Paul will likely be forced to accept a political engagement once he comes of age at ten. Keep that in mind."

Though she felt goosebumps spreading across her body when Zhongli mentioned the Asura Kingdom's remarkably low standard for adulthood, Jean still nodded her head in affirmation. Common sense told her it was utterly ridiculous to consider ten years old and adult, but as Zhongli had pointed out, her common sense didn't apply in this situation. If she were to go around telling people it was wrong, the vast majority would look at her as if she was the one speaking nonsense...

"I'll keep that in mind...thanks..."

Returning a nod of her own, Zhongli made her way for the entrance of Jean's room but stopped at the threshold, revealing, "Worry not...you're not the only one disturbed by this world's logic. Master Paul, Xiangling, and I have similar thoughts. If I still had my powers as the Geo Archon, I would have laid waste to the Silver Palace within hours of my arrival..."

Turning back to reveal a severe expression on her face, Zhongli added, "Our Master has yet to voice his thoughts on the matter, but he keeps a small journal within his breast pocket. He records the name of everyone he has failed to save. When the time comes, I have no doubt he will do everything in his power to 'redeem' himself..."

Understanding the meaning of Zhongli's words, Jean adopted a resolute expression of her own as she said, "Then that settles the matter. Even if I must sacrifice myself a thousand times over, I will continue supporting our Master till the end."

Offering one final nod, Zhongli muttered, "Well said, Dandelion Knight..." before departing Jean's room with a smile. Jean's arrival had solved a lot of the problems that were beginning to plague their growing group. Zhongli had no doubt others would appear, but having such a stalwart and unfaltering ally certainly made things easier...