"Sir, do I know you?"
Childe skipped the tedious name game and looked at Feng Yi.
"You haven't seen me, but I've seen your portrait!"
Feng Yi searched his mind for information about Childe, preparing to deceive him.
Childe's original name was Ajax, a name taken from the adventure hero his father most admired. At the age of fourteen, to escape his unchanging life, Ajax left home with a small short sword and a bag of bread. The arrogant youth got lost in the snowy forest, pursued by bears and wolves, and fell into a bottomless dark fissure. There, he witnessed the infinite possibilities of another ancient world; there, he met a mysterious swordsman. Or rather, the dark realm noticed the ambitious youth. In three months, the swordsman taught him all his techniques for navigating the abyss. More importantly, during these three months, from his nature that craved turmoil, the ability to instigate endless conflict grew. No one knows what truly happened in those three months of darkness; Ajax never spoke of it afterwards. Yet, when his anxious mother and sisters finally found him in the forest, only three days had passed in the world. Holding his now rusty short sword, the boy completed his first adventure. This marked the end of his youth and the beginning of his path as a warrior.
Upon returning home, the boy had changed. He was no longer timid or hesitant, but arrogant and confident. It was as if the world should revolve around him, as if combat existed for him. Strife often brought change, and unpredictable shifts, like a spinning kaleidoscope, attracted Ajax. But in his father's eyes, the already restless third son had become exceptionally unruly, bringing much unwarranted conflict to the peaceful town of Seafoam. Or rather, he had become the center of conflict; wherever he went, fights and arguments followed, and he reveled in it. Finally, after a brawl that nearly resulted in death was barely quelled, his helpless father handed his beloved son over to the Fatui recruitment corps. His father hoped the Fatui's strict discipline would temper his son's character, but he witnessed the fully armed recruiters flee in disarray, defeated by a mere boy. Though this greatly disappointed his father, the gaze of the Fifth Harbinger, the Rooster, was unexpectedly caught. Astonished by Ajax's combat prowess and intrigued by his personality, his eagerness to place himself at the center of conflict, the Rooster, under the guise of punishment, recruited Ajax into the Fatui, ordering him to start from the bottom and take on the responsibility of fighting for the Tsaritsa.
Thus, his experiences within the Fatui fed the boy's insatiable desire for conquest. His ever-inflating ego was gradually filled by the thrill of defeating strong enemies. Eventually, Ajax was promoted to a Fatui Harbinger, earning the title Childe, and becoming one of the most powerful figures in Snezhnaya. But becoming Childe was not his ultimate goal. For his endless ambition to conquer the world, it was merely another small milestone. Three years later, when the Traveler and Paimon officially began their journey, Childe, under the Tsaritsa's orders, would arrive in Liyue to seize the Gnosis of Morax, the Geo Archon.
Putting aside later events, by comparing Childe's current self-proclaimed name with the information in Feng Yi's mind, Feng Yi discovered an interesting point. Since Childe now called himself Ajax, it meant he had not yet become the lowest-ranking Fatui Harbinger, Childe! This was interesting! Feng Yi knew that Childe's rise to Fatui Harbinger was achieved by accumulating military merit from the lowest ranks. So, if Childe came to Liyue this time, it couldn't possibly be for sightseeing! No one would believe that! Perhaps the location for his assessment to become a Harbinger was in Liyue! Of course, this was merely Feng Yi's speculation. But since Feng Yi had encountered Childe, it wouldn't be easy for the other party to cause trouble in Liyue!
"Your teacher is a swordsman named Scylla, isn't she?!" Feng Yi's lips curved into a smile; he had already devised his plan to deceive Childe.
"How did you know that!?" Childe's smile instantly froze. He looked coldly at Feng Yi. He had never told anyone this, not even his own family! How did this person know?
"My teacher is acquainted with Senior Scylla. That day, my teacher used water divination magic and learned that Senior Scylla had taken a disciple. In the mirror-like water reflection, I saw your portrait."
Scylla was a name Childe could not forget, not only because she taught him martial arts and how to navigate the abyss, but also because she was an insurmountable obsession for Childe! Childe honed his martial arts not only for the thrill of combat but, more importantly, to return to the abyss and challenge Scylla again, at least to make her fight with both hands! Feng Yi knew that the name Scylla was a double-edged sword; used well, it could quickly foster a close relationship, but used poorly, it could lead to being hunted. Feng Yi decided to take a gamble, with his life-saving river god domain ready at any moment! Fortunately, he gambled correctly! Feng Yi saw the coldness in his eyes recede, replaced by his usual cheerful smile.
"But my name is Ajax, why would it be Childe? Did your teacher make a mistake?" Besides omniscient gods, no one else could possibly know about Scylla. Feng Yi's explanation was logical, which meant Feng Yi was not lying to him; the other party's teacher was indeed acquainted with Scylla. Of course, there was one extremely unlikely possibility: Feng Yi was an omniscient god! But if Feng Yi were a god, would he need to lie to him? Gods wouldn't be so bored, would they!? Childe shook his head, dismissing the latter unrealistic guess, and regarded Feng Yi as the disciple of his teacher's friend.
"I'm not too sure about that. My teacher's divination showed that you would later be renamed Childe!" Feng Yi added, if he remembered correctly. He pushed all inexplicable matters onto that ethereal teacher.
"Alright, alright! May I be so bold as to ask your teacher's name?" Childe asked curiously. He had never heard Scylla mention anything about this, and he was suddenly very interested in Scylla's friend.
.............
ps: I'd like to recommend a book for a friend: "Genshin Impact: Reincarnated as a Hilichurl, All I Need is to Eat Sun," Author: Mo Xin. It's said to be available at Yae Publishing House in Inazuma. It's a highly-rated fanfiction of Genshin Impact from Tomato Novel. Readers who are interested shouldn't miss it!